Details for Patent: 5,656,285
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| Title: | Method for forming a transdermal drug device |
| Abstract: | Disclosed is a method and apparatus for forming a transdermal drug delivery device from a multilayer web comprised of a backing layer, a drug-containing pressure sensitive adhesive layer, and a release layer or liner in which cutting is progressively achieved along a line coplanar with the axes of a cutting roller and anvil roller counter-rotating in proximity to each other. In one embodiment, cutting is achieved completely through the web about the periphery of the transdermal drug delivery device, while simultaneously achieving a scoring only of the release liner without penetration of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer or backing layer. In an alternate embodiment there are two arrangements of rollers. A first arrangement has a cutting edge for scoring the web. After scoring, the web is passed to a second arrangement for cutting through the web to result in the transdermal drug delivery device. |
| Inventor(s): | Sablotsky; Steven (Miami, FL), LaPrade; Ronald E. (Miami, FL) |
| Assignee: | Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Miami, FL) |
| Filing Date: | Apr 06, 1995 |
| Application Number: | 08/418,576 |
| Claims: | 1. A method for forming a transdermal drug delivery device from a multilayer web having layers of a backing material, a drug-containing pressure sensitive adhesive and a release liner comprising: feeding the multilayer web toward a cutting roller in proximity to an anvil roller through a nip roller caused to rotate by engagement between the web, the anvil roller and the nip roller such that the web travels along the surface of the anvil roller at a same linear speed as the speed of rotation of the nip roller and the cutting roller, all three rollers being mounted for rotation about their axes which are coplanar; counter-rotating the cutting roller and anvil roller and thereby causing the nip roller to rotate to feed the web to said cutting roller in cooperation with the anvil roller; and conducting at least one of cutting a region completely through the multilayer web and of scoring or cutting the release liner along a line coplanar with the axes of the cutting roller and the anvil roller by using at least one cutting edge of predetermined shape. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: first feeding the web through a first arrangement including said cutting roller, said nip roller, and said at least cutting edge, said at least one cutting edge comprising a cutting edge on said cutting roller for scoring or cutting the release liner to score or cut the release liner, and thereafter feeding the web through a second arrangement including a cutting roller a nip roller, and a cutting edge on said cutting roller for cutting completely through the web thereby resulting in said transdermal drug delivery device being cut from the web. 3. The method of claim 1 which further comprises substantially synchronizing a linear speed of the multilayer web with surface speeds of the three rollers. 4. The method of claim 3 in which substantially synchronizing linear speed of the multilayer web with surface speeds of both rollers is achieved by having the nip roller covered with a resilient surface and passing the web between the resiliently covered nip roller rotatably mounted in proximity to the anvil roller, which nip roller rotates by at least one of contact with the web and pressure communicated therethrough from the anvil roller. 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively applying pressure to the cutting roller to achieve said at least one of cutting completely through the web and of scoring or cutting only said liner. 6. The method of claim 5 which further comprises applying said pressure to the cutting roller by using a pressure roller rotatably mounted in a frame in proximity to the cutting roller, said cutting roller also being mounted in said frame and said pressure resulting from rotational communication between pressure roller journals and complimentary pressure journals on the cutting roller. 7. The method of claim 5 which further comprises monitoring the pressure applied to the cutting roller using a pressure measuring device attached to the frame to permit reproducibility of said pressure. 8. The method of claim 1 which further comprises forming a plurality of transdermal drug delivery devices by conducting said cutting for each of said devices in a closed packed arrangement on said web to minimize scrap losses therefrom. 9. The method of claim 1 wherein said conducting further comprises cutting a region completely through the multilayer web using a first cutting edge configured as a closed loop and extending outwardly sufficiently from a surface of the cutting roller to penetrate all layers of the web, and simultaneously scoring or cutting only the release liner using a second cutting edge configured to divide the region into two sub-regions and extending outwardly from the surface of the cutting roller not sufficiently to penetrate the adhesive layer. 10. The method of claim 9 which further comprises cutting regions in the multilayer web and scoring or cutting the release liner in each such region with the cutting roller repeat length to minimize scrap losses from the web. 11. A method for forming transdermal drug delivery devices from a multilayer web having layers of a backing material, a drug-containing pressure sensitive adhesive and a release liner, comprising the steps of: feeding the multilayer web toward a cutting roller which is in proximity to an anvil roller, both rollers supported in a manner for rotation about their axes which are coplanar; selectively applying a pressure to said anvil roller for causing said web to be at least one of cut completely through the web and of scored or cut only at the liner; and progressively along a line coplanar with the axes of both rollers, conducting said at least one of cutting a region completely through the multilayer web and of scoring or cutting the release liner by using at least one cutting edge of predetermined shape, with said at least one of cutting and of scoring or cutting being achieved through selective pressure being applied on said cutting roller. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: first feeding the web through a first arrangement including said cutting roller, a nip roller, and said at least one cutting edge, said at least one cutting edge comprising a cutting edge on said cutting roller for scoring or cutting the release liner to score or cut the release liner, and thereafter feeding the web through a second arrangement including a cutting roller, a nip roller, and a cutting edge on the cutting roller for cutting completely through the web, thereby resulting in said transdermal drug delivery device being cut from the web. 13. The method of claim 2, wherein cutting or scoring the release liner further comprises cutting or scoring the release liner into two symmetrical subregions. 14. The method of claim 9, wherein cutting or scoring the release liner further comprises cutting or scoring the release liner into two symmetrical subregions. 15. A method for forming transdermal drug delivery devices from a multilayer web having layers of a backing material, a drug-containing pressure sensitive adhesive and a release liner, comprising the steps of: feeding the multilayer web toward a cutting roller which is in proximity to an anvil roller; counter-rotating the cutting roller and anvil roller; conducting, progressively along a line coplanar with the axes of both rollers, at least one of cutting a region completely through the multilayer web and of scoring or cutting the release liner by using at least one cutting edge fixed on the cutting roller. 16. A method of claim 15 which further comprises feeding the web through a nip roller caused to rotate by engagement between the web, the anvil roller, and the nip roller such that the web travels along the surface of the anvil roller at a same linear speed as the speed of rotation of the nip roller and the cutting roller, all three rollers being mounted for rotation about their axes which are coplanar and thereby causing the nip roller to rotate to feed the web to the cutting roller in cooperation with the anvil roller. 17. The method of claim 15 further comprising selectively applying pressure to the cutting roller to achieve the at least one of cutting completely through the web and of scoring or cutting only the release liner. 18. The method of claim 15, which further comprises conducting the cutting completely through the web in a closed packed arrangement to minimize scrap losses from the web. |
