Magnetically enhanced injection catheter

• US 20030187320A1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Freyman, Toby
• Granted Patent: US 7,218,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/13
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 in combination with another treatment

Abstract

A catheter adapted to deliver therapeutic or diagnostic agents to a target tissue of a human body is disclosed. A catheter in accordance with the present invention comprises a magnetic field source for directing the flow of the therapeutic of diagnostic agent. The therapeutic or diagnostic agent may be conjugated with diamagnetic particles, ferromagnetic particles, super paramagnetic particles, or paramagnetic particles.

Claims

1. A catheter for injecting therapeutic into tissue, the catheter comprising:

an elongated shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending therethrough, wherein the lumen is adapted for delivery of the therapeutic; and

a magnetic field source attached to the elongated shaft, wherein the magnetic field source is adapted to generate a magnetic field to affect movement of the therapeutic.

2. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field source comprises an electromagnet.

3. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field source comprises a permanent magnet.

4. The catheter of claim 1, further comprising an electrical power source connected to the catheter;

wherein the magnetic field source comprises a conducting coil of wire wound around the distal end of the catheter; and

wherein the coil has wire extending from each of two ends of the coil and running from the distal end to an electrical power source.

5. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the catheter comprises a material having a high magnetic susceptibility.

6. The catheter of claim 1, further comprising a hood affixed to the elongated shaft.

7. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the therapeutic is conjugated with magnetic particles.

8. A system for injecting therapeutic into tissue, comprising a catheter and a fluid to be injected by the catheter;

wherein the catheter comprises;

an elongated shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending therethrough, wherein the lumen is adapted for delivery of the therapeutic; and

a magnetic field source attached to the elongated shaft, wherein the magnetic field source is adapted to generate a magnetic field to affect movement of the therapeutic; and

wherein the fluid comprises;

a therapeutic; and

magnetic particles.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the fluid comprises a therapeutic conjugated with diamagnetic particles.

10. The catheter of claim 8, wherein the fluid comprises a therapeutic conjugated with ferromagnetic particles.

11. The catheter of claim 8, wherein the fluid comprises a therapeutic and biomagnetic particles.

12. A system for injecting therapeutic into tissue, comprising:

a fluid comprising a therapeutic conjugated with paramagnetic particles;

a first catheter, comprising;

a first elongated shaft having a first proximal end, a first distal end, and an injection lumen extending therethrough, wherein the injection lumen contains the fluid to be injected into the tissue and the first distal end is proximate an injection site; and

a second catheter, comprising;

a second elongated shaft having a second proximal end, and a second distal end, and a magnetic field source located at the second distal end, wherein the magnetic field source of the second catheter is located across the injection site from the first distal end of the first elongated shaft of the first catheter.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein an attractive force between the magnetic field source and the paramagnetic particles is strong enough to draw the fluid into the injection site.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first catheter further comprises a hood affixed to the first elongated shaft.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the particles are super paramagnetic particles.

16. A catheter, comprising:

a first elongated shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending therethrough;

a second elongated shaft disposed within the lumen of the first elongated shaft;

a conducting helical member comprising a plurality of turns fixed to the first elongated shaft and producing a magnetic field; and

wherein at least one turn of the helical member is disposed proximate the distal end of the first elongated shaft.

17. A device for delivering therapeutic to a target tissue, comprising:

a source of magnetically conjugated fluid;

an injection catheter in fluid communication with said fluid source; and

a magnetic field source in magnetic communication with said fluid.

18. The device according to claim 17 wherein the magnetic field source provides magnetic field lines directing the fluid to the target tissue along a predetermined path.

19. The device according to claim 17 wherein the magnetic field source is magnetically insulated from the injection catheter.