An apparatus for providing beneficial agents to the body is disclosed in
one aspect of the invention as including an implant and a device
integrated with the implant to generate a beneficial agent, such as
iodine, chlorine, or other halogens. The device includes electrodes to
conduct an electrical current and a substantially solid layer between the
electrodes. An electrical current passes between the electrodes to
electrochemically generate the beneficial agent. The implant may include
a variety of devices to produce the beneficial agent, including for
example an electrochemical cell, a capacitor, an electrochemical
capacitor, a galvanic cell, or the like. Similarly, because of the solid
state construction of the device, the device may, in certain embodiments,
be incorporated into a load-bearing implant. This may be useful for use
with certain types of implants, such as orthopedic implants.