| abstract |
A non-occlusive medication patch to be applied to the skin includes a porous self-supporting backing layer to give the patch the required integrity and strength by acting as a supporting framework for other components, and a flexible hydrophilic pressure-sensitive adhesive reservoir comprising a natural or synthetic polymer for the sustained release of medication to be absorbed topically through the skin into the body of a patient. The reservoir has two portions: first, an external coating layer with an exposed lower skin-contacting surface that forms a pressure-sensitive bond with the skin, and second, an upper internal portion which infiltrates the porous backing and becomes solidified therein after being applied so that the reservoir and the backing are unified, enabling the backing itself to act as a storage location for the medication-containing reservoir. The medication within the reservoir migrates over time from within the backing through the lower coating layer and passes through the skin to provide sustained release of the medication into the body of a patient. |