Iontophoretic drug delivery electrodes and method

Apparatus for the transdermal delivery of a medicament to an individual, comprising:

• a medicament-dispensing applicator electrode including a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, said substrate including a medicament-dispensing portion comprising a cell or a plurality of cells forming an aperture or a plurality of apertures between said first surface and said second surface, said cell or plurality of cells containing the medicament;
• an electrokinetic device comprising a housing having a portion thereof shaped for grasping within an individual's hand for manual manipulation by the individual, and a first electrode formed of electrically conductive material and in electrical contact with said substrate and with a portion of an individual's skin upon application of said device to the individual's skin with said substrate interposed therebetween;
• a power source contained within said housing having first and second terminals, said first terminal being in electrical contact with said first electrode;
• a tactile electrode in electrical contact with said second terminal of said power source and having a surface for electrical contact with another portion of an individual's skin;
• said device being operable to electrokinetically drive said medicament from said applicator electrode to effect delivery of said medicament in said cell or plurality of cells to the portion of the individual's skin in contact with said substrate on one side thereof in response to completion of an electrical circuit between said first terminal through said first electrode and said substrate via the individual's skin portion and said second terminal via said tactile electrode and the another portion of the individual's skin.

Apparatus for the transdermal delivery of a medicament to an individual, comprising:

• a medicament-dispensing applicator electrode;
• an electrokinetic device;
• said medicament-dispensing applicator electrode including a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, said substrate including a medicament-dispensing portion comprising a cell or a plurality of cells forming an aperture or a plurality of apertures between said first surface and said second surface, said cell or plurality of cells containing the medicament, said substrate having a portion thereof for releasably coupling said substrate to said device;
• said device comprising a housing having a portion thereof shaped for grasping within an individual's hand for manual manipulation by the individual, and a first electrode formed of electrically conductive material and exposed for contact with said substrate upon releasable connection to said device;
• a power source contained within said housing having first and second terminals, said first terminal being in electrical contact with said first electrode;
• a tactile electrode in electrical contact with said second terminal of said power source and having a surface for contact with the individual's skin;
• said device being operable to electrokinetically drive said medicament from said applicator electrode to effect delivery of said medicament in said cell or plurality of cells to a portion of the individual's skin in contact with said substrate on one side thereof in response to completion of an electrical circuit between said first terminal through said first electrode and said substrate via the individual's skin and said second terminal via said tactile electrode and another portion of the individual's skin.

Apparatus for the transdermal delivery of medicament to an individual, comprising:

• a medicament-dispensing electrode;
• an electrokinetic device;
• said medicament-dispensing electrode including a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, said substrate including a medicament-dispensing portion having a cellular structure with one or a plurality of cells dimensioned to retain a medium including the medicament within the confines of the cellular structure for electrokinetically transporting the medicament from said cell or plurality of cells through said first surface into the individual skin upon flowing an electrical current between said first surface and said second surface;
• a tactile conductive portion carried by said substrate having a second cell or a plurality of cells electrically insulated from said medicament-dispensing portion, said second cell or purality of cells containing an electrically conductive material for electrical connection through said second surface with a conductive portion on the electrokinetic device;
• and
• said electrokinetic device including a housing having a portion thereof shaped for manual manipulation by the individual's hand, and a first electrode exposed for contact with said second surface of said substrate upon engagement of said substrate and said device with one another, a power source within said housing and having first and second terminals, said first terminal being in electrical contact with said first electrode, a tactile electrode in electrical contact with said second terminal of said power source and having a surface for electrical contact with the tactile conductive portion of the applicator electrode, said device being operable to deliver said medicament from said applicator electrode to a portion of the individual's skin in contact with said first surface in response to completion of an electrical circuit between said first terminal through said first electrode and said substrate via the individual's skin and said second terminal via said tactile electrode, said tactile conductive portion and another portion of the individual's skin.