Disposable and/or replenishable transdermal drug applicators and methods of manufacturing same

Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is electrically activated, comprising the steps of: a. applying conductive coated areas (24, 90) to one surface of a plastic substrate (30) for use in said drug applicator (10); b. folding by about 180° portions of said conductive coated areas (24, 90) so as to provide electrical conductors leading to the other surface side of the drug applicator plastic substrate (30); c. applying at least one occlusive adhesive dam A to a surface of another substrate 48 containing thereon a coated release agent; d. adding at least one drug reservoir (B, C) to said surface of said another substrate (48) in areas not occupied by said occlusive adhesive dam A; e. applying at least one drug reservoir (26, 28) to a portion of at least one of said electrical conductors (24, 90); f. joining together in registration is said plastic substrate (30) and said another substrate (48) to form a sandwiched construction in which said drug reservoirs and said occlusive adhesive dam A are contained between said two substrates (30, 48); and g. applying a conformal cover (12) having an adhesive coated surface (51) over the folded plastic substrate (30) so as to enclose and protect said transdermal drug applicator (10).

Claim 2

A method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is electrically activated, comprising the steps of: a. applying conductive coated areas (24, 90) to one surface of a plastic substrate (30) for use in said drug applicator (10); b. folding by about 180° portions of said conductive coated areas (24, 90) so as to provide electrical conductors leading to the other surface side of the drug applicator plastic substrate (30); c. applying at least one occlusive adhesive dam A to a surface of another substrate 48 containing thereon a coated release agent; d. adding at least one drug reservoir (B, C) to said surface of said another substrate (48) in areas not occupied by said occlusive adhesive dam A; e. applying at least one drug reservoir (26, 28) to a portion of at least one of said electrical conductors (24, 90); f. joining together in registration is said plastic substrate (30) and said another substrate (48) to form a sandwiched construction in which said drug reservoirs and said occlusive adhesive dam A are contained between said two substrates (30, 48); and g. applying a conformal cover (12) having an adhesive coated surface (51) over the folded plastic substrate (30) so as to enclose and protect said transdermal drug applicator (10).

Claim 6

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 4, wherein at least one of said conductive coated areas (24, 90) comprise a nobel metal.

Claim 7

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 5, further comprising the step of forming one electrode of a first cell of a battery (20) by extending one of said conductive coated (24, 90) areas; and forming at least one additional separate electrode of a further cell of said battery (20) using the same conductive coated material.

Claim 8

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 6, further comprising the step of forming a plurality of negative battery electrodes on said plastic substrate (30); and electrically connecting the last negative battery electrode to a conductive surface (24, 90) on said plastic substrate (30).

Claim 10

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 8, further comprising the step of folding said plastic substrate (30) along a plurality of fold lines (73) so as to form individual battery cells, and placing in between the cell electrodes a gelled battery electrolyte impregnated thermo-plastic separator and heat sealing the periphery of said cells.

Claim 11

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 9, further comprising the step of adding an electronic current conditioning means (22, 84) in series with said battery (20), and the drug reservoir electrode not connected to said battery (20).

Claim 12

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 10, wherein all of the electrical connections within said drug applicator (10, 70) are made by the use of conductive flexible adhesives.

Claim 13

A method for making a replaceable disposable drug reservoir for an electrically powered transdermal drug applicator, comprising the steps of: a. providing a release coated substrate (30); b. depositing on said substrate a plurality of occlusive adhesive dam material A to define a plurality of drug reservoir compartments (B, C); c. laminating an open cell foam material to said substrate (30) over said occlusive adhesive dam A material so as to cause said dam material to penetrate and fill the full thickness of said open cell foam; and d. filling said plurality of drug reservoir compartments (B, C) with various gelled drug electrolyte mixtures.

Claim 14

A method for making a replaceable disposable drug reservoir for an electrically powered transdermal drug applicator, comprising the steps of: a. providing a release coated substrate (30); b. depositing on said substrate a plurality of occlusive adhesive dam material A to define a plurality of drug reservoir compartments (B, C); c. laminating an open cell foam material to said substrate (30) over said occlusive adhesive dam A material so as to cause said dam material to penetrate and fill the full thickness of said open cell foam; and d. filling said plurality of drug reservoir compartments (B, C) with various gelled drug electrolyte mixtures.

Claim 15

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is electrically activated according to claim (12), further comprising the step of laminating together said replaceable drug reservoir (B, C) with another drug reservoir (B', C') and the lamination comprising a reinforcing scrim (62) between the two drug reservoir layers (B, C, B', C');

Claim 20

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is adapted to be electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 14, further including the steps of adding another drug reservoir (B, C) to said surface of said another substrate (48) with said dam A separating said another drug reservoir (B, C) from said drug reservoir (B, C); and joining said another drug reservoir (B, C) to a portion of another of said coated areas (24, 90) so as to form said electrical circuit.

Claim 21

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is adapted to be electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 14 or 17, further including the steps of forming an aperture (58, 60) in said conformal cover (12) so as to make a well area adjacent to said coated area (24, 90) and said another coated area at said topside of said flexible member (30); and wherein said battery 20 is a reusable battery adapted to be removably placed in said well area.

Claim 24

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is adapted to be electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 14 and 17 - 20 wherein said battery includes a pair of positive and negative sheet electrodes.

Claim 27

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is adapted to be electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 14 and 17 - 23, wherein said at least one drug reservoir (B, C) is on said one terminal of said battery (20) and said another drug reservoir (C, B) is on said other terminal of said battery (20), and wherein said at least one drug reservoir (B, C) is a plurality of drug reservoirs and said another drug reservoir (C, B) is a plurality of drug reservoirs.

Claim 28

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is adapted to be electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 14 and 17 - 24 wherein said drug reservoirs (B, C) include gels.

Claim 30

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is adapted to be electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 14 and 17 - 26 wherein said drug reservoirs (B, C) include open cell foam material impregnated with said gels.

Claim 31

The method of manufacturing a transdermal drug applicator which is adapted to be electrically activated according to one of the claims 1 - 14 and 17 - 27 further including a semi-permeable membrane (64) positioned in juxtaposition to said drug reservoirs (B, C), said semi- permeable membrane (64) having seals corresponding to said dam (A) so as define particular drug zones.