• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.719-726
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• 2001

Transdermal drug delivery offers various advantages over conventional drug delivery systems, such as avoidance gastrointestinal degradation and hepatic first-pass effect. encourages patient compliance. and possible sustained release of drugs. However, transdermal transport of drugs is low permeability of the stratum corneum, the superficial layer of the skin. Many physicochemical and biological factors influencing transdermal transport is described together with the corresponding experimental and clinical results. Phonophoresis is medical treatment with drugs introduced into the skin by ultrasound energy. Enhanced drug penetration is through to result from the biophysical alterations of skin structure by ultrasound waves. The frequency used for phonophoresis is usually from 20 kHz to 15MHz. Phonophoresis can be categorized in to three ranges: low-frequency range(below 1 MHz). therapeutic frequency range(1 to 3MHz), and high-frequency range(above 3 MHz). The depth of penetration of ultrasound into skin is inversely proportional to the frequency. Cavitation may cause mechanical stress. temperature elevation, or enhanced chemical reactivity causing drug transport. One theory is that ultrasound affects the permeation of the stratum corneum lipid structure as the limiting step in permeating through the skin. The range of indications for phonophoresis is wide. Aspecific classification of the range of indications is obtained by classification of pathological conditions. The continuous research is needed for many interesting issucs of phonophoretic transdermal delivory in new future.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.63-83
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• 2006

This study conducted the following experiment to examine anesthetic effects of 500 kHz ultrasound with lidocaine. Clinical experiment was conducted to compare local anesthetic effects by ultrasound frequencies and drugs with 40 normal adults and it divided subjects into experimental group (I) applying only ultrasound, ointment group (II) applying only lidocaine, phonophoresis group of 1 MHz (III), phonophoresis group of 500 kHz lidocaine (IV) for pain threshold and nerve conduct experiments. Mechanical threshold was measured with von Frey monofilament, thermal pain threshold with halogen lamp and digital thermometer, action potential in median nerve with diagnostic electromyography before and after treatment, and at 30 min., 60 min., 90 min., and 120 min. after treatment. Results of this study can be summarized as follows. Topical anesthesia experiment showed that pain threshold of phonophoresis groups was significantly increased, but there were little differences in ultrasound frequency and drugs among phonophoresis groups. Conduction anesthesia experiment showed that phonophoresis group of 500 kHz using lidocaine had significant difference in pain threshold and sensory nerve conduction compared to ointment group and ultrasound group, but there was no great difference from other phonophresis groups and light nerve block effect was found. It was considered that application of 500 kHz ultrasound using lidocaine will be more effective in deep anesthesia or nerve block than 1 MHz ultrasound. However, researches considering various frequencies, intensities and application hours in low frequency areas including kHz ultrasound are needed to increase deep permeation of drugs.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.412-417
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• 2006

Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) is a corticosteroid that is used in the systemic and topical treatment of many inflammatory diseases. In this study, a phonophoretic drug delivery system was designed to enhance the TA permeability and the influence of ultrasound was examined. In order to establish the transdermal delivery system for TA, a hydrophilic carbopol gel containing TA was prepared after adopting phonophoresis. A permeation study through mouse skin was performed at $37^{\circ}C$ using a Franz diffusion cell, and the ultrasound treatment was carried out for 10 h. The level of TA permeation through the skin was evaluated under various ultrasound conditions including the frequency (1.0, 3.0 MHz), intensity (1.0, $2.5W/cm^2 $), and duty cycle (continuous, pulse mode) using a 0.5% TA gel. The highest permeation was observed under the ultrasound treatment conditions of low frequency, high intensity, and in continuous mode.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.217-221
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• 2008

To investigate the enhancing effects in transdermal permeation of drug using newly designed ultrasound apparatus of 500 kHz, the transdermal permeation studies through the hairless mouse skin were conducted with lidocaine. The ultrasound apparatus of 500 kHz frequency and transducer were newly developed. The drug permeation studies were performed according to the ultrasound frequencies such as 1 MHz and 500 kHz at $1W/cm^2$ in intensity in continuous mode or pulsed mode, respectively. The results on transdermal permeation of lidocaine according to ultrasound intensity showed that the drug permeation increased as the intensity was higher.