Drug delivery apparatus
First Claim
1. A drug delivery apparatus for delivering a drug into a bodily fluid in a bodily cavity of a patient over a period of time, the apparatus comprising:
- a hollow member defining at least one lumen for facilitating a unidirectional recirculating flow of a therapeutic fluid therethrough, the therapeutic fluid comprising a first volume of the bodily fluid and the drug contained therein;
a pump for controlling a flow rate of the therapeutic fluid through the hollow member; and
an interface member in fluid communication with the at least one lumen of the hollow member for delivering at least a portion of the therapeutic fluid to a predetermined location in the bodily cavity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable drug delivery apparatus for delivering a drug into a bodily fluid in a body cavity of a patient over a period of time, which includes a hollow member that defines at least one lumen for facilitating a unidirectional recirculating flow of a therapeutic fluid through the lumen. The fluid can contain a bodily fluid, such as, for example, perilymph, and a drug. The apparatus also includes a pump, for example a single unidirectional pump, to control the flow rate of the therapeutic fluid through the hollow member, and an interface member in communication with at least one lumen of the hollow member. The device thus allows for the controlled delivery of the therapeutic fluid to a predetermined location in the bodily cavity of the patient, such as, for example, a cochlea of a human ear.
154 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A drug delivery apparatus for delivering a drug into a bodily fluid in a bodily cavity of a patient over a period of time, the apparatus comprising:
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a hollow member defining at least one lumen for facilitating a unidirectional recirculating flow of a therapeutic fluid therethrough, the therapeutic fluid comprising a first volume of the bodily fluid and the drug contained therein;
a pump for controlling a flow rate of the therapeutic fluid through the hollow member; and
an interface member in fluid communication with the at least one lumen of the hollow member for delivering at least a portion of the therapeutic fluid to a predetermined location in the bodily cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An implantable drug delivery apparatus for delivering a drug into a bodily fluid in a bodily cavity of a patient over a period of time, the apparatus comprising:
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a hollow member defining at least one lumen for facilitating a flow of a therapeutic fluid therethrough, the therapeutic fluid comprising the drug;
a pump for controlling a flow rate of the therapeutic fluid through the hollow member; and
an interface member in fluid communication with the at least one lumen of the hollow member and the bodily fluid in the inner ear cavity for delivering at least a portion of the therapeutic fluid into the bodily fluid in a predetermined location in the bodily cavity. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A method for delivering a drug into a bodily fluid in a bodily cavity of a patient over a period of time, the method comprising the steps of:
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drawing a first volume of the bodily fluid from the patient'"'"'s bodily cavity;
mixing the drug with the bodily fluid thereby obtaining a therapeutic fluid; and
releasing a first volume of the therapeutic fluid into the bodily cavity. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification