Abstract
Ablation created by a Q-switched Nd:Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) laser beam focusing on a thin aluminum foil surface spontaneously generates a shock wave that propagates through the foil and deforms it at a high speed. This high-speed foil deformation can project dry micro- particles deposited on the anterior surface of the foil at high speeds such that the particles have sufficient momentum to penetrate soft targets. We used this method of particle acceleration to develop a drug delivery device to deliver DNA/drug coated microparticles into soft human-body targets for pharmaceutical applications. The device physics has been studied by observing the process of particle acceleration using a high-speed video camera in a shadowgraph system. Though the initial rate of foil deformation is over 5 km/s, the observed particle velocities are in the range of 900–400 m/s over a distance of 1.5–10 mm from the launch pad. The device has been tested by delivering microparticles into liver tissues of experimental rats and artificial soft human-body targets, modeled using gelatin. The penetration depths observed in the experimental targets are quite encouraging to develop a future clinical therapeutic device for treatments such as gene therapy, treatment of cancer and tumor cells, epidermal and mucosal immunizations etc.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Klein T.M., Wolf E.D., Wu R., Sanford J.C.: High-velocity microprojectiles for delivering nucleic acids into living cells. Nature (London) 327, 70–73 (1987)
Sanford J.C.: The biolistic process. Trends Biotechnol. 6, 299–302 (1988)
Chen D., Endres R.L., Erickson C.A., Weis K.F., McGregor M.W., Kawaoka Y., Payne L.G.: Epidermal immunization by a needle-free powder delivery technology: immunogenicity of influenza vaccine and protection in mice. Nat. Med. 6, 1187–1190 (2000)
Quinlan N.J., Kendall M.A.F., Bellhouse B.J., Ainsworth R.W.: Investigations of gas and particle dynamics in first generation needle-free drug delivery devices. Shock Waves 10, 395–404 (2001)
Kendall M.A.F.: The delivery of particulate vaccines and drugs to human skin with a practical, hand-held shock tube-based system. Shock Waves 12, 23–30 (2002)
Truong N.K., Liu Y., Kendall M.A.F.: Gas and particle dynamics of a contoured shock tube for pre-clinical microparticle drug delivery. Shock Waves 15, 149–164 (2006)
Nabel E.G., Plautz G., Nabel G.J.: Site-specific gene expression in vivo by direct gene transfer into the arterial wall. Science 249, 1285–1288 (1990)
Lin H., Parmacek M.S., Morle G., Bolling S., Leiden J.M.: Expression of recombinant genes in myocardium in vivo after direct injection of DNA. Circulation 82, 2217–2221 (1990)
Jagadeesh, G., Kawagishi, J., Takayama, K., Takahashi, A., Cole, J. Reddy, K. P. J.: A new micro-particle delivery system using laser ablation. In: Lu, F.K. (ed.) Proceedings of 23rd International Symposium on Shock Waves. Texas, July 2001, p. 859. Springer, Texas (2001)
Menezes V., Takayama K., Ohki T., Gopalan J.: Laser- ablation-assisted microparticle acceleration for drug delivery. Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 163504–163506 (2005)
Fabbro R., Fournier J., Ballard P., Devaux D., Virmont J.: Physical study of laser-produced plasma in confined geometry. J. Appl. Phys. 68, 775–784 (1990)
Bloom, O.T.: Machine for testing jelly strength of glues, gelatines, and the Like. US Patent 1,540,979 (1925)
Shangguan H., Casperson L.W., Shearin A., Gregory K.W., Prahl S.A.: Drug delivery with microsecond laser pulses into gelatin. Appl. Opt. 35, 3347–3357 (1996)
Henderson C.B.: Drag coefficients of spheres in continuum and rarefied flows. AIAA J. 14, 707–708 (1976)
Walsh M.J.: Drag coefficient equations for small particles in high speed flows. AIAA J. 13, 1526–1528 (1975)
Takayama K., Saito T.: Shock wave/geophysical and medical applications. Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 36, 347–379 (2004)
Mitchell T.J., Kendall M.A.F., Bellhouse B.J.: A ballistic study of micro-particle penetration to the oral mucosa. Int. J. Impact Eng. 28, 581–599 (2003)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by E.V. Timofeev.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Menezes, V., Takayama, K., Gojani, A. et al. Shock wave driven microparticles for pharmaceutical applications. Shock Waves 18, 393–400 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-008-0163-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-008-0163-9