Electronic card for transdermal drug delivery and analyte extraction

A device for delivering a substance to skin of a subject, comprising:

• a housing;
• a set of electrodes, fixed to the housing, which set of electrodes is adapted to be placed at respective sites on the skin:
• an analysis unit, fixed to the housing, which analysis unit is adapted to drive a first subset of the set of electrodes to apply a current to the skin so as to facilitate extraction therefrom of an analyte, to analyze the analyte, and to generate a signal responsive to the analysis of the analyte;
• a substance storage unit, fixed to the housing, which storage unit is adapted to store the substance;
• and
• a substance delivery unit, fixed to the housing, which delivery unit is adapted to receive the signal, and, responsive thereto, to drive a second subset of the set of electrodes to apply current to the skin so as to facilitate delivery of the substance from the storage unit through the skin.

A device for analyzing an analyte extracted through skin of a subject, comprising:

• one or more electrodes, which are adapted to be placed at respective sites on the skin;
• a control unit, which is adapted to drive the one or more electrodes to apply a current to the respective sites on the skin capable of ablating stratum corneum epidermidis of the skin, so as to facilitate extraction of the analyte through the skin;
• an analysis unit, which is adapted to analyze the analyte and to generate a signal responsive to the analysis of the analyte;
• and
• a communications unit, which is adapted to receive the signal and, responsive thereto, to transmit information to a computer external to the device.

A device for regulating a substance in the body of a subject, comprising;

• an analysis unit, which is adapted to receive a portion of a body fluid of the subject, to analyze the portion, and to generate a signal, responsive to an actual level of the substance in the portion;
• a material storage unit, which is adapted to store two or more different material in respective regions of the material storage unit;
• one or more electrodes, which are adapted to be placed at respective sites on the skin;
• and
• a material delivery unit, which is adapted to receive the signal, and, responsive thereto, to drive the one or more electrodes to apply current to the respective sites on the skin capable of facilitating delivery of one or more of the materials from the storage unit through the skin at the respective sites, so as to maintain a desired level of the substance in the body of the subject.

A device for analyzing an analyte extracted through skin of a subject, comprising:

• a housing;
• one or more electrodes, fixed to the housing, which one or more electrodes are adapted to be placed at respective sites on the skin:
• a control unit, fixed to the housing, which control unit is adapted to drive at least some of the one or more electrodes to apply a current to the respective sites on the skin capable of ablating stratum corneum epidermidis of the skin, so as to facilitate extraction of the analyte through the skin;
• and an analysis unit, fixed to the housing, which is adapted to analyze the analyte and to generate a signal responsive to the analysis of the analyte.

A method for delivering a substance to skin of a subject, comprising:

• sensing a physiological parameter of the subject;
• analyzing the parameter;
• and
• responsive to the analysis of the parameter, applying to the skin a current capable of ablating stratum corneum epidermidis of the skin, so as to facilitate delivery of the substance into the skin.

A method for analyzing an analyte extracted through skin of a subject, comprising:

• applying to the skin a current capable of ablating stratum corneum epidermidis of the skin, so as to facilitate extraction of the analyte through the skin;
• analyzing the analyte in a device that is attached by the subject to the skin;
• and
• responsive to the analysis, transmitting information to a computer external to the device.

A method for regulating a substance in the body of a subject, comprising:

• storing two or more different materials in respective regions of a material storage unit;
• sensing a physiological parameter of the subject;
• analyzing the parameter to obtain an indication of an actual level of the substance in the body of the subject;
• selecting a material from the two or more materials, responsive to the analysis;
• and
• applying to skin of the subject a current capable of facilitating delivery of the selected material from the storage unit into the skin, so as to maintain a desired level of the substance in the body of the subject.

A device for facilitating transdermal passage of a substance through skin of a subject, comprising:

• one or more electrodes, which are adapted to be placed at respective sites on the skin;
• a control unit, which is adapted to drive at least some of the one or more electrodes to apply to respective ones of the sites on the skin a current capable of ablating stratum corneum epidermidis of the skin;
• and
• a transport facilitation unit, adapted to facilitate transdermal passage of the substance through an ablated region of the stratum corneum.

A device for facilitating transdermal passage of a substance through skin of a subject, comprising:

• one or more electrodes, which are adapted to be placed at respective sites on the skin;
• and
• a control unit, which is adapted:
• to drive at least some of the one or more electrodes to apply to respective ones of the sites on the skin a current capable of ablating stratum corneum epidermidis of the skin, so as to facilitate transdermal passage of the substance through the skin,
• to designate at a first time a first number of the one or more electrodes to drive to apply the current, responsive to a desired rate of passage of the substance during a first time period, and
• to designate at a second time a second number of the one or more electrodes to drive to apply the current, responsive to a desired rate of passage of the substance during a second time period, the second number being different from the first number.

A device for facilitating transdermal passage of a substance through skin of a subject, comprising:

• one or more electrodes, which are adapted to be placed at respective sites on the skin;
• and
• a control unit, which is adapted:
• to drive a first subset of the one or more electrodes to apply during a first time period, a current capable of ablating stratum corneum in a vicinity of the first subset of the one or more electrodes, so as to facilitate transdermal passage of the substance through the skin, and
• to drive a second subset of the one or more electrodes to apply, during a second time period, a current capable of ablating stratum corneum in a vicinity of the second subset, so as to facilitate transdermal passage of the substance through the skin,
• wherein the second subset comprises at least one electrode which is not in the first subset.

A device for facilitating transdermal passage of a substance through skin of a subject, comprising:

• one or more electrodes, which are adapted to be placed at respective sites on the skin;
• and
• a control unit, which is adapted to drive a subset of the one or more electrodes to apply:
• during a first time period, a current capable of ablating stratum corneum in a vicinity of the subset of the one or more electrodes, and
• during a second time period, a current capable of ablating stratum corneum in the vicinity of the subset of the one or more electrodes.