Methods and systems for inhibiting arrhythmia

• US 20050182071A1
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mercator MedSystems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EndoBionics, Inc.
• Inventors: Seward, Kirk Patrick, Barr, Lynn Mateel
• Application Number:
  US10/930,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20050182071A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 514/255.60
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/4965 Non-condensed pyrazines

Abstract

Methods and systems for treating patients suffering from or at risk of cardiac arrhythmias rely on the injection of amiodarone and other class III anti-arrhythmic drugs into the perivascular space surrounding a cardiac blood vessel. Injection may be achieved using intravascular catheters which advance needles radially outward from a blood vessel lumen or by transmyocardial injection from an epicardial surface of the heart.

Claims

1. A method for treating a patient suffering from a cardiac arrhythmia, said method comprising delivering a class III anti-arrhythmic drug to peri-adventitial tissue of the patient'"'"'s heart.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein delivering comprises injecting the anti-arrhythmic drug through the endothelium of a blood vessel.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein delivering comprises injecting the anti-arrhythmic drug transmyocardially.

4. A method as in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the anti-arrhythmic drug is amiodarone.

5. A method as in any one of claims 2 and 4, wherein the blood vessel is an artery.

6. A method as in any one of claims 2 and 4, wherein the blood vessel is a vein.

7. A method as in any one of claims 2 and 4 to 6, wherein injecting comprises advancing a needle from a lumen of the blood vessel to the location beyond the endothelium and infusing the drug through the needle.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein the needle is advanced into a perivascular space beyond the outside of the endothelium.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the needle is advanced into the adventitia surrounding the blood vessel.

10. A method as in any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the class III anti-arrhythmic drug is injected in an amount sufficient to permeate circumferentially around the endothelium and into the adventitia over an axial length of at least 1 cm.

11. A method as in any one of claims 2 and 4 to 10, wherein the needle is advanced in a radial direction to a depth in the adventitia equal to at least 10% of the mean luminal diameter at the blood vessel location.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein the depth is a distance in the range from 10% to 150% of the mean luminal diameter.

13. A method as in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the tissue is cardiac which has been damaged by a myocardial infarction.

22. A method as in any one of claims 14-12, wherein the cardiac tissue has been damaged on a myocardial infarction.

14. A method for treating a patient suffering from a cardiac arrhythmia, said method comprising:

advancing a needle from a lumen of the blood vessel to the location beyond the endothelium of the blood vessel; and

injecting amiodarone through the needle into tissue at a location beyond the endothelium of the vessel.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein the blood vessel is a coronary artery.

16. A method as in claim 14, wherein the blood vessel is a coronary vein.

17. A method as in claim 14, wherein the needle is advanced into a perivascular space beyond the outside of the endothelium.

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein the needle is advanced into the adventitia and/or periadventitial surrounding the blood vessel.

19. A method as in any one of claims 14-18, wherein the amiodarone is injected in an amount sufficient to permeate circumferentially around the endothelium and into the adventitia over an axial length of at least 1 cm.

20. A method as in any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein the needle is advanced in a radial direction to a depth in the adventitia equal to at least 10% of the mean luminal diameter at the blood vessel location.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein the depth is a distance in the range from 10% to 150% of the mean luminal diameter.

23. A system for treating cardiac arrhythmias, said system comprising:

an amount of a class III anti-arrhythmic drug selected to inhibit a cardiac arrhythmia when delivered to a location beyond the endothelium of a blood vessel; and

an intravascular catheter having a needle for injecting the class III anti-arrhythmic drug into a location beyond the endothelium of a blood vessel.

24. A system as in claim 23, wherein the class III anti-arrhythmic drug comprises amiodarone.