Methods and apparatus for iontophoresis application of medicaments

Claim 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.

Claim 2

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.

Claim 19

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: (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.

Claim 20

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: (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.