Methods and systems for delivering liquid substances to tissues surrounding body lumens

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus for delivering drugs and other substances to extraluminal tissue surrounding a body lumen are described. Catheters are used to inject the drug or other substance intraluminally into tissue surrounding a stent or other luminal scaffold. The drug or other substance is injected in an amount sufficient to cause diffusion back through the tissue to the stent. An absorptive structure, reservoir, or the like, on the stent then absorbs excess drug as it passes from the luminal tissue. In this way, the stent is first loaded with drug. After time, as the stent becomes fully loaded and the tissue becomes depleted, drug will be begin to flow back from the stent into the surrounding luminal tissue.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.