Electrochemical method and device for drug delivery

Claim 2

A drug delivery device comprising: a) a single reservoir having an upper face and a lower face, wherein said lower face comprises a cation selective membrane (C), wherein said cation selective membrane is permeable to a cationic drug, and an anion selective membrane (A), wherein said anion selective membrane is permeable to an anionic drug; b) an electrolyte solution having ions within said reservoir, wherein the ions in said electrolyte solution are also present in the human or animal tissue that will be in contact with said lower face of said reservoir, and wherein the concentration of said electrolyte solution is higher than the concentration of said electrolyte in said human or animal tissue; and c) at least one drug in said electrolyte solution, said drug being in ionized form at the pH of said electrolyte solution, wherein said concentration of said electrolyte solution is such that on contact of said lower face of said reservoir with said human or animal tissue, said drug and the ions in said electrolyte solution move through at least one of said selective membranes, causing said drug to be delivered to said tissue.

Claim 3

The device according to claim 1, wherein only one said drug is present, said drug being in the form of a salt, and the cation of said salt being pharmacologically active.

Claim 4

The device according to claim 1, wherein only one said drug is present, said drug being in the form of a salt, and the anion of said salt being pharmacologically active.

Claim 5

The device according to claim 1, wherein more than one said drug is present.

Claim 6

A method for delivering a drug comprising: a) contacting said human or animal tissue with a device as defined in claim 1; and b) allowing said drug to be delivered to said tissue.

Claim 7

A drug delivery device comprising first, second, and third reservoirs, each of said reservoirs having an upper face and a lower face, and each of said reservoirs containing an electrolyte solution, having ions wherein a) said first reservoir contains an electrolyte solution of different concentration than said electrolyte solutions of said second and third reservoirs, said lower face of said first reservoir being in electrolytic contact with said upper face of said second reservoir via an anion selective membrane (A) and in electrolytic contact with said upper face of said third reservoir via a cation selective membrane (C); b) at least one of said second and third reservoirs further contains a drug in ionized form at the pH of said electrolyte solutions in which said drug is contained; c) said second and third reservoirs each have as part of their lower face a membrane (M), said membrane (M) being permeable both to the ions in said electrolyte solutions and to said drug; and d) said concentrations of said electrolyte solutions are such that on contact of said membrane (M) with human or animal tissue, said electrolyte solution ions move through said cationic and anionic selective membranes causing said drug to move through said reservoir lower face membrane (M) whereby said drug is delivered to said tissue.

Claim 8

A drug delivery device comprising first, second, and third reservoirs, each of said reservoirs having an upper face and a lower face, and each of said reservoirs containing an electrolyte solution, having ions wherein a) said first reservoir contains an electrolyte solution of different concentration than said electrolyte solutions of said second and third reservoirs, said lower face of said first reservoir being in electrolytic contact with said upper face of said second reservoir via an anion selective membrane (A) and in electrolytic contact with said upper face of said third reservoir via a cation selective membrane (C); b) at least one of said second and third reservoirs further contains a drug in ionized form at the pH of said electrolyte solutions in which said drug is contained; c) said second and third reservoirs each have as part of their lower face a membrane (M), said membrane (M) being permeable both to the ions in said electrolyte solutions and to said drug; and d) said concentrations of said electrolyte solutions are such that on contact of said membrane (M) with human or animal tissue, said electrolyte solution ions move through said cationic and anionic selective membranes causing said drug to move through said reservoir lower face membrane (M) whereby said drug is delivered to said tissue.

Claim 9

The device according to claim 6, wherein said electrolyte solution in said first reservoir is more concentrated than said electrolyte solution in said second and third reservoirs.

Claim 10

The device according to claim 7, wherein said drug is a cation and wherein said concentration of said electrolyte solutions in each of said second and third reservoirs is at least as great as the electrolyte concentration in said tissue with which said membrane (M) is to be placed in contact.

