Abstract: The invention is a device for transmitting acoustical energy through the surface of the skin of a patient, coupled with the administration of a compound, for example an acne medication, for the purpose of temporarily expanding the patient's pore size and enhancing the delivery of the compound to the patient's pores. The ultrasonic transducer emits a sonic transmission of variable intensity and frequency for the purpose of enhancing the absorption of compounds that have first been deposited onto the surface of the skin and into skin pores that have been expanded by the ultrasound transmission.

Abstract: The invention is a device for transmitting acoustical energy between an ultrasonic generator, through a medicine-containing patch, and into the exterior surface of the skin of a patient, typically known as an ultrasonic transducer. The ultrasonic transducer emits a sonic transmission of variable intensity and frequency for the purpose of enhancing the absorption through the patient's skin of pharmaceutical compounds stored within a transdermal patch or other medication holding device. The transducers are designed to accommodate an ultrasonic drug delivery system, which is worn by the patient.

Abstract: The invention is a means to provide enhanced delivery of a drug from a transdermal patch, employing a screen filter at the bottom of the patch which contacts the skin. The screen filter enables the drug from the patch to become deposited onto the surface of the skin in a series of droplets, spaced in such a manner as to match the skin's pores. The drop deposition of the patch increases the speed of delivery of the patch, whether an active or a passive patch form.

Abstract: The invention is modified transdermal patch, which contains two or more absorbent pads placed atop one another within the drag reservoir of the patch, enabling the patch to (1) hold a greater quantity of the drag, (2) extend the useful life of the patch, (3) enhance the quantity of the dose which can be released from the patch, by either passive of active methods of drag release.

Abstract: Seeds are subject to ultrasonic treatment to enhance and reduce the time for the germination process. In particular to this invention, the seeds are treated ultrasonically while the seeds are in a dry state. A dry sonification process for a dry seed and apparatus produces a sonically-treated dry seed having an enhanced germination characteristic and providing an enhanced growth characteristic to a plant resulting therefrom. The sonification process includes subjecting the dry seed to be sonically treated to sound energy at a frequency and energy density and applying for a sufficient time such that the sonically-treated dry seed has an enhanced germination characteristic and a plant resulting from the sonically-treated dry seed has an enhanced growth characteristic. The ultrasonic treatment can include applying the ultrasonic sound energy in different alternating waveforms, or in a batch or continuous process, with continuous flow through a helical flow path.

Abstract: The invention is a device for transmitting acoustical energy through the surface of the skin of a patient, coupled with the administration of a compound, for example an acne medication, for the purpose of temporarily expanding the patient's pore size and enhancing the delivery of the compound to the patient's pores. The ultrasonic transducer emits a sonic transmission of variable intensity and frequency for the purpose of enhancing the absorption of compounds that have first been deposited onto the surface of the skin and into skin pores that have been expanded by the ultrasound transmission.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus continuously treat seeds with ultrasonic transmission. The process includes mixing seeds with a flowable medium to create a flowable slurry of seeds; continuously moving the flowable slurry of seeds for a length of a flow pipe through a helical path within the flow pipe; and as the flowable slurry flows through the helical path within the for the length of the flow pipe, subjecting the seeds to ultrasonic transmission created by ultrasonic transducers arranged along the length of the flow pipe. The seeds in the flowable slurry are subjected to the ultrasonic transmission having such waveforms and being transmitted in a manner so as not to damage the seeds and to produce ultrasonically-treated seeds that have regulated germination characteristics, such that plants resulting from the ultrasonically-treated seeds when the seeds are planted have affected growth characteristics. The apparatus effects this process.

Abstract: The invention is a sensor device attached to a transdermal patch or other form of transdermal delivery device (TDD) which is (1) capable of determining the quantity of drug remaining within the TDD and (2) determining the quantity or dose delivered from the TDD to a patient in real time. The preferred embodiment is a sensor capable of transmitting acoustical energy between an ultrasonic generator, through a medicine-containing TDD, providing a density measurement of the solution within the TDD and thereby calculating the dose remaining within the patch, and leading to a calculation of the dose delivered to the patient.

Abstract: Ultrasound generation produces in general an acoustic field, characterized by both inertial and non-inertial acoustic cavitation, a process by which non-linear oscillation of a microbubble and its associated micro streaming and radiation force generated by ultrasound can lead to intense heating effects in a material, solution or biological cell which comes into contact with a conventional ultrasound transmission. Typically an ultrasound signal contains both an acoustic vibration effect, a resonance effect where a material receiving the ultrasound transmission resonates in response to the transmission, and unfortunately in many applications a damaging cavitation effect and a damaging thermal effect. This invention is both a method and an apparatus to reduce the damaging effects of ultrasound in both the thermal and mechanical effects and to provide a safer ultrasonic process which can be used in sonochemistry applications, material science and for biological or medical applications.

Abstract: A method for improving the ultrasonic transdermal delivery of an drug by modifying the excipient solution to which an active ingredient is intermixed in a drug formulation, whereby the choice of excipient solution is modified to one which will be more conducive to ultrasound and will propagate the drug substance at a higher delivery speed through the skin under ultrasonic excitation An example of such an excipient change includes a conversion from a standard dibasic sodium phosphate containing formulation to one using far less sodium or less preservative compositions. Reduced dibasic sodium phosphate formulation. Responsively to insonification thereof, including: reducing the amount of dibasic sodium phosphate in the formulation to provide a reduced dibasic sodium phosphate formulation; and, making a substance in accordance with the reduced dibasic sodium phosphate formulation.

