EXPANDABLE DELIVERY DEVICE

• US 20090018524A1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stout Medical Group, L.P. (Alphatec Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Stout Medical Group, L.P. (Alphatec Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: ROMANO, John-Paul, GREENHALGH, E. Skott
• Application Number:
  US12/139,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20090018524A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/506
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7098 wherein the implant is permeable or has openings, e.g. fenestrated screw hollow surgical screws A61B17/864
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/74 Devices for the head or neck or trochanter of the femur trochanteric devices connected to the proximal part of an endoprosthetic femoral shaft A61F2/30739; endoprosthetic internal fixation devices for the head or neck of the femur A61F2/3601
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8858 laterally or radially expansible inflatable A61B17/8855
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0068 the pharmaceutical product being in a reservoir

Abstract

An expandable drug delivery device that can be implanted or otherwise delivered in and/or adjacent to a bone and/or soft tissue (e.g., connective tissue) for orthopedic applications is disclosed. Devices and methods are described herein for delivering agents for orthopedic and other uses. In particular such devices and methods can be useful for delivering agents to heal damaged tissue or prior to more invasive and traumatic orthopedic procedures.

Claims

1. A method for delivering an agent to an orthopedic target site located in biological tissue, the method comprising:

positioning a radially expandable delivery device comprising the agent at the target site; and

positioning the agent at the target site;

wherein the target site is selected from a group consisting of a bone, a cartilage, a tendon, and a ligament.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning comprises clearing at least some of the tissue from a volume within the target site using the expandable delivery device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising physically stabilizing the target site with the expandable delivery device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising radially expanding the expandable delivery device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the radially expanding further comprises clearing at least some of the tissue from a volume within the target site.

6. The method of claim 1, where the target site comprises the femur.

7. The method of claim 1, where the target site comprises a vertebral body.

8. The method of claim 1, where the target site comprises an anterior cruciate ligament.

9. The method of claim 1, where the target site comprises a bone in a hand.

10. The method of claim 1, where the expandable delivery device comprises a cavity comprising the agent.

11. The method of claim 1, where the expandable delivery device comprises a matrix comprising the agent.

12. The method of claim 1, where the expandable delivery device is coated with a polymer containing the agent.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising radially contracting the expandable delivery device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising repositioning the expandable delivery device and radially expanding the expandable delivery device.

15. An expandable delivery device for delivering an agent to a biological target site comprising:

a first strut;

a wall, wherein the wall defines a central channel and wherein the wall has ports therethrough; and

a filler;

wherein the central channel is substantially completely filled by the filler.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a helical thread.

17. The device of claim 15, further comprising a sharpened distal tip.

18. The device of claim 15, further comprising a matrix, wherein the filler is in the matrix.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising a polymer coating, wherein the matrix is in the polymer coating.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the filler comprises bone protein.