METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRUG DELIVERY USING SUPERCRITICAL SOLUTIONS

• Main Authors: HYBERTSON, BROOKS M, HANSEN, BRIAN N, SIEVERS, ROBERT E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 28.05.2002
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; ATOMISING APPARATUS; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROMTHE BODY; DYES; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING; NATURAL RESINS; NOZZLES; PAINTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; POLISHES; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; SPRAYING APPARATUS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

Methods and apparatus for delivering physiologically active compounds to a target human or animal employ a supercriti- cal fluid solution comprising a supercritical fluid solvent and a physiologically active solute. The supercritical fluid solution is passed into a subcritical region to evaporate the solvent and form a gas-bor ne dispersion of solute particles. The gas-borne disper- sion of solute particles is administered directly to the target human or animal. The apparatus for delivering the physiologically ac- tive compound are of the hand-held type.