Aniontophoresis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

  1. A therapeutic technique involving the use of electric current to introduce negatively charged ions into the body through the skin ; a process of transdermal delivery using an electric field to drive anionic substances beneath the surface ; a method of ion transport where electrical stimulation facilitates the penetration of negatively charged particles across biological membranes
  2. A medical procedure applying electrical currents to transfer negatively charged ions through skin layers for treatment purposes ; a technique leveraging electric charge to propel anions into targeted tissues for localized therapy ; the application of an electric field to enhance movement of negatively charged ions within biological tissues for therapeutic effect
  3. A treatment method that uses electricity to move anions into body tissues by passing current through the skin ; a process that employs electric stimulation to aid absorption of negatively charged ions into localized areas ; the controlled introduction of negatively charged particles into the body using an applied electrical current for medical applications

Etymology: Iontophoresis is the older parent term, coined in the early 1900s from Greek roots: "ion," the wanderer (from "ienai," to go), which Michael Faraday introduced in 1834 for charged particles that travel to electrodes, and "phoresis," carrying or bearing, from "pherein," to bear. Put together, the sense is carrying ions along by electricity. The prefix "an-" in "anion" is the Greek "ana," meaning up, which Faraday also used for the electrode-ward direction of travel. Faraday's own term was named for the way the particles go, and "anion" marks the particles that move toward the positive electrode, which is why the negatively charged ions in this technique are called anions. "Anionophoresis" is therefore a modern coinage built on that chain: an anion, carried by electricity. It is a straightforward technical formation, combining "anion" and "phoresis" in the same manner as "iontophoresis," and its use is confined to medical and pharmaceutical writing.

Synonyms: iontophoresis