Iontophoretic drug delivery

Claim 1

A method of increasing the efficiency of an iontophoretic electrode for delivery of an ionic drug having a positive charge by minimizing delivery of mobile cations other than said ionic drug, hereafter referred to as competing cations, comprising the following steps: forming a reservoir containing said ionic drug with a negatively charged counter-ion, said reservoir being substantially free of cations which can compete with the drug ions for carrying charge from the reservoir to a body surface, the reservoir also being permeable to said ionic drug; applying to said reservoir an electrically conductive member comprising a sacrificial material readily oxidizable when said conductive member is in contact with said reservoir and a positive voltage is applied to said conductive member, said material when oxidized readily combining with said counter-ion to form a compound which is substantially immobile within said reservoir during the application of said positive voltage; placing said reservoir containing said ionic drug in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of a patient; and while said reservoir is in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of said patient and said conductive member is applied to said reservoir, applying a positive voltage to said conductive member to oxidize said material and to drive said ionic drug through the body surface of said patient, whereby said ionic drug is driven through said body surface substantially without cationic competition.

Claim 2

A method of increasing the efficiency of an iontophoretic electrode for delivery of an ionic drug having a positive charge by minimizing delivery of mobile cations other than said ionic drug, hereafter referred to as competing cations, comprising the following steps: forming a reservoir containing said ionic drug with a negatively charged counter-ion, said reservoir being substantially free of cations which can compete with the drug ions for carrying charge from the reservoir to a body surface, the reservoir also being permeable to said ionic drug; applying to said reservoir an electrically conductive member comprising a sacrificial material readily oxidizable when said conductive member is in contact with said reservoir and a positive voltage is applied to said conductive member, said material when oxidized readily combining with said counter-ion to form a compound which is substantially immobile within said reservoir during the application of said positive voltage; placing said reservoir containing said ionic drug in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of a patient; and while said reservoir is in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of said patient and said conductive member is applied to said reservoir, applying a positive voltage to said conductive member to oxidize said material and to drive said ionic drug through the body surface of said patient, whereby said ionic drug is driven through said body surface substantially without cationic competition.

Claim 10

A method of increasing efficiency of delivery in an iontophoretic electrode for delivery of an ionic drug having a positive charge by minimizing delivery of competing cations, comprising the steps of: applying an electrically conductive member to a reservoir containing said ionic drug compounded with a negatively charged counter-ion, said reservoir being substantially free of cations which can compete with the drug ions for carrying charge from the reservoir to a body surface, the reservoir also being permeable to said ionic drug, said electrically conductive member comprising a sacrificial material readily oxidizable when said conductive member is in contact with said reservoir and a positive voltage is applied to said conductive member, said material when oxidized readily combining with said counter-ion and which when so combined forms a compound which is substantially immobile within said reservoir during the application of said positive voltage; placing said reservoir in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of the patient; and while said reservoir is in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of said patient and said conductive member is applied to said reservoir, applying a voltage to said conductive member to oxidize said material and to drive said ionic drug through the body surface of said patient substantially free of cationic competition.

Claim 11

A method of increasing efficiency of delivery in an iontophoretic electrode for delivery of an ionic drug having a positive charge by minimizing delivery of competing cations, comprising the steps of: applying an electrically conductive member to a reservoir containing said ionic drug compounded with a negatively charged counter-ion, said reservoir being substantially free of cations which can compete with the drug ions for carrying charge from the reservoir to a body surface, the reservoir also being permeable to said ionic drug, said electrically conductive member comprising a sacrificial material readily oxidizable when said conductive member is in contact with said reservoir and a positive voltage is applied to said conductive member, said material when oxidized readily combining with said counter-ion and which when so combined forms a compound which is substantially immobile within said reservoir during the application of said positive voltage; placing said reservoir in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of the patient; and while said reservoir is in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of said patient and said conductive member is applied to said reservoir, applying a voltage to said conductive member to oxidize said material and to drive said ionic drug through the body surface of said patient substantially free of cationic competition.

