Patent ID: 7316671

Claim:
A method for delivering a therapeutic substance into skin via an abrader device comprising the steps of: positioning at least one radial array of abrading frustoconical microprotrusions having at least one scraping edge at a delivery site on the skin of a subject, wherein said at least one radial array is attached to an abrader device comprising an abrader housing and a mechanical rotating means adapted to rotate said radial array; mechanically rotating the array of microprotrusions against the skin of said subject with sufficient force to disrupt and substantially penetrate the stratum corneum of the subject without piercing said stratum corneum; applying a liquid therapeutic substance to the skin of said subject at the delivery site prior to or simultaneously with said mechanical rotation of said array retaining said therapeutic fluid substance within said radial array as the radial array is used, thereby allowing any therapeutic fluid substance which is not immediately delivered into tissue to remain in the radial array; and removing said abrader device from the delivery site, wherein said at least one microprotrusion array further comprises at least one platen, said platen comprising a microprotrusion surface having a plurality of microprotrusions attached thereon, and a platen edge having a thickness, wherein said at least one platen includes at least one microchannel comprising at least one portion devoid of microprotrusions radially extending from the center of the platen to the edge of the platen and having a substantially constant width.