A device for the transdermal delivery of a therapeutic agent to a
biological subject that includes a first electrode comprising a first
array of electrically conductive microprojections for providing
electrical communication through a skin portion of the subject to a
second electrode comprising a second array of electrically conductive
microprojections. Additionally, a reservoir for holding the therapeutic
agent surrounding the first electrode and a pulse generator for providing
an exponential decay pulse between the first and second electrodes may be
provided. A method includes the steps of piercing a stratum corneum layer
of skin with two arrays of conductive microprojections, encapsulating the
therapeutic agent into biocompatible charged carriers, surrounding the
conductive microprojections with the therapeutic agent, generating an
exponential decay pulse between the two arrays of conductive
microprojections to create a non-uniform electrical field and
electrokinetically driving the therapeutic agent through the stratum
corneum layer of skin.