Combination Microarray Patch for Simultaneous Drug Delivery and Electroporation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrochemotherapy methods require multiple needle insertions for each drug application, increasing patient discomfort and procedural time due to the need for separate deliveries of chemotherapy drugs and electric pulses.
Innovation Solution
A combination microarray patch with a hollow housing containing separate reservoirs for two pharmaceutical preparations and integrated anode and cathode for electroporation, allowing simultaneous delivery of drugs through needle arrays and electrical stimulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate needle insertions are used for each drug application in conventional electrochemotherapy, then each drug can be delivered individually, but patient discomfort and procedural time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple drug delivery reservoirs and electrotherapy electrode arrays into a single integrated patch device. The patch contains multiple reservoirs (e.g., first reservoir for bleomycin, second reservoir for cisplatin) and multiple electrode arrays (first anode array, first cathode array, second anode array, second cathode array) that are all delivered through a single application to the patient's skin, eliminating the need for multiple separate needle insertions while maintaining the ability to deliver different drugs and electrical pulses
2Productivity
If multiple separate electrochemotherapy devices are applied for different drugs, then each drug treatment can be performed, but procedural time and patient discomfort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patch device is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it can deliver different chemotherapy drugs (bleomycin, cisplatin, or other combinations) through different reservoirs, apply electrical pulses through multiple electrode arrays, and treat different tumor sites or deliver combination therapy all in a single application. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for multiple separate device applications
3Reliability
If separate applications are used for drug delivery and electrotherapy, then each function can be optimized, but the number of needle insertions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patch integrates drug delivery reservoirs and electrotherapy electrode arrays in a single device that is applied once to the patient's skin. The reservoirs are positioned to deliver drugs at specific locations, while electrode arrays are positioned to apply electrical pulses to corresponding areas, enabling coordinated drug delivery and electrotherapy through a single application rather than multiple separate procedures
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
Reduces patient discomfort and procedural time by enabling simultaneous delivery of multiple drugs with reduced needle insertions and facilitating enhanced drug penetration through electroporation.
Implementation Method 1
applying electric pulses to the area to be treated when the concentration of the drug in the tumor is at its peak. With the delivery of the electric pulses, cells are subjected to an electric field that causes the formation of nanoscale defects on the cell membrane, which alter the permeability of the membrane
Data Source
AI summary
The combination microarray patch for drug delivery and electrochemotherapy device is a medical device for delivering two separate pharmaceutical preparations to a patient, as well as providing electrostimulation for electroactive pharmaceuticals. A first pharmaceutical preparation is manually delivered into the patient through a first set of drug delivery needles. Similarly, a second pharmaceutical preparation is manually delivered into a patient through a second set of drug delivery needles. A desired electrical potential may then be selectively applied across first and second sets of electrotherapy needles for electroporation to facilitate delivery of the pharmaceutical preparations. The second pharmaceutical preparation may be a conjugate of the first for targeted drug delivery.