Dissolvable microneedles for skin treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016279401-A1
Application number	US-201514671690-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 27, 2015
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A skin treatment device is provided including bioerodible polymeric microneedles which are designed to more effectively deliver beneficial agents to the skin. The device includes a flexible substrate and an arrangement, for example, an array, of microneedles projecting from the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device effective to deliver a beneficial agent to the skin, the device comprising:
a substrate; and an arrangement of microneedles projecting from the substrate; the arrangement comprising first microneedles having a first length and second microneedles having a second length different from the first length; the first and second microneedles comprising a mixture of a polymeric material and an active agent beneficial to skin.

2 . The device of claim 1 wherein the polymeric material comprises hyaluronic acid.

3 . The device of claim 2 wherein the polymeric material comprises crosslinked hyaluronic acid.

4 . The device of claim 1 wherein the first length is at least about 20% greater in length than the second length.

5 . The device of claim 1 wherein the first length is at least about 40% greater in length than the second length.

6 . The device of claim 1 wherein the first length is at least about 60% greater in length than the second length.

7 . The device of claim 1 wherein the first length is at least about 80% greater in length than the second length.

8 . The device of claim 1 wherein the arrangement is in the form of an array in which the first and second microneedles are arranged in an alternating fashion.

9 . A method of treating skin comprising applying the device of claim 1 to a region of skin to be treated in a manner capable of causing the first and second microneedles to penetrate the stratum corneum.

10 . The method of claim 8 further comprising drawing the region of skin to be treated toward the device using suction or a vacuum.

11 . A skin treatment assembly comprising:
a first patch having a first shape for covering a portion of a face to the treated and including a first array of microneedles; a second patch having a second shape different from the first shape for covering another portion of a face to be treated and including a second array of microneedles different from the first array.

12 . The assembly of claim 11 wherein the first array comprises microneedles having a first length and the second array comprises microneedles having a second length different from the first length.

13 . The assembly of claim 11 wherein the first array comprises microneedles having a first spacing between adjacent microneedles and the second array comprises microneedles having a second spacing between adjacent microneedles the second spacing being different from the first spacing.

14 . The assembly of claim 11 wherein the microneedles comprise a mixture of a polymeric material and an active agent beneficial to skin.

15 . The device of claim 14 wherein the polymeric material comprises hyaluronic acid.

Assignees

• Allergan Inc

Inventors

• Schwab Justin J
• Augarten Michael
• Dominguez Zachary
• Franklin Ethan
• Kayda Edwin J
• Metzner Jason

Classifications

• A61L2300/428

  Vitamins, e.g. tocopherol, riboflavin · CPC title

• A61M37/0015 Primary

  by using microneedles · CPC title

• A61M2037/0046

  Solid microneedles · CPC title

• A61M2037/0023

  Drug applicators using microneedles · CPC title

• A61L31/042

  Polysaccharides · CPC title