Senior Fitness - Exercise and Nutrition for Aging Men and Women
FREE Article Feed for your website.
Home Ownership Magazine
Party Planning Information
Article Marketing Resources
Bio-Medical Research Article Database
Informative Articles on Life, Love and Happiness
Tutorials on Business to Writing
Famous Quotes from Famous People
Song Lyric Information
New US Patent Information
Comprehensive List of Content by Category
Online Auctions and Shopping Related Articles
Article Search
Most Recent Articles
 

Top 10 Reasons NOT to Start Your Own Business
Category:
Business  

How to Help Someone Else Get Organized Without the Headaches
Category:
Business  

Health Club Secrets 5 Monster Tips For Choosing a Health Club
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Chronic Pain Syndrome And Chronic Pain Management And Treatment ...
Category:
Health / Fitness  

The Marketing Shack Express Marketing Ideas
Category:
Marketing  

A Fold that s worth a Thousand Gain
Category:
Business  

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Myth or Malady
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Use Affiliate Programs for Home Business Income
Category:
Business  

Randomizer Scripts Are all Randomizer Sites Scams
Category:
Business  

How To Avoid These Common Affiliate Mistakes
Category:
Marketing  

Article Writing for the Nervous
Category:
Marketing  

11 Hot Tips to Make Google Adwords Pay Part 3
Category:
Business  

Weight Loss FAQ
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Create a Resource Website for Your Company
Category:
Business  

Making a Living Online
Category:
Marketing  

Trade Show Display Associations Have Ideas You Can Use
Category:
Business  

Asthmatics don t suffer at altitude
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Why are American s Small Businesses Failing at Such Alarming Rat...
Category:
Business  

Have You Fed Your Anxiety Today
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Adipex and the success story of weight loss
Category:
Health / Fitness  

10 Incredible Ways To Sell Your Products Now
Category:
Marketing  

Think Twice About Going To The Emergency Room For Back Pain
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Warning Don t Let Your Business Become a Commodity
Category:
Business  

Avoid Home Business Scams
Category:
Business  

Hybrid cars How They Operate
Category:
Business  

10 Ways To Boost Your E zine Subscribers
Category:
Business  

How To Uncover The Deepest Secrets For Choosing The Potential Af...
Category:
Marketing  

Smoking in the 21st century
Category:
Health / Fitness  

What Is The Big ‘R For Marketing Your Business
Category:
Marketing  

Turn Your Competitors into Collaborators
Category:
Business  

The Language of Success A Different Way to Profit from Your Busi...
Category:
Business  

Are you helping by asking Did you take your meds
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Business Success Without the Blindfold
Category:
Business  

What are Asset Labels Asset Tags Property Labels or Identificati...
Category:
Business  

How To Break Into The World of Internet Business Without A Websi...
Category:
Business  

Can Stress Play a Role In Hair Loss
Category:
Health / Fitness  

How to Wipe Out Overwhelm
Category:
Business  

African Americans and Hispanics Top Phone Users
Category:
Business  

Emotional Strengthening 1 Basic Training for the Alzheimer s Car...
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Dry Skin And Water
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Your Inherited Biological Nutritional Key
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Work At Home Mothers Are You Going Through A Difficult Phase
Category:
Business  

Life After Sugar Complex Carbohydrates Made Simple
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Eye Surgery Providers TLC Laser Eye Center
Category:
Health / Fitness  

What are the symptoms of Mesothelioma
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Does Chiropractic Care Really Make Sense
Category:
Health / Fitness  

All directory small business guide Part one
Category:
Business  

Why is it so hard to get ahead
Category:
Business  

History and Health Benefits of Echinacea
Category:
Health / Fitness  

How to Hire a DUI Attorney in Connecticut
Category:
Business  

OEM or Aftermarket Detailed Version
Category:
Business  

Global Warming
Category:
Health / Fitness  

The Twist and Shout
Category:
Business  

Master This 7 Part Breakout Formula to Start Your Own Business
Category:
Business  

