Small molecule delivery across a perforated artificial membrane by thermoreversible hydrogel poloxamer 407.

Microperforations in the round window membrane have been suggested for enhancing the rate and reliability of drug delivery into the cochlea. Intratympanic injection, the most common delivery method, involves injecting therapy into the middle ear to establish a reservoir from which drug diffuses across the round window membrane into the cochlea. This process is highly variable because (i) the reservoir, if liquid, can lose contact with the membrane and (ii) diffusion across the membrane is intrinsically variable even with a stable reservoir.