CA2257749C - Device for the intraocular transfer of active products by iontophoresis - Google Patents
Device for the intraocular transfer of active products by iontophoresis Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2257749C CA2257749C CA002257749A CA2257749A CA2257749C CA 2257749 C CA2257749 C CA 2257749C CA 002257749 A CA002257749 A CA 002257749A CA 2257749 A CA2257749 A CA 2257749A CA 2257749 C CA2257749 C CA 2257749C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- reservoir
- annular
- electrode
- active
- active product
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M5/00—Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
- A61M5/14—Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
- A61M5/168—Means for controlling media flow to the body or for metering media to the body, e.g. drip meters, counters ; Monitoring media flow to the body
- A61M5/172—Means for controlling media flow to the body or for metering media to the body, e.g. drip meters, counters ; Monitoring media flow to the body electrical or electronic
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
- A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
- A61N1/02—Details
- A61N1/04—Electrodes
- A61N1/0404—Electrodes for external use
- A61N1/0408—Use-related aspects
- A61N1/0428—Specially adapted for iontophoresis, e.g. AC, DC or including drug reservoirs
- A61N1/0432—Anode and cathode
- A61N1/044—Shape of the electrode
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
- A61F9/00—Methods or devices for treatment of the eyes; Devices for putting-in contact lenses; Devices to correct squinting; Apparatus to guide the blind; Protective devices for the eyes, carried on the body or in the hand
- A61F9/0008—Introducing ophthalmic products into the ocular cavity or retaining products therein
- A61F9/0017—Introducing ophthalmic products into the ocular cavity or retaining products therein implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
- A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
- A61N1/02—Details
- A61N1/04—Electrodes
- A61N1/0404—Electrodes for external use
- A61N1/0408—Use-related aspects
- A61N1/0428—Specially adapted for iontophoresis, e.g. AC, DC or including drug reservoirs
- A61N1/0448—Drug reservoir
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Biomedical Technology (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Bioinformatics & Cheminformatics (AREA)
- Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
- Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
- Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
- Vascular Medicine (AREA)
- Ophthalmology & Optometry (AREA)
- Pharmacology & Pharmacy (AREA)
- Anesthesiology (AREA)
- Hematology (AREA)
- Electrotherapy Devices (AREA)
- Pharmaceuticals Containing Other Organic And Inorganic Compounds (AREA)
- Medicinal Preparation (AREA)
- Media Introduction/Drainage Providing Device (AREA)
Abstract
The invention relates to a device for transferring at least one active product, in particular a medicament, into the eyeball by iontophoresis, comprising a reservoir of active product, which can- be applied to a patient's eye. The reservoir has at least one active surface electrode arranged facing an eye tissue lying at the periphery of the cornea a return electrode and a current generator. The return electrode is preferably in contact with the patient's partly closed eyelids
Description
(a) TITLE OF THE INVENTION `
Device For The Intraocular Transfer Of Active Products By lontopheresis (b) TECHNICAL FIELD TO WHICH THE INVENTION RELATES
The present invention relates to a device for the intraocular transfer of active products by iontopheresis Y
(c) BACKGROUND ART
Iontophoresis is a technique which was proposed in 1747 by Verrati and consists in the administration, in particular of medicaments, into the body through the tissues using an electric field involving a small potential difference. The active electrode, which is in contact with the medicament, is arranged at the site to be treated while a second electrode, intended to close the electric circuit, is placed at another site on the body.
The electric field facilitates the migration of the active products, which are preferably ionized. This technique is commonly used for treating skin diseases, and for this purpose there are a variety of devices available on the market.
Iontophoresis applied to treatment of the eye has been the subject of a number of animal experiments and a few clinical tests, using a variety of devices.
Known devices employ a pad which is impregnated with a solution containing a medicament and is in contact with the surface of the cornea and the sclera.
Other devices employ a cup or a pipette. A device employing a cup is, for example, described in American patent US 4 564 016 (David M. Maurice). In this patent, the medicament is administered in quasi-point form through the sclera.
-lA-In general, the authors find poor reproducibility in their results, which they attribute either to the existence of differences between the animals which are tested, or to unexplained biological phenomena. Furthermore, some operating techniques involve the use of an active electrode of very small area with a very high current density, which increases the risk of damage caused to the tissues, it being possible for this damage to extend to the presence of burns. This is the case, in particular, with the device described in the aforementioned US patent 4 564 016, which advocates a current density which is at least 50 mA/cm2 and may even be as much as 2000 mA/cmZ.
Some experiments have been carried out with alkaline solutions whose high pH results in local tissue damage. For example, the article by T.T. Lam et al. "Intravitreal Delivery of Ganciclovir in Rabbits by Transscleral Iontophoresis" published in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology 10(3) p. 571-575 (1994) describes the point administration of a solution whose pH of 10.8 is out of the question except in the laboratory.
The article by F. Behar-Cohen et al., entitled "Iontophoresis of Dexamethasone in the Treatment of Endotoxin-Induced-Uveitis in Rats" in the journal Experimental Eye Research, 1997-65 p. 533-545 (Oct.
1997), relates to transcorneoscleral iontophoresis carried out on rats with a view to the treatment of uveitis, that is to say a condition affecting the uvea.
According to this technique, the medicament diffuses essentially through the cornea, then diffuses into the eye media.
In practice, owing to the lack of reproducibility of the experimental results generally obtained and, above all, the description of burns and necrosis to the tissue where the iontophoresis devices are applied, transocular iontophoresis has remained at the laboratory stage and has not yet been accepted as a method of treating patients.
(d) DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An object of a general aspect of this invention is to provide a device for transferring at least one active product into the eyeball by iontophoresis, which makes it possible to carry out ambulatory treatments reproducibly.
The invention, in a broad aspect provides a device for transferring at least one active product into the human eyeball by iontophoresis, comprising a reservoir of active product, for example of inedicament, which can be applied to a patient's eye, ~at least one active electrode arranged in the reservoir, a passive electrode and a current generator, characterized in that one said active electrode is a surface electrode arranged facing eye tissues lying at the periphery of the cornea. The regions of the eyeball facing the electrode are the corneoscleral limbus, the conjunctiva and/or the sclera and/or the ciliary body and/or the root of the iris and/or the pars plana and/or the anterior vitreous humour and/or the nonfunctional undetachable retina.
Given that the transfer takes place through one or more eye tissues lying at the periphery of the cornea over a wide application area, the reproducibility, transfer uniformity and efficacy are increased. These tissues become impregnated with the medicament (or active product) which may become concentrated there even though the concentrations in the eye media remain low. These concentrations do not reflect the intratissue medicament concentrations. The medicament is thus not eliminated rapidly by the replenishment of the eye liquids (aqueous humour AH and vitreous humour V).
Furthermore, given that the active product is not in contact with the cornea, this avoids the drawbacks of transcorneal iontophoresis and the risk of endothelial lesions, namely the existence after the intervention of sight problems connected either with endothelial lesions or with temporary epithelial lesions or with temporary deposits of active products, which cause blurred vision. The treatment is therefore a genuinely ambulatory one.
Lastly, since the treatment is carried out on a ring peripheral to the cornea, a cylindrical central region of the device can be left fully free, and the practitioner can therefore visually check the centred positioning of the device during the iontophoresis.
All the eye tissues can be treated:
conjunctiva, cornea, sclera, iris, crystalline lens, ciliary body, choroidea, retina and optic nerve.
Device For The Intraocular Transfer Of Active Products By lontopheresis (b) TECHNICAL FIELD TO WHICH THE INVENTION RELATES
The present invention relates to a device for the intraocular transfer of active products by iontopheresis Y
(c) BACKGROUND ART
Iontophoresis is a technique which was proposed in 1747 by Verrati and consists in the administration, in particular of medicaments, into the body through the tissues using an electric field involving a small potential difference. The active electrode, which is in contact with the medicament, is arranged at the site to be treated while a second electrode, intended to close the electric circuit, is placed at another site on the body.
The electric field facilitates the migration of the active products, which are preferably ionized. This technique is commonly used for treating skin diseases, and for this purpose there are a variety of devices available on the market.
Iontophoresis applied to treatment of the eye has been the subject of a number of animal experiments and a few clinical tests, using a variety of devices.
Known devices employ a pad which is impregnated with a solution containing a medicament and is in contact with the surface of the cornea and the sclera.
Other devices employ a cup or a pipette. A device employing a cup is, for example, described in American patent US 4 564 016 (David M. Maurice). In this patent, the medicament is administered in quasi-point form through the sclera.
