Balloon Catheter Systems for Delivery of Dry Drug Delivery Vesicles to a Vessel in the Body

A method for delivery of drugs or therapeutic agents to a vessel within the body of a patient, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a catheter system comprising:
• a balloon catheter comprising a catheter body with a distal end adapted for insertion into the vasculature of a patient, a porous balloon disposed on the distal end, and a proximal end adapted for connection to a fluid source, and a lumen extending from the proximal end to the balloon;
• a storage chamber with a reservoir of dry drug delivery vesicles;
• an inflator;
• a suspension chamber in fluid communication with the inflator;
• a valve operable to selectively connect the suspension chamber to the storage chamber or the lumen of the catheter;
• wherein said suspension chamber comprises a cylinder divided into chambers by a piston, with a first cylinder chamber aligned for fluid communication with the valve and the storage chamber, a second cylinder chamber in fluid communication with the inflator, and a piston disposed between the first cylinder chamber and the second cylinder chamber;
• operating the valve to align the first cylinder chamber with the storage chamber;
• forcing fluid from the first cylinder chamber into the storage chamber to reconstitute the micelles in the micelle storage chamber and create a suspension of drug delivery vesicles;
• using the inflator, drawing the suspension of drug delivery vesicles into the first cylinder chamber;
• operating the valve to align the first cylinder chamber with the catheter lumen;
• operating the inflator to force additional fluid into the second cylinder chamber, to thereby force the suspension of drug delivery vesicles from the first cylinder chamber into the catheter, thereby forcing the suspension of drug delivery vesicles through the wall of the balloon and into body tissue surrounding the balloon.