Bioactive shunt
OwnerW. Lee Warren, Jr.inventor
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a shunt, and a method for treating catheters, more particularly shunts, wherein the catheter is made of a biocompatible material and adapted at least for insertion into the brain of a living organism and enzymes are impregnated, either directly or through a matrix forming system, into the interior of the lumen of the catheter. The enzymes impregnated have at least one of the following characteristics: (1) they require a confirmational form and either completely or substantially lose their activity upon dislocation from the interior of the lumen; (2) they require the presence of co-factors for activation which co-factors are also present in the interior of the lumen but are not otherwise present in the biological system in sufficient quantity to excite activation of the impregnated enzymes.
Claims20
A shunt, comprising:
- an elongated tubular element made of biocompatible material and adapted at least for insertion into the brain of a living organism;
- a surface coating applied solely to the interior lumen surface, said surface coating comprising a matrix-forming system;
- and
- at least one enzyme impregnated in said coating, wherein said enzyme requires a specific physical configuration for activation wherein said configuration is lost upon dislocation of said enzyme from said coating.
A shunt, comprising:
- an elongated tubular element made of a biocompatible polymer and adapted at least for insertion into the brain of a living organism;
- and
- at least one enzyme impregnated solely in the interior lumen surface in said biocompatible polymer, wherein said enzyme requires a specific physical configuration for activation wherein said configuration is lost upon dislocation of said enzyme from said biocompatible polymer.
A method for reducing the obstruction of a catheter lumen, comprising:
- coating solely the interior surface of said catheter lumen with a matrix-forming system;
- impregnating at least one enzyme in said matrix-forming system, wherein said enzyme requires a specific physical configuration for activation wherein said configuration is lost upon dislocation of said enzyme from said matrix-forming system.
A shunt, comprising:
- an elongated tubular element made of a biocompatible polymer and adapted at least for insertion into the brain of a living organism;
- at least one enzyme impregnated solely in the interior lumen surface in said biocompatible polymer, wherein said enzyme requires a specific physical configuration for activation wherein said configuration is lost upon dislocation of said enzyme from said biocompatible polymer;
- and
- an impregnated cofactor for said enzyme wherein said enzyme further requires said cofactor for activation.
The shunt of claim l6, wherein said enzyme is a bacterial enzyme.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.