ALZA’s vision was to eliminate the pain of topical procedures by delivering anesthetic with a patch instead of a needle. The initial CharlesGroup research study, designed to validate the application of the technology, revealed it was not appropriate for the intended markets.
It also helped indicate one market in particular which could be appropriate: pediatric dermatology. The problem however was that the configuration of the technology was not appropriately suited for dermatology. Their existing technology, an integrated electronic patch, would not fit the multiple sites often treated, or children’s faces, fingers, or toes, where it would be most needed.
CharlesGroup then designed a new solution: separate the electronics from the drug pad, and create a disposable drug pad whose unique shape could support a variety of procedures. The unique electronic controller ‘mouse’ design transforms the most stressful part of a procedure into the friendliest.