Natural Testosterone Supplements
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Health Care Facilities A Profitable Niche for Your Cleaning Busi...
Category:
Business  

The Whole Truth About Acne Rosacea
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Atheists Agnostics and Evolutionists The Worst Gamblers in the W...
Category:
Entertainment / Television  

Immune Support Products and Why We Need Them
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Vitamins for Youth Health and Healing Check Out Vitamin E
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Natural Mood Enhancer Supplements
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Natural Testosterone Supplements
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Web Hosting The Most Important Aspect of Your Internet Business
Category:
Business  

Using Banner Stands to Increase Trade Show Traffic
Category:
Business  

How to Attract Targeted Leads Simply and Quickly
Category:
Business  

Become Healthier Become Fitter
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Reading Your Financial Statements What Every Entrepreneur Must K...
Category:
Business  

Corporate Career Development Networking
Category:
Business  

Conflict Leadership And The Leadership Talk
Category:
Business  

Information A Top Seller
Category:
Business  

5 Money Making Tips on How To Earn Hundreds of Dollars With Focu...
Category:
Business  

Buying Chainsaws Online
Category:
Health / Fitness  

Ditch Clutter to Tune In Your Intuitive Vision
Category:
Business  

Hardening of the arteries beyond blood vessels
Category:
Health / Fitness  

How to know if you are ready for psychotherapy
Category:
Health / Fitness

Apparatus and methods for variably controlled substance delivery from implanted prostheses Number:7,077,859 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent

Home    Author Login    Submit Article    Article Search    Add Your Link    Edit Your Link    Contact Us    Advertising    Disclaimer

   

 
Web LinkGrinder.com

Top Breaking News
     Former DRC Warlord Brought Before ICC Amid Doubts by Brent Latham
     Tanzania Devises Plan to Cope with Avian Flu Outbreak (Part 1/5) by Douglas Mpuga
     Kenyan Finance Minister Continues to Defy Calls to Step Down by Derek Kilner

Title: Apparatus and methods for variably controlled substance delivery from implanted prostheses

Abstract: The present invention provides improved stents and other prostheses for delivering substances to vascular and other luminal and intracorporeal enviroments. In particular, the present invention provides luminal prostheses which allow for a programmed and controlled substance delivery protocols for a variety of purposes. The prostheses comprise a scaffold which is implantable within a body lumen and a substance reservoir present over at least a portion of the scaffold. Usually, a rate-controlling element will be formed over the substance-containing reservoir to provide for a number of different substance release characteristics.

Patent Number: 7,077,859 Issued on 07/18/2006 to Sirhan,   et al.


Inventors: Sirhan; Motasim (Sunnyvale, CA); Yan; John (Los Gatos, CA)
Assignee: Avantec Vascular Corporation (Sunnyvale, CA)
Appl. No.: 017500
Filed: December 14, 2001


Related U.S. Patent Documents

Application NumberFiling DatePatent NumberIssue Date
10002595Nov., 2001
09783253Feb., 2001
09782927Feb., 20016471980
09783254Feb., 2001
09782804Feb., 2001
60308381Jul., 2001
60258024Dec., 2000

Current U.S. Class: 623/1.15 ; 623/1.42
Current International Class: A61F 2/06 (20060101)
Field of Search: 623/1.13,1.39,1.4-1.48