-lA-In general, the authors find poor reproducibility in their results, which they attribute either to the existence of differences between the animals which are tested, or to unexplained biological phenomena. Furthermore, some operating techniques involve the use of an active electrode of very small area with a very high current density, which increases the risk of damage caused to the tissues, it being possible for this damage to extend to the presence of burns. This is the case, in particular, with the device described in the aforementioned US patent 4 564 016, which advocates a current density which is at least 50 mA/cm2 and may even be as much as 2000 mA/cmZ.
Some experiments have been carried out with alkaline solutions whose high pH results in local tissue damage. For example, the article by T.T. Lam et al. "Intravitreal Delivery of Ganciclovir in Rabbits by Transscleral Iontophoresis" published in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology 10(3) p. 571-575 (1994) describes the point administration of a solution whose pH of 10.8 is out of the question except in the laboratory.
The article by F. Behar-Cohen et al., entitled "Iontophoresis of Dexamethasone in the Treatment of Endotoxin-Induced-Uveitis in Rats" in the journal Experimental Eye Research, 1997-65 p. 533-545 (Oct.
1997), relates to transcorneoscleral iontophoresis carried out on rats with a view to the treatment of uveitis, that is to say a condition affecting the uvea.
According to this technique, the medicament diffuses essentially through the cornea, then diffuses into the eye media.
In practice, owing to the lack of reproducibility of the experimental results generally obtained and, above all, the description of burns and necrosis to the tissue where the iontophoresis devices are applied, transocular iontophoresis has remained at the laboratory stage and has not yet been accepted as a method of treating patients.
(d) DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An object of a general aspect of this invention is to provide a device for transferring at least one active product into the eyeball by iontophoresis, which makes it possible to carry out ambulatory treatments reproducibly.
The invention, in a broad aspect provides a device for transferring at least one active product into the human eyeball by iontophoresis, comprising a reservoir of active product, for example of inedicament, which can be applied to a patient's eye, ~at least one active electrode arranged in the reservoir, a passive electrode and a current generator, characterized in that one said active electrode is a surface electrode arranged facing eye tissues lying at the periphery of the cornea. The regions of the eyeball facing the electrode are the corneoscleral limbus, the conjunctiva and/or the sclera and/or the ciliary body and/or the root of the iris and/or the pars plana and/or the anterior vitreous humour and/or the nonfunctional undetachable retina.
Given that the transfer takes place through one or more eye tissues lying at the periphery of the cornea over a wide application area, the reproducibility, transfer uniformity and efficacy are increased. These tissues become impregnated with the medicament (or active product) which may become concentrated there even though the concentrations in the eye media remain low. These concentrations do not reflect the intratissue medicament concentrations. The medicament is thus not eliminated rapidly by the replenishment of the eye liquids (aqueous humour AH and vitreous humour V).
Furthermore, given that the active product is not in contact with the cornea, this avoids the drawbacks of transcorneal iontophoresis and the risk of endothelial lesions, namely the existence after the intervention of sight problems connected either with endothelial lesions or with temporary epithelial lesions or with temporary deposits of active products, which cause blurred vision. The treatment is therefore a genuinely ambulatory one.
Lastly, since the treatment is carried out on a ring peripheral to the cornea, a cylindrical central region of the device can be left fully free, and the practitioner can therefore visually check the centred positioning of the device during the iontophoresis.
All the eye tissues can be treated:
conjunctiva, cornea, sclera, iris, crystalline lens, ciliary body, choroidea, retina and optic nerve.
In accordance with the parameters chosen for the current (strength of the current, duration of the treatment), it will be possible for certain tissues to be more specifically targeted.
For an adult (nominal diameter of the cornea:
12 mm), the annular electrode or the electrodes in the form of annular sectors, which is or are made, for example, by electrolytic deposition, may have an internal diameter lying between 12.5 mm and 14 mm and an external diameter lying between 17 mm and 22 mm, which corresponds to an area lying between about 75 mmz and 250 mmz, and preferably between 17 mm and 20 mm.
The maximum diameter is chosen so as not to touch the functional retina. For a child whose eye has not reached adult size, the dimensions need to be adapted in proportion. In other words, and in the general case, the internal diameter di of the annular electrode or of the electrodes is greater than the diameter D of the cornea and less than or equal to 1.2 D, and the external diameter of the annular electrode or of the electrodes is greater than or equal to 1.4 D and less than or equal to 1.8 D, and preferably less than or equal to 1.7 D.
The current generator may be a constant-current generator with rated density less than 10 mA/cmZ, which includes a control device which makes it possible to apply the constant current for a period of time of between 30 seconds and 10 minutes, and more particularly between 1 minute and 10 minutes.
The density of the constant current is advantageously adjustable between 0.1 mA/cm2 and 5 mA/cm2, for example between 0.2 mA/cm2 and 5 mA/cm2, or alternatively between 0.8 mA/cm2 and 5 mA/cmz.
The current may be applied progressively, for example during the initial seconds, which avoids the patient's reflex muscular reactions.
The current ^is advantageously delivered at a voltage lying between 1.5 V and 9 V, and preferably between 2 V and 8 V.
The concentration of the active product is arbitrary. It is in particular less than or equal to the saturation concentration of the active product in water. It is preferably greater than or equal to a threshold concentration beyond which accummulation in some of the eye tissues followed by release to other tissues takes place.
The active product arranged in the reservoir has a pH which may advantageously lie between 6 and 8, and preferably between 7 and 7.6. It will be noted that, since the active product is not in contact with the cornea, the chosen pH may be substantially higher than indicated above, because the conjunctiva and the sclera are less susceptible both in terms of sensitivity and in terms of lesions to slightly acidic or basic pH values. The cornea must remain transparent.
Any modification to the physiological conditions risks impairing its tissue characteristics, and therefore its transparency. The conjunctiva is a mucous membrane, and the sclera is a conjunctive tissue. These are two very resistant tissues whose function is not, in the application region of the treatment, directly involved in the transmission of photons to the retina. They are connective tissues.
The device preferably has a pumping device for circulating a solution of active product, for example a medicinal solution, through the reservoir. This makes it possible, on the one hand, to eliminate the gas bubbles which may be formed during the iontophoresis and, on the other hand, to keep the composition and the pH of the solution substantially constant throughout the treatment, and therefore to improve its reproducibility.
According to a first embodiment, the device has an annular reservoir having an annular electrode, which may define the bottom of the reservoir.
According to a second embodiment, the device has an annular reservoir having a plurality of compartments in the form of annular sectors and electrodes in the form of an annular sector, which may define the bottom of the annular sectors.
According to a third embodiment, the device consists of a corneal lens which is provided with a surface electrode on its internal face and in which a gel containing at least one active product is arranged, or which itself has a spongy structure and contains the active product (for example a cross-linked matrix).
Preferably, on an external face, the device includes a passive electrode which comes into contact with the patient's partially closed eyelid, which holds the device in place throughout the treatment. This also provides the advantage of electrical contact which is improved because it is in an aqueous environment.
(e) DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, - Figure 1 represents a section of an example of a device described in the aforementioned article by F.
Behar-Cohen et al.
- Figures 2a to 2c respectively represent a section, a plan view and a perspective view of an example of a device according to an aspect of this invention;
- Figures 3a, 3b and 3c respectively represent a section, a plan view and a perspective view of a device according to an aspect of this invention for administering three active products, for example three medicaments - Figure 4 represents a section of a variant of the device according to Figures 3a to 3c - Figures 5a to 5c represent a device according to an aspect of this invention, in the form of a meniscus intended for administering three active products, for example three medicaments, in gel form - Figures 6a to 6c respectively represent a perspective view, a section and a partial section of a device of the meniscus-type according to an aspect of this invention;
For an adult (nominal diameter of the cornea:
12 mm), the annular electrode or the electrodes in the form of annular sectors, which is or are made, for example, by electrolytic deposition, may have an internal diameter lying between 12.5 mm and 14 mm and an external diameter lying between 17 mm and 22 mm, which corresponds to an area lying between about 75 mmz and 250 mmz, and preferably between 17 mm and 20 mm.
The maximum diameter is chosen so as not to touch the functional retina. For a child whose eye has not reached adult size, the dimensions need to be adapted in proportion. In other words, and in the general case, the internal diameter di of the annular electrode or of the electrodes is greater than the diameter D of the cornea and less than or equal to 1.2 D, and the external diameter of the annular electrode or of the electrodes is greater than or equal to 1.4 D and less than or equal to 1.8 D, and preferably less than or equal to 1.7 D.
