Numerical simulation of transdermal transport through iontophoresis

Iontophoresis is a transdermal drug transport technique in which the permeability of various drug molecules is enhanced by applying a direct electric current. In this paper, the distribution of metronidazole (MN) in epidermis and dexamethasone (Dex) in dermis are analyzed through numerical simulation of various transport conditions. Both 2D and 3D models are considered. The corticosteroid has higher diffusivity and electrical mobility than MN. The Dex model is more sensitive than the MN one to parameters variation, such as voltage, distance between electrodes, and sizes.