Multi-signal electrical transdermal drug application

Abstract

A transdermal applicator for attachment to the skin having at least one drug reservoir containing at least one drug, and having an electrical connection formed at a surface interface between said reservoir upon contact with said skin; means for causing said at least one drug to move through said interface transdermally and for maintaining said transdermal movement for an extended time period. The means for causing and maintaining transdermal movement including a source of varying electrical potential, said source having one terminal electrically connected to said at least one reservoir at a location away from said skin surface interface and an other terminal in circuit with said skin surface at a location away from said reservoir/skin surface interface. The electrical circuit is formed upon application to the skin of the device, and said circuit connecting from said one source terminal through said at least one reservoir, through said reservoir/skin surface interface, within said skin to said skin surface connected in circuit to said other source terminal, wherein the drug is delivered through said skin when electrical current flows in a first direction in the circuit. The varying electrical potential is the resultant combination by at least one of superposition and selection of a plurality of electrical signals, and the electrical source including at least one of means for storing data representative of said resultant and means for generating the plurality of signals, and means for selecting and superposing the signals in selected time relationships for application to the source terminals.