The current generator may be a constant-current generator with rated density less than 10 mA/cmZ, which includes a control device which makes it possible to apply the constant current for a period of time of between 30 seconds and 10 minutes, and more particularly between 1 minute and 10 minutes.
The density of the constant current is advantageously adjustable between 0.1 mA/cm2 and 5 mA/cm2, for example between 0.2 mA/cm2 and 5 mA/cm2, or alternatively between 0.8 mA/cm2 and 5 mA/cmz.
The current may be applied progressively, for example during the initial seconds, which avoids the patient's reflex muscular reactions.
The current ^is advantageously delivered at a voltage lying between 1.5 V and 9 V, and preferably between 2 V and 8 V.
The concentration of the active product is arbitrary. It is in particular less than or equal to the saturation concentration of the active product in water. It is preferably greater than or equal to a threshold concentration beyond which accummulation in some of the eye tissues followed by release to other tissues takes place.
The active product arranged in the reservoir has a pH which may advantageously lie between 6 and 8, and preferably between 7 and 7.6. It will be noted that, since the active product is not in contact with the cornea, the chosen pH may be substantially higher than indicated above, because the conjunctiva and the sclera are less susceptible both in terms of sensitivity and in terms of lesions to slightly acidic or basic pH values. The cornea must remain transparent.
Any modification to the physiological conditions risks impairing its tissue characteristics, and therefore its transparency. The conjunctiva is a mucous membrane, and the sclera is a conjunctive tissue. These are two very resistant tissues whose function is not, in the application region of the treatment, directly involved in the transmission of photons to the retina. They are connective tissues.
The device preferably has a pumping device for circulating a solution of active product, for example a medicinal solution, through the reservoir. This makes it possible, on the one hand, to eliminate the gas bubbles which may be formed during the iontophoresis and, on the other hand, to keep the composition and the pH of the solution substantially constant throughout the treatment, and therefore to improve its reproducibility.
According to a first embodiment, the device has an annular reservoir having an annular electrode, which may define the bottom of the reservoir.
According to a second embodiment, the device has an annular reservoir having a plurality of compartments in the form of annular sectors and electrodes in the form of an annular sector, which may define the bottom of the annular sectors.
According to a third embodiment, the device consists of a corneal lens which is provided with a surface electrode on its internal face and in which a gel containing at least one active product is arranged, or which itself has a spongy structure and contains the active product (for example a cross-linked matrix).
Preferably, on an external face, the device includes a passive electrode which comes into contact with the patient's partially closed eyelid, which holds the device in place throughout the treatment. This also provides the advantage of electrical contact which is improved because it is in an aqueous environment.
(e) DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, - Figure 1 represents a section of an example of a device described in the aforementioned article by F.
Behar-Cohen et al.
- Figures 2a to 2c respectively represent a section, a plan view and a perspective view of an example of a device according to an aspect of this invention;
- Figures 3a, 3b and 3c respectively represent a section, a plan view and a perspective view of a device according to an aspect of this invention for administering three active products, for example three medicaments - Figure 4 represents a section of a variant of the device according to Figures 3a to 3c - Figures 5a to 5c represent a device according to an aspect of this invention, in the form of a meniscus intended for administering three active products, for example three medicaments, in gel form - Figures 6a to 6c respectively represent a perspective view, a section and a partial section of a device of the meniscus-type according to an aspect of this invention;
-I*Vre 7 represents a preferred embodiment of a device intended for administering a plurality of active products, for example medicaments - Figures 8a and 8b are results of a test carried out on rabbits, with the concentration in g/g of dry tissue and in g/ml for the eye media on the ordinate, and the time in hours on the abscissa - Figure 9 represents a device according to an aspect of this invention as fitted on an eye to be treated; and - and Figure 10 represents a plan view of a preferred alternative embodiment of an aspect of this invention.
(f) AT LEAST ONE MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
_ Figure 1 schematically represents the iontophoresis system employed in the context of the aforementioned article by F. Behar-Cohen et al. It includes a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) reservoir 8 defined by a cylindrical wall 2 and a bottom 3 in proximity to which a circular platinum electrode 4 is arranged. The reservoir 8, with a diameter of 6 mm, covers the cornea, the limbus and the first millimetre of the sclera of a rat. A feed tube 5 makes it possible to fill the reservoir 8 with a solution metered in a proportion of 1 mg of dexamethasone per ml of a pH 7 sterile saline solution, and a discharge tube 6 makes it possible to extract the air bubbles which are formed during the iontophoresis. Continuous circulation of the solution makes it possible to keep the pH of the solution in contact with the cornea constant.
A return electrode 7 is placed in contact with one of the rat's paws.
The system also includes a voltage source VS, and a current regulator I. A device IMM for measuring impedance makes it possible to detect any electrical discontinuity and trigger an alarm A. The quantity of charge delivered is displayed on the generator at the end of treatment and makes it possible to ensure reproducibility of the administered treatment.
The experiments were carried out with a current of 400 A for 4 minutes, i.e. a density of 1.2 mA/cmz and a total charge of 0.12 coulomb i.e. 0.4 C/cm2.
(f) AT LEAST ONE MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
_ Figure 1 schematically represents the iontophoresis system employed in the context of the aforementioned article by F. Behar-Cohen et al. It includes a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) reservoir 8 defined by a cylindrical wall 2 and a bottom 3 in proximity to which a circular platinum electrode 4 is arranged. The reservoir 8, with a diameter of 6 mm, covers the cornea, the limbus and the first millimetre of the sclera of a rat. A feed tube 5 makes it possible to fill the reservoir 8 with a solution metered in a proportion of 1 mg of dexamethasone per ml of a pH 7 sterile saline solution, and a discharge tube 6 makes it possible to extract the air bubbles which are formed during the iontophoresis. Continuous circulation of the solution makes it possible to keep the pH of the solution in contact with the cornea constant.
A return electrode 7 is placed in contact with one of the rat's paws.
The system also includes a voltage source VS, and a current regulator I. A device IMM for measuring impedance makes it possible to detect any electrical discontinuity and trigger an alarm A. The quantity of charge delivered is displayed on the generator at the end of treatment and makes it possible to ensure reproducibility of the administered treatment.
The experiments were carried out with a current of 400 A for 4 minutes, i.e. a density of 1.2 mA/cmz and a total charge of 0.12 coulomb i.e. 0.4 C/cm2.
The device according to the invention, an embodiment of which is represented in Figures 2a and 2b, makes it possible to transfer active product, for example a medicament, essentially through at least one eye tissue.
The active electrode is advantageously placed at a distance a from the surface of the patient's eye which is sufficient to avoid a short-circuit, or to avoid it coming accidentally into contact with the eye.
This distance a is preferably at least equal to 4 mm.
The device may be made of PMMA or preferably silicone, for example PDMS with a Shore hardness of 20, for a better seal at the eye. Another biocompatible material which may be used is polyurethane, in particular a polyurethane which is hydrophilic in order to improve adhesion and the elimination of bubbles.
The device 10 has an annular wall 17 and two cylindrical side walls, an inner one 19 and an outer one 18, defining an annular region 15 which forms a reservoir for an active solution, for example a medicinal solution, to be administered by iontophoresis at the periphery of the cornea C of an eye 20 to be treated. The end of the wall 18 adjacent to the wall 17 rests through a frustoconical edge 16 on the sclera S, and the end of the wall 19 adjacent to the wall 17 rests through a frustoconical zone 19' on the perimeter of the cornea C so that only a region which is peripheral to the cornea C and has one or more eye tissues is exposed to the medicinal solution contained by the reservoir 15. An annular active electrode 11 borders the wall 17. Two conductive connections 11' and 12' make it possible to electrically connect the active electrode 11 and the return electrode 12, which is advantageously arranged on the external face of a ring 16, so that the patient's partially closed eyelid can come into contact with the electrode 12 and thus close the circuit.
Alternately, the return electrode may be separate and arranged on the patient's forehead, close to the eye to be treated. In this case as well, the patient's eyelid may rest on the ring 16 in order to hold the device in place.
Openings 13 and 14 formed in the wall 17 make it possible to fill the reservoir 15 and/or circulate the medicinal solution.
The plane annular electrode 11 preferably covers the entire surface of the wall 17 which defines the bottom of the annular reservoir 15. Only partial coverage is admittedly envisageable, but can only unfavourably influence the efficacy of the treatment.
Whatever the case, the reservoir 15 must not cover the region of the cornea C.