References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents
3705894 December 1972 Gerzon et al.
3705948 December 1972 Dyke et al.
3777020 December 1973 Johnson
3854480 December 1974 Zaffaroni
3868454 February 1975 Johnson
3880995 April 1975 Jones
3903071 September 1975 Holmes
3976071 August 1976 Sadek
3993072 November 1976 Zaffaroni
3993749 November 1976 Sehgal et al.
4115197 September 1978 Queener et al.
4234684 November 1980 Abbott et al.
4335094 June 1982 Mosbach
4345588 August 1982 Widder et al.
4357259 November 1982 Senyei et al.
4501726 February 1985 Schroder et al.
4788063 November 1988 Fisher et al.
4810524 March 1989 Nakayama et al.
4832686 May 1989 Anderson
4871716 October 1989 Longo et al.
4883666 November 1989 Sabel et al.
4894231 January 1990 Moreau et al.
4897268 January 1990 Tice et al.
4904479 February 1990 Illum
4921723 May 1990 Nichols et al.
4936281 June 1990 Stasz
5000185 March 1991 Yock
5024671 June 1991 Tu et al.
5067491 November 1991 Taylor, II et al.
5069216 December 1991 Groman et al.
5112457 May 1992 Marchant
5130889 July 1992 Hamburgen et al.
5163952 November 1992 Froix
5176907 January 1993 Leong
5206159 April 1993 Cohen et al.
5225282 July 1993 Chagnon et al.
5243756 September 1993 Hamburgen et al.
5270047 December 1993 Kauffman et al.
5283257 February 1994 Gregory et al.
5286254 February 1994 Shapland et al.
5288504 February 1994 Versic
5342348 August 1994 Kaplan
5355832 October 1994 Loh et al.
5356433 October 1994 Rowland et al.
5368557 November 1994 Nita et al.
5409000 April 1995 Imran
5411550 May 1995 Herweck et al.
5419760 May 1995 Narciso, Jr.
5427767 June 1995 Kresse et al.
5428123 June 1995 Ward et al.
5447724 September 1995 Helmus et al.
5447799 September 1995 Loh et al.
5463010 October 1995 Hu et al.
5464450 November 1995 Buscemi et al.
5464650 November 1995 Berg et al.
5470802 November 1995 Gnade et al.
5474563 December 1995 Myler et al.
5484584 January 1996 Wallace et al.
5488015 January 1996 Havemann et al.
5500013 March 1996 Buscemi et al.
5516781 May 1996 Morris et al.
5543158 August 1996 Gref et al.
5545208 August 1996 Wolff et al.
5551954 September 1996 Buscemi et al.
5563146 October 1996 Morris et al.
5569463 October 1996 Helmus et al.
5591227 January 1997 Dinh et al.
5609629 March 1997 Fearnot et al.
5624411 April 1997 Tuch
5637113 June 1997 Tartaglia et al.
5646160 July 1997 Morris et al.
5649977 July 1997 Campbell
5656297 August 1997 Bernstein et al.
5665728 September 1997 Morris et al.
5679400 October 1997 Tuch
5700286 December 1997 Tartaglia et al.
5725494 March 1998 Brisken
5725567 March 1998 Wolff et al.
5728062 March 1998 Brisken
5735811 April 1998 Brisken
5769883 June 1998 Buscemi et al.
5769884 June 1998 Solovay
5824049 October 1998 Ragheb et al.
5837008 November 1998 Berg et al.
5843172 December 1998 Yan
5851231 December 1998 Wolff et al.
5876452 March 1999 Athanasiou et al.
5879808 March 1999 Wary et al.
5891108 April 1999 Leone et al.
5893840 April 1999 Hull et al.
5928145 July 1999 Ocali et al.
5951586 September 1999 Berg et al.
5958510 September 1999 Sivaramakrishnam et al.
5968092 October 1999 Buscemi et al.
5972027 October 1999 Johnson
5980551 November 1999 Summers et al.
5980566 November 1999 Alt et al.
5997468 December 1999 Wolff et al.
6031375 February 2000 Atalar et al.
6051276 April 2000 Wary et al.
6063101 May 2000 Jacobsen et al.
6071305 June 2000 Brown et al.
6086952 July 2000 Lang et al.
6096070 August 2000 Ragheb et al.
6099561 August 2000 Alt
6107052 August 2000 Dorn
6153252 November 2000 Hossainy et al.
6183507 February 2001 Lashinski et al.
6240616 June 2001 Yan
6253443 July 2001 Johnson
6273908 August 2001 Ndondo-Lay
6273913 August 2001 Wright et al.
6287628 September 2001 Hossainy et al.
6299604 October 2001 Ragheb et al.
6395326 May 2002 Castro et al.
6471980 October 2002 Sirhan et al.
6613082 September 2003 Yang
6663662 December 2003 Pacetti et al.
2001/0027340 October 2001 Wright et al.
2001/0029351 October 2001 Falotico et al.
2002/0005206 January 2002 Falotico et al.
2002/0007213 January 2002 Falotico et al.
2002/0007214 January 2002 Falotico
2002/0007215 January 2002 Falotico et al.
2002/0016625 February 2002 Falotico et al.
2002/0032414 March 2002 Ragheb et al.
Foreign Patent Documents
063 365 Sep., 1985 EP
184 162 Apr., 1994 EP
WO 90/13332 Nov., 1990 WO
0 923 953 Jun., 1999 WO
WO 00/10622 Mar., 2000 WO
WO 01/01957 Jan., 2001 WO

