Electrokinetic delivery system for self-administration of medicaments and methods therefor

An electrokinetic delivery system for personal use in self-administration of a medicament to a treatment site on an individual, comprising:

• a device having a generally ring-shaped body and a through-opening for receiving and releasably retaining the device on the finger of the individual;
• a self-contained power source carried by said device;
• a first electrode carried by said device in electrical contact with said power source;
• a second electrode carried by said device for electrical contact with a portion of the individual's body, said second electrode being in electrical contact with said power source whereby, upon application of said first electrode to a treatment site with the medicament interposed between the first electrode and the treatment site and completion of an electrical circuit through the first electrode, the medicament or conductive carrier therefor, the treatment site, the individual's body, said second electrode and said power source, said device causes an electrical current to flow for electrokinetically driving the medicament into the treatment site.

A method of treatment by electrokinetic self-administration of a medicament into a treatment site for an individual, comprising:

• providing a device shaped in part to conform to at least a portion of an individual's finger and having a self-contained power source, first and second electrodes, and a substrate in electrical contact with said first electrode and including an electrokinetically transportable medicament and an exposed contact surface;
• releasably retaining the device on the individual's finger, with the second electrode in electrical contact with the individual's finger;
• while the device remains retained on the individual's finger, placing the contact surface of said substrate into contact with the individual's treatment site;
• and
• causing electrical current to flow through said first electrode, the medicament or a conductive carrier therefor, the treatment site, the individual's body, said second electrode and said power source to electrokinetically drive the medicament into the treatment site.