Low cost electrodes for an iontophoretic device

An iontophoretic device useful for delivery of a drug comprises:

• an anode electrode having an electrode compartment, said electrode compartment including an electrolyte comprising a medicament and an anode electrode in electrical communication with said electrolyte, said anode electrode including at least two electrochemically active, dissimilar metals such that a first chemically inert metal disposed as a coating having a thickness of about 0.1 mil over a second metal, said chemically inert first metal substantially preventing a chemical reaction of said second metal with said electrolyte during shelf storage and a skin contacting compartment which is in ionic communication with said electrode compartment including an ion exchange material selected to capture positive ions of said second metal liberated by an electrochemical reaction during a use of said iontophoretic device to deliver said medicament, wherein said chemically inert first metal is substantially removed during said electrochemical reaction during initial use of said device, said second metal thereby serving as the active electrode during subsequent delivery of said medicament;
• a cathode patch having a electrode compartment, said cathode electrode compartment including an electrolyte and a cathode electrode comprising chemically inert electron conductive first material coated on an electron conductive second material, different from said first material, said electrolyte including an ionizable reducible metal salt capable of being reduced at said cathode electrode and a cathode skin contacting compartment, the skin contacting compartment including an electrolyte for ionically contacting the skin of the patient, the skin compartment being ionically connected to said cathode electrode compartment and wherein said cathode electrode compartment further includes an ion selective material for substantially preventing ions of said reducible metal salt from migration into said cathode skin contacting compartment;
• a power source electrically connected to said anode patch and said cathode patch so that when said anode patch and said cathode patch are disposed on the skin of a patient thereby forming a complete circuit capable of supporting an iontophoretic current between said patches through said patient's skin so that when at least one of said cathode patch and said anode patch further includes a suitable medicament, said medicament is delivered into the skin of the patient.

A method for substantially preventing a destructive interaction during shelf storage between an electrolyte comprising a medicament and an electrode in an iontophoretic drug delivery device useful for delivering the medicament comprising:

• providing an electrode having an electrode compartment;
• providing an electrolyte comprising a medicament;
• placing said electrolyte comprising said medicament in said electrode compartment;
• providing a skin contacting compartment in ionic communication with said electrode compartment;
• forming an electrode from a first electrochemically active metal capable of forming metallic ions in an electrochemical reaction;
• selecting an ion exchange material capable of binding said metallic ions formed from said first electrochemically active metal;
• placing said ion exchange material in one of said skin contacting compartment and said electrode compartment;
• selecting another electrochemically active metal, different from said first metal and substantially inert when in contact with said electrolyte comprising said medicament;
• applying said second electrochemically active metal as a coating having a thickness about 0.1 mil, over said electrode formed from said first electrochemically active metal;
• and
• placing said electrode having said coating thereon in said electrode compartment in electrical communication with said electrolyte comprising said medicament, thereby providing said electrode having said chemically inert first metal substantially for substantially preventing a chemical reaction of said second metal with said electrolyte comprising said medicament during shelf storage of said device, said chemically inert first metal being substantially removed during an electrochemical reaction during an initial use of said device, said second metal thereby serving as the active electrode during subsequent delivery of said medicament.

An anode electrode for an iontophoretic medicament delivery device comprising:

• an electrode compartment including an electrolyte comprising a medicament and an anode electrode in electrical communication with said electrolyte, said anode electrode including copper having an outside surface, said surface having a coating with a thickness of about 0.1 mil of silver thereon, said silver substantially preventing a chemical reaction between said copper and said electrolyte containing said medicament during shelf storage;
• a skin contacting compartment which is in ionic communication with said electrode compartment;
• and
• an ion exchange material selected to capture positive ions of said copper liberated by an electrochemical reaction during a use of said iontophoretic device to deliver said medicament, wherein said chemically inert first metal is substantially removed during said electrochemical reaction during an initial use of said device, said copper thereby serving as the active electrode during subsequent iontophoretic delivery of said medicament.