Other References

Mohacsi et al., "Different inhibitory effects of immunosuppresive drugs on hyman and rat aortic smooth muscle and endothelial cell proliferation stimulated by platelet-derived growth factor or endothelial cell growth factor" J Heart and Lung Transplant, 16:484-491 (1997). cited by other .
Lincoff, Michael A. et al., "Local Drug Delivery for the Prevention of Restenosis" Coated Stents; Circulation vol. 90, No. 4; Oct. 1994 p. 2075. cited by other.

Primary Examiner: McDermott; Corrine
Assistant Examiner: Phan; Hieu
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP

Parent Case Text



CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part and claims the benefit of Non-Provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/002,595, filed Nov. 1, 2001. which claims the benefit of Provisional U.S. Patent Application 60/258,024, filed on Dec. 22, 2000; and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 09/783,253, 09/782,927, now U.S. Pat No. 6,471,980, Ser. Nos. 09/783,254, and 09/782,804, all filed on Feb. 13. 2001; and which claims the benefit of Provisional U.S. Patent Application 60/308,381, filed on Jul. 26, 2001. Each of these applications is assigned to the assignee of the present application. The full disclosures of each of the above applications is incorporated herein by reference.
Claims



What is claimed is:

1. A device for intracorporeal use within a patient's body, comprising: an implantable scaffold; at least one source of at least one therapeutic capable agent having a degree of crystallinity less than about 90% and associated with the scaffold and configured to release the therapeutic capable agent within the patient's body; and a rate-controlling element disposed adjacent at least a portion of the source and being configured to control the release of the therapeutic capable agent to the patient's body.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein the therapeutic capable agent has a degree of crystallinity less than about 50%.

3. A device as in claim 1 wherein the at least one source of at least one therapeutic capable agent has a degree of crystallinity less than about 50%.

4. A device as in claim 1 wherein the at least one source of at least one therapeutic capable agent as formed on the scaffold has a degree of crystallinity less than about 90%.

5. A device as in claim 1 wherein the at least one source of at least one therapeutic capable agent as formed on the scaffold has a degree of crystallinity less than about 50%.

6. A device as in claim 1 wherein the at least one therapeutic capable agent as formed on the scaffold has a degree of crystallinity less than about 90%.

7. A device as in claim 1 wherein the at least one therapeutic capable agent as formed on the scaffold has a degree of crystallinity less than about 50%.

8. A device as in claim 1 wherein the at least one therapeutic capable agent has a degree of crystallinity less than about 90%.

9. A device as in claim 1 wherein the at least one source comprises a matrix including the at least one therapeutic capable agent.

10. A device as in claim 1 wherein the at least one source comprises the at least one therapeutic capable agent.

11. A device for intracorporeal use within a patient's body, comprising: an implantable scaffold; at least one source of at least one therapeutic capable agent associated with the scaffold and configured to release the therapeutic capable agent at a targeted tissue site within the patient's body; and a rate-controlling element disposed adjacent at least a portion of the source and being configured to effectuate a therapeutic capable agent flux density of about 1.71.times.10-14 g/(cm.sup.2s) to about 1.71.times.10-8 g/(cm.sup.2s).

