US 11,883,622 B2
Transdermal drug delivery device
Russell F. Ross, Jacksonville Beach, FL (US); Luke Hagan, Seattle, WA (US); Alexander Malkin, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Derek Hatchett, Brookline, MA (US); Jacob Marks, Mansfield, MA (US); and Thomas Lutzow, Providence, RI (US)
Assigned to SORRENTO THERAPEUTICS, INC., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by SORRENTO THERAPEUTICS, INC., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/178,817.
Application 17/178,817 is a continuation of application No. 16/224,249, filed on Dec. 18, 2018, granted, now 10,953,211.
Application 16/224,249 is a continuation of application No. 14/762,844, granted, now 10,183,156, issued on Jan. 22, 2019, previously published as PCT/IB2014/059345, filed on Feb. 28, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/770,639, filed on Feb. 28, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2021/0170153 A1, Jun. 10, 2021
Int. Cl. A61M 37/00 (2006.01); A61M 5/42 (2006.01); A61M 5/158 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 37/0015 (2013.01) [A61M 5/158 (2013.01); A61M 5/42 (2013.01); A61M 5/425 (2013.01); A61M 2005/1587 (2013.01); A61M 2037/0023 (2013.01); A61M 2037/0061 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drug delivery device comprising:
an outer housing including an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion, the lower housing portion extending from the upper housing portion and having a bottom surface for contacting a user's skin when the drug delivery device is in use;
the drug delivery device including a central region, an outer region defined by an outer periphery of the lower housing portion at a location at which the drug delivery device contacts the user's skin during use; and an intermediate region extending between and separating the central region and the outer region;
a microneedle assembly disposed within the central region;
a reservoir disposed within the central region and above the microneedle assembly, the reservoir containing a drug formulation and being in fluid communication with the microneedle assembly when the drug delivery device is in use;
a plunger disposed within the central region; and
a pushing element configured to move the drug delivery device from an un-actuated position to an actuated position,
wherein in the un-actuated position
1) the plunger is vertically aligned with and positioned above the reservoir and the microneedle assembly, and
2) the microneedle assembly is recessed relative to the bottom surface of the lower housing portion and spaced from the user's skin, and
wherein in the actuated position
1) the plunger is moved relative to the outer housing by the pushing element to apply a force against the reservoir to thereby move both the reservoir and the microneedle assembly downward such that the microneedle assembly is moved into direct contact with the user's skin, and
2) the plunger acts on the reservoir, after the microneedle assembly is moved into direct contact with the user's skin, to push the drug formulation from the reservoir to the microneedle assembly.
 
9. A drug delivery device comprising:
an upper housing portion attached to a lower housing portion;
a microneedle assembly;
the upper housing portion and the lower housing portion cooperatively defining a cavity and surrounding the microneedle assembly, the drug delivery device being configured such that the lower housing portion is dissociated from the microneedle assembly;
a reservoir disposed within the cavity and being in fluid communication with the microneedle assembly;
a plunger disposed within a central region of the drug delivery device; and
a pushing element configured to move the drug delivery device from an un-actuated position to an actuated position,
wherein in the un-actuated position
1) the plunger is vertically aligned with and positioned above the reservoir and the microneedle assembly, and
2) the microneedle assembly is recessed relative to a bottom surface of the lower housing portion and spaced from a user's skin, and
wherein in the actuated position
1) the plunger is moved relative to the upper housing portion by the pushing element to apply a force against the reservoir to thereby move both the reservoir and the microneedle assembly downward such that the microneedle assembly is moved into direct contact with the user's skin, and
2) the plunger acts on the reservoir, after the microneedle assembly is moved into direct contact with the user's skin, to push a drug formulation from the reservoir to the microneedle assembly.
 
15. A drug delivery device comprising:
a central region, an outer region surrounding the central region, and an intermediate region disposed between the central region and the outer region, the drug delivery device comprising:
a microneedle assembly disposed within the central region of the drug delivery device;
a reservoir disposed within the central region, wherein the reservoir contains a drug formulation, and wherein the reservoir is in selective fluid communication with the microneedle assembly; and
a pushing element disposed above both the reservoir and the microneedle assembly within the central region, the pushing element being configured to provide a force having a downward component to move the microneedle assembly into engagement witha user's skin,
wherein the reservoir is disposed between the microneedle assembly and the pushing element, and wherein the downward component of the force from the pushing element is transmitted through the reservoir to the microneedle assembly without increasing pressure of the drug formulation within the reservoir.