The device represented in Figures 3a, 3b and 3c makes it possible to administer a plurality of active products, for example medicaments, here three of them, in liquid or gel form, which are each arranged in one of three cavities in the form of an annular sector 45, 46 and 47 each of which is provided with a respective active electrode 41, 42 and 43. The device includes an annular wall 27, and two cylindrical walls, an inner one 49 and an outer one 48, and the sectors are defined by separating walls 40. It is placed on the patient's eye in the same way as the device represented in Figures 2a and 2b. Conductive connections 41', 42' and 43' pass through the wall 27 to electrically supply the active electrodes 41, 42 and 43.
The device represented in Figure 4 is distinguished by the presence of tubes for circulating liquid which are present for each cavity 45, 46 and 47.
The drawing shows the tubes 84, 85 and 86, 87 corresponding to the cavities 45 and 46.
The device represented in Figures 5a and 5b is a meniscus in the form of a ring. It has three reservoirs 55, 56 and 57 each of which is intended to hold a medicinal gel or a porous material, such as a sponge, impregnated with an active product, for example a medicament. A respective active electrode 51, 52 and 53 is associated with each reservoir. The reservoirs 55 in the form of sectors are defined by separating walls 50.
The device represented in Figures 6a to 6c is a flat meniscus in ring form made of a material which may be that of a corneal lens. The cylindrical central space 63 is left free and, as with the other embodiments, allows a visual check of the centred positioning of the device. An electrode 61, for example formed by electrolytic deposition, covers the slightly concave internal face 63 of the bottom of the annular cavity 62. A return electrode 64, for example formed by electrolytic deposition, covers the perimeter of the convex external face 66 of the bottom of the annular cavity 62, so as to allow return electrical contact through at least one of the patient's closed eyelids 22, 24. The routing of the electrical contact wires 67, 68 is arranged in such a way as to allow them to exit between the eyelids.
The device according to the invention is generally suitable for simple molecules or for molecular assemblies used as an active product (for example medicaments and/or peptides and/or proteins and/or gene fragments) whose molecular mass is less than 100 kilodaltons.
Operation is carried out with a direct current which is constant and regulated with a current density that does not exceed 10 mA/cm2. This current density can advantageously be adjusted between 0.1 mA/cm2 and 5 mA/cm2, and for example between 0.2 mA/cmz and 5 mA/cmz. The preferred value range lies between 0.8 mA/cmZ and 5 mA/cm2 . The treatment time may lie between 30 seconds and 10 minutes. It may in particular lie between 1 minute and 10 minutes.
For a human being, the diameter of the cornea (with limbus) is 12 to 13 mm with an ora serrata 18 mm in diameter.
. By way of example, for treating adults, use may be made of an annular electrode or a plurality of electrodes in the form of ring sectors having an internal diameter lying between 12.5 and 14 mm and an external diameter lying between 17 mm and 22 mm, which corresponds to an area lying between 75 mm2 and 250 mmZ, and preferably lying between 17 mm and 20 mm. The current may, in this case, for example be 400 A and be applied for 4 minutes.
It will be noted that the arrangement of the active electrodes, namely of the surface electrodes arranged facing the region(s) to be treated, makes it possible to associate with a constant current a current density which is itself constant and uniform over the entire area of the region to be treated.
This presents several advantages.
Firstly, it prevents the current density from being able to locally reach high values in certain zones of the region to be treated, and therefore giving rise to undesirable side effects.
Furthermore, the uniformity of the current density in the region to be treated has the effect that the penetration of the active product or products, for example of the medicaments, is also uniform over the region to be treated.
Whatever the case, the electrode does not face the functional retina.
In the scope of the present invention, at least one active product, for example a medicament, is administered via the tissues which allow the better penetration of the active product, in the anterior and posterior segment: the corneoscleral limbus, the conjunctiva, the sclera, the ciliary body, the root of the iris, the pars plana, the anterior vitreous humour, the choroidea and the nonfunctional undetachable retina.
The absence of contact with the cornea avoids any risk of physical and chemical lesion and, in particular, temporary or permanent eye problems following the treatment, and it also makes it possible to leave free a central space 23 allowing the practitioner to check the positioning of the instrument throughout the treatment.
Furthermore, it is found that beyond a certain concentration of active product, which varies depending on the nature of the active product, the active product accummulates in certain tissues of the eye (sustentacular space, sclera, suprachoroid space and, to a lesser extent, iris I and ciliary body CC) before being progressively released to other tissues (choroid CH, retina RET), thus increasing the action time (half-life before elimination of the active product).
This phenomenon is illustrated by the appended curves (Figs. 8a and 8b) obtained on the basis of experiments carried out on rabbits with methylprednisolone hemisuccinate (150 mg/ml, 2 mA).
With a 62.5 mg/mi strength solution, the release effect is not observed. The concentration threshold which allows release is 100 mg/ml.
The device according to the invention may be axisymmetric, but it is preferable for it to be substantially oval in order to accommodate, on the one hand, the presence of the eyelids and, on the other hand, the slightly oval profile of the cornea.
The device represented in Figure 7 has a cavity with an elliptical external profile of 20 mm focal axis parallel to the closure line of the eyelids, and of 18 mm minor axis.
An elliptical internal profile of the treatment cavity may, for example, have a major axis which is parallel to the closure line of the eyelids and is equal to 13.5 mm, and a minor axis which is perpendicular to this line and is equal to 12.5 mm.
The device represented in Figure 7 has four cavities 71 to 74 each of which has an active electrode 75 to 78 supplied by an individual electronic circuit 79 to 82 which is similar to the one represented in Figure' 1 and which ^is integrated in the device. The electronic circuits are supplied by a battery 84 constituting the voltage generator V5, and include a constant-current source I regulated to a chosen value, and a timer T allowing the desired treatment time to be set. Alternatively, all the circuits may be arranged on a single integrated circuit, or alternatively the functions may be distributed over several internal circuits connected by a bus 85.
It will be noted that the reservoir may be oval or, alternatively, have an elongate shape, for example an elliptical shape.
The reservoir and/or the active electrode may be annular.
It is also within the scope of the present invention for the reservoir to have an internal diameter di with D<di<1.2 D, D denoting the diameter of the cornea, and an external diameter de with 1.4 D<de<1.8 D, and preferably 1.4 D<de<1.7 D.
The device may be held in place using a suction device producing a vacuum lying between 35 mm Hg and 100 mm HG, and preferably of the order of 50 mm Hg.
This vacuum may in particular be generated using a preferably transparent diaphragm 95 (Figure 9) which closes off the external face of the central space 23, which makes it possible to create a vacuum therein by suction. This vacuum may also be created by the practitioner if he presses on the diaphragm 95 to flush the air from the central space, which will cause a said vacuum after release. Since the depressurizing diaphragm 95 is transparent, the practitioner can check the positioning of the instrument during the treatment, by virtue of the central space 23.
The active product may be injected through a syringe or, alternatively, from a container of active product adjacent to the device.
When the device is made of a flexible material, which is favourable in terms of fitting and sealing, the external 18 and internal 19 cylindrical walls will tend to come into contact with one another.
In order to overcome this, fins 90 are provided, for example plane radial fins which preferably extend from one of the cylindrical walls (18 or 19) while remaining spaced apart from the other wall (19 or 18) when the device is inactive. In order to facilitate the discharge of air bubbles, the active solution is injected into the reservoir 15 through an inlet 13' (see Figure 10) lying in the lower part ("6 o'clock position") of the device when placed on the eye of a patient whose head is tilted backwards, and an opening 14' for discharging the bubbles is provided in the upper part ("12 o'clock position") . In order to assist in discharge of the bubbles, the fins 90, which in the example which is represented extend from the wall 18, are curved and are convex in the direction of the inlet opening 13'.
The active electrode is advantageously placed at a distance a from the surface of the patient's eye which is sufficient to avoid a short-circuit, or to avoid it coming accidentally into contact with the eye.
This distance a is preferably at least equal to 4 mm.
The device may be made of PMMA or preferably silicone, for example PDMS with a Shore hardness of 20, for a better seal at the eye. Another biocompatible material which may be used is polyurethane, in particular a polyurethane which is hydrophilic in order to improve adhesion and the elimination of bubbles.
The device 10 has an annular wall 17 and two cylindrical side walls, an inner one 19 and an outer one 18, defining an annular region 15 which forms a reservoir for an active solution, for example a medicinal solution, to be administered by iontophoresis at the periphery of the cornea C of an eye 20 to be treated. The end of the wall 18 adjacent to the wall 17 rests through a frustoconical edge 16 on the sclera S, and the end of the wall 19 adjacent to the wall 17 rests through a frustoconical zone 19' on the perimeter of the cornea C so that only a region which is peripheral to the cornea C and has one or more eye tissues is exposed to the medicinal solution contained by the reservoir 15. An annular active electrode 11 borders the wall 17. Two conductive connections 11' and 12' make it possible to electrically connect the active electrode 11 and the return electrode 12, which is advantageously arranged on the external face of a ring 16, so that the patient's partially closed eyelid can come into contact with the electrode 12 and thus close the circuit.