12. A device for as in claim 11 wherein the flux density ranges from about 1.71.times.10-14 g/(cm.sup.2s) to about 3.43.times.10-9 g/(cm.sup.2s).

13. A device for as in claim 11 wherein the flux density ranges from about 8.57.times.10-12 g/(cm.sup.2s) to about 3.43.times.10-9 g/(cm.sup.2s).

14. A device for as in claim 11 wherein the flux density ranges from about 1.71.times.10-11 g/(cm.sup.2s) to about 1.03.times.10-9 g/(cm.sup.2s).

15. A device as in claim 11 wherein the at least one source comprises a matrix including the at least one therapeutic capable agent.

16. A device as in claim 11 wherein the at least one source comprises the at least one therapeutic capable agent.

17. A device for intracorporeal use within a patient's body, comprising: an implantable scaffold; at least one source of at least one therapeutic capable agent associated with the scaffold and configured to release the therapeutic capable agent at a targeted tissue site within the patient's body; and a rate-controlling element disposed adjacent at least a portion of the source and being configured to control the release of the therapeutic capable agent in the patient's body, the device having a residual stress in an unexpanded state less than about 10%.

18. A device for as in claim 17 wherein the residual stress is less than about 5%.

19. A device for as in claim 17 wherein the residual stress is less than about 1%.

20. A device for as in claim 17 wherein the residual stress is less than about 0.5%.

21. A device as in claim 17 wherein the at least one source comprises a matrix including the at least one therapeutic capable agent.

22. A device as in claim 17 wherein the at least one source comprises the at least one therapeutic capable agent.

23. A device for intracorporeal use within a patient's body, comprising: an implantable scaffold; at lease one source of at least one therapeutic capable agent associated with the scaffold and configured to release the therapeutic capable agent within the patient's body; and a rate-controlling element layer covering at least a portion of the source and being formed from a non-porous material.

24. A device as in claim 23, wherein the non-porous material comprises parylene.

25. A device as in claim 23, wherein the nonporous material becomes at least partially porous when exposed to conditions in the patient's body.

26. A device as in claim 23, wherein the rate-controlling element becomes disrupted when exposed to conditions in the patient's body.

27. A device as in claim 23, wherein the rate-controlling element includes a therapeutic capable agent.

28. A device as in claim 27, wherein the therapeutic capable agent in the rate controlling element is the same as the therapeutic capable agent in the source.

29. A device as in claim 23, wherein the nonporous material is selected from the group consisting of plasma deposited polymers, sputtered materials, evaporated materials, electroplated metals, electroplated alloys, glow discharge coatings, polyethylenes, polyurethanes, silicone rubber, cellulose, and parylene.

30. A device as in claim 23 wherein the at least one source comprises a matrix including the at least one therapeutic capable agent.

31. A device as in claim 23 wherein the at least one source comprises the at least one therapeutic capable agent.
Description



BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to medical devices and methods. More particularly, the present invention provides luminal prostheses, such as vascular stents and grafts for reducing or inhibiting restenosis.

The present invention relates generally to medical devices and methods. More particularly, the present invention provides luminal prostheses, such as vascular stents and grafts for reducing or inhibiting restenosis.

A number of percutaneous intravascular procedures have been developed for treating stenotic atherosclerotic regions of a patient's vasculature to restore adequate blood flow. The most successful of these treatments is percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). In PTA, a catheter, having an expandable distal end usually in the form of an inflatable balloon, is positioned in the blood vessel at the stenotic site. The expandable end is expanded to dilate the vessel to restore adequate blood flow beyond the diseased region. Other procedures for opening stenotic regions include directional arthrectomy, rotational arthrectomy, laser angioplasty, stenting, and the like. While these procedures have gained wide acceptance (either alone or in combination, particularly PTA in combination with stenting), they continue to suffer from significant disadvantages. A particularly common disadvantage with PTA and other known procedures for opening stenotic regions is the frequent occurrence of restenosis.

