Extended production of nitric oxide from microencapsulated chemical reactants

摘要

Methods and compositions are provided for generating and applying long-lasting therapeutic nitric oxide (NO) gas from the reaction of water-soluble chemical reactants microencapsulated in polymer matrices. In some applications the microencapsulated reactants are introduced in an aqueous gel, and in other applications they are introduced to the area of therapy either directly or in a medical device such as a therapeutic pad or dressing. In some applications, the microencapsulated chemical precursors are maintained in close physical proximity to one another in a limited volume, and using a limited amount of solvent residing within that same volume to extract and process the chemical precursors to form NO.

主权项

1. An extended release generator of therapeutic nitric oxide comprising a mixture of two or more sub-millimeter-scale particles of separately microencapsulated reactants including particles of at least one microencapsulated nitrite salt, particles of at least one microencapsulated acid, and particles of at least one microencapsulated reducing agent, wherein the particles of separately microencapsulated reactants are present in sufficient quantities to react to produce NO when the microencapsulated reactants are slowly released by addition of a sufficient volume of an aqueous solution to incipiently wet the sub-millimeter-scale particles.