Patent EA-002812-B1 (EA)
Title: Laser assisted topical anesthetic permeation
Inventor: FLOCK STEPHEN T
IPC: A61B18/00
Filed: 1998-01-14
Abstract: 1. A method for administering a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition using a laser beam, the method comprising: altering skin permeability using a laser beam with sufficient energy fluence to irradiate the skin at least as deep as the stratum corneum, but not as deep as the capillary layer laser to create a site of alteration, the site having a diameter of between 0.5 microns and 5.0 cm., and  applying a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition at the site of alteration. 2. The method of Claim 1 wherein the laser beam is emitted by a laser selected from the group consisting of Er:YAG, pulsed CO2, Ho:YAG, Er:YAP, Er/Cr:YSGG, Ho:YSGG, Er:GGSG, Er:YLF, Tm:YAG, Ho:YAG, Ho/Nd:YALOs, cobalt:MgF2, HF chemical, DF chemical, carbon monoxide deep UV lasers, and frequency tripled Nd:YAG lasers. 3. The method of Claim 1 wherein the laser beam is emitted by an Er:YAG laser. 4. The method of Claim 1 wherein the laser beam is emitted by a modulated laser selected from the group consisting of continuous-wave CO2, Nd:YAG, Thullium:YAG and diode lasers. 5. The method of Claim 1 wherein the laser beam has a wavelength of 0.2 - 10 microns. 6. The method of Claim 1 wherein the laser beam has a wavelength of between 1.5 - 3.0 microns. 7. The method of Claim 1 wherein the laser beam has a wavelength of about 2.94 microns. 8. The method of Claim 1 wherein the laser beam is focused at a site on the skin with a diameter of 0.1 - 5.0 mm. 9. The method of Claim 1 wherein the energy fluence of the laser beam at the skin is 0.03 - 100,000 J/cm<2>. 10. The method of Claim 1 wherein the energy fluence of the laser beam at the skin is 0.03 - 9.6 J/cm<2>. 11. The method of Claim 1 wherein the pulse width is between 1 femtosecond and 1,000 microseconds. 12. The method of Claim 1 wherein the pulse width is between 1 and 1000 microseconds. 13. The method of Claim 1 wherein multiple alterations are made to prepare the skin for pharmaceutical delivery. 14. The method of Claim 1 further comprising a beam splitter positioned to create, simultaneously from the laser, multiple sites of alteration. 15. The method of Claim 14 wherein the beam splitter is selected from a series of partially silvered mirrors, a series of dichroic mirrors, and a series of beam-splitting prisms. 16. The method of Claim 1 further comprising a means to deflect the beam at different angles to create different sites of alteration on the skin. 17. The method of Claim 1 further comprising a means to scan the laser beam to create one continuous path of alteration. 18. The method of Claim 1 wherein the pharmaceutical composition is a locally acting pharmaceutical. 19. The method of Claim 1 wherein the pharmaceutical composition is an anesthetic. 20. The method of Claim 1 wherein the pharmaceutical composition is lidocaine. 21. The method of Claim 18 wherein the pharmaceutical composition is selected from the group consisting of alprostadil, minoxidil, localized antibiotic, antiviral or antifungal agents, chemotherapy or anti-cancer agents, and protein or DNA based biopharmaceutical agents. 22. The method of Claim 1 wherein the pharmaceutical composition is a systemically acting compound. 23. The method of Claim 22 wherein the pharmaceutical composition is an antibiotic. 24. The method of Claim 23 wherein the antibiotic is selected from the group consisting of tetracycline, streptomycin, sulfa drugs, kanamycin, neomycin, penicillin, and chloramphenicol. 25. The method of Claim 23 wherein the pharmaceutical composition is a hormone. 26. The method of Claim 25 wherein the hormone is selected from the group consisting of parathyroid hormone, growth hormone, gonadotropins, insulin, ACTH, somatostatin, prolactin, placental lactogen, melanocyte stimulating hormone, thyrotropin, parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, enkephalin, and angiotensin. 27. The method of Claim 22 wherein the pharmaceutical composition is selected from the group consisting of steroids, non-steroids, anti-inflammatory agents, systemic antibiotics, antiviral agents, antifungal agents, and antinauseants. 28. The method of Claim 22 wherein the pharmaceutical composition is nitorglycerin. 29. The method of Claim 1 wherein the pharmaceutical composition is selected from the group consisting of antigens, allergens, and permeation enhancers. 30. The method of Claim 1 wherein a patch containing the pharmaceutical composition is placed over the site of alteration before firing the laser. 31. The method of Claim 1 wherein a patch containing the pharmaceutical composition is placed over the site of alteration after firing the laser.