Implantable drug delivery device

• US 20020188282A1
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Greenberg, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,181,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/890.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0017 implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0543 Retinal electrodes

Abstract

The invention is directed to an implantable device to enable delivery of drugs to the retina. The device minimizes stress to the retina by virtue of its softness and smooth shape that conform to the retina. Drugs are delivered by osmosis or by the device dissolving. It may be connected to an externally mounted pump and drug reservoir that control the amount of drug. It contains one or more holes that are positioned to deliver drugs to the desired location. Drugs may stimulate the retina to enable vision in blind patients. Drugs may be injected directly inside the eye by a trans-scleral pump and valve drug delivery device.

Claims

1. An implantable device for drug delivery comprising:

a biodegradable body;

said body having a generally oval shape suitable to be placed adjacent to the plane of a retina,

said oval shaped body being curved such that it substantially conforms to the spherical curvature of at least portion of a recipient'"'"'s eye.

2. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 1 wherein said generally oval shape is generally circular.

3. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 1 wherein said biodegradable body further comprises at least one drug.

4. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 1 wherein said biodegradable body is comprised of at least one mounting aperture in said biodegradable body that is suitable for attaching said biodegradable body to a retina with a tack.

5. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 4 wherein said biodegradable body further comprises a strain relief internal tab that is defined by a strain relief slot partially surrounding said mounting aperture.

6. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 5 wherein said strain relief internal tab is thinner than the rest of the biodegradable body, thereby reducing stress in the retina from attachment of said biodegradable body.

7. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 1 wherein said biodegradable body is comprised of an oval shape having a radius of spherical curvature that approximates the curvature of the eye, that is decreasing near the edge of said inert body, thus causing the edge of said inert body to lift off of the retina, eliminating stress concentrations in the retina from contact with said inert body.

8. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 1 wherein said biodegradable body is comprised of material having a hardness of about 50 or less on the Shore A scale as measured with a durometer.

9. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 1 wherein said biodegradable body is attached to a grasping handle that is suitable for holding with a surgical instrument during implantation.

10. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 1 further comprising:

a hollow body wherein said hollow body defines at least one void;

said void containing at least one drug;

said hollow body having a generally oval shape,

said hollow body being curved such that it substantially conforms to the spherical curvature of at least a portion of a recipient'"'"'s eye.

11. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 1 wherein the drug delivered is neurotrophic factor.

13. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 12 wherein said drug delivery is comprised of osmotic release.

14. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 12 wherein said generally oval shape is generally circular.

15. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 12 wherein said biologically inert hollow body is comprised of at least one mounting aperture in said inert body that is suitable for attaching said inert body to a retina with a tack.

16. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 15 wherein said inert body is further comprised of a strain relief internal tab that is defined by a strain relief slot partially around said mounting aperture.

17. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 16 wherein said strain relief internal tab is thinner than the rest of said inert body thereby reducing stress in the retina from attachment of said inert body.

18. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 12 wherein said inert body is comprised of an oval shape having a radius of spherical curvature that approximates the curvature of the eye, that is decreasing near the edge of said inert body, thus causing the edge of said inert body to lift off of the retina, eliminating stress concentrations in the retina from contact with said inert body.

19. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 12 wherein said inert body is comprised material having a hardness of about 50 or less on the Shore A scale as measured with a durometer.

20. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 12 wherein said inert body is attached to a grasping handle that is suitable for holding with a surgical instrument during implantation.

21. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 12 wherein the drug delivered is neurotrophic factor.

12. An implantable device for drug delivery comprising:

a biologically inert hollow body defining at least one void ;

said void containing at least one drug;

said hollow body having a generally oval shape,

said oval shaped body being curved such that it substantially conforms to the spherical curvature of at least a portion of a recipient'"'"'s eye.

22. An implantable device for drug delivery comprising:

a biologically inert body having a first side, an edge, and a second side;

a first flexible layer on said first side of said inert body;

said first flexible layer defining at least one mounting aperture.

23. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 22 further comprising:

at least one reservoir for containing a drug;

a pressure development device;

at least one feeder tube that is attached to said biologically inert body to transfer the drug from the reservoir.

24. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 23 wherein said pressure development device is a pump.

25. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 22 further comprising a valve to control flow of said drug.

26. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 22 wherein said inert body is comprised of at least one mounting aperture in said inert body that is suitable for attaching said inert body to living tissue with a tack.

27. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 22 wherein said inert body is comprised of at least one mounting aperture in said inert body that is suitable for attaching said inert body to a retina with a tack.

28. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 27 wherein said inert body is further comprised of a strain relief internal tab that is defined by a strain relief slot partially around said at least one mounting aperture.

29. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 28 wherein the strain relief internal tab is thinner than the rest of said inert body thereby reducing stress in the retina from attachment of said inert body.

30. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 22 wherein said inert body is comprised of an oval shape having a radius of spherical curvature that approximates the curvature of the eye, that is decreasing near the edge of the inert body, thus causing the edge of said inert body to lift off of the retina, eliminating stress concentrations in the retina from contact with said inert body.

31. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 22 wherein said inert body is comprised of material having a hardness of about 50 or less on the Shore A scale as measured with a durometer.

32. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 22 wherein said inert body is further comprised of a grasping handle that is suitable for holding with a surgical instrument during implantation.

33. The implantable device for drug delivery according to claim 22 wherein the drug delivered is neurotrophic factor.

35. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 34 wherein said first flexible layer is further suitable to contact retinal tissue.

36. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 34 wherein said at least one drug is comprised of a neurotransmitter.

37. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 34 wherein said at least one drug is comprised of glutamate.

38. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 34 wherein said at least one delivery aperture further comprises an ordered array of delivery apertures.

39. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 34 wherein said at least one aperture further comprises an ordered array of one-hundred apertures in a ten by ten matrix.

40. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 34 wherein said drug delivery device is comprised of:

a reservoir;

a pressure development device;

at least one feeder tube that is attached to said inert body.

41. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 40 wherein said drug delivery device is comprised of at least one valve that is located near each of said at least one aperture to control the delivering of said at least one drug.

42. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 40 wherein said drug delivery device is suitable for attachment to a sclera under a conjunctiva.

43. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 34 wherein said inert body is comprised of at least one mounting aperture in said inert body that is suitable for attaching said inert body to a retina with a tack.

44. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 43 wherein said inert body is further comprised of a strain relief internal tab that is defined by a strain relief slot partially around said mounting aperture.

45. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 44 wherein said strain relief internal tab is thinner than the rest of said inert body thereby reducing stress in the retina from attachment of said inert body.

46. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 34 wherein said inert body is comprised of an oval shape having a radius of spherical curvature that approximates the curvature of the eye, that is decreasing near the edge of said inert body, thus causing the edge of said inert body to lift off of the retina, eliminating stress concentrations in the retina from contact with said inert body.

47. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable ,vision according to claim 34 wherein said inert body is comprised of material having a hardness of about 50 or less on the Shore A scale as measured with a durometer.

48. The implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision according to claim 34 wherein said inert body is attached to a grasping handle that is suitable for holding with a surgical instrument during implantation.

50. The biologically inert drug delivery device according to claim 49 further comprising a valve in said at least one feeder tube.

51. The biologically inert drug delivery device according to claim 49 wherein said at least one feeder tube is suitable to pass through the wall of an eye through the pars plana to the vitreous.

52. The biologically inert drug delivery device according to claim 49 wherein said at least one feeder tube is suitable to pass through the wall of an eye into the anterior chamber.

53. The biologically inert drug delivery device according to claim 49 wherein said biologically inert drug delivery device is suitable for implantation fully under the conjunctiva.

54. The biologically inert drug delivery device according to claim 49 wherein the drug delivered is neurotrophic factor.

34. An implantable device for drug delivery to enable vision comprising:

a biologically inert body having a first side, an edge, and a second side;

a first flexible layer on said first side of said inert body suitable to contact neural tissue;

said first flexible layer defining at least one delivery aperture;

a second flexible layer on said second side;

a third flexible layer on said edge;

a drug delivery device delivering at least one drug to said at least one delivery aperture.

49. A biologically inert drug delivery device suitable to affix to the outside of an eye comprising:

a reservoir containing at least one drug;

a pressure development device;

at least one feeder tube suitable to pass through the wall of an eye.