Alternately, the return electrode may be separate and arranged on the patient's forehead, close to the eye to be treated. In this case as well, the patient's eyelid may rest on the ring 16 in order to hold the device in place.
Openings 13 and 14 formed in the wall 17 make it possible to fill the reservoir 15 and/or circulate the medicinal solution.
The plane annular electrode 11 preferably covers the entire surface of the wall 17 which defines the bottom of the annular reservoir 15. Only partial coverage is admittedly envisageable, but can only unfavourably influence the efficacy of the treatment.
Whatever the case, the reservoir 15 must not cover the region of the cornea C.
The device represented in Figures 3a, 3b and 3c makes it possible to administer a plurality of active products, for example medicaments, here three of them, in liquid or gel form, which are each arranged in one of three cavities in the form of an annular sector 45, 46 and 47 each of which is provided with a respective active electrode 41, 42 and 43. The device includes an annular wall 27, and two cylindrical walls, an inner one 49 and an outer one 48, and the sectors are defined by separating walls 40. It is placed on the patient's eye in the same way as the device represented in Figures 2a and 2b. Conductive connections 41', 42' and 43' pass through the wall 27 to electrically supply the active electrodes 41, 42 and 43.
The device represented in Figure 4 is distinguished by the presence of tubes for circulating liquid which are present for each cavity 45, 46 and 47.
The drawing shows the tubes 84, 85 and 86, 87 corresponding to the cavities 45 and 46.
The device represented in Figures 5a and 5b is a meniscus in the form of a ring. It has three reservoirs 55, 56 and 57 each of which is intended to hold a medicinal gel or a porous material, such as a sponge, impregnated with an active product, for example a medicament. A respective active electrode 51, 52 and 53 is associated with each reservoir. The reservoirs 55 in the form of sectors are defined by separating walls 50.
The device represented in Figures 6a to 6c is a flat meniscus in ring form made of a material which may be that of a corneal lens. The cylindrical central space 63 is left free and, as with the other embodiments, allows a visual check of the centred positioning of the device. An electrode 61, for example formed by electrolytic deposition, covers the slightly concave internal face 63 of the bottom of the annular cavity 62. A return electrode 64, for example formed by electrolytic deposition, covers the perimeter of the convex external face 66 of the bottom of the annular cavity 62, so as to allow return electrical contact through at least one of the patient's closed eyelids 22, 24. The routing of the electrical contact wires 67, 68 is arranged in such a way as to allow them to exit between the eyelids.
The device according to the invention is generally suitable for simple molecules or for molecular assemblies used as an active product (for example medicaments and/or peptides and/or proteins and/or gene fragments) whose molecular mass is less than 100 kilodaltons.
Operation is carried out with a direct current which is constant and regulated with a current density that does not exceed 10 mA/cm2. This current density can advantageously be adjusted between 0.1 mA/cm2 and 5 mA/cm2, and for example between 0.2 mA/cmz and 5 mA/cmz. The preferred value range lies between 0.8 mA/cmZ and 5 mA/cm2 . The treatment time may lie between 30 seconds and 10 minutes. It may in particular lie between 1 minute and 10 minutes.
For a human being, the diameter of the cornea (with limbus) is 12 to 13 mm with an ora serrata 18 mm in diameter.
. By way of example, for treating adults, use may be made of an annular electrode or a plurality of electrodes in the form of ring sectors having an internal diameter lying between 12.5 and 14 mm and an external diameter lying between 17 mm and 22 mm, which corresponds to an area lying between 75 mm2 and 250 mmZ, and preferably lying between 17 mm and 20 mm. The current may, in this case, for example be 400 A and be applied for 4 minutes.
It will be noted that the arrangement of the active electrodes, namely of the surface electrodes arranged facing the region(s) to be treated, makes it possible to associate with a constant current a current density which is itself constant and uniform over the entire area of the region to be treated.
This presents several advantages.
Firstly, it prevents the current density from being able to locally reach high values in certain zones of the region to be treated, and therefore giving rise to undesirable side effects.
Furthermore, the uniformity of the current density in the region to be treated has the effect that the penetration of the active product or products, for example of the medicaments, is also uniform over the region to be treated.
Whatever the case, the electrode does not face the functional retina.
In the scope of the present invention, at least one active product, for example a medicament, is administered via the tissues which allow the better penetration of the active product, in the anterior and posterior segment: the corneoscleral limbus, the conjunctiva, the sclera, the ciliary body, the root of the iris, the pars plana, the anterior vitreous humour, the choroidea and the nonfunctional undetachable retina.
The absence of contact with the cornea avoids any risk of physical and chemical lesion and, in particular, temporary or permanent eye problems following the treatment, and it also makes it possible to leave free a central space 23 allowing the practitioner to check the positioning of the instrument throughout the treatment.
Furthermore, it is found that beyond a certain concentration of active product, which varies depending on the nature of the active product, the active product accummulates in certain tissues of the eye (sustentacular space, sclera, suprachoroid space and, to a lesser extent, iris I and ciliary body CC) before being progressively released to other tissues (choroid CH, retina RET), thus increasing the action time (half-life before elimination of the active product).
This phenomenon is illustrated by the appended curves (Figs. 8a and 8b) obtained on the basis of experiments carried out on rabbits with methylprednisolone hemisuccinate (150 mg/ml, 2 mA).
With a 62.5 mg/mi strength solution, the release effect is not observed. The concentration threshold which allows release is 100 mg/ml.
The device according to the invention may be axisymmetric, but it is preferable for it to be substantially oval in order to accommodate, on the one hand, the presence of the eyelids and, on the other hand, the slightly oval profile of the cornea.
The device represented in Figure 7 has a cavity with an elliptical external profile of 20 mm focal axis parallel to the closure line of the eyelids, and of 18 mm minor axis.
An elliptical internal profile of the treatment cavity may, for example, have a major axis which is parallel to the closure line of the eyelids and is equal to 13.5 mm, and a minor axis which is perpendicular to this line and is equal to 12.5 mm.
The device represented in Figure 7 has four cavities 71 to 74 each of which has an active electrode 75 to 78 supplied by an individual electronic circuit 79 to 82 which is similar to the one represented in Figure' 1 and which ^is integrated in the device. The electronic circuits are supplied by a battery 84 constituting the voltage generator V5, and include a constant-current source I regulated to a chosen value, and a timer T allowing the desired treatment time to be set. Alternatively, all the circuits may be arranged on a single integrated circuit, or alternatively the functions may be distributed over several internal circuits connected by a bus 85.
It will be noted that the reservoir may be oval or, alternatively, have an elongate shape, for example an elliptical shape.
The reservoir and/or the active electrode may be annular.
It is also within the scope of the present invention for the reservoir to have an internal diameter di with D<di<1.2 D, D denoting the diameter of the cornea, and an external diameter de with 1.4 D<de<1.8 D, and preferably 1.4 D<de<1.7 D.
The device may be held in place using a suction device producing a vacuum lying between 35 mm Hg and 100 mm HG, and preferably of the order of 50 mm Hg.
This vacuum may in particular be generated using a preferably transparent diaphragm 95 (Figure 9) which closes off the external face of the central space 23, which makes it possible to create a vacuum therein by suction. This vacuum may also be created by the practitioner if he presses on the diaphragm 95 to flush the air from the central space, which will cause a said vacuum after release. Since the depressurizing diaphragm 95 is transparent, the practitioner can check the positioning of the instrument during the treatment, by virtue of the central space 23.
The active product may be injected through a syringe or, alternatively, from a container of active product adjacent to the device.
When the device is made of a flexible material, which is favourable in terms of fitting and sealing, the external 18 and internal 19 cylindrical walls will tend to come into contact with one another.
In order to overcome this, fins 90 are provided, for example plane radial fins which preferably extend from one of the cylindrical walls (18 or 19) while remaining spaced apart from the other wall (19 or 18) when the device is inactive. In order to facilitate the discharge of air bubbles, the active solution is injected into the reservoir 15 through an inlet 13' (see Figure 10) lying in the lower part ("6 o'clock position") of the device when placed on the eye of a patient whose head is tilted backwards, and an opening 14' for discharging the bubbles is provided in the upper part ("12 o'clock position") . In order to assist in discharge of the bubbles, the fins 90, which in the example which is represented extend from the wall 18, are curved and are convex in the direction of the inlet opening 13'.
