Methods and apparatus for iontophoresis application of medicaments
First Claim
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1. A method for iontophoretically administering a medicament through the skin of a patient while minimizing the formation of competing ions in the medicament medium, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) obtaining a first electrode comprised of silver and a second electrode;
(b) obtaining a medicament dissolved in an aqueous medium so as to form medicament ions and complementary ions, said complementary ions being chloride ions capable of reacting with the first electrode to form an insoluble silver chloride precipitate;
(c) placing the first electrode in communication with the medicament medium;
(d) placing the medicament medium in communication with the patient such that the medium is disposed between the first electrode and the skin of the patient;
(e) placing the second electrode in communication with the skin of the patient at a point separated from the first electrode;
(f) creating an electrical voltage difference between the first and second electrodes, said voltage difference transporting the medicament ions through the skin of the patient, said voltage difference causing a reaction which results in the formation of a silver chloride precipitate by the reaction of the complementary ion with the first electrode, thereby avoiding formation of additional ions which would compete for charge transport with the medicament ions and reduce the amount of medicament administered to the patient; and
maintaining a voltage at the interface of the first electrode and the medicament medium below a voltage at which electrolysis of the water in the aqueous medicament medium can occur.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for administering known quantities of medicaments by iontophoresis while avoiding burns caused by extremes in the pH of the medicament medium during passage of an electric current are disclosed. It has been found that, as iontophoresis progresses in conventional iontophoresis systems, the electrolysis of water occurs to produce hydrogen or hydroxyl ions at the interface of the electrode and medicament medium. Since these ions are highly mobile, they are transported directly into the skin of patient in preference to the larger medicament ions. Thus, extreme changes in pH are experienced which result in burns due to the acidification or alkalinization of the medicament medium and passage of electric current through the skin. The present invention also avoids the production of other competing ions by employing a reactive electrode. The electrode and the medicament are chosen such that the electrode will react with the complementary ion (the ion which forms upon the dissociation of the medicament in solution) to form an insoluble material.
211 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for iontophoretically administering a medicament through the skin of a patient while minimizing the formation of competing ions in the medicament medium, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) obtaining a first electrode comprised of silver and a second electrode; (b) obtaining a medicament dissolved in an aqueous medium so as to form medicament ions and complementary ions, said complementary ions being chloride ions capable of reacting with the first electrode to form an insoluble silver chloride precipitate; (c) placing the first electrode in communication with the medicament medium; (d) placing the medicament medium in communication with the patient such that the medium is disposed between the first electrode and the skin of the patient; (e) placing the second electrode in communication with the skin of the patient at a point separated from the first electrode; (f) creating an electrical voltage difference between the first and second electrodes, said voltage difference transporting the medicament ions through the skin of the patient, said voltage difference causing a reaction which results in the formation of a silver chloride precipitate by the reaction of the complementary ion with the first electrode, thereby avoiding formation of additional ions which would compete for charge transport with the medicament ions and reduce the amount of medicament administered to the patient; and maintaining a voltage at the interface of the first electrode and the medicament medium below a voltage at which electrolysis of the water in the aqueous medicament medium can occur. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for iontophoretically administering a medicament through the skin of a patient while controlling the pH in the medicament medium, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) obtaining a first electrode comprised of silver and a second electrode; (b) obtaining a medicament dissolved in an aqueous medium so as to form medicament ions and complementary ions, said complementary ions being chloride ions capable of reacting with the first electrode to form an insoluble silver chloride precipitate; (c) placing the first electrode in communication with the medicament medium; (d) placing the medicament medium in communication with the patient such that the medium is disposed between the first electrode and the skin of the patient; (e) placing the second electrode in communication with the skin of the patient at a point separated from the first electrode; (f) creating an electrical voltage difference between the first and second electrodes, said voltage difference transporting the medicament ions through the skin of the patient, said voltage difference causing a reaction which results in the formation of an insoluble silver chloride precipitate from the reaction of the complementary ions with the first electrode; and (g) maintaining a voltage at the interface between the first electrode and the medicament medium below the electrolysis voltage of water, thereby preventing the formation of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions within the medium which would compete with the medicament ions to be transported through the skin of the patient and which would change the pH of the medicament solution. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An iontophoresis system for delivering a medicament to a patient comprising:
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an aqueous medicament solution including medicament ions and complementary ions, said complementary ions being chloride ions; a first electrode constructed of silver which is capable of reacting with the complementary chloride ion to form silver chloride which is insoluble in the medicament solution; means for placing the first electrode in communication with the aqueous medicament solution; means for placing the aqueous medicament solution in communication with a patient; means for placing a second electrode in communication with a patient at a point on said patient separated from said first electrode; and means for applying an electrical voltage difference between the first and second electrodes such that the medicament ions are transported to the patient, and such that the first electrode reacts with the complementary ions at a voltage below the electrolysis voltage of water.
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33. An iontophoresis system for delivering a medicament to a patient by iontophoresis while controlling the pH in the medicament solution, comprising:
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a first electrode comprised of silver; a second electrode; an aqueous medicament solution including medicament ions and chloride ions, said solution being placed in communication with the first electrode; means for placing the medicament solution in communication with a patient; means for placing the second electrode in communication with a patient at a point on said patient separated from said first electrode and the means for placing the medicament solution in communication with the patient; and means for applying a voltage difference between the first and second electrodes sufficient to cause a reaction between the chloride ions of the medicament solution and the silver of the first electrode in order to form an insoluble silver chloride precipitate which maintains the voltage at the interface between the first electrode and the medicament solution below the electrolysis voltage of water. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Litigation Data
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Current AssigneeUniversity of Utah Research Foundation Salt Lake City Utah
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Original AssigneeUniversity of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
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InventorsJacobsen, Stephen C., Petelenz, Tomasz J., Stephen, Robert L.
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Primary Examiner(s)Rosenbaum, C. Fred
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Assistant Examiner(s)Costantino, Mario
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Application NumberUS06/841,329Time in Patent Office825 DaysField of Search604/20, 604/891, 604/892, 604/896, 604/897, 128/798, 128/799, 128/802, 128/803US Class Current604/20CPC Class CodesA61N 1/0432 Anode and cathode
