Moist heat drug delivery apparatus and method

Abstract

A novel moist steam heating cabinet unit is used as a medical device for humidification, hydration, and dispensing of medicinal hot packs. The technology provides multifunctional options from both medicine and non-medicinal hot pack treatment, as well as for other applications and uses, for example—including creation, manufacturing, and curing of pharmaceutical compounds that require a controlled steam process and method. A moist heating device is a unit designed and constructed to deliver a timed, heated fluidic steam coming from a moisture-heating source. This moist heating by employing steam heat activates the therapeutic potential of a portable topical compress or hot pack with a applicator of various shapes and sizes, for transdermal use and neat applications of a “wet medicinal dressing.” The moisture provides the activating liquid and fluidic environment for the flowing through, titrating, and permeating delivery of hydrous and anhydrous drugs or medicaments held within a medicinal pack.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A moist steam heat cabinet apparatus, comprising: a cabinet having a floor, sides, and an inner lining; and an electrically powered moist steam heat cabinet medical device that provides a holding area and humid environment for controlled neat sterile moist steam heat hydration of a therapeutic non-medicinal and medicinal pack, the moist heat cabinet having a multiple arrangement of steam spray nozzles around the sides and floor of the inner lining of the cabinet, the cabinet being of various shapes and sizes, the device delivering moist heat to prepare hot packs/stupes/fomentation until a sufficient amount of moist heat is contained in the pack/stupe at a correct temperature and is ready for topical dispensing to a mammalian or human body part. 
     
     
         2 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , having a controlled temperature exhibited on a display temperature control heating display board, the controlled temperature being pre-determined according to a drug's susceptibility and ability to be optimally activated thermally and delivered transdermally, the controlled temperature exhibition alerting a practitioner of pack temperature within the cabinet. 
     
     
         3 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein a controlled spray mist of water fluid hydrates drug delivery packs with a multiple mini-series of aligned jets along the length of the pack, wherein spray jets on the side walls are designed to deliver exact amounts of heat moisture with a spray mist ejection to allow total areas of the pack to become hydrated and heated to a desired temperature without loss or over-leaching out of the drug contents. 
     
     
         4 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , further comprising a sliding shelf or tray disposed in the cabinet and with levels and horizontal rows of open spaced water permeable holding shelves for the holding and storage of the pack in the cabinet, wherein the sliding shelf or tray comprises an ejectable sliding shelf or tray that can be optionally removed manually with pre-manufactured handles for easy removal of the shelf or tray while holding/dispensing of its contents. 
     
     
         5 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , further comprising an electronic indicator that indicates that the drug delivery pack within the cabinet and placed on the shelf or tray are ready for use. 
     
     
         6 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the spray jets provide an appropriate timed moisture for each pack placed in the cabinet placed in rows horizontally, obliquely, or vertically. 
     
     
         7 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein subdivided placement of the packs arranged individually in rows allows moisture to slowly titrate to the packs without loss of their contents. 
     
     
         8 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is self-cleaning. 
     
     
         9 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is portable for home use or is a stationary console for office use that can provide transdermal iontophoretic drug delivery. 
     
     
         10 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 9 , further comprising an applicator in a plurality of portable shapes and sizes that generate moist steam heat and that can be flexibly worn around a body part, torso, or upper or lower extremity independently from the moist heat cabinet, wherein the applicator comprises a moist heating applicator that can be severally or jointly connected to the console model supply of moist heat via connecting tubing providing a supply of moist heat, which can thereby provide continuous moist heat independently of the console unit. 
     
     
         11 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 9 , wherein the apparatus transports moist heat through heat resistant tubing sending and distributing moist steam to the applicator and to the pack(s), stupe(s), and fomentation(s) and to a mammalian or human body part. 
     
     
         12 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 9 , wherein the applicator is connected to, generates, or transmits an electric current from a rechargeable battery and/or direct wall outlet power source, wherein the power source provides an electric current for both iontophoresis and moist heating to the applicator over an anatomical target area being treated. 
     
     
         13 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the activation of a drug delivery pack, stupe, or fomentation comprises connection in conjunction with an electrotherapy generator that provides direct and galvanic currents to produce at least one of iontophoresis, electroporation, and electrophoretic treatments. 
     
     
         14 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of specific spray mist settings comprising a setting for regular hydrocollator packs and a setting for medicinal packs. 
     
     
         15 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a specific temperature for a medicinal pack according to a drug employed in the medicinal pack or a non-medicinal pack according to a type of the non-medicinal pack. 
     
     
         16 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein transport and permeation of drugs are accomplished by at least one of gravity, vacuum pressure, steam pressure, and iontophoresis. 
     
     
         17 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , further comprising a portable, removable moist heating pad that that creates steam and that is placed on top of a pack, the pad for alternate transfer from the apparatus and placement for direct contact on the human skin or over a medicinal or non-medicinal pack, to maintain continuous steam heat to a medicinal or non-medicinal pack, the pad comprising latches to hold a pack securely below the pad to allow clean and neat placement of the device with the pack to a patient. 
     
     
         18 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , further comprising a clam-shell or strapping method to hold a pack, stupe, or fomentation in place. 
     
     
         19 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , further comprising an electric moist heating pad accessory device that provides moist steam heating currents to electrodes that contact with an aqueous solution for at least one of physiotherapy and iontophoresis treatment. 
     
     
         20 . The moist steam heat cabinet apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus produces steam hydration with a temperature ranging from 20-200 degrees Fahrenheit, and wherein the portable moist heat system is applied to a skin surface of a human user, and wherein the human skin maintains a temperature of less than about 43 degrees Celsius during the transfer of moist heat.