Claims (27)
1. Device for transferring at least one active product into the eyeball by iontophoresis, comprising a reservoir of active product, which can be applied to a patient's eye, said reservoir being annular or in the form of annular sectors, at least one active electrode arranged in the reservoir, a passive electrode and a current generator, characterized in that one said active electrode is a surface electrode, which is annular or in the form of annular sectors and is arranged, in operation, facing at least one eye tissue lying at the periphery of the cornea.
2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the current generator is a constant-current generator with rated density less than 10 mA/cm2, and in that it includes a control device which makes it possible to apply the said constant current for a period of time of between 30 seconds and 10 minutes, and in particular between 1 minute and 10 minutes.
3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the said current density lies between 0.1 mA/cm2 and 5 mA/ cm2 .
4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the said current density lies between 0.2 mA/cm2 and 5 mA/cm2, and in particular between 0.8 mA/cm2 and mA/ cm2 .
5. Device according to claims 1 to 4, wherein said reservoir has an internal diameter di with D<di<=l.2 D, D denoting the diameter of the cornea, and an external diameter de with 1.4 D<=de:51.8 D.
6. Device according to claim 5, wherein said reservoir has an internal diameter 1.4 D<=de<=1.7 D.
7. Device according to claim 5, wherein said internal diameter de lies between 12.5 mm and 14 mm, and wherein said external diameter de lies between 17 mm and 22 mm.
8. Device according to claim 7, wherein said external diameter de lies between 17 mm and 20 mm.
9. Device according to claims 1 to 8, wherein said current is delivered at a voltage lying between 1.5 V and 9 V.
10. Device according to claim 9, wherein said current is delivered at a voltage lying between 2 V and 8 V.
11. Device according to claims 1 to 10, wherein said active product which is arranged in said reservoir has a pH lying between 6 and 8.
12. Device according to claim 11, wherein said active product which is arranged in said reservoir has a pH lying between 7 and 7.6.
13. Device according to claims 1 to 12, including a pumping device for circulating a medicinal solution through said reservoir.
14. Device according to claims 1 to 13, wherein said device has an annular reservoir having a plurality of compartments in the form of annular sectors, and electrodes in the form of annular sectors.
15. Device according to claims 1 to 13, wherein said device has an annular reservoir having a compartment, and an annular electrode.
16. Device according to claims 1 to 15, wherein said reservoir has an elongate shape.
17. Device according to claim 16, wherein said reservoir has an elliptical shape.
18. Device according to claims 1 to 17, wherein said reservoir contains at least one gel or porous material which is impregnated with an active product.
19. Device according to claim 18, wherein said gel or porous material which is impregnated with an active product is a sponge.
20. Device according to claims 1 to 19, wherein said device is a flat meniscus.
21. Device according to claims 1 to 20, wherein said device includes a passive electrode which comes into contact with an at least partially-closed eyelid of the internal face of the patient, said at least partially-closed eyelid holding said device in place throughout the treatment.
22. Device according to claims 1 to 21, wherein said reservoir is annular and has spacing fins between its internal wall and its external wall, these fins being radial or, alternatively, curved and convex in the direction of an inlet for active products.
23. Device according to claims 1 to 22, wherein said device has a central space which allows the practitioner to check the positioning of the device relative to a patient's eye.
24. Device according to claim 23, wherein said central space is closed off on its external face by a transparent diaphragm for depressurizing the central space.
25. Device for transferring at least one active product into the eyeball by iontophoresis, comprising a reservoir for holding an active product, which can be applied to a patient's eye, said reservoir being annular or in the form of annular sectors, at least one active electrode arranged in the reservoir, a passive electrode and a current generator, characterized in that one said active electrode is a surface electrode, which is annular or in the form of annular sectors and is arranged, in operation, facing at least one eye tissue lying at the periphery of the cornea.
26. Device for transferring at least one active product into the eyeball by iontophoresis, comprising a reservoir of active product, which can be applied to a patient's eye, said reservoir being annular or in the form of annular sectors, at least one active electrode supplyable by a current generator and arranged in the reservoir, a passive electrode and a current generator, characterized in that one said active electrode is a surface electrode, which is annular or in the form of annular sectors and is arranged, in operation, facing at least one eye tissue lying at the periphery of the cornea.
27. Device for transferring at least one active product into the eyeball by iontophoresis, comprising a reservoir for holding an active product, which can be applied to a patient's eye, said reservoir being annular or in the form of annular sectors, at least one active electrode supplyable by a current generator and arranged in the reservoir, a passive electrode and a current generator, characterized in that one said active electrode is a surface electrode, which is annular or in the form of annular sectors and is arranged, in operation, facing at least one eye tissue lying at the periphery of the cornea.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
FR9800009 | 1998-01-05 | ||
FR9800009A FR2773320B1 (en) | 1998-01-05 | 1998-01-05 | DEVICE FOR INTRAOCULAR TRANSFER OF ACTIVE PRODUCTS BY IONTOPHORESIS |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
CA2257749A1 CA2257749A1 (en) | 1999-07-05 |
CA2257749C true CA2257749C (en) | 2009-03-24 |
Family
ID=9521510
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
CA002257749A Expired - Lifetime CA2257749C (en) | 1998-01-05 | 1999-01-04 | Device for the intraocular transfer of active products by iontophoresis |
Country Status (13)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US6154671A (en) |
EP (2) | EP1452203B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4308353B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR100551706B1 (en) |
AT (2) | ATE437672T1 (en) |
BR (1) | BR9900009A (en) |
CA (1) | CA2257749C (en) |
DE (2) | DE69841028D1 (en) |
DK (1) | DK0927560T3 (en) |
ES (2) | ES2236880T3 (en) |
FR (1) | FR2773320B1 (en) |
IL (1) | IL127711A (en) |
PT (1) | PT927560E (en) |
Families Citing this family (80)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7346389B1 (en) * | 1998-09-24 | 2008-03-18 | Newsome David A | Dilation enhancer with pre-medicated contact lenses |
US6101411A (en) * | 1998-09-24 | 2000-08-08 | Newsome; David A. | Dilation enhancer |
US7252655B2 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2007-08-07 | Iomed, Inc. | Ocular iontophoretic apparatus handle |
US6728573B1 (en) | 2000-02-23 | 2004-04-27 | Iomed, Inc. | Ocular iontophoretic apparatus handle |
US6539251B2 (en) | 1999-05-25 | 2003-03-25 | Iomed, Inc. | Ocular iontophoretic apparatus |
US6319240B1 (en) * | 1999-05-25 | 2001-11-20 | Iomed, Inc. | Methods and apparatus for ocular iontophoresis |
US6546283B1 (en) | 2000-10-18 | 2003-04-08 | Iomed, Inc. | High current density iontophoretic device and method of use thereof |
US20030045830A1 (en) * | 2001-04-17 | 2003-03-06 | De Bizemont Therese | Gene therapy with chimeric oligonucleotides delivered by a method comprising a step of iontophoresis |
