BIOSYNCHRONOUS TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY
Systems and methods for synchronizing the administration of compounds with the human body's natural circadian rhythms and addiction rhythms to counteract symptoms when they are likely to be at their worst by using an automated and preprogrammable transdermal or other drug administration system.
1 . A method of delivering nicotine to a subject, the method comprising:
wearing an automated transdermal drug delivery device during the subject's sleep such that a permeable membrane of the automated transdermal drug delivery device is in contact with skin of the subject; and
beginning to deliver a substance comprising nicotine from a reservoir of the transdermal drug delivery device to the permeable membrane during a one hour period immediately prior to the subject's waking to transdermally administer nicotine to the subject.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising delivering the substance from the reservoir to the permeable membrane at a plurality of times corresponding to expected nicotine cravings of the subject.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of times correspond to meal times of the subject.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the reservoir is a pressurized reservoir.
5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising moving the substance from the pressurized reservoir to the permeable membrane through an electronically controlled valve.
6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising replacing the reservoir after depletion.
7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising moving at least a portion of the substance delivered to the permeable membrane into a waste reservoir to cease transdermal administration of nicotine.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the substance comprises nicotine dissolved in a solvent, the method further comprising moving solvent from the permeable membrane into a solvent recovery element.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the permeable membrane is coated with an adhesive.
10 . A method of delivering nicotine to a subject, the method comprising:
wearing an automated transdermal drug delivery device such that a permeable membrane of the automated transdermal drug delivery device is in contact with skin of the subject;
delivering a substance comprising nicotine from a reservoir of the transdermal drug delivery device to the permeable membrane at a plurality of times corresponding to expected nicotine needs of the subject to transdermally administer nicotine to the subject; and
moving at least a portion of the substance delivered to the permeable membrane into a waste reservoir to cease transdermal administration of nicotine.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein one of the plurality of times comprises a time prior to an expected waking time of the subject.
12 . The method of claim 10 wherein the plurality of times comprise expected meal times of the subject.
13 . The method of claim 10 wherein the reservoir is a pressurized reservoir.
14 . The method of claim 13 further comprising moving the substance from the pressurized reservoir to the permeable membrane through an electronically controlled valve.
15 . The method of claim 10 further comprising replacing the drug reservoir after depletion.
16 . The method of claim 10 further comprising moving at least a portion of the substance delivered to the permeable membrane into a waste reservoir to cease transdermal administration of nicotine.
17 . The method of claim 10 wherein the substance comprises nicotine dissolved in a solvent, the moving step comprising moving solvent from the permeable membrane into a solvent recovery element.
18 . The method of claim 10 wherein the permeable membrane is coated with an adhesive.