Multi-signal electrical transdermal drug applicator

• US 5,135,478 A
• Filed: 05/10/1989
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Drug Delivery Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Drug Delivery Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Sibalis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US07/349,996
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 604/20, 604/21, 128/803, 128/419 R, 128/420 R, 128/421
• US Class Current: 604/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0432 Anode and cathode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/325 for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body electrodes for external use A61N1/0428

Abstract

A transdermal application for attachment to the skin having at least one drug reservoir containing at least one drug, and having an electrical connection formed at a surface interface between said reservoir upon contact with said skin; means for causing said at least one drug to move through said interface transdermally and for maintaining said transdermal movement for an extended time period. The means for causing and maintaining transdermal movement including a source of varying electrical potential, said source having one terminal electrically connected to said at least one reservoir at a location away from said skin surface interface and an other terminal in circuit with said skin surface at a location away from said reservoir/skin surface interface. The electrical circuit is formed upon application to the skin of the device, and said circuit connecting from said one source terminal through said at least one reservoir, through said reservoir/skin surface interface, within said skin to said skin surface connected in circuit to said other source terminal, wherein the drug is delivered through said skin when electrical current flows in a first direction in the circuit. The varying electrical potential is the resultant combination by at least one of superposition and selection of a plurality of electrical signals, and the electrical source including at least one of means for storing data representative of said resultant and means for generating the plurality of signals, and means for selecting and superposing the signals in selected time relationships for application to the source terminals.

Claims

1. A transdermal applicator for delivering at least one drug through the skin to the blood circulation system of a patient over an extended period of time comprising:

a drug reservoir for containing at least one drug and having means for attachment to the skin of a patient and making an electrical connection therewith at an interface between the reservoir and the skin of the patient,

means connected to said reservoir including a source of variable electrical potential for effecting delivery of said drug transdermally into the blood of the patient when the applicator is in use, said source having one electrical terminal electrically connected to said reservoir spaced from said interface and a second terminal positionable on the surface of the skin of the patient spaced from said interface and in circuit with said interface when said applicator is in use, means in said source of variable electrical potential for cyclically generating a complex composite pulse signal applied to said one terminal, said reservoir and through said interface when said second terminal is in electrical contact with the skin of the patient, said complex composite pulse signal comprising a conditioning negative directcurrent leading pulse followed by a sequence of pulses direct current pulses of different waveforms, amplitudes, frequencies and repetition rates, and timing means for applying the complex composite pulse signal as a composite total waveform signal with selected sequencies of different time intervals of waveform components effective to develop and maintain current flow including current flow within blood capillaries of the patient in the same direction of current flow as the leading direct current pulse of the complex composite pulse signal.

2. A transdermal applicator for delivering at least one drug through the skin to the blood circulation system of a patient over an extended period of time according to claim 1, in which said timing means comprises spectral timing means comprising a timer and a microprocessor for selectively varying the time intervals of said sequence.

3. A transdermal applicator for delivering at least one drug through the skin to the blood circulation system of a patient over an extended period of time according to claim 1, in which said source of variable electrical potential comprises means for alternating the polarity of the source.

4. A transdermal applicator for delivering at least one drug through the skin to the blood circulation system of a patient over an extended period according to claim 1, including means for creating a short-circuit between said one terminal and said second terminal.

5. A transdermal applicator for delivering at least one drug through the skin to the blood circulation system of a patient over an extended period according to claim 1, including means for selectively interrupting pulse components of said complex signal in said sequences.