Details for Patent: 6,168,587
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Title: | Needleless syringe using supersonic gas flow for particle delivery |
Abstract: | A needleless syringe having a membrane (28) which is ruptured by gas pressure to generate a supersonic gas flow in which particles containing a therapeutic agent are injected. |
Inventor(s): | Bellhouse; Brian J. (Islip, GB), Sarphie; David F. (Oxford, GB), Greenford; John C. (Abingdon, GB) |
Assignee: | PowderJect Research Limited (GB) |
Filing Date: | Dec 05, 1997 |
Application Number: | 08/986,124 |
Claims: | 1. A method for vaccinating a mammalian subject, said method comprising delivering particles of a powdered agent to said subject via transdermal needleless administration. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said powdered agent comprises a viral immunogen. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said powdered agent is a subunit vaccine composition. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said viral immunogen is a viral protein. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein said viral immunogen is derived from Hepatitis type A. 6. The method of claim 2, wherein said viral immunogen is a viral particle. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said powdered agent comprises a bacterial immunogen. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said powdered agent is a subunit vaccine composition. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein said bacterial immunogen is derived from a meningitis immunogen. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said powdered agent comprises a live, attenuated organism. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the attenuated organism is a bacterium. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the attenuated bacterium is Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain Bacille, Calmette, Guerin (BCG). 13. The method of claim 1 wherein the powdered agent is administered sub-cutaneously. 14. The method of claim 1 wherein the powdered agent is administered intra-dermally. 15. The method of claim 1 wherein the powdered agent is administered intra-muscularly. 16. The method of claim 1 wherein the powdered agent comprises a substantially inert carrier. 17. The method of claim 1 wherein the powdered agent comprises a diluent. 18. The method of claim 1 wherein the powdered agent comprises a density-enhancing agent. 19. The method of claim 1 wherein the mammalian subject is human. 20. The method of claim 1 wherein the particles of the powdered agent are delivered to the locus of transdermal needleless administration at a velocity in the range of between 200 and 2,500 m/sec. 21. The method of claim 1 wherein the particles of the powdered agent have a size predominantly in the range of about 0.1 to 250 .mu.m. 22. The method of claim 1 wherein the particles of the powdered agent have a density in the range of 0.48 to 25 g/cm.sup.3. |