Patent ID: 7392080

Claim:
A method of delivering a drug to a patient in need thereof, comprising the steps of: a) contacting a poration device to a tissue membrane of said patient, said a poration device comprising: i) an outer body defining a top of said poration device, said outer body containing a cavity; ii) a controller board comprising driving electronics and a battery, said controller board being positioned within said cavity; and iii) a tissue interface layer for contacting a tissue membrane of an animal, said tissue interface layer containing at least one probe element, wherein each at least one probe element is a heated resistive element configured to conductively deliver thermal energy to cause ablation of the issue to a desired depth for formation of the cavity, and wherein said tissue interface layer forms a portion of the bottom of said poration device; b) actuating said poration device to form at least one micropore in said tissue membrane; c) removing said poration device from said tissue membrane; and d) applying a reservoir drug patch to said microporated area of said tissue membrane after poration.