US 10,300,251 B2 · Hippocampal drug delivery devices and methods

Abstract

Drug delivery devices and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a drug can be delivered into a brain ventricle of a subject, where it can diffuse, flow, or otherwise travel across the ependyma and into the hippocampus. The drug can be delivered through a delivery device configured to selectively or transiently obstruct a portion of the ventricle, e.g., the temporal horn or a posterior portion of the temporal horn. The obstruction can define a partitioned volume of the ventricle, limiting or preventing flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into or out of the partitioned volume. Accordingly, a drug can be delivered into the partitioned volume without being diluted or carried away by CSF, allowing the drug to saturate the ependyma adjacent the hippocampus. The delivery device can allow a high concentration of drug to be achieved and/or maintained within the partitioned volume to enable maximal transependymal penetration to the hippocampus, while reducing the volume of drug needed to achieve a desired therapeutic effect and limiting delivery of the drug to non-targeted areas.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A drug delivery method, comprising:

inserting a delivery device into a temporal horn of a patient, such that a fluid port of the delivery device is disposed in a portion of the temporal horn;
blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to or from at least the portion of the temporal horn of the patient in which the fluid port of the delivery device is disposed by expanding an expandable component of the delivery device, thereby defining a partitioned volume;
and
delivering a drug through the fluid port of the delivery device into the partitioned volume.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hippocampal drug delivery devices and methods

Life of this patent

Hippocampal drug delivery devices and methods

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18