FURI | Summer 2021
Drug Delivery in the Brain Using Iontophoresis through Microscale Pipettes to Modulate Single Cell Function
The need for controlled drug administration has become increasingly critical for the treatment of
neurological diseases. Iontophoresis, a technique that uses current to move molecules, has
been explored. The goals of this project are a) develop an iontophoretic method of administering
drugs on command through microscale orifices, and b) characterize the transients in drug
administration. We assessed the volume of fluorescein delivered over time as a function of
different currents. Pipettes of different diameters with impedances from 1-15 M𝛀 were tested.
Results suggest that pipettes with 0.5 μm diameter gave the most reliable and controlled
administration of fluorescein.
Student researcher
Elizabeth Jitendran
Biomedical engineering
Hometown: Chandler, Arizona, United States
Graduation date: Spring 2024