Method and apparatus for intravascular drug delivery
AssigneeIndiana University Foundation
InventorsKeith L. March, David R. Hathaway, Robert L. Wilensky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drug delivery catheter assembly, including an expandable, porous outer membrane that is insertable into a blood vessel and positioned adjacent a stenotic atherosclerotic lesion on the interior wall of the blood vessel. The membrane is expanded into contact with the lesion, either mechanically or hydraulically. After the membrane is expanded, a drug-containing liquid is caused to flow into the membrane and through the pores in the membrane into contact with the lesion.
Claims35
A method applying a drug to a localized area on the inner wall of a tubular body vessel comprising the steps of:
- providing expandable, porous outer membrane;
- inserting membrane into the vessel adjacent the localized area;
- expanding the membrane into contact with the localized area of the vessel;
- and
- after the step of expansion causing a drug-containing liquid to flow under pressure through pores in the expanded membrane into contact with the localized area of the vessel;
- wherein the step of expanding the membrane occurs independently of the step of causing the drug-containing liquid to flow through the membrane.
A method of applying a drug to a localized area on the inner wall of a tubular body vessel comprising the steps of:
- providing an expandable, porous outer membrane;
- inserting the membrane into the vessel adjacent the localized area;
- expanding the membrane into contact with the localized area of the vessel;
- and
- causing a drug-containing liquid to flow under pressure into the membrane and through the pores in the membrane into contact with the localized area of the vessel;
- the step of expanding the membrane occurring independently of the flow of pressurized drug-containing liquid into the membrane and through the pores in the membrane.
A method of treating a stenotic atherosclerotic lesion on the interior wall of a blood vessel comprising the steps of:
- providing an expandable, porous outer membrane;
- inserting the membrane into the blood vessel adjacent the lesion;
- expanding the membrane into contact with the lesion;
- and
- after the step of expansion, causing a drug-containing liquid to flow under pressure through pores in the expanded membrane into contact with the lesion;
- wherein the step of expanding the membrane occurs independently of the flow of the drug-containing liquid through the membrane.
A method of treating a stenotic atherosclerotic lesion on the interior wall of a blood vessel comprising the steps of:
- providing an expandable, porous outer membrane;
- inserting the membrane into the blood vessel adjacent the lesion;
- expanding the membrane into contact with the lesion;
- and
- causing a drug-containing liquid to flow under pressure into the membrane and through pores in the membrane into contact with the lesion, the step of expansion occurring independently of the-flow of pressurized drug-containing liquid into the membrane and through the pores in the membrane.
Apparatus for applying a drug to a localized area of a tubular body vessel comprising:
- an expandable, porous outer membrane;
- an elongate flexible tube connected to said membrane;
- means for pumping a drug-containing liquid through said tube into said membrane and through pores in said membrane;
- and
- means for mechanically expanding the membrane into contact with the vessel independently of the pumping of the liquid into and through said membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.