Patent ID: 8187249

Claim:
A method for the intracellular delivery of a therapeutic agent to a predetermined tissue site within a patient comprising the steps of: providing an injection needle comprising an injection orifice having a penetration depth controllable by a depth controller and controllable independently from and relative to the penetration depth of a plurality of penetrating electrodes; inserting the plurality of penetrating electrodes in tissue of the patient to substantially encompass said predetermined tissue site; contacting said patient with the injection orifice of the injection needle wherein the penetration depth of the orifice is such that said injection orifice is located within the tissue region bounded by said electrodes; administering the therapeutic agent through said orifice such that the agent is distributed within said predetermined tissue site encompassed by said electrodes; and applying an electrical signal to at least two of said electrodes such that the resulting electric field propagation in said predetermined tissue site is of sufficient magnitude and duration to increase the intracellular uptake of said therapeutic agent.