Restenosis refers to the re-narrowing of an artery after an initially successful angioplasty. Restenosis afflicts approximately up to 50% of all angioplasty patients and is the result of injury to the blood vessel wall during the lumen opening angioplasty procedure. In some patients, the injury initiates a repair response that is characterized by smooth muscle cell proliferation referred to as "hyperplasia" in the region traumatized by the angioplasty. This proliferation of smooth muscle cells re-narrows the lumen that was opened by the angioplasty within a few weeks to a few months, thereby necessitating a repeat PTA or other procedure to alleviate the restenosis.

A number of strategies have been proposed to treat hyperplasia and reduce restenosis. Previously proposed strategies include prolonged balloon inflation during angioplasty, treatment of the blood vessel with a heated balloon, treatment of the blood vessel with radiation following angioplasty, stenting of the region, and other procedures. While these proposals have enjoyed varying levels of success, no one of these procedures is proven to be entirely successful in substantially or completely avoiding all occurrences of restenosis and hyperplasia.

As an alternative or adjunctive to the above mentioned therapies, the administration of therapeutic agents following PTA for the inhibition of restenosis has also been proposed. Therapeutic treatments usually entail pushing or releasing a therapeutic capable agent through a catheter or from a stent. While holding great promise, the delivery of therapeutic agents for the inhibition of restenosis has not been entirely successful.

As an alternative or adjunctive to the above mentioned therapies, the administration of therapeutic agents following PTA for the inhibition of restenosis has also been proposed. Therapeutic treatments usually entail pushing or releasing a drug through a catheter or from a stent. While holding great promise, the delivery of therapeutic agents for the inhibition of restenosis has not been entirely successful.

Accordingly, it would be a significant advance to provide improved devices and methods for reducing, inhibiting, or treating restenosis and hyperplasia which may follow angioplasty and other interventional treatments. This invention satisfies at least some of these and other needs.

2. Description of the Background Art

Local drug delivery for the prevention of restenosis is described in Lincoff et al. (1994) Circulation 90:2070-2084. A full description of an exemplary luminal prosthesis for use in the present invention is described in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/565,560 filed May 4, 2000, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Method and apparatus for releasing active substances from implantable and other devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,096,070; 5,824,049; 5,624,411; 5,609,629; 5,569,463; 5,447,724; and 5,464,650. The use of stents for drug delivery within the vasculature are described in PCT Publication No. WO 01/01957 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,099,561; 6,071,305; 6,063,101; 5,997,468; 5,980,551; 5,980,566; 5,972,027; 5,968,092; 5,951,586; 5,893,840; 5,891,108; 5,851,231; 5,843,172; 5,837,008; 5,769,883; 5,735,811; 5,700,286; 5,679,400; 5,649,977; 5,637,113; 5,591,227; 5,551,954; 5,545,208; 5,500,013; 5,464,450; 5,419,760; 5,411,550; 5,342,348; 5,286,254; and 5,163,952. Biodegradable materials are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,051,276; 5,879,808; 5,876,452; 5,656,297; 5,543,158; 5,484,584; 5,176,907; 4,894,231; 4,897,268; 4,883,666; 4,832,686; and 3,976,071. The use of hydrocylosiloxane as a rate limiting barrier is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,010. Methods for coating of stents is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,433. Coatings to enhance biocompatibility of implantable devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,463,010; 5,112,457; and 5,067,491. Porous and non-porous materials for drug delivery, coating, and other uses are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,488,015; 5,470,802; 5,428,123; 5,288,504; 5,270,047; 5,243,756; 5,130,889; 4,788,063; 3,993,072; and 3,854,480. Energy-based devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,031,375; 5,928,145; 5,735,811; 5,728,062; 5,725,494; 5,409,000, 5,368,557; 5,000,185; and 4,936,281. Magnetic processes, some of which have been used in drug delivery systems, are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,427,767; 5,225,282; 5,206,159; 5,069,216; 4,904,479; 4,871,716; 4,501,726; 4,357,259; 4,345,588; and 4,335,094.

