Polymeric diffusion matrix

Claim 1

A transdermal drug delivery vehicle, which contains a sedative, chosen from the group consisting of pentabarbital sodium, phenobarbital, secobarbital, sodium, codeine, (α-bromoisovaleryl)urea, carbromal and sodium phenobarbital, capable of being delivered transdermally over a prolonged period of time through the unbroken skin of a patient, in the form of a shape-retaining matrix for direct application to the skin of a patient in need of the sedative to be delivered, said matrix comprising from about 2 to about 60% glycerol, from about 2 to about 15% polyvinylalcohol molecular weight of from about 100,00 to about 150,000, from about 2 to about 10% polyvinylpyrrolidone molecular weight of from about 20,000 to about 60,000 and the balance water, cast or molded from hot solution thereof.

Claim 7

A method of delivering a systemically active sedative to a patient over a prolonged period of time at a steady rate which comprises applying to the skin of said patient a transdermal drug delivery vehicle, which contains a sedative capable of being delivered transdermally over a prolonged period of time through the unbroken skin of a patient, said sedative chosen from the group consisting of pentabarbital sodium, phenobarbital, secobarbital sodium, codeine, (α-bromoisovaleryl)urea, carbromal and sodium phenobarbital, in the form of a shape-retaining matrix for direct application to the skin of a patient in need of the sedative to be delivered, said matrix comprising from about 2 to about 60% glycerol, from about 2 to about 15% polyvinyl alcohol molecular weight of from about 100,000 to about 150,000, from about 2 to about 10% polyvinylpyrrolidone molecular weight of from about 20,000 to about 60,000 and the balance water, cast or molded from hot solution thereof.

Claim 8

A method of delivering a systemically active sedative to a patient over a prolonged period of time at a steady rate which comprises applying to the skin of said patient a transdermal drug delivery vehicle, which contains a sedative capable of being delivered transdermally over a prolonged period of time through the unbroken skin of a patient, said sedative chosen from the group consisting of pentabarbital sodium, phenobarbital, secobarbital sodium, codeine, (α-bromoisovaleryl)urea, carbromal and sodium phenobarbital, in the form of a shape-retaining matrix for direct application to the skin of a patient in need of the sedative to be delivered, said matrix comprising from about 2 to about 60% glycerol, from about 2 to about 15% polyvinyl alcohol molecular weight of from about 100,000 to about 150,000, from about 2 to about 10% polyvinylpyrrolidone molecular weight of from about 20,000 to about 60,000 and the balance water, cast or molded from hot solution thereof.