Drug delivery catheter

A drug delivery catheter for insertion into a vessel containing a first fluid, the drug delivery catheter comprising:

• an elongated tubular shaft having a distal end and a proximal end;
• a balloon assembly comprising a first toroidal-shaped balloon disposed at the distal end of the tubular shaft, a second toroidal-shaped balloon spaced proximally from the first toroidal-shaped balloon, and a single-walled cylindrical sheath attached to the first and second toroidal-shaped balloons, the sheath attached to the toroidal-shaped balloons at a section of the toroidal-shaped balloons radially inward of the outer diameter of the toroidal-shaped balloons, the balloon assembly configured such that when the toroidal-shaped balloons are inflated, (a) the toroidal-shaped balloons lift or expand the sheath, (b) the toroidal-shaped balloons contact the vessel wall thereby defining a containment pocket between the vessel wall, the tubular shaft, the toroidal-shaped balloons, and the sheath, and (c) the sheath forms a flow lumen allowing for substantial flow of the first fluid through the balloon assembly, the balloon assembly further comprising a plurality of toroidal-shaped balloons disposed between the first and second toroidal-shaped balloons;
• an inflation lumen in the tubular shaft in fluid communication with the toroidal-shaped balloons;
• and
• a drug lumen in the tubular shaft in fluid communication with at least one aperture in the balloon assembly for delivering a drug to the containment pocket.

A fluid delivery catheter for insertion into a blood vessel which contains a first fluid, the fluid delivery catheter comprising:

• an elongated tubular shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
• a balloon assembly disposed at the distal end of the tubular shaft, the balloon assembly including an inflatable balloon member having an uninflated state and an inflated state;
• the balloon assembly configured such that 1) when the balloon member is in an uninflated state, the first fluid in the vessel may flow around the balloon assembly, and 2) when the balloon member is in an inflated state, (a) sections of the balloon member contact the vessel wall defining a containment pocket for containing a second fluid between the vessel wall and within the containing sections of the balloon member, and (b) a single flow lumen is defined through the balloon member to allow the first fluid to pass through the balloon member, wherein the flow lumen allows for substantial flow of the first fluid;
• means for inflating the balloon member;
• and
• means for providing a second fluid to the containment pocket when the balloon is in an inflated state.

A method of delivering a drug to a treatment site in a vessel which contains a first fluid, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an inflatable balloon assembly on the distal end of a catheter, the size of the balloon assembly when deflated and the shaft adapted to fit in the vessel and the catheter adapted to deliver a drug to the distal end of the catheter;
• inserting the balloon assembly to the treatment site;
• inflating the balloon assembly at the treatment site;
• engaging a section of the vessel with a section of the balloon assembly while maintaining a section within the engaging section away from the vessel thereby defining a plurality of substantially enclosed containment pockets within the engaging section;
• delivering a drug to the containment;
• pockets and
• when the balloon assembly is inflated, providing a single flow lumen through the balloon assembly such that the first fluid may flow through the balloon assembly while the drug is maintained in the containment pocket.

A drug delivery catheter for insertion into a vessel which contains a first flowing fluid, the drug delivery catheter comprising:

• an elongated tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end;
• a drug lumen in fluid communication with the distal end of the tubular member for delivering a second fluid;
• an inflatable balloon assembly disposed at the distal end of the tubular member, the balloon assembly including an inflatable balloon member having an uninflated state and an inflated state, the balloon assembly having apertures in fluid communication with the drug lumen;
• the balloon assembly configured such that 1) when the balloon member is in an uninflated state, the first fluid in the vessel may flow around the balloon assembly, and 2) when the balloon member is in an inflated state, i) sections of the balloon member contact the vessel wall defining more than one containment pocket for containing the second fluid between the vessel wall and within the contacting sections of the balloon assembly, ii) the apertures are disposed in the containment pocket, and iii) a flow lumen is defined through the balloon member to allow for substantial flow of the first fluid through the balloon member;
• and
• an inflation lumen in fluid communication with the balloon member for inflating the balloon member.

A drug delivery catheter for insertion into a vessel which contains a first flowing fluid, the drug delivery catheter comprising:

• an elongated tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end;
• a drug lumen in fluid communication with the distal end of the tubular member for delivering a second fluid;
• an inflatable balloon assembly disposed at the distal end of the tubular member, the balloon assembly including an inflatable balloon member having an uninflated state and an inflated state, the balloon assembly having apertures in fluid communication with the drug lumen;
• the balloon assembly configured such that 1) when the balloon member is in an uninflated state, the first fluid in the vessel may flow around the balloon assembly, and 2) when the balloon member is in an inflated state, i) sections of the balloon member contact the vessel wall defining a plurality of containment pockets for containing the second fluid between the vessel wall and within the contacting sections of the balloon assembly, ii) the apertures are disposed in the containment pocket, and iii) a single flow lumen is defined through the balloon member to allow the first fluid to flow through the balloon member;
• and
• an inflation lumen in fluid communication with the balloon member for inflating the balloon member.

A drug delivery catheter for insertion into a vessel which contains a first flowing fluid, the drug delivery catheter comprising:

• an elongated tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end;
• a drug lumen in fluid communication with the distal end of the tubular member for delivering a second fluid;
• an inflatable balloon assembly disposed at the distal end of the tubular member, the balloon assembly including an inflatable balloon member having an uninflated state and an inflated state, the balloon assembly having apertures in fluid communication with the drug lumen;
• the balloon assembly configured such that 1) when the balloon member is in an uninflated state, the first fluid in the vessel may flow around the balloon assembly, and 2) when the balloon member is in an inflated state, i) sections of the balloon member contact the vessel wall defining at least one containment pocket for containing the second fluid between the vessel wall and within the contacting sections of the balloon assembly, ii) the apertures are disposed in the container pocket, and iii) a single flow lumen is defined through the balloon member to allow the first fluid to flow through the balloon member;
• and
• an inflation lumen in fluid communication with the balloon member for inflating the balloon member;
• the balloon assembly comprising a first toroidal balloon, a second toroidal balloon disposed distally of the first toroidal balloon, additional toroidal balloons disposed between the first and second toroidal balloons, and a cylindrical sheath connected between the first and second toroidal balloons, wherein when the toroidal balloons are inflated the flow lumen is defined through the center of the cylindrical sheath and the first and second toroidal balloons are in fluid communication with each other, and wherein a plurality of containment pockets are formed with the additional toroidal balloons disposed between the first and second toroidal balloons.

A fluid delivery catheter for insertion into a blood vessel which contains a first fluid, the fluid delivery catheter comprising:

• an elongated tubular shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
• a balloon assembly disposed at the distal end of the tubular shaft, the balloon assembly including an inflatable balloon member having an uninflated state and an inflated state;
• the balloon assembly configured such that 1) when the balloon member is in an uninflated state, the first fluid in the vessel may flow around the balloon assembly, and 2) when the balloon member is in an inflated state, (a) sections of the balloon member contact the vessel wall defining a plurality of containment pockets for containing a second fluid between the vessel wall and within the containing sections of the balloon member, and (b) a single flow lumen is defined through the balloon member to allow the first fluid to pass through the balloon member;
• means for inflating the balloon member;
• and
• means for providing a second fluid to the containment pockets when the balloon is in an inflated state.