The disclosure of this application is related to the disclosures of the following applications: Ser. No. 09/782,927, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,980; Ser. No. 09/783,254; and Ser. No. 09/782,804.

The full disclosures of each of the above references are incorporated herein by reference.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to improved devices for preparation or treatment of susceptible tissue sites, and methods making and using the same. In particular, the present invention is directed to corporeal, more particularly intracorporeal devices. In one embodiment, the present devices and methods reduce the formation or progression of restenosis and/or hyperplasia which may follow an intravascular intervention. In an embodiment, the device provides a therapeutic capable agent to the susceptible tissue site. Preferably, the therapeutic capable agent is provided to the therapeutic capable agent in a manner as to become available, immediately or after a delay period, to the susceptible tissue site upon introduction of the device to the corporeal body.

As used herein, "susceptible tissue site" refers to a tissue site that is injured, or may become injured as a result of an impairment (e.g., disease, medical condition), or may become injured during or following an interventional procedure such as an intravascular intervention. The term "intravascular intervention" includes a variety of corrective procedures that may be performed to at least partially resolve a stenotic, restenotic, or thrombotic condition in a blood vessel, usually an artery, such as a coronary artery. Usually, the corrective procedure will comprise balloon angioplasty. The corrective procedure may also comprise directional atherectomy, rotational atherectomy, laser angioplasty, stenting, or the like, where the lumen of the treated blood vessel is enlarged to at least partially alleviate a stenotic condition which existed prior to the treatment. The susceptible tissue site may include tissues associated with intracorporeal lumens, organs, or localized tumors. As used herein, the term "intracorporeal body" refers to body lumens or internal corporeal tissues and/or organs, within a corporeal body. The body lumen may be any blood vessel in the patient's vasculature, including veins, arteries, aorta, and particularly including coronary and peripheral arteries, as well as previously implanted grafts, shunts, fistulas, and the like. It will be appreciated that the present invention may also be applied to other body lumens, such as the biliary duct, which are subject to excessive neoplastic cell growth. Examples of internal corporeal tissues and organs, include various organs, nerves, glands, ducts, and the like. In an embodiment, the device includes luminal prostheses such as vascular stents or grafts. In another embodiment, the device may include, cardiac pacemaker leads or lead tips, cardiac defibrillator leads or lead tips, heart valves, sutures, or needles, pacemakers, orthopedic devices, appliances, implants or replacements, or portions of any of the above.

As used herein the term "therapeutic capable agent" includes at least one compound which is either therapeutic as it is introduced to the corporeal body (e.g., human subject) under treatment, or becomes therapeutic after entering the corporeal body of the subject (or exposed to the surface of the corporeal body as the case may be), by for example, reaction with a native or non-native substance or condition. Examples of native conditions include pH (e.g. acidity), chemicals, temperature, salinity, conductivity, contractile or expansive changes of the body lumen/organ, and pulsating nature of the body fluids as they flow through or come in contact with the device; with non-native conditions including those such as magnetic fields, and ultrasound. In the present application, the chemical name of any of the therapeutic capable agents or other compounds is used to refer to the compound itself and to pro-drugs (precursor substances that are converted into an active form of the compound in the body), and/or pharmaceutical derivatives, analogues, or metabolites thereof (bioactive compound to which the compound converts within the body directly or upon introduction of other agents or conditions (e.g., enzymatic, chemical, energy), or environment (e.g., pH)).

