An electroporation device with a needle array removably attached thereto, the needle array having a body, a shroud movable with respect to the body between a rest position and one or more actuated positions, and an auto-lock assembly. Where the auto-lock assembly is adjustable between a locked configuration, where the shroud is not movable with respect to the body, and an unlocked configuration, where the shroud is movable with respect to the body, and where biasing the shroud from the rest position to the one or more actuated positions and back to the rest position adjusts the auto-lock from the unlocked configuration to the locked configuration.

A microneedle assembly that is capable of delivering a drug compound (e.g., vaccine) and/or detecting the presence of an analyte is provided. The assembly comprises at least one microneedle extending outwardly from a support. The microneedle includes a polymer composition containing a thermoplastic polymer having a melting temperature of about 250° C. or more. The polymer composition exhibits a melt viscosity of about 100 Pa-s or less and a tensile elongation of about 5% or less.

A method for administering tests using a regional antigen testing kit is provided. The method comprises providing the regional antigen testing kit, extracting a predetermined amount of concentrated antigen from one of a plurality of concentrated antigens, dispensing the predetermined amount of concentrated antigen into a corresponding one of a plurality of wells, as indicated by visual indicia, repeating the extracting and dispensing steps until a desired number of the plurality of wells contain concentrated antigen, providing a prick tester having a plurality of needles extending thereon, aligning the plurality of needles of the prick tester with the plurality of wells, inserting each of the plurality of needles of the prick tester into one of the plurality of wells, and applying the plurality of needles of the prick tester to the skin of a patient to elicit a potential response.

A device and method for intravascular treatment of atherosclerotic plaque prior to balloon angioplasty which microperforates the plaque with small sharp spikes acting as serrations for forming cleavage lines or planes in the plaque. The spikes may also be used to transport medication into the plaque. The plaque preparation treatment enables subsequent angioplasty to be performed at low balloon pressures of about 4 atmospheres or less, reduces dissections, and avoids injury to the arterial wall. The subsequent angioplasty may be performed with a drug-eluting balloon (DEB) or drug-coated balloon (DCB). The pre-angioplasty perforation procedure enables more drug to be absorbed during DEB or DCB angioplasty, and makes the need for a stent less likely. Alternatively, any local incidence of plaque dissection after balloon angioplasty may be treated by applying a thin, ring-shaped tack at the dissection site only, rather than applying a stent over the overall plaque site.

A device and method for intravascular treatment of atherosclerotic plaque prior to balloon angioplasty which microperforates the plaque with small sharp spikes acting as serrations for forming cleavage lines or planes in the plaque. The spikes may also be used to transport medication into the plaque. The plaque preparation treatment enables subsequent angioplasty to be performed at low balloon pressures of about 4 atmospheres or less, reduces dissections, and avoids injury to the arterial wall. The subsequent angioplasty may be performed with a drug-eluting balloon (DEB) or drug-coated balloon (DCB). The pre-angioplasty perforation procedure enables more drug to be absorbed during DEB or DCB angioplasty, and makes the need for a stent less likely. Alternatively, any local incidence of plaque dissection after balloon angioplasty may be treated by applying a thin, ring-shaped tack at the dissection site only, rather than applying a stent over the overall plaque site.

A microneedle or microneedle device includes a microneedle body extending from a base to a penetrating tip formed from a silk fibroin based material, which is easy to fabricate and highly biocompatible. The microneedle device can include one or more microneedles mounted to a substrate. The silk fibroin can include active agents to be transported into or across biological barriers such as skin, tissue and cell membranes. The silk fibroin microneedles can be fully or partially biodegradable and/or bioerodible. The silk fibroin is highly stable, affords room temperature storage and is implantable. The silk fibroin structure can be modulated to control the rate of active agent delivery.

A jet injection and electroporation device for use with an agent cartridge defining a volume containing a pre-measured dose of agent therein, the electroporation device including a housing having an axis extend therethrough, a nozzle at least partially positioned within the housing, and a cavity sized to receive at least a portion of the agent cartridge therein. The device also includes an array having a plurality of electrodes extending therefrom, a propulsion cartridge configured to operatively engage the cartridge when the agent cartridge is positioned within the cavity; and a power supply in electrical communication with the array.

A microprojection array comprising a substrate with a plurality of microprojections protruding from the substrate wherein the microprojections have a tapering hexagonal shape and comprise a tip and a base wherein the base has two substantially parallel sides with a slight draught angle of approximately 1 to 20 degrees up to a transition point at which point the angle increases to from about 20 degrees to about 70 degrees.

An apparatus for delivering an active ingredient into the skin of an animal at a defined depth, the apparatus including: a microprojection array including a plurality of microprojections having a density of at least 2,000 projections per cm.sup.2; and an applicator that drives the microprojection array towards the skin in use so that the microprojection array impacts on the skin with a mass-to-velocity ratio of between 0.0005 g/m/s and 0.1 g/m/s per cm.sup.2.

An electroporation device with a needle array removably attached thereto, the needle array having a body, a shroud movable with respect to the body between a rest position and one or more actuated positions, and an auto-lock assembly. Where the auto-lock assembly is adjustable between a locked configuration, where the shroud is not movable with respect to the body, and an unlocked configuration, where the shroud is movable with respect to the body, and where biasing the shroud from the rest position to the one or more actuated positions and back to the rest position adjusts the auto-lock from the unlocked configuration to the locked configuration.