The invention relates to a needleless injection device, comprising a firing chamber (11) for the needleless injection of a substance (25), having a firing chamber containing a pyrotechnic material and a gel-like medium, with which a substance, in particular an active substance, can be accelerated at high speed and injected in a needleless manner into a tissue or into a body by means of a membrane (15). The invention also relates to a method for producing a needleless injection device of this type containing a firing chamber together with pyrotechnic material and filled with a gel-like medium, and use thereof.

A method of forming an implant in a tissue can include: providing an injectable liquid composition comprising one or more precursors of a crosslinkable composition; injecting the injectable composition into the tissue at the rate of about 10-12000 injections per minute and/or at an amount of 1.0E-02 ml to 1.0E-16 ml per injection; and crosslinking the one or more precursors of the crosslinkable composition so as to form a crosslinked composition.

Methods and compositions are for preparing microimplant arrays for sustained drug delivery or live cell based therapy. The array in array (AIA) device enables formation of microimplant arrays without having tissue piercing elements to the microimplant. The methods and compositions are for solid state delivery of drugs, especially biologics drugs without forming a drug solution prior to injection. New methods and compositions are for preparing in situ arrays for sustained drug delivery or live cell based therapy. Tissue surface is first treated with laser drilling, microneedle array, mechanical drilling or other methods to create artificial micro-porosity of various sizes, shapes and patterns. The artificial pores created are then infused with sustained drug delivery compositions or live cell suspensions. The compositions are converted into solid or semisolid state by physical or chemical reaction/s to entrap drug or live cells. The entrapped drug or live cells provide local or systemic therapeutic benefit.

The invention relates to a needleless injection device, containing at least one membrane, or a corresponding device for needleless injection of a substance, having at least one membrane, with which a powdered, gel-like or liquid agent, in particular an active agent, can be injected in a needleless manner into a tissue or a body by means of high impact speed. The invention also relates to a method for such a needleless injection device containing a membrane, and use thereof.

A method of forming a gel implant in tissue can include: providing an injectable composition configured for thermoreversible gel formation at about 37 C.; injecting the injectable composition into the tissue at the rate of about 10-12000 injections per minute; and forming a thermoreversible gel at about 37 C. from the injected injectable composition so as to form the gel implant. The injecting can be at an amount of 1.0E-02 ml to 1.0E-16 ml per needle per injection. The injecting can form an implant with area greater than or equal to 5 mm.sup.2. The injecting can be at a depth of 10 microns to 5 mm. The injectable composition can include a visualization agent, drug or other agent.

A device for delivery of particles into biological tissue includes at least one conduit and a propellant source fluidically coupled to the conduit and configured to deliver a propellant into the conduit. A particle source is configured to release elongated particles into the conduit, the elongated particles having a width, w, a length, l>w. The propellant source and the conduit are configured to propel the elongated particles in a collimated particle stream toward the biological tissue. An alignment mechanism is configured to align a longitudinal axis of the elongated particles to be substantially parallel to a direction of the particle stream in an alignment region of the conduit. The aligned elongated particles are ejected from the conduit and impact the biological tissue.

A method of forming an implant in tissue can include: providing a polymer solution having an effective amount of polymer dissolved in a biocompatible, water-soluble organic solvent; injecting a plurality of droplets of the polymer solution in the tissue; fusing the injected droplets together; dissipating the biocompatible, water-soluble organic solvent in the tissue; and precipitating the polymer from the injected polymer solution so as to form the implant.

Systems, devices, and methods for delivering therapeutic particles are disclosed. In one variation, a device for delivering particles includes a gas supply configured for supplying gas under pressure, a particle cassette comprising the particles, a cassette housing, and a cassette membrane. The cassette housing can comprise an Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) copolymer of 18% to 28% by weight of Vinyl Acetate (VA). The device can also include a safety interlock to prevent or minimize the risk that the device will be unintentionally activated. The device can also have a silencer.

This invention discloses methods and composition to form biodegradable polymer implant arrays in the live tissue. Artificial cavities are created in the live tissue by using laser ablation, oscillating needle, microneedle array and other methods. The cavities are then filled with biodegradable polymer solution. The solvent in the polymer solution is dissipated in the tissue to form a biodegradable polymer implant in artificial cavities. The cavities and implants formed are arranged to form of an array of implants. The biodegradable polymer in the cavity can also be loaded with drug to form biodegradable drug delivery array in the live tissue.

A device for delivery of particles into biological tissue includes at least one conduit and a propellant source fluidically coupled to the conduit and configured to deliver a propellant into the conduit. A particle source is configured to release elongated particles into the conduit, the elongated particles having a width, w, a length, l>w. The propellant source and the conduit are configured to propel the elongated particles in a collimated particle stream toward the biological tissue. An alignment mechanism is configured to align a longitudinal axis of the elongated particles to be substantially parallel to a direction of the particle stream in an alignment region of the conduit. The aligned elongated particles are ejected from the conduit and impact the biological tissue.