Electroporation apparatus for transdermal drug delivery

The apparatus described is applicable to transdermal drug delivery (TDD) by electroporation in vitro. It is a pulse generator which uses capacitor discharge to produce a series of controlled exponential pulses to the skin. The unit is capable of producing selected pulse amounts from 1 to 9 with continuous regulable pulse intensity of 70-400 V and selected pulse rates of 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 20, and 40 ppm. The authors believe that the effects of electroporation on skin safety and transdermal permeability of drug flux do not depend on pulse intensity or pulse duration but on pulse impulse or its energy. Here, the authors describe the design theory and method of pulse impulse and its energy.