An iontophoretic drug delivery device comprising:

• an anode electrode comprising an electrode compartment including an electrolyte comprising a medicament and an anode electrode in electrical communication with said electrolyte, said anode electrode including copper having an outside surface, said surface having a coating with a thickness of about 0.1 mil of silver thereon, said silver substantially preventing a chemical reaction between said copper and said electrolyte containing said medicament during shelf storage;
• a skin contacting compartment in ionic communication with said electrode compartment;
• an ion exchange material selected to capture positive ions of said copper liberated by an electrochemical reaction during a use of said iontophoretic device to deliver said medicament, wherein said chemically inert first metal is substantially removed during said electrochemical reaction during an initial use of said device, said copper thereby serving as the active electrode during subsequent iontophoretic delivery of said medicament;
• a cathode electrode comprising an electrode compartment including an electrolyte and a cathode electrode comprising carbon coated on silver, said electrolyte including an ionizable reducible metal salt capable of being reduced at said cathode electrode;
• a skin contacting compartment, the skin contacting compartment including an electrolyte for ionically contacting the skin of the patient, the skin compartment being ionically connected to said electrode compartment and wherein said electrode compartment further includes an ion selective material for substantially preventing ions of said reducible metal salt from migration into said skin contacting compartment;
• and
• a suitable power source connected to said anode electrode and said cathode electrode so that when said anode electrode and said cathode electrode are placed in ionic contact with the skin of a patient, a completed electrical circuit is established between said anode and said cathode so that said medicament is transported from said anode into said patient's skin.

An iontophoretic device useful for iontophoretically delivering a medicament, the device delivering the medicament over a time period, comprising:

• an anode patch comprising
• a first electrode compartment, said first electrode compartment comprising a first electrolyte and a first electrode in ionic communication with said first electrolyte, said first electrode comprising at least two dissimilar electrochemically active metals such that a first metal is a coating over a second metal, wherein said first metal substantially prevents a chemical reaction of said second metal with said first electrolyte during storage, and wherein said first metal is substantially removed by an electrochemical reaction within about a first 10% of the time period during an initial use of said patch such that said second metal serves as an active electrode, and
• a first skin contact compartment, said first skin contact compartment in ionic communication with said first electrode compartment;
• a cathode patch comprising
• a second electrode compartment, said second electrode compartment comprising a second electrolyte and a second electrode in ionic communication with said second electrolyte, said second electrode comprising at least two materials such that a first material is a coating over a second material, wherein said first material substantially prevents a chemical reaction of said second material with said second electrolyte during storage, and wherein, during use, said materials are not consumed, and said electrode serves as an active electrode;
• and
• a second skin contact compartment, said second skin contact compartment in ionic communication with said second electrode compartment;
• and
• a power source electrically connected to said anode patch and said cathode patch.

An iontophoretic device useful for iontophoretically delivering a medicament over a time period, comprising:

• an anode patch comprising
• a first electrode compartment, said first electrode compartment comprising a first electrolyte and a first electrode in ionic communication with said first electrolyte, said first electrode comprising at least two dissimilar electrochemically active metals such that a first metal is a coating over a second metal, wherein said first metal substantially prevents a chemical reaction of said second metal with said first electrolyte during storage, and wherein said first metal is substantially removed by an electrochemical reaction within about a first 10% of the time period during an initial use of said patch such that said second metal serves as an active electrode, and
• a first skin contact compartment, said first skin contact compartment in ionic communication with said first electrode compartment;
• a cathode patch comprising
• a second electrode compartment, said second electrode compartment comprising a second electrolyte and a second electrode in ionic communication with said second electrolyte, said second electrode comprising at least two materials such that a first material is a coating over a second material, wherein said first material substantially prevents a chemical reaction of said second material with said second electrolyte during storage, and wherein, during use, said materials are not consumed, and said electrode serves as an active electrode;
• and
• a second skin contact compartment, said second skin contact compartment in ionic communication with said second electrode compartment;
• and
• a power source electrically connected to said anode patch and said cathode patch.