Claim 16

A method of increasing the efficiency of delivery of an ionic drug having a negative charge from an iontophoretic electrode by minimizing the delivery of mobile anions other than said ionic drug, comprising the follow steps: forming a reservoir containing the drug with a positively charged counter-ion, said reservoir being substantially free of anions which can compete with the drug ions for carrying charge from the reservoir to a body surface, the reservoir also being permeable to said ionic drug; applying to said reservoir an electrically conductive member comprising a sacrificial material which is readily reducible when said conductive member is in contact with said reservoir and a negative voltage is applied to said conductive member, said material when reduced forming an anion which is readily combined with said counter-ion to form a compound which is immobile within said reservoir during the application of said negative voltage; placing said reservoir in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of a patient; and while said reservoir is in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of said patient and said conductive member is applied to said reservoir, applying a negative voltage to said conductive member to reduce said material and to drive said ionic drug through the body surface of said patient, whereby said ionic drug is driven through said body surface substantially without anionic competition.

Claim 17

A method of increasing the efficiency of delivery of an ionic drug having a negative charge from an iontophoretic electrode by minimizing the delivery of mobile anions other than said ionic drug, comprising the follow steps: forming a reservoir containing the drug with a positively charged counter-ion, said reservoir being substantially free of anions which can compete with the drug ions for carrying charge from the reservoir to a body surface, the reservoir also being permeable to said ionic drug; applying to said reservoir an electrically conductive member comprising a sacrificial material which is readily reducible when said conductive member is in contact with said reservoir and a negative voltage is applied to said conductive member, said material when reduced forming an anion which is readily combined with said counter-ion to form a compound which is immobile within said reservoir during the application of said negative voltage; placing said reservoir in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of a patient; and while said reservoir is in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of said patient and said conductive member is applied to said reservoir, applying a negative voltage to said conductive member to reduce said material and to drive said ionic drug through the body surface of said patient, whereby said ionic drug is driven through said body surface substantially without anionic competition.

Claim 18

A method of increasing efficiency of delivery of an ionic drug having a negative charge from an iontophoretic electrode by minimizing delivery of competing anions, comprising the steps of: applying an electrically conductive member to a reservoir containing said ionic drug compounded with a positively charged counter-ion, said reservoir being substantially free of anions which can compete with the drug ions for carrying charge from the reservoir to a body surface, said reservoir also being permeable to said ionic drug, said electrically conductive member comprising a sacrificial material which is readily reducible when said conductive member is in contact with said reservoir and a negative voltage is applied to said conductive member, said material when reduced forming an anion which is readily combined with said counter-ion and which when so combined forms a compound which is substantially immobile within said reservoir during the application of said negative voltage; placing said reservoir in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of the patient; and while said reservoir is in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of said patient and said conductive member is applied to said reservoir, applying a voltage to said conductive member to reduce said material and to drive said ionic drug through the body surface of said patient substantially free of anionic competition.

Claim 19

A method of increasing efficiency of delivery of an ionic drug having a negative charge from an iontophoretic electrode by minimizing delivery of competing anions, comprising the steps of: applying an electrically conductive member to a reservoir containing said ionic drug compounded with a positively charged counter-ion, said reservoir being substantially free of anions which can compete with the drug ions for carrying charge from the reservoir to a body surface, said reservoir also being permeable to said ionic drug, said electrically conductive member comprising a sacrificial material which is readily reducible when said conductive member is in contact with said reservoir and a negative voltage is applied to said conductive member, said material when reduced forming an anion which is readily combined with said counter-ion and which when so combined forms a compound which is substantially immobile within said reservoir during the application of said negative voltage; placing said reservoir in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of the patient; and while said reservoir is in drug transmitting relation to the body surface of said patient and said conductive member is applied to said reservoir, applying a voltage to said conductive member to reduce said material and to drive said ionic drug through the body surface of said patient substantially free of anionic competition.