Method and apparatus for loading a beneficial agent into an expandable medical device

• US 20040127976A1
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Innovational Holdings, LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Conor Medsystems Incorporated
• Inventors: Diaz, Stephen Hunter
• Application Number:
  US10/668,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20040127976A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.42
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/061 provided with means for allowing access to secondary lumens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/821 Ostial stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91508 the meander having a difference in amplitude along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91516 the meander having a change in frequency along the band
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91525 within the whole structure different bands showing different meander characteristics, e.g. frequency or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0068 the pharmaceutical product being in a reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/416 Anti-neoplastic or anti-proliferative or anti-restenosis or anti-angiogenic agents, e.g. paclitaxel, sirolimus
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/146 Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/16 Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L31/047 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to method and apparatus for dispensing a beneficial agent into an expandable medical device. The method includes the step of placing an expandable medical device on a mandrel, the medical device forming a cylindrical device having a plurality of openings and dispensing a beneficial agent into the plurality of openings.

Claims

1. A method for loading a medical device with a beneficial agent, the method comprising:

providing a medical device with a plurality of holes;

dispensing a beneficial agent through a dispenser into the plurality of holes by vibration of a portion of the dispenser to form a plurality of droplets; and

controlling a size of the droplets by controlling parameters of the vibration.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling a number and location of the droplets with a central processing unit.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising observing the dispensing of the beneficial agent and returning observed data to the central processing unit for use in controlling the location of the droplets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispenser uses vibration of a piezoelectric material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispenser uses vibration of an acoustic transducer.

6. A method for loading a medical device with a beneficial agent, the method comprising:

providing a medical device to be provided with a therapeutic agent;

providing a dispenser containing a beneficial agent including a therapeutic agent and a volatile solvent;

delivering droplets of the beneficial agent to the medical device with the dispenser; and

inhibiting evaporation of the volatile solvent during delivery of the droplets by creating a cloud of vaporized solvent around an exit orifice of the dispenser.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the cloud is created by containment of the volatile solvent evaporating from the beneficial agent.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the cloud is created by delivery of the volatile solvent around the exit orifice from an auxiliary solvent source.

9. A system for loading a medical device with a beneficial agent, the system comprising:

a mandrel for supporting a medical device;

a dispenser for dispensing a beneficial agent into a plurality of holes in the medical device by vibration of a portion of the dispenser; and

a central processing unit for controlling a size of droplets of beneficial agent from the dispenser by controlling parameters of the vibration.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the central processing unit controls a number and location of the droplets.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the dispenser uses vibration of a piezoelectric material.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the dispenser uses vibration of an acoustic transducer.