US7031776B2 (en) * | 2001-06-29 | 2006-04-18 | Optobionics | Methods for improving damaged retinal cell function |
US20040106965A1 (en) * | 2001-06-29 | 2004-06-03 | Chow Alan Y. | Methods and apparatus for treatment of degenerative retinal disease via indirect electrical stimulation |
US20050004625A1 (en) * | 2001-06-29 | 2005-01-06 | Chow Alan Y. | Treatment of degenerative retinal disease via electrical stimulation of surface structures |
US20050033202A1 (en) | 2001-06-29 | 2005-02-10 | Chow Alan Y. | Mechanically activated objects for treatment of degenerative retinal disease |
WO2003007798A2 (en) * | 2001-07-20 | 2003-01-30 | Iomed, Inc. | Ophthalmic use of 5 fluorourcil |
JP2004537551A (en) * | 2001-07-20 | 2004-12-16 | イオメド インコーポレイテッド | Methods for treating neoplastic, vasogenic, fibroblastic and / or immunosuppressive ocular abnormalities by administering a methotrexate-based drug and an ocular iontophoretic device for delivering a methotrexate-based drug. |
FR2830766B1 (en) * | 2001-10-12 | 2004-03-12 | Optis France Sa | DEVICE OF ISSUE OF DRUGS THROUGH IONTOPHORESIS TRANSPALPEBRALE |
FR2830767B1 (en) * | 2001-10-12 | 2004-03-12 | Optis France Sa | DEVICE FOR DELIVERING DRUGS BY IONTOPHORESIS OR INTROCULAR ELECTROPORATION |
FR2836832B1 (en) | 2002-03-08 | 2005-02-04 | Optis France Sa | CONNECTION ASSEMBLY FOR MEDICAL USE FOR THE TRANSFER OF FLUIDS |
MXPA04011416A (en) | 2002-05-17 | 2005-09-30 | Othera Pharmaceuticals Inc | Amelioration of the development of cataracts and other opthalmic diseases. |
FR2851912B1 (en) | 2003-03-03 | 2005-05-13 | Optis France Sa | UNIFORM POWER CONNECTOR FOR DELIVERY DEVICES OF ACTIVE PRINCIPLES |
US7589107B2 (en) | 2003-05-19 | 2009-09-15 | Othera Holding, Inc. | Amelioration of vitrectomy-induced cataracts |
US7825134B2 (en) * | 2003-05-19 | 2010-11-02 | Othera Holding, Inc. | Amelioration of cataracts, macular degeneration and other ophthalmic diseases |
FR2855761B1 (en) * | 2003-06-03 | 2006-02-24 | Optis France Sa | OCULAR DEVICE FOR VARIABLE DELIVERY OF ACTIVE PRINCIPLES BY IONTOPHORESIS |
US20050130906A1 (en) * | 2003-11-20 | 2005-06-16 | Matier William L. | Amelioration of macular degeneration and other ophthalmic diseases |
AU2005212306B2 (en) * | 2004-02-06 | 2010-07-01 | Biovisics Medical, Inc. | Treatment of vision disorders using electrical, light, and/or sound energy |
FR2869531B1 (en) | 2004-04-30 | 2006-07-14 | Optis France Sa Sa | OCULAR IONTOPHORESIS DEVICE REDUCING IRRITATION |
KR20080018980A (en) | 2004-04-30 | 2008-02-29 | 아이게이트 파르마 에스아에스 | Irritation-reducing ocular ionthophoretic device |
ZA200610032B (en) * | 2004-05-25 | 2008-11-26 | Othera Holding Inc | Oculoselective drugs and prodrugs |
US8246949B2 (en) * | 2004-10-27 | 2012-08-21 | Aciont, Inc. | Methods and devices for sustained in-vivo release of an active agent |
US20070282282A1 (en) * | 2004-11-23 | 2007-12-06 | Wong Edward K Jr | Medical device and method for temperature control and treatment of the eye and surrounding tissues |
US8262715B2 (en) * | 2004-11-23 | 2012-09-11 | Eye Delivery System, Llc | Medical device and method for temperature control and treatment of the eye and surrounding tissues via magnetic drug therapy |
CN100553588C (en) * | 2004-11-23 | 2009-10-28 | 小爱德华·K·王 | Control eye and the medical treatment device that encloses tissue temperature near the eyes and treat ophthalmic |
WO2006072887A1 (en) * | 2005-01-05 | 2006-07-13 | Eyegate Pharma Sa | Ocular iontophoresis device for delivering sirna and aptamers |
US8039445B2 (en) | 2005-04-18 | 2011-10-18 | Inserm (Institut National De La Sante Et De La Recherche Medicale) | Methods and devices for delivering a therapeutic product to the ocular sphere of a subject |
WO2006127592A2 (en) * | 2005-05-26 | 2006-11-30 | Othera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Use of hydroxylamine derivates for inhibiting vitrectomy-induced cataracts |
US8755880B2 (en) * | 2005-10-24 | 2014-06-17 | Aciont, Inc. | Intraocular iontophoretic device and associated methods |
US20070260171A1 (en) * | 2005-09-27 | 2007-11-08 | Higuchi John W | Intraocular iontophoretic device and associated methods |
US8634907B2 (en) | 2005-10-24 | 2014-01-21 | Aciont, Inc. | Intraocular iontophoretic device and associated methods |
EP1940507A4 (en) * | 2005-10-24 | 2011-04-20 | Aciont Inc | Intraocular iontophoretic device and associated methods |
FR2893852B1 (en) * | 2005-11-29 | 2010-09-03 | Eyegate Pharma Sa | OCULAR IONTOPHORESIS DEVICE |
US8099162B2 (en) * | 2005-11-29 | 2012-01-17 | Eyegate Pharma, S.A.S. | Ocular iontophoresis device |
US20070203190A1 (en) * | 2006-02-22 | 2007-08-30 | Ghanshyam Patil | Hydroxylamines and derivatives for the inhibition of complement activation |
US20070202186A1 (en) | 2006-02-22 | 2007-08-30 | Iscience Interventional Corporation | Apparatus and formulations for suprachoroidal drug delivery |
JPWO2007123142A1 (en) * | 2006-04-20 | 2009-09-03 | Tti・エルビュー株式会社 | Iontophoresis device |
US20070299386A1 (en) * | 2006-06-23 | 2007-12-27 | Minu, L.L.C. | Delivery of an ocular agent using iontophoresis |
US20080027371A1 (en) * | 2006-07-26 | 2008-01-31 | Higuchi John W | Method and device for minimally invasive site specific ocular drug delivery |
US8923961B2 (en) | 2006-10-18 | 2014-12-30 | The Cleveland Clinic Foundation | Electrode assembly for delivering a therapeutic agent into ocular tissue |
CA2679066A1 (en) | 2007-02-22 | 2008-08-28 | Othera Holding, Inc. | Hydroxylamine compounds and methods of their use |
US9125807B2 (en) | 2007-07-09 | 2015-09-08 | Incept Llc | Adhesive hydrogels for ophthalmic drug delivery |
US8480638B2 (en) * | 2007-10-04 | 2013-07-09 | Aciont, Inc. | Intraocular iontophoretic device and associated methods |
JP2011505917A (en) * | 2007-12-05 | 2011-03-03 | アイゲート ファーマ エスエーエス | Method for delivering siRNA by iontophoresis |
CN101970042A (en) | 2008-02-25 | 2011-02-09 | 眼门药品公司 | Enhanced delivery of a therapeutic to ocular tissues through iontophoresis |
FR2928536B1 (en) | 2008-03-14 | 2012-04-27 | Inst Nat Sante Rech Med | INJECTION DEVICE IN THE EYE |
EP2370155B1 (en) * | 2008-12-31 | 2018-07-04 | Eyegate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | System for ocular iontophoresis with buffering |
EP2396070A4 (en) | 2009-02-12 | 2012-09-19 | Incept Llc | Drug delivery through hydrogel plugs |
WO2011123180A1 (en) | 2010-04-03 | 2011-10-06 | Praful Doshi | Medical devices including medicaments and methods of making and using same |
US10413506B2 (en) | 2010-04-03 | 2019-09-17 | Praful Doshi | Medical devices including medicaments and methods of making and using same including enhancing comfort, enhancing drug penetration, and treatment of myopia |
EP2585057B1 (en) | 2010-06-25 | 2017-08-23 | The U.S.A. As Represented By The Secretary, Department Of Health And Human Services | Methods of treatment using sterculic acid |
US8961501B2 (en) | 2010-09-17 | 2015-02-24 | Incept, Llc | Method for applying flowable hydrogels to a cornea |
KR101669715B1 (en) | 2011-01-12 | 2016-10-27 | 수프트 이탈리아 에스피에이 | Device and method for corneal delivery of riboflavin by iontophoresis for the treatment of keratoconus |
WO2012162459A1 (en) * | 2011-05-26 | 2012-11-29 | Pepose Jay | Device and method for administering eye medications |
US10226417B2 (en) | 2011-09-16 | 2019-03-12 | Peter Jarrett | Drug delivery systems and applications |
US9205150B2 (en) | 2011-12-05 | 2015-12-08 | Incept, Llc | Medical organogel processes and compositions |
EP2968613B1 (en) | 2013-03-11 | 2019-09-11 | University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc. | Delivery of card protein as therapy for occular inflammation |
CN110302004B (en) | 2013-05-03 | 2023-04-28 | 科尼尔赛德生物医学公司 | Apparatus and method for ocular injection |
ITVE20130043A1 (en) * | 2013-07-31 | 2015-02-01 | I A C E R S R L | OPHTHALMOLOGICAL PERFECT DEVICE FOR THE TREATMENT OF CORNEAL DISEASES SUCH AS THE KERATOCONO. |
EP2898922B1 (en) * | 2014-01-27 | 2017-05-24 | OPIA Technologies | Ocular iontophoresis device |
