Electrokinetic delivery of medicaments

An applicator for use in an electrokinetic device to deliver a substance to a treatment site for an individual, comprising:

• a substrate including a substance-dispensing portion having a first face for electrical contact with an electrode carried by the electrokinetic device and a second face for electrical contact with the treatment site;
• a reservoir carried by said substrate for containing the substance and including a rupturable barrier for maintaining the substance apart from said substance-dispensing portion;
• said substance-dispensing portion providing an electrically conductive path through said substrate including at least in part said first and second faces of said substrate for electrokinetically driving the substance into the treatment site upon rupture of the barrier releasing the substance into the substance-dispensing portion and application of said device to said first face and passage of an electrical current through said applicator;
• said reservoir including a rupturable capsule containing the substance;
• said substance-dispensing portion carrying an electrically conductive fluid for pretreatment of the substance to render the substance electrokinetically transportable.

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

• a substrate shaped for underlying the undersurface of an individual's finger from a tip thereof to a location past the first finger joint;
• a self-contained power source within said substrate;
• a first electrode carried by said substrate and exposed adjacent the tip of the individual's finger, said first electrode being in electrical contact with said power source;
• a second electrode carried by said substrate and exposed for contact with the individual's finger, said second electrode being in electrical contact with said power source whereby, upon application of said first electrode over a treatment site with the substance disposed between the first electrode and the treatment site, said device applies current for electrokinetically driving the substance into the treatment site.

A medicament-dispensing electrokinetic device for delivery of a medicament to an individual's treatment site, comprising:

• a housing having a portion thereof shaped for manual manipulation by the individual's hand and an electrical circuit including a normally open switch and a first electrode formed of electrically conductive material and exposed for contact with the medicament;
• said first electrode being mounted for movement relative to said housing between first and second positions, said first electrode closing said normally open switch and completing said circuit in response to movement of said first electrode from said first position toward said second position;
• a power source forming part of the circuit and contained within said housing, said power source having first and second terminals, said first terminal being in electrical contact with said first electrode;
• a tactile electrode forming part of said circuit 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 medicament disposed between said first electrode and the individual's treatment site to effect delivery of said medicament into said treatment site in response to pressing the first electrode toward the treatment site causing closing of said switch and completion of the electrical circuit through said closed switch between said first terminal through said first electrode and the treatment site and said second terminal via said tactile electrode and a portion of the individual's skin.

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

• a device for releasable securement to an individual's finger and shaped in part to conform to at least a portion of the individual's finger;
• a retainer for releasably securing the device to the individual's finger;
• a self-contained power source carried by said device;
• a first electrode carried by said device adjacent a distal end portion thereof and adjacent the tip of the individual's finger upon retention of the device on the individual's finger, said first electrode being in electrical contact with said power source;
• a second electrode carried by said device for electrical contact with a portion of the individual's finger, 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:

• (a) 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;
• (b) releasably retaining the device on the individual's finger, with the second electrode in electrical contact with the individual's finger;
• (c) 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
• (d) 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.