Abstract: The invention consists of a sonication and imbedding process for the uptake of water and/or other beneficial substances into a seed for the purposes of reducing the time needed for germination of a plant and the time needed for full maturity growth of the resultant plant. This invention teaches that ultrasound applied to the shell of a seed will develop micro-punctures which enable the faster absorption of water and other liquid nutrients into the seed structure. The sonic energy may be at frequencies between 15 kHz and 30 kHz for periods between about 1 and 20 minutes, and can utilize either a sinusoidal waveform or an alternating ultrasonic transmission consisting of a saw tooth wave form lasting 50 milliseconds, followed by a square wave form lasting 50 milliseconds, or such similar combination of ultrasonic transmissions. The treated seed tends to grow into a mature plant at a substantially accelerated rate.

Abstract: The invention consists of a sonication and imbedding process for the uptake of water and/or other beneficial substances into a seed for the purposes of reducing the time needed for germination of a plant and the time needed for full maturity growth of the resultant plant. This invention teaches that ultrasound applied to the shell of a seed will develop micro-punctures which enable the faster absorption of water and other liquid nutrients into the seed structure. The sonic energy may be at frequencies between 15 kHz and 30 kHz for periods between about 1 and 20 minutes, and can utilize either a sinusoidal waveform or an alternating ultrasonic transmission consisting of a saw tooth wave form lasting 50 milliseconds, followed by a square wave form lasting 50 milliseconds, or such similar combination of ultrasonic transmissions. The treated seed tends to grow into a mature plant at a substantially accelerated rate.

Abstract: The invention is a device for transmitting acoustical energy through the surface of the skin of a patient, coupled with the administration of a compound, for example an acne medication, for the purpose of temporarily expanding the patient's pore size and enhancing the delivery of the compound to the patient's pores. The ultrasonic transducer emits a sonic transmission of variable intensity and frequency for the purpose of enhancing the absorption of compounds that have first been deposited onto the surface of the skin and into skin pores that have been expanded by the ultrasound transmission.

Abstract: A system being suitable for being secured substantially adjacent to a surface of a subject so as to effect delivery of at least one substance through the surface and into the subject. The system includes at least one aperture for receiving at least one ultrasonic transmission. The at least one substance is releasably secured substantially adjacent to the at least one aperture. A sonic member is disposed with respect to the at least one aperture so as to communicate the at least one transmission to the at least one substance so as to effect the delivery of the at least one substance through the surface of the subject.

Abstract: A system being suitable for being secured substantially adjacent to a surface of a subject so as to effect delivery of at least one substance through the surface and into the subject. The system includes at least one aperture for receiving at least one ultrasonic transmission. The at least one substance is releasably secured substantially adjacent to the at least one aperture. A sonic member is disposed with respect to the at least one aperture so as to communicate the at least one transmission to the at least one substance so as to effect the delivery of the at least one substance through the surface of the subject.

Abstract: A ready-to-use food product, and method for preparing the same. The product includes: a batter; at least one leavening agent; and, at least one oil. The oil separates the batter and leavening agent while in storage in a container, and agitation of the container causes the batter, leavening agent and oil to at least partially mix.

Abstract: A process for increasing the percentage of active ingredient relative to non-active excipient in a compressible formulation, and also for reducing tablet size, by excluding an amount of the excipient and including in its place a reduced amount of a polysaccharide material.

Abstract: Microcapsules comprising a core surrounded by a shell having seeding agents disposed therein for the purpose of imparting enhanced or unique structural and/or functional characteristics to the microcapsules is disclosed. The seeding agents may be completely imbedded within the shell material or may protrude through the shell's surface to afford the microcapsule with diverse strength, thermal stability, weight, balance, buoyancy and dissolution characteristics as well as enhanced fluid dynamic properties. In another embodiment of the invention both imbedded and protruding seeding agents are employed. An example of a seeding microcapsule of the present invention is disclosed comprising an encapsulated salt composition having ascorbic acid seeds dispersed within an inert, thermoplastic shell for use in baking bromate-free bakery products such as bread.

Abstract: A microcapsule having a core, a shell and seeds fully or partially embedded in said shell. The core and seeds are active substances which preferably function as a leavening agent. The shell is composed of either a water soluble or meltable natural polymer, including vegetable waxes. When the shell is ruptured, the active substances will react with each other and the dough mixture thereby producing a leavening effect and/or dough conditioning effect in baked goods.

Abstract: The method and apparatus of this invention entraps liquids within wax and transforms naturally occurring or synthetic waxes into a state characterized by the fact that when the waxes solidify, they do so in forms different from those forms into which they would solidify except for the transformation. The entrapment and transformation is achieved by subjecting the waxes to force. As examples of apparatuses which can supply the force to effect the transformation, a piston apparatus and an ultrasonic apparatus are disclosed. The triglyceride waxes are one type of wax which may be transformed by the method and apparatus of this invention. Transformed triglyceride waxes are superior hosts for liquids entrapped within their matrix. The subject method is particularly effective for minimizing loss of liquids due to volatilization the entrapment process.