INDEPENDENTLY-MANUFACTURED DRUG DELIVERY MODULE AND CORRESPONDING RECEPTACLE

• US 20090048580A1
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Gibson, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,133,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/514
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/00 Methods or devices for treatment of the ears or hearing sense implantable prostheses that substitute or replace internal ear parts, e.g. ear-drums, A61F2/18; methods or devices to cause a change in the state of auditory consciousness A61M21/00; electrotherapy applying electrical stimulation of the auditory system, or circuits therefor A61N1/36; radiotherapy using optical stimulation of the auditory system A61N5/06; electro-acoustic hearing aids H04R25/00; Non-electric hearing aids; Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense; Protective devices for the ears, carried on the body or in the hand headwear, e.g. caps or helmets, with means for protecting the ears A42B1/0188, A42B3/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna

Abstract

A drug delivery system for an implantable medical device and methods for making and using the same. Embodiments include a housing of an implantable component of the medical device and one or more at least quasi-solid drug-delivery modules that retain an at least quasi-solid state if not a solid state. The drug-delivery modules and component housing are physically distinct, and as such, may be manufactured independently of each other. The independently-manufacturable drug delivery modules each carry a drug, while the component housing has an exterior surface with one or more recesses formed therein. Associated module(s) and recess(es) are correspondingly dimensioned so that each module may be securely retained within an associated recess via, for example, an interference fit such as by physical interlocking or by friction fit. When so retained in a housing recess, the drug-delivery module and surrounding exterior surface of the housing form a contiguous component surface.

Claims

1. A drug delivery system for an implantable medical device comprising:

a housing of an implantable component of the medical device having an exterior surface with one or more recesses formed therein; and

a drug-delivery module that retains at least a quasi-solid state and releasably carries at least one drug,

wherein the module and housing are physically distinct, and the module and recess are correspondingly dimensioned such that the module may be securely retained within the recess.

2. The drug delivery system of claim 1, wherein the module and recess are correspondingly dimensioned such that the module may be securely retained within the recess via in interference. fit.

3. The drug delivery system of claim 1, wherein the interference fit comprises physical interlocking the drug-delivery module in the recess.

4. The drug delivery system of claim 1, wherein the interference fit comprises the drug-delivery module having a friction fit in the recess.

5. The drug delivery system of claim 1, wherein when the drug-delivery module is retained in the recess, a surface of the drug-delivery module and a portion of the exterior surface of the housing surrounding the recess form a contiguous component housing surface.

6. The drug delivery system of claim 1, wherein the medical device is a cochlear implant and further wherein the implantable component is a stimulator/receiver device of the cochlear implant.

7. The drug delivery system of claim 1, wherein the housing is a hermetically-sealed, biocompatible rigid housing having mounted therein operational components of the medical device.

8. The drug delivery system of claim 1, wherein the drug delivery modules and recesses may be configured in a wide range of sizes and shapes depending on the particular application.

9. The drug delivery system of claim 1, wherein the recess has a dimension that is slightly larger than the corresponding dimension of the drug delivery module thereby forming a gap in the recess after insertion of the drug-delivery module.

10. The drug delivery system of claim 1, further comprising a tool to remove a drug delivery module from the recess.

11. The drug delivery system of claim 1, wherein the module and recess are configured such that, when a drug-delivery module is inserted into an associated recess, the exposed surface(s) of the drug-delivery module is/are substantially contiguous with the exterior surface of the component housing.

12. A method for implanting a drug delivery system in connection with an implantable medical device, comprising:

producing a drug-delivery module that releasably carries at least one drug;

producing, independently of the drug-delivery module, a housing for the implantable medical device component, the housing having an exterior surface with at least one recess formed therein, wherein the module(s) and recess(es) are correspondingly configured so that the module(s) may be securely retained within a corresponding recess; and

inserting the drug-delivery module into the recess subsequent to the device'"'"'s manufacture.