new patent issued 03/08/04

United States Patent 6,770,480

August 3, 2004

Transferring materials into cells using porous silicon

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of porous silicon in the delivery of substances into cells. The porous silicon can be formed into micropiercers, microneedles and biolistic bullets for peenetration of the cell. The control of the pore size and porosity of the porous silicon allows tuning of the bioactivity of the porous silicon. The porous silicon is also resorbable and is therefore resorbed from the cells without leaving any particles or being seen as a foreign body. The present invention also relates to the methods of manufacturing the porous silicon micropiercers, microneedles, microelectrodes, biolistic bullets, and precipitation of calcium phosphate on a bioactive substrate, and their advantages over known methods of delivering materials into cells.
Inventors: Canham; Leigh T (Malvern, GB)
Assignee: PSIMEDICA Limited (Malvern, GB)
Appl. No.: 743447
Filed: January 10, 2001
PCT Filed: July 22, 1999
PCT NO: PCT/GB99/02383
PCT PUB.NO.: WO00/05339
PCT PUB. Date: February 3, 2000
Foreign Application Priority Data
Jul 22, 1998[GB] 9815819