Feasibility of an electrode-reservoir device for transdermal drug delivery by noninvasive skin electroporation.
Electrical creation of aqueous pathways across the skin's outer layer [stratum corneum (SC)] provides an approach to transdermal delivery of medium-size water-soluble compounds. However, nerve stimulation should be avoided. Here, we show that a microstructured electrode array can significantly confine the electric field to the nerve-free SC. The prototype electrode-reservoir device (ERD) contains field-confining electrodes and a fluorescent drug surrogate [sulphorhodamine (SR)]. In vivo human experiments at the forearm with approximately rectangular voltage pulses up to 500 V and 1-ms duration cause electroporation as measured by skin resistance change but only rarely caused sensation. Human skin in vitro experiments with such pulses up to 300 V transported SR across the SC. Our results are supported by a model's prediction of the field in the ERD and nearby tissue.
Pliquett
Uwe
U
Institut für Bioprozess-und Analysenmesstechnik e.V., Heilbad Heiligenstadt 37308, Germany. Uwe.Pliquett@iba-heiligenstadt.de
Weaver
James C
JC
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D053672:Electrochemotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D017022:Flow Injection Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012869:Skin Absorption / Q000502:physiology*