Skin Electroporation With Passive Transdermal Transport Theory: A Review and a Suggestion for Future Numerical Model Development

Abstract

Skin electroporation is an approach used to enhance the transdermal transport of large molecules in which the skin is exposed to a series of electric pulses, resulting in the structural alteration of the stratum corneum. This article suggests the use of passive transdermal transport models in combination with models depicting the electrically induced structural alterations in order to advance the modeling development of transport associated with skin electroporation. A review of the major physical phenomena observed in skin electroporation transport experiments is provided. A compendium of representative models is made available through a review of the current understanding of the two fields: (1) porous media descriptions of nondestructive transdermal transport and (2) modeling electroporation related structural changes within the skin. To show the applicability and potential of merging transdermal transport modeling with skin electroporation modeling, an example model is developed that combines a brick and mortar style skin representation with a thermodynamic based model of skin electroporation.