Herbal Medicine Device with Controlled Release via Particle Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for transdermal or transmucosal drug delivery, such as iontophoretic techniques, struggle to provide persistent and controlled release of medicinal ingredients through mucous membranes, limiting the duration and rate of drug administration, especially for herbal medicines composed of multiple ingredients with varying pharmacological effects.
Innovation Solution
A device and method for herbal medicine that involves grinding medicinal ingredients into fine particles of different sizes based on desired release durations, mixing them with a binding agent, and adhering them to a base sheet with a permeation activating unit, allowing for controlled release via magnetic, heat, or electrical stimulation, enabling varied release rates and prolonged delivery through mucous membranes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If electric field or magnetic field is applied to a medicinal ingredient layer to enable fast penetration of drug into skin, then the penetration speed is improved, but the persistence of drug administration through skin deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The medicinal ingredient layer is segmented into multiple sub-layers, each containing different herbal ingredients with specific particle sizes. This segmentation allows each layer to release ingredients at different rates, achieving both fast initial penetration and sustained long-term release through the mucous membrane.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the medicinal ingredient layer are assigned different properties: particle size, ingredient composition, and release characteristics are locally optimized. Larger particles provide sustained release while smaller particles enable faster penetration, creating local quality variations that resolve the contradiction between speed and persistence.
2Device complexity
If a single medicinal ingredient layer is used for transdermal delivery, then the device structure is simple, but the ability to vary release rate depending on particular drugs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The single ingredient layer is divided into multiple sub-layers, each tailored for specific drugs with different pharmacological properties. This segmentation enables customized release rates for different ingredients while maintaining an integrated patch structure, thus achieving both structural simplicity and release rate variability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes key parameters including particle size, ingredient composition, and layer thickness for different sub-layers. These parameter variations allow each layer to be optimized for specific drugs, enabling adaptable release rates without significantly complicating the overall device structure.
3Productivity
If herbal medicine ingredients are ground to fine particles for better absorption, then the penetration efficiency is improved, but the release duration control capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The herbal ingredients are segmented into different particle size ranges and distributed across multiple sub-layers. Fine particles in certain layers enhance penetration efficiency, while coarser particles in other layers extend release duration. This segmentation allows simultaneous optimization of both penetration efficiency and release duration control.
Solution Approach 2:
Particle size is locally optimized in different sub-layers according to the specific pharmacological requirements of each herbal ingredient. This local quality variation enables fine particles to provide rapid absorption where needed while coarser particles maintain sustained release in other regions, resolving the contradiction between penetration efficiency and release duration control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device ensures persistent and controlled permeation of medicinal ingredients, maximizing therapeutic effects by adjusting release rates and durations, enhancing the efficacy of herbal medicine delivery and allowing for long-term storage at room temperature.
Implementation Method 1
allowing for controlled release by applying magnetic force, heat or electrical stimulation to the device
Implementation Method 2
allowing for controlled release by applying magnetic force, heat or electrical stimulation to the device
Implementation Method 3
allowing for controlled release by applying magnetic force, heat or electrical stimulation to the device
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a device for herbal medicine in which the airborne release of medicinal ingredients can be controlled, which comprises: separating two or more medicinal herbal ingredients prescribed or prepared according to pharmacological effects on the basis of the weight ratio of each medicinal ingredient to total weight of the medicinal ingredients; grinding the medicinal ingredients separated on the basis of weight ratio, wherein fine particles are ground to different sizes according to the setting of release duration; preparing herbal medicine by mixing the ground medicinal ingredients together, and then mixing the ingredients with a binding agent; and adhering the herbal medicine to a base sheet. The device for herbal medicine manufactured according to the method allows for persistent permeation of medical ingredients through mucous membrane with different release rate for each medicinal ingredient, and thus, the efficacy of the medicinal ingredient layer and the effect of treating disease can be maximized.