Iontophoresis

Iontophoresis (also IONTOPHORESIS ) is a medical procedure for the absorption of drugs through the skin by applying a weak electric direct current.

Principle

The corresponding drugs have to have an electrical charge or be dissolved in a supporting electrolyte in which they are entrained. Only way they can be accelerated in an electric field and thus pass through the skin, and then enter the blood or in the tissue. In most cases, the drug is available in ointment form. Due to the very different absorption in patients iontophoresis is not very often used, mostly in the field of dermatology.

The current can reach about 10-30 mA, and is regulated down slowly as in Stanger, slowly controlled from 0 to full scale and at the end of treatment. The maximum voltage necessary for the current flow is about 60 volts. The IONTOPHORESIS is operated with direct current or pulse current ( interrupted direct current). The drug is placed on moist tissue paper at an electrode. Positively charged drugs ( cations) are placed under the positive electrode, negatively charged drugs ( anions ) by the negative electrode. Cationic drugs are, for example, procaine, anionic drugs include, for example salicylates.

Leitungswasseriontophorese can also be carried out in single or multi-cell bath. For a 2 - cell bath for example, both containers are filled tap water with "normal " and immersed the electrodes. The electrodes are connected to a control unit which controls the current flow. Now feet or hands immersed in the bath (excluding the electrode to touch ), a slight current flows through the body.

Applications

• Typical applications for topically applied analgesics, such as patient controlled treatment of acute postoperative pain. or anti- rheumatic diseases in which the drug is to penetrate into the joint.
• A common application is found in strong perspiration of the skin ( hyperhidrosis). In this case, the affected part of the body is traversed in a water bath of a direct current. The corresponding method is the Leitungswasseriontophorese ( LWI). The LWI is with DC or pulsed DC performed ( in 10- kHz range ).
• For the treatment of atrophic scars, the active ingredient tretinoin can be introduced by iontophoresis into the skin.
• For the treatment of cellulite can androstanolone - containing gel, inter alia, be introduced by iontophoresis into the affected subcutaneous tissue.
• To diagnose the hereditary disease cystic fibrosis is a sweat test, a pilocarpine iontophoresis applied.
• For microinjection of fluorescent dyes into plant cells or organelles.
• For the measurement of the ejected by iontophoresis metabolites