In an embodiment, the device comprises a structure and at least one source of at least one therapeutic capable agent associated with the structure. In one embodiment, the device further comprises a rate-controlling element disposed or formed adjacent at least a portion of the structure. The therapeutic capable agent is associated at least in part with either or both the structure and the rate-controlling element in a manner as to become available, immediately or after a delay period, to the susceptible tissue site upon introduction of the device to the corporeal body. As used herein the term "associated with" refers to any form of association such as directly or indirectly being coupled to, connected to, disposed on, disposed within, attached to, adhered to, bonded to, adjacent to, entrapped in, and like configurations.

In an embodiment, the device is implantable within a corporeal body including an intracorporeal target site (e.g., body organs or lumens). The intracorporeal target site may include the susceptible tissue site or in the alternative it may be a supply site such as an artery which supplies blood to the susceptible tissue site.

In one embodiment the structure may be an expandable structure. In another embodiment, the structure may have a substantially constant size or diameter, or alternatively depending on the application and use, may be a contractable structure. The expandable structure may be in the form of a stent, which additionally maintains luminal patency, or in the form of a graft, which additionally protects or enhances the strength of a luminal wall. The device, may comprise at least in part, a scaffold, preferably formed at least in part from an open lattice. Optionally, the scaffold comprises an at least substantially closed surface. The expandable structure may be radially expandable. The structure may be self-expanding or expandable by another object such as a balloon. In an embodiment, the structure includes at least one surface, usually, a tissue facing surface. In another embodiment, the structure includes a tissue facing surface, another surface usually a luminal surface, and two edge surfaces. In an embodiment, the structure may have an interior disposed between two surfaces, usually, the tissue facing and the luminal surfaces. In an embodiment, the structure includes portions having different mechanical stress or strain profiles upon expansion or contraction, or areas which are substantially in the direct line of fluid (e.g., blood or other bodily fluids) flow through the body. By way of example, the different portions of the structure may exhibit different stress characteristics during expansion of the device when implanted within the intracorporeal body. In one embodiment, the structure includes portions having relatively lower and portions having relatively higher mechanical stress or strain profiles with respect to one another. The term "having different mechanical profile" will herein be used to refer to this characteristic of the structure or prosthesis. In an embodiment, when the device may include an axially different coating profile such that the prosthesis comprises a different profile of the therapeutic capable agent and/or the rate-controlling element which will be in the direct flow of the body fluids thus subject to more turbulent flow.

The source may be disposed or formed adjacent at least a portion of the structure. The source may be disposed or formed adjacent at least a portion of either or both surfaces of the expandable structure, within the interior of the structure disposed between the two surfaces, adjacent either or both the edges, or any combination thereof. The association of the therapeutic capable agent with either or both the structure and the rate-controlling element may be continuous or in discrete segments. In one embodiment, the source is disposed or formed adjacent only a portion of the structure and/or the rate-controlling element, preferably, areas having lower mechanical stress profiles.

The expandable structure may be formed of any suitable material such as metals, polymers, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the expandable structure may be formed of an at least partially biodegradable material, selected from the group consisting of polymeric material, metal


Free Web Sudoku Puzzles.
Solve with your browser.
7           3    
    4     5   2 6
  2   4 9     7  
  1     6        
    6       9    
        5     4  
  4     2 3   5  
6 5   7     1    
    8           2
What is it?



Add Your Site · Terms Of Service · Privacy Policy


DISCLAIMER
Linkgrinder is a free service that searches the Internet and indexes all files found so that you may search quickly and easily for shared files. These files are created and made available individually by users whose identity we are not aware of and who we have no control over. In essence we function like a search engine tool; these files ARE NOT STORED OR SERVED BY OUR NETWORK. We are not responsible for any materials obtained by using our service. We do not monitor any of the contents of these files. These files may contain viruses, illegal materials, materials inappropriate for minors, offensive files and the like. BY USING OUR SERVICE, YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR DOWNLOADING THESE MATERIALS AND WILL INDEMNIFY US FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT MAY BE INCURRED.

For More Specific Information VIEW OUR TERMS OF SERVICE.

Thank you and Enjoy!