Claims for Patent: 5,630,796

Summary for Patent: 5,630,796

Title:	Method of delivering powder transdermally with needless injector
Abstract:	A needleless syringe having a membrane which is ruptured by gas pressure to generate a supersonic gas flow in which particles containing a therapeutic agent are injected. This provides effective transdermal delivery of the therapeutic agent.
Inventor(s):	Bellhouse; Brian J. (Islip, GB2), Sarphie; David F. (Witney, GB2), Greenford; John C. (Abingdon, GB2)
Assignee:	Oxford Biosciences Limited (Oxford, GB2)
Application Number:	08/474,367
Patent Claims:	1. A method of therapeutic treatment, comprising transdermally delivering particles of a powdered therapeutic agent across skin tissue of a mammalian subject, said particles being delivered to the locus of transdermal administration at a velocity in the range of between 200 and 2,500 m/sec, in which the particles of the therapeutic agent have a size predominantly in the range of about 10 to 250 .mu.m and a density in the range of 0.1 to 25 g/cm.sup.3. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the velocity range is between 500 and 1,500 m/sec. 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the velocity range is between 750 and 1000 m/sec. 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the size range is between 10 and 20 .mu.m. 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the density range is between 0.5 and 2.0 g/cm.sup.3. 6. A method according to claim 1, in which the particles of the therapeutic agent are comprised of a stable mixture of drugs which are unstable when mixed wet. 7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the therapeutic agent comprises insulin. 8. A method according to claim 1, in which the particles of the therapeutic agent are in the form of spherical shells. 9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mammalian subject is human. 10. A method of therapeutic treatment, comprising transdermally delivering particles of a powdered therapeutic agent across skin tissue of a mammalian subject, wherein said particles have a size predominantly in the range of about 10 to 250 .mu.m and are delivered to the locus of transdermal administration at a momentum density of between 2 and 10 kg/sec/m. 11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the momentum density is between 4 and 7 kg/sec/m. 12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the mammalian subject is human. 13. A method of therapeutic treatment, comprising transdermally delivering particles of a powdered therapeutic agent combined with an inert carrier or diluent across skin tissue of a mammalian subject, said particles being delivered to the locus of transdermal administration at a velocity in the range of between 200 and 2,500 m/sec, in which the particles of the therapeutic agent have a size predominantly in the range of about 10 to 250 .mu.m and a density in the range of 0.1 to 25 g/cm.sup.3. 14. A method of therapeutic treatment, comprising transdermally delivering particles of a powdered therapeutic agent combined with an inert carrier or diluent across skin tissue of a mammalian subject, wherein said particles have a size predominantly in the range of about 10 to 250 .mu.m and are delivered to the locus of transdermal administration at a momentum density of between 2 and 10 kg/sec/m.