171 results about "Corneum stratum" patented technology

An applicator for applying a microprojection member to the stratum corneum of a patient having a housing, a piston moveable within the housing and a cap adapted to activate the applicator. The applicator is self-setting and auto-triggering, which allows the applicator to be used by patient's having neither the strength, nor the manual dexterity to pre-set and activate other types of applicator devices.

Improved microneedle arrays are provided having a sufficiently large separation distance between each of the individual microneedles to ensure penetration of the skin while having a sufficiently small separation distance to provide high transdermal transport rates. A very useful range of separation distances between microneedles is in the range of 100-300 microns, and more preferably in the range of 100-200 microns. The outer diameter and microneedle length is also very important, and in combination with the separation distance will be crucial as to whether or not the microneedles will actually penetrate the stratum corneum of skin. For circular microneedles, a useful outer diameter range is from 20-100 microns, and more preferably in the range of 20-50 microns. For circular microneedles that do not have sharp edges, a useful length for use with interstitial fluids is in the range of 50-200 microns, and more preferably in the range of 100-150 microns; for use with other biological fluids, a useful length is in the range of 200 microns—3 mm, and more preferably in the range of 200-400 microns. For circular microneedles having sharp side edges, a useful length for use with interstitial fluids is in the range of 50-200 microns, and more preferably in the range of 80-150 microns; for use with other biological fluids, a useful length is again in the range of 200 microns—3 mm, and more preferably in the range of 200-400 microns. For solid microneedles having a star-shaped profile with sharp edges for its star-shaped blades, a useful length for use with interstitial fluids is in the range of 50-200 microns, and more preferably in the range of 80-150 microns; for use with other biological fluids, a useful length is again in the range of 200 microns—3 mm, and more preferably in the range of 200-400 microns, while the radius of each of its blades is in the range of 10-50 microns, and more preferably in the range of 10-15 microns.

A retainer (34) is provided for holding a microprotrusion member (44) for application of the microprotrusion member (44) to the stratum corneum with an impact applicator (10). The microprotrusion member (44) includes a plurality of microprotrusions (90) which penetrate the stratum corneum to improve transport of an agent across the stratum corneum.

The invention relates to sweat activity measurement, e.g. for determining a physiological state of a subject, embodied by a method as well as a kit with an immittance measuring circuit and electrodes with contact electrolyte. Sweat activity is considered a transport phenomenon and can be defined as a flux, e.g. gram water per skin area per second. Prior art methods determining water absorbed per gram dry stratum corneum measures skin moisture and do not truly reflect sweat activity. A periodic signal with frequency of 60 Hz or lower is applied to reduce contribution from complex admittance of the skin, and skin conductance is measured as a degree of sweat activity. The contact electrolyte allows filling of sweat ducts with sweat from sweat glands, this may be characterized in that it does not substantially fill the sweat ducts when being positioned on the skin and / or in that it has a re-absorption time constant from the sweat ducts into the Epidermis of less than 15 min.