Programmable transdermal delivery of nicotine in hairless guinea pigs using carbon nanotube membrane pumps.

A compact switchable transdermal nicotine patch device was demonstrated to be effective in vivo in a hairless guinea pig animal model. This required the development and validation of a quantitative method for the simultaneous determination of cotinine and nicotine in hairless guinea pig plasma by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Nicotine metabolism in hairless guinea pigs is rapid and cotinine was found to be the viable nicotine marker. The portable carbon nanotube membrane device, powered by a 1.5 V watch battery, was demonstrated to be a power efficient method to pump nicotine at levels six to eight times that of passive diffusion. Cotinine blood plasma levels in hairless guinea pigs were seen to increase from 6 to 12 ng/mL when the patch was turned from passive diffusion to an active pumping state. These nicotine patch devices are highly promising for potential clinical applications, with programmed delivery based on remote counseling, in order to improve smoking cessation treatments.