Convection enhanced delivery apparatus, method, and application

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention is directed to a microfabricated, silicon-based, Convection Enhanced Delivery (CED) device. The device comprises a silicon shank portion, at least one individual parylene channel disposed along at least a part of an entire length of the shank, wherein the channel has one or more dimensioned fluid exit ports disposed at one or more respective locations of the channel and a fluid (drug) input opening. The fluid input opening may be configured or adapted to be connected to a fluid reservoir and/or a pump and/or a meter and/or a valve or other suitable control device(s) or apparatus that supplies and/or delivers fluid (e.g., a drug) to the microfabricated device. The device may have multiple channels disposed side by side or in different surfaces of the device. The device may be rigid, or flexible, in which case a flexible device can be attached to a bio-degradable support scaffold that provides sufficient structural rigidity for insertion of the device into the target tissue. In certain “functionalized” embodiments of the invention, the CED device is equipped with integrated electrodes and/or a sensor (e.g., glutamate) to detect and convey selective parametric information. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a CED method for drugs and/or other agents. The method may comprise the delivery of enzymes or other materials to modify tissue permeability and improve drug diffusion. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a method for making a device for CED of drugs.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.