THERMOPILE POWERED TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY DEVICE

摘要

A transdermal drug delivery device has a drug containing element (7) containing a drug which is preferably charged and first and second electrodes (5, 6) for conducting a current flow through the drug containing element (7). The current flow causes the drug to be released from the drug containing element (7) and to permeate through the skin (S) of a user to which the device has been fixed. A power source (2) is connected to the first and second electrodes for providing the energy necessary to generate the current flow. The power source (2) comprises a thermocouple or thermopile having two different poles which are connected to the first and/or second electrodes (5, 6), whereby a self-containing drug delivery device is formed which provides the energy necessary for generating the current flow by means of a difference in temperature of the skin of the user and the ambient air (environment), thus providing a device free of batteries, accumulators or other external energy sources.