Iontophoresis methods
A method of anesthetizing a tympanic membrane of an ear of a patient using iontophoresis is disclosed. The method involves delivering an anesthetizing drug solution to an ear canal of the patient's ear, wherein the drug solution includes an anesthetic and a buffer, and wherein the drug solution has a pH in a range of about 6.5 to about 7.5; and applying an amount of current to the drug solution, wherein the applied amount of current is increased at a rate of less than about 0.5 milliamp per second until a maximum current is achieved.
1. A method of treating a patient, the patient having an ear canal, the method comprising:
positioning a fluid in the ear canal, the fluid including a therapeutic agent;
inserting an electrode of an iontophoresis device in the ear canal;
attaching a ground electrode of the iontophoresis device to the patient, the electrode and the ground electrode forming a circuit configured to deliver a current to the fluid,
ramping the current to the electrode, the ramping to a first level;
receiving an indication of patient discomfort; and in response to the receiving,
changing the current delivered by the circuit to a second level based on the indication of patient discomfort.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent includes an anesthetic.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid has an un-buffered pH of between 5.2-5.9.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent includes at least one of an antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory, a mucolytic, an anesthetic, a steroid, an anti-viral, a surfactant or combinations thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ramping the current further comprises ramping the current in stepped increments over a time period until a level of the current is at the first level.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first level is less than 1.0 milliamp.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the changing the current includes increasing the current to the second level based on the indication of patient discomfort.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the changing the current includes decreasing the current to the second level based on the indication of patient discomfort.