Transdermal delivery

Abstract

A device for transdermal delivery of a composition includes a housing partitioned into a delivery chamber arranged to contain the composition and a detonation chamber mechanically coupled to the delivery chamber. The detonation chamber is intended to contain an energetic material producing an impulse transient in response to a detonating stimulus. The housing is coupled to an energy coupling element, or detonator, for communicating energy provided by an external energy source into the detonating stimulus in the detonation chamber. The detonator can detonate the energetic material by causing an electrical discharge or spark within the detonation chamber. The detonator can be a piezoelectric film in electrical communication with the energetic material.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A device for transdermal delivery of a composition, the device comprising: 
 a delivery chamber arranged to contain the composition; and    a detonation chamber arranged to contain an energetic material;    a first dividing membrane between the delivery chamber and the detonation chamber; and    a detonator that causes the energetic material to explode, thereby initiating an impulse transient that passes from the detonation chamber, through the delivery chamber, and out of the transdermal delivery device.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising an expansion chamber arranged between the delivery chamber and the detonation chamber, and a second dividing membrane between the expansion chamber and the detonation chamber.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery chamber and the detonation chamber are substantially parallel layers.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the delivery chamber, the detonation chamber, and the expansion chamber are substantially parallel layers.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the detonator comprises a piezoelectric film in electrical communication with the energetic material in the detonation chamber.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the detonator comprises an electrode for connecting to a DC voltage source, the electrode being in electrical communication with the energetic material in the detonation chamber.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the detonator comprises a DC voltage source and an electrode for connecting the DC voltage source to the energetic material in the detonation chamber.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the expansion chamber contains an expansion material selected to increase in volume in response to the impulse transient.  
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the expansion material is a hydrogel.  
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the expansion chamber contains precursors to an expansion material, the precursors forming the expansion material in response to the impulse transient.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the expansion chamber contains a first compartment containing a first precursor and a second compartment containing a second precursor and the first and second compartment are configured to rupture in response to the impulse transient, thereby allowing mixing of the first and second precursors to form the expansion material.  
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery chamber contains a surfactant.  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of sodium lauryl sulfate, benzalkonium chloride, and cocoamidopropyl betaine.  
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery chamber contains a composition that includes a pharmaceutical agent.  
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the pharmaceutical agent is selected from the group consisting of a protein, a nucleic acid, a local anesthetic, and a photosensitizer.  
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery chamber contains a composition that includes a cosmetic agent.  
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery chamber contains precursors to the composition, the precursors forming the composition in response to the impulse transient.  
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery chamber contains a first compartment containing a first precursor and a second compartment containing a second precursor and the first and second compartment are configured to rupture in response to the impulse transient, thereby allowing mixing of the first and second precursors to form the composition.  
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the detonation chamber contains an energetic material selected to generate an impulse transient having a peak pressure in excess of 350 bar.  
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the energetic material is selected to generate an impulse transient having a peak overpressure in the range between approximately 600 bar and approximately 800 bar.  
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the detonation chamber contains an energetic material selected from the group consisting of nitrocellulose, glycidyl azide polymer, bis-azidomethyloxetane polymer, azidomethyl methyloxetane polymer, and silver azide.  
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the detonation chamber is filled with a medium that contains an energetic material.  
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the energetic material is deposited on the first dividing membrane.  
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the detonation chamber contains precursors to the energetic material, the precursors being configured to form the energetic material in response to the detonating stimulus.  
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the detonation chamber contains a first compartment containing a first precursor and a second compartment containing a second precursor and the first and second compartment are configured to rupture in response to the detonating stimulus, thereby allowing mixing of the first and second precursors to form the energetic material.  
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first dividing membrane is made from a material selected from the group consisting of mylar and polyethylene.  
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the second dividing membrane is made from a material selected from the group consisting of mylar and polyethylene.  
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the second dividing membrane is selected to be deformable in response to the impulse transient.  
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first dividing membrane is selected to provide an impedance match between the delivery chamber and the detonation chamber.  
     
     
         31 . A method for delivering a composition through the skin, the method comprising: 
 contacting the skin with a delivery chamber containing the composition, the delivery chamber being mechanically coupled to a detonation chamber; and    detonating an energetic material disposed in a detonation chamber, thereby generating an impulse transient that propagates through the delivery chamber and permeabilizes the skin, wherein the composition is delivered through the skin.    
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein detonating the energetic material comprises deforming a piezoelectric film in electrical communication with the energetic material, thereby generating an electrical discharge to detonate the energetic material.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein detonating the energetic material comprises applying a voltage across first and second electrodes, the first and second electrodes being in electrical communication with the energetic material.  
     
     
         34 . A method of manufacturing a transdermal delivery device, the method comprising: 
 dividing a housing into separate delivery and detonation chambers;    placing an energetic material in the detonation chamber; and    coupling a detonator to the energetic material for transforming energy provided by an external energy source into a detonating stimulus.    
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein coupling a detonator comprises providing a piezoelectric material on the housing, the piezoelectric material being in electrical communication with the energetic material.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein coupling a detonator comprises providing electrodes for connection to a voltage source, the electrodes being in electrical communication with the energetic material.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising dividing the housing into an expansion chamber in mechanical communication with the delivery chamber and the detonation chamber.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising placing an expansion material in the expansion chamber, the expansion material being selected to expand in volume in response to an impulse transient generated by the energetic material.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 34  further comprising placing a composition into the delivery chamber.