JP5828535B1 (en) | 2014-10-10 | 2015-12-09 | 石根 三井 | Contact lenses for straightening corneal cross-linking |
CN104353183B (en) * | 2014-10-31 | 2016-12-07 | 厦门微科格瑞生物科技有限公司 | The wearable intellectual drug guiding structure that electrolyte position is fixing |
WO2016118933A1 (en) * | 2015-01-22 | 2016-07-28 | Eyegate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Iontophoretic contact lens |
US10206814B2 (en) * | 2016-01-06 | 2019-02-19 | David R. Hardten | System and method for the delivery of medications or fluids to the eye |
CA3062845A1 (en) * | 2016-05-02 | 2017-11-09 | Clearside Biomedical, Inc. | Systems and methods for ocular drug delivery |
EP3599987A4 (en) | 2017-03-23 | 2020-12-16 | Doheny Eye Institute | Systems, methods, and devices for optical coherence tomography multiple enface angiography averaging |
EP3860703A1 (en) | 2018-10-01 | 2021-08-11 | Biovisics Medical, Inc. | System and methods for controlled electrical modulation for vision therapy |
US11305118B2 (en) | 2018-11-30 | 2022-04-19 | Biovisics Medical, Inc. | Head worn apparatuses for vision therapy |
BR112021013455A2 (en) | 2019-01-09 | 2021-09-14 | Twenty Twenty Therapeutics Llc | THERAPEUTIC AGENT DISPENSING DEVICE AND SYSTEM |
CN113557574A (en) | 2019-01-09 | 2021-10-26 | 二十二十治疗学有限责任公司 | Programmable therapeutic agents delivered from eye-mounted devices |
EP3952979A1 (en) | 2019-04-10 | 2022-02-16 | Biovisics Medical, Inc. | Systems and interfaces for ocular therapy |
US11511112B2 (en) | 2019-06-14 | 2022-11-29 | Biovisics Medical, Inc. | Wearable medical device |
CN110547907A (en) * | 2019-08-15 | 2019-12-10 | 中南大学湘雅二医院 | Double-ring iris expander for intraocular operation |
WO2024009535A1 (en) * | 2022-07-08 | 2024-01-11 | テルモ株式会社 | Intraocular drug administration device, agent reservoir, and method for operating intraocular drug administration device |
Family Cites Families (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US551880A (en) * | 1895-12-24 | Theodore b | ||
US2525381A (en) * | 1947-09-25 | 1950-10-10 | Tower Paul | Contact-type electrode holder |
US3122137A (en) * | 1961-10-30 | 1964-02-25 | Erlanger Gustav | Device for facilitating iontophoresis treatment of eyes |
SU995783A1 (en) | 1980-07-21 | 1983-02-15 | Омский Государственный Ордена Трудового Красного Знамени Медицинский Институт Им.М.И.Калинина | Device for electrophoresis of medicinal substances into eye tissues |
US4678466A (en) * | 1981-06-25 | 1987-07-07 | Rosenwald Peter L | Internal medication delivery method and vehicle |
US4564016A (en) | 1982-05-24 | 1986-01-14 | The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University | Apparatus for introducing ionized drugs into the posterior segment of the eye and method |
US5053000A (en) * | 1985-11-13 | 1991-10-01 | Imperial Chemical Industries Plc | Ocular treatment |
IL86076A (en) * | 1988-04-14 | 1992-12-01 | Inventor S Funding Corp Ltd | Transdermal drug delivery device |
US4955378A (en) * | 1988-05-02 | 1990-09-11 | University Of South Florida | Apparatus and methods for performing electrofusion at specific anatomical sites |
WO1990011054A1 (en) * | 1989-03-17 | 1990-10-04 | Candela Laser Corporation | Non-invasive sclerostomy laser apparatus and method |
US5174304A (en) * | 1990-02-16 | 1992-12-29 | Latina Mark A | Electrocycloablation apparatus and method |
US5472436A (en) * | 1994-07-26 | 1995-12-05 | Fremstad; Daria A. | Ocular appliance for delivering medication |
US5522864A (en) * | 1994-10-25 | 1996-06-04 | Wallace; Larry B. | Apparatus and method for ocular treatment |
AUPM982694A0 (en) * | 1994-12-02 | 1995-01-05 | University Of Queensland, The | Iontophoresis method and apparatus |
US5676648A (en) * | 1996-05-08 | 1997-10-14 | The Aps Organization, Llp | Iontophoretic drug delivery apparatus and method for use |
-
1998
- 1998-01-05 FR FR9800009A patent/FR2773320B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1998-12-17 ES ES98403189T patent/ES2236880T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1998-12-17 DE DE69841028T patent/DE69841028D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1998-12-17 EP EP04011635A patent/EP1452203B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1998-12-17 DK DK98403189T patent/DK0927560T3/en active
- 1998-12-17 DE DE69829637T patent/DE69829637T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1998-12-17 AT AT04011635T patent/ATE437672T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1998-12-17 PT PT98403189T patent/PT927560E/en unknown
- 1998-12-17 EP EP98403189A patent/EP0927560B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1998-12-17 AT AT98403189T patent/ATE292493T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1998-12-17 ES ES04011635T patent/ES2327636T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1998-12-23 IL IL12771198A patent/IL127711A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1998-12-28 KR KR1019980059369A patent/KR100551706B1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1998-12-28 JP JP37384898A patent/JP4308353B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1999
- 1999-01-04 US US09/225,206 patent/US6154671A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1999-01-04 BR BR9900009-1A patent/BR9900009A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1999-01-04 CA CA002257749A patent/CA2257749C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
PT927560E (en) | 2005-07-29 |
BR9900009A (en) | 2001-03-20 |
KR100551706B1 (en) | 2006-07-06 |
US6154671A (en) | 2000-11-28 |
EP1452203A2 (en) | 2004-09-01 |
FR2773320B1 (en) | 2000-03-03 |
DE69841028D1 (en) | 2009-09-10 |
EP0927560A1 (en) | 1999-07-07 |
IL127711A0 (en) | 1999-10-28 |
KR19990066875A (en) | 1999-08-16 |
IL127711A (en) | 2004-06-20 |
DE69829637T2 (en) | 2006-03-09 |
ATE437672T1 (en) | 2009-08-15 |
JP4308353B2 (en) | 2009-08-05 |
ATE292493T1 (en) | 2005-04-15 |
ES2327636T3 (en) | 2009-11-02 |
JPH11244323A (en) | 1999-09-14 |
FR2773320A1 (en) | 1999-07-09 |
ES2236880T3 (en) | 2005-07-16 |
EP1452203A3 (en) | 2004-09-08 |
EP0927560B1 (en) | 2005-04-06 |
DE69829637D1 (en) | 2005-05-12 |
DK0927560T3 (en) | 2005-08-15 |
EP1452203B1 (en) | 2009-07-29 |
CA2257749A1 (en) | 1999-07-05 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
CA2257749C (en) | Device for the intraocular transfer of active products by iontophoresis | |
US6101411A (en) | Dilation enhancer | |
US7684857B2 (en) | Device for medicine delivery by intraocular iontophoresis or electroporation | |
AU750912B2 (en) | Methods and apparatus for ocular iontophoresis | |
Hesse et al. | Implantation of retina stimulation electrodes and recording of electrical stimulation responses in the visual cortex of the cat | |
EP2648663B1 (en) | Device for corneal delivery of riboflavin by iontophoresis for the treatment of keratoconus | |
CN101500640B (en) | A delivery system and process | |
US8311624B2 (en) | Apparatus and method for delivering a therapeutic agent to ocular tissue | |
US7346389B1 (en) | Dilation enhancer with pre-medicated contact lenses | |
US20020035345A1 (en) | Methods and apparatus for ocular iontophopesis | |
Bertschinger et al. | A review of in vivo animal studies in retinal prosthesis research | |
WO2005084748A1 (en) | Safe device for iontophoretic delivery of drugs | |
JPH09266954A (en) | Therapy machine with electrode | |
MXPA99000311A (en) | Device for the intraocular transfer of active products through iontofore | |
WO2024009535A1 (en) | Intraocular drug administration device, agent reservoir, and method for operating intraocular drug administration device | |
JP2002159580A (en) | Ion impregnation device and using method thereof | |
KR20020048095A (en) | Methods and apparatus for ocular iontophoresis | |
Rodrigues | Retina Implant Project Chronic Implantation of Active Epiretinal Implants | |
UA6987U (en) | Method for electric elimination |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
EEER | Examination request | ||
MKEX | Expiry |
Effective date: 20190104 |