Claim 11

The device according to claim 7, wherein said drug is a cation and wherein said concentrations of said electrolyte solutions in each of said second and third reservoirs is less than said electrolyte concentration in said tissue with which said membrane (M) is to be placed in contact.

Claim 12

The device according to claim 7, wherein said drug is an anion and wherein said concentration of said electrolyte solutions in each of said second and third reservoirs is at least as great as the electrolyte concentration in said tissue with which said membrane (M) is to be placed in contact.

Claim 13

The device according to claim 7, wherein said drug is an anion and wherein said concentration of said electrolyte solutions in each of said second and third reservoirs is less than the electrolyte concentration in said tissue with which said membrane (M) is to be placed in contact.

Claim 14

The device according to claim 6, wherein said electrolyte solution in said first reservoir is less concentrated than said electrolyte solutions in said second and third reservoirs.

Claim 15

The device according to claim 6, wherein said device is circular, and wherein said ion selective membranes (A) and (C) are concentric rings or.

Claim 16

The device according to claim 6, wherein said drag in said second reservoir is in the form of a salt, the anion of said salt being pharmacologically active.

Claim 17

The device according to claim 6, wherein said drug in said third reservoir is in the form of a salt, the cation of said salt being pharmacologically active.

Claim 18

A method for delivering a drug comprising: a) contacting said human or animal tissue with a device as defined in claim 6; and b) allowing said drug to be delivered into said tissue.

Claim 19

A drug delivery device comprising at least four reservoirs connected in series and separated alternately by cation selective membranes (C) and anion selective membranes (A), wherein a) the first and last of said reservoirs are outer reservoirs: b) each of said at least four reservoirs contains an electrolyte solutions having ions; c) the concentrations of said electrolyte solutions in adjacent reservoirs alternate between higher and lower; d) said outer reservoir containing said lower concentration of said electrolyte solution further contains a drug in ionized form at the pH of said electrolyte solution in said outer reservoir containing said lower concentration of said electrolyte solution; e) said outer reservoir containing said drug has as part of boundary, in addition to said ion selective membrane, a membrane (M), said membrane (M) being permeable both to ions in said electrolyte solution and to said drug; and f) said concentrations of said electrolyte solutions are such that on contact with human or animal tissue, said ions move through said selective membranes (C) and (A), causing said drug to move through said membrane (M) and to be delivered to said tissue.

Claim 20

A drug delivery device comprising at least four reservoirs connected in series and separated alternately by cation selective membranes (C) and anion selective membranes (A), wherein a) the first and last of said reservoirs are outer reservoirs: b) each of said at least four reservoirs contains an electrolyte solutions having ions; c) the concentrations of said electrolyte solutions in adjacent reservoirs alternate between higher and lower; d) said outer reservoir containing said lower concentration of said electrolyte solution further contains a drug in ionized form at the pH of said electrolyte solution in said outer reservoir containing said lower concentration of said electrolyte solution; e) said outer reservoir containing said drug has as part of boundary, in addition to said ion selective membrane, a membrane (M), said membrane (M) being permeable both to ions in said electrolyte solution and to said drug; and f) said concentrations of said electrolyte solutions are such that on contact with human or animal tissue, said ions move through said selective membranes (C) and (A), causing said drug to move through said membrane (M) and to be delivered to said tissue.

Claim 21

The device according to claim 17, wherein said drug is in the form of a salt, the cation of said salt being pharmacologically active, and said reservoir containing said drug being in contact with an adjacent reservoir via a cation selective membrane.

Claim 22

The device according to claim 17, wherein said drug is in the form of a salt, the anion of said salt being pharmacologically active, and said reservoir containing the drug being in contact with said an adjacent reservoir via an anion selective membrane.

Claim 23

A method for delivering a drug comprising: a) contacting said human or animal tissue with a device as defined in claim 17; and b) allowing said drug to be delivered into said tissue.