Micro-needle Patch Patent

One of OBJ’s inventions that has flown under the radar for some time is OBJ’s micro-needle patch drug delivery device. OBJ has applied for this to be patented in a number of countries, including Australia and the United States. The progress of the United States patent application is far advanced and, from my reading of the administrative history (see below), it is on the cusp of being granted.

The device – essentially a small patch on top of which is a small dome-shaped chamber has micro-needles in one of the base layers – involves a two step process in drug (or, indeed, non-medicinal compound) delivery:

• poke the skin with the micro-needles layer to create tiny pores in the skin which will make it all the more easier for the drug/compound to get through; and
• apply patch which itself contains 2 layers – first the drug/compound layer and second the magnetic micro-array which enhances the delivery of the drug/compound by magnetophoresis

This appears to be the ultimate commercial realisation of all the research and testing that OBJ was doing a decade ago, and publishing the results of trials with animal vaccines and other compounds. The manufacturability is relatively cheaper than other competing technologies on the market, and I recall Jeff really talking up the possibility of “patches” coming to the market at the Adelaide roadshow presentation last year - "watch this space" were his words, if I remember correctly. Combined with the fact that OBJ recently announced its partnership with the Japanese global manufacturer that has the infrastructure and technical capabilities to manufacture these patches on a grand scale at a cheap cost, I would certainly be "watching this space", especially when the grant of this micro-patch patent to OBJ by the United States patent office is probably less than two months away.

Many thanks to @drmatt for helping me understand the technical side of this remarkable invention.