Injection needle and device

Abstract

Several needle assemblies and intracellular delivery devices that are used for the delivery of prophylactic and/or therapeutic material (i.e., delivered agents) into a tissue of a subject are disclosed. Preferably, the needle assemblies and/or the intracellular delivery devices comprise needles and/or needle electrodes, which are disposed in an array (e.g., a Y-type array having three outer needles and a center needle), wherein each needle in the array has a closed end and a plurality of apertures along each needle barrel, and the apertures on the needle barrels of the outer needles of the array are positioned to deliver the delivered agent toward the apertures of the center needle and/or an adjacent needle, but not outside of the active zone defined by the area within the needle array and the apertures on the needle barrel of the center needle are positioned to deliver the delivered agent toward the outer needles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for intracellular delivery in a living animal by overloading a tissue locally comprising:
 a delivery unit, which controls an injection parameter;   a hub connected to the delivery unit and comprising at least one electrical connector;   a plurality of needles connected to the hub, wherein each needle of the plurality of needles comprises:
 a closed end; 
 a needle barrel; 
 a plurality of apertures that are disposed on the needle barrel, wherein the apertures on each needle barrel oppose the apertures on at least one other needle barrel so as to generate an opposing direction of delivery of a delivered agent or a cross-spray pattern of delivery of a delivered agent; 
   an electrode; and   an electrical power supply configured to generate an electric field at the electrode, wherein the electrical power supply is connected to the electrode through the at least one electrical connector.