Transdermal drug delivery mediated by acoustic vortex beam

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Acoustics
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Ultrasound-mediated transdermal drug delivery is promising due to its safety and controllability.
• Current methods primarily focus on acoustic cavitation from planar or focused waves.
• Other physical phenomena influencing transport, such as acoustic radiation force, are often overlooked.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of acoustic vortex (AV) beams for ultrasound-mediated transdermal drug delivery.
• To explore the role of transversal acoustic radiation force (T-ARF) in enhancing drug transport using AV beams.
• To compare the efficacy of AV beams with conventional focused ultrasound.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of focused AV (FAV) beams in transdermal drug delivery experiments.
• Measurement and analysis of transversal acoustic radiation force (T-ARF) generated by FAV beams.
• Experimental validation using cellulose membranes to assess changes in porosity and delivery efficiency.

Main Results:

• FAV beams, despite lower acoustic intensity, achieved more efficient transdermal delivery.
• A focused AV beam induced a pN-level T-ARF, promoting stratum corneum pore enlargement.
• Experimental transport demonstrated significantly increased membrane porosity and delivery efficiency with AV beams compared to non-vortex beams.

Conclusions:

• Acoustic vortex beams represent a novel approach for ultrasound-mediated transdermal drug delivery.
• Transversal acoustic radiation force is a key mechanism for enhancing transdermal transport via AV beams.
• This technology offers a new degree of freedom for precise and efficient drug delivery strategies.