The application provides a device (10) for the controlled release of a predefined quantity of a substance from a compartment (20). The device comprises a matrix arrangement of compartments in a substrate, each compartment being closed by at least one release mechanism, at least one first electrode (40) and at least one second electrode (50) being assigned to each compartment, the device comprising a plurality of selection lines (60) and a plurality of signal lines (70), the number of compartments exceeding the sum of the number of selection lines and the number of signal lines, each first electrode or each second electrode being electrically connected via at least one active component to one of the plurality of selection lines and/or to one of the plurality of signal lines.