1. A storage-stable device for the release of an active agent to the skin or mucosa of a host, said device consisting of:
an outer patch having adhesive properties;
an inner patch comprising an active agent layer containing an active agent and a coextensive active agent impermeable layer supporting the active agent layer, the active agent impermeable layer having a first surface in contact with the active agent layer and a second surface opposing the first surface; and,
a release liner interposed between the inner patch and the outer patch, the release liner releasably adhered to a first adhesive portion of the outer patch and having an opening exposing a second adhesive portion of the outer patch to the inner patch,
wherein, prior to removal of the release liner for application of the device to the skin or mucosa of a host, a portion of the second surface of the active agent impermeable layer is adhered to the second adhesive portion of the outer patch exposed by the opening in the interposed release liner, and a remaining portion of the second surface of the active agent impermeable layer is unadhered to the first or second adhesive portion of the outer patch as a result of the release liner being interposed therebetween prior to the removal of the release liner for the application of the device; and,
the outer patch having a surface area greater than the surface area of the inner patch, such that removal of the release liner for the application of the device adheres the remaining portion of the active agent impermeable layer to the adhesive layer of the outer patch and exposes another adhesive portion of the outer patch extending beyond the periphery of the inner patch for adhering the device to the skin or mucosa of a host; and a second release liner releasably adhered to said inner patch.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein said release liner comprises an active agent impermeable material.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein said inner patch comprises pressure-sensitive adhesive material in contact with said active agent layer for adhering said device to the skin or mucosa of a host.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein said pressure-sensitive adhesive material comprises a layer of active agent permeable adhesive applied overlying said active agent layer of the inner patch for adhering said device to the skin or mucosa of a host.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one portion of said outer patch includes an active agent to be administered to the skin or mucosa of a host.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein said active agent is an analgesic.
7. A storage-stable device for the release of an active agent to the skin or mucosa of a host, the device consisting of:
an outer patch including a backing layer and an adhesive layer supported on the backing layer;
a release liner coextensively and releasably adhered to the adhesive layer of the outer patch, the release liner having an opening exposing therethrough a portion of the adhesive layer;
an inner patch comprising an active agent impermeable layer and an active agent layer containing an active agent supported on the active agent impermeable layer, the active agent impermeable layer having a first portion adhered to the exposed portion of the adhesive layer through the opening in the release liner and a remaining portion of the active agent impermeable layer being separated from the adhesive layer of the outer patch by the release liner interposed between the active agent impermeable layer and the adhesive layer, whereby the first portion of the active agent impermeable layer is adhered to the adhesive layer of the outer patch prior to removal of the release liner for application of the device to the skin or mucosa of the host, and the remaining portion of the active agent impermeable layer is unadhered to the adhesive layer of the outer patch prior to the removal of the release liner for application of the device;
the inner patch having a surface area smaller than the surface area of the outer patch, wherein removal of the release liner adheres the remaining portion of the active agent impermeable layer to the adhesive layer of the outer patch and exposes a peripheral portion of the adhesive layer of the outer patch for adhering the device to the skin or mucosa of the host with the active agent layer in contact with the skin or mucosa of the host for administration of the active agent.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A connector assembly comprising:
a contact module including a dielectric body with mating and mounting edges and corresponding opposite back edges;
signal contacts held within the contact module, the signal contacts including mating and mounting ends that protrude from the mating and mounting edges of the contact module, respectively, the signal contacts arranged in a differential pair to convey differential signals; and
a ground contact coupled to the contact module, the ground contact including mating and mounting ends that protrude from the mating and mounting edges of the contact module, respectively, wherein the ground contact runs alongside the back edges from the mounting edge to the mating edge.
2. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the contact module extends between opposite sides and the ground contact includes a body that extends between the mating and mounting ends of the ground contact, the body having a width that is at least as narrow as a thickness of the contact module in a direction that is perpendicular to the sides of the contact module.
3. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the ground contact includes a planar body that extends between the mating and mounting ends of the ground contact and abuts the back edges of the contact module.
4. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the contact module extends between opposite sides and the ground contact includes a body that extends between the mating and mounting ends of the ground contact, the ground contact including straddle sections that interconnect the mating and mounting ends to the body and are oriented perpendicular to the sides of the contact module.
5. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the mating ends of the signal contacts comprise contact beams, the contact beams of different signal contacts physically opposing one another.
6. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the mating ends of the ground contact are disposed on opposite sides of the mating ends of the signal contact.
7. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the contact module extends between opposite sides bounded by the mating and mounting edges and the back edges, further wherein the mating ends of the ground contact are oriented parallel to the sides of the contact module.
8. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the signal contacts are upper signal contacts, further comprising lower signal contacts having mating ends that protrude from the mating edge of the contact module and mounting ends that protrude from the mounting edge of the contact module.
9. The connector assembly of claim 8, wherein the ground contact is an upper ground contact associated with the upper signal contacts, further comprising a lower ground contact associated with the lower signal contacts, the lower ground contact having mating ends that protrude from the mating edge of the contact module and mounting ends that protrude from the mounting edge of the contact module.
10. The connector assembly of claim 9, wherein the lower ground contact is joined to the mating edge of the contact module.
11. A connector assembly comprising:
a housing including a mating side having mating faces adapted to mate with mating connectors;
contact modules held in the housing, the contact modules including planar bodies with mating and mounting edges and corresponding opposite back edges;
signal contacts held by the contact modules, the signal contacts including contact beams that protrude from the mating edges of the contact modules and oppose one another, an upper set of the contact beams disposed in one of the mating faces of the housing, a lower set of the contact beams disposed in another one of the mating faces, the signal contacts arranged in differential pairs in each of the upper and lower sets to separately convey differential signals; and
ground contacts coupled to the contact modules, the ground contacts including contact beams that protrude from the mating edges of the contact modules, the contact beams of the ground contacts arranged on opposite sides of the differential pairs of the signal contacts in each of the upper and lower sets of signal contacts, wherein the ground contacts have contact beams arranged on opposite sides of the signal contacts in the upper set that are joined to a common body running alongside the back edges of the contact modules from the mounting edges to the mating edges.
12. The connector assembly of claim 11, wherein the back edges of the contact modules intersect one another.
13. The connector assembly of claim 11, wherein the contact beams of the signal contacts in the upper set oppose one another along a horizontal direction and the contact beams of the ground contact that are disposed on opposite sides of the signal contacts in the upper set are electrically common and oppose one another along a vertical direction.
14. The connector assembly of claim 11, wherein the contact modules extend between opposite sides and the ground contacts include bodies having widths that are at least as narrow as thicknesses of the contact modules in a direction that is perpendicular to the sides of the contact modules.
15. The connector assembly of claim 11, wherein the ground contacts include planar bodies that abut the back edges of the contact modules.
16. The connector assembly of claim 11, wherein the contact modules extend between opposite sides, the ground contacts abutting the back edges of the contact modules and straddling the back edges that intersect the mating edges of the contact modules in directions that are transverse to the sides.
17. The connector assembly of claim 11, wherein the contact modules extend between opposite sides bounded by the mating and mounting edges and the back edges, further wherein the contact beams of the ground contacts are oriented parallel to the sides of the contact modules.
18. The connector assembly of claim 11, wherein the contact modules extend between opposite sides, the contact beams of the signal contacts and the ground contacts linearly aligned with one another in directions that are perpendicular to the sides in the mating faces.
19. The connector assembly of claim 11, further comprising a cap body coupled to at least one of the contact modules, the cap body at least partially enclosing at least one of the ground contacts between the back edges of the at least one of the contact modules and the cap body.
20. The connector assembly of claim 11, further comprising a cap body coupled to at least one of the contact modules to at least partially enclose at least one of the ground contacts between the at least one of the contact modules and the cap body, wherein the cap body transfers a downward force applied to the cap body to seat the signal contacts and the ground contacts in a circuit board.