Methods and devices for treating aneurysms

• US 20040073190A1
• Filed: 07/01/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Foundry Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Foundry Inc.
• Inventors: French, Ron, Andreas, Bernard, Gifford, Hanson S. III, Chew, Sunmi, Deem, Mark, Sutton, Doug
• Granted Patent: US 7,314,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/954 for placing stents or stent-grafts in a bifurcation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/077 having means to fill the space between stent-graft and aneurysm wall, e.g. a sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0048 differing in mechanical expandability, e.g. in mechanical, self- or balloon expandability
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0057 Catheters delivering medicament other than through a conventional lumen, e.g. porous walls or hydrogel coatings
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 9/14 Vasoprotectives; Antihaemorrhoidals; Drugs for varicose therapy; Capillary stabilisers

Abstract

Methods and devices provide delivery of one or more therapeutic agents to a treatment site at or near an aneurysm, such as an abdominal aortic aneurysm (“AAA”). Methods typically include placing a device at or near the AAA and releasing one or more therapeutic agents from the device. This may also involve releasing multiple agents in sequential fashion. Examples of possible therapeutic agents include doxycycline, roxithromycin, tetracycline, tetracycline derivatives, and collagen promoting agents, such as propranolol. Devices used to deliver one or more therapeutic agents may include stents, grafts, stent grafts, balloons with perforations and/or needles, expandable wire baskets, drug-eluting capsules, or suitable combinations thereof. One embodiment includes a stent graft with a distally-extending skirt and an supra-renal anchor.

Claims

1. A method for treating an aneurysm, the method comprising delivering at least one therapeutic agent at a location near the aneurysm.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing at least one device at a location near the aneurysm, wherein the at least one therapeutic agent is releasably carried by the at least one device and the device releases the therapeutic agent at a location near the aneurysm.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one device comprises at least one stent member for engaging of at least a portion of a blood vessel in which the aneurysm is located.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one device further comprises at least one tubular member coupled with the at least one stent member.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one device is configured to be placed within an abdominal aorta, the device comprising:

a first stent member for anchoring the device in a location near the aneurysm; and

a skirt member having a proximal end and a distal end, the skirt member extending from the stent in a direction towards the aneurysm when the device is placed at the location near the aneurysm.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one device further comprises a second stent member coupled with the first stent member, the second stent member for further anchoring the device in a location above the one or more renal arteries.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one therapeutic agent is carried by the stent member and/or the skirt member.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one device comprises a balloon.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the balloon includes one or more perforations, the perforations configured to release the at least one therapeutic agent.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one therapeutic agent is carried on an outer surface of the balloon.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the device further comprises a plurality of needles coupled with the balloon, the needles configured to facilitate delivery of the at least one therapeutic agent to a location within a blood vessel wall in which the aneurysm is located.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the balloon comprises a torroidally-shaped balloon for allowing blood flow to occur through a blood vessel in which the balloon is placed, wherein the balloon is optionally torroidal.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one device comprises an expandable wire basket, wherein the basket is optionally detachable.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one sac coupled with the wire basket, the sac being configured to release the at least one therapeutic agent.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one device comprises a plurality of capsules attachable to a blood vessel wall, the capsules being configured to release the at least one therapeutic agent.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the aneurysm is an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one therapeutic is taken from the group consisting of doxycycline, tetracycline, roxithromycin, a chemically modified tetracycline, and propranolol.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering at least a second therapeutic agent.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first agent is delivered before the second agent.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first therapeutic agent is an antibiotic and the second therapeutic agent is a collagen promoting agent.

21. A device for treating an aneurysm, the device comprising a drug delivery arrangement for delivering at least one therapeutic agent to a location near the aneurysm.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the drug delivery arrangement comprises at least one stent member for maintaining patency of at least a portion of a blood vessel in which the aneurysm is located.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the drug delivery arrangement further comprises at least one tubular member coupled with the at least one stent member.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the drug delivery arrangement is configured to be placed within an abdominal aorta, the arrangement comprising:

a first stent member for anchoring the device in a location between the aneurysm and one or more renal arteries; and

a skirt member having a proximal end and a distal end, the skirt extending in a direction towards the aneurysm when the device is placed at the location near the aneurysm.

25. The device of claim 24, further comprising a second stent member for further anchoring the device in a location above the one or more renal arteries.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first stent member and the second stent member includes a self-expanding portion and balloon expandable portion.

27. The device of claim 24, wherein the at least one therapeutic agent is carried by at least one of the stent member and the skirt member.

28. The device of claim 24, wherein at least one of the first stent member and the skirt member is configured to be attachable to at least one leg member, the leg member configured to connect the device to at least one iliac artery.

29. The device of claim 21, wherein the drug delivery arrangement comprises a balloon.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the balloon includes one or more perforations, the perforations configured to release the at least one therapeutic agent.

31. The device of claim 29, wherein the at least one therapeutic agent is carried on an outer surface of the balloon.

32. The device of claim 29, further comprising a plurality of needles coupled with the balloon, the needles configured to facilitate delivery of the at least one therapeutic agent to a location within a blood vessel wall in which the aneurysm is located.

33. The device of claim 29, wherein the balloon comprises a torroidally-shaped balloon for allowing blood flow to occur through a blood vessel in which the balloon is placed, wherein the balloon is optionally detachable.

34. The device of claim 21, wherein the drug delivery arrangement comprises an expandable wire basket.

35. The device of claim 34, further comprising at least one sac coupled with the wire basket, the sac being configured to release the at least one therapeutic agent.

36. The device of claim 21, wherein the drug delivery arrangement comprises a plurality of capsules attachable to a blood vessel wall, the capsules being configured to release the at least one therapeutic agent.

37. The device of claim 21, wherein the aneurysm is an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

38. The device of claim 21, wherein the at least one therapeutic is taken from the group consisting of doxycycline, tetracycline, roxithromycin, a chemically modified tetracycline, and propranolol.

39. The device of claim 21, wherein the at least one therapeutic agent comprises an antibiotic and a collagen promoting agent and the antibiotic is delivered to the location near the aneurysm before the collagen promoting agent is delivered.

40. A kit for treating an aneurysm, the kit comprising:

a treatment device for placement in a blood vessel where the aneurysm is located;

a placement device for use in placing the treatment device in the blood vessel; and

instructions for using the treatment device and the placement device.