METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING COMBINED ELECTRICAL AND DRUG THERAPIES

• US 20090259268A1
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gregory Waimong Chan
• Original Assignee: Gregory Waimong Chan
• Inventors: Chan, Gregory Waimong
• Granted Patent: US 8,805,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/04 Heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/08 Other bio-electrical signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37512 Pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39622 Pacing therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3968 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings A61N1/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A cardiac rhythm management (CRM) system includes an implantable medical device that delivers combined electrical and drug therapies. The implantable medical device includes a drug reservoir that is refillable after implantation. In one embodiment, the implantable medical device includes an implantable housing encapsulating a pulse generator circuit and a drug delivery device. In another embodiment, the implantable medical device includes an implantable pulse generator and an implantable drug delivery device fastened to each other.

Claims

1. A cardiac rhythm management (CRM) system, comprising:

an implantable pulse generator to deliver electrical pulses, the implantable pulse generator including;

a pulse generator circuit; and

a first implantable housing configured to encapsulate the pulse generator circuit; and

an implantable drug delivery device to deliver a drug, the implantable drug delivery device including;

a drug reservoir to contain the drug;

a second implantable housing configured to encapsulate portions of a structure of the implantable drug delivery device including the drug reservoir, the second implantable housing fastened to the first implantable housing; and

a reservoir filling port constructed on the second implantable housing, the reservoir filling port including a self-resealable portion adapted to allow filling of the drug reservoir through a hollow needle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable pulse generator comprises one or more of a pacemaker, a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device, a remodeling control therapy (RCT) device, and a cardioverter/defibrillator.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the pulse generator circuit comprises:

a pulse output circuit to deliver cardiac pacing pulses;

a sensor circuit to sense one or more signals indicative of a need for and an effect of the delivery of the electrical pulses and the delivery of the drug; and

an implant controller including a sensor processing circuit adapted to process the one or more signals and a therapy controller adapted to control the delivery of the cardiac pacing pulses and the delivery of the drug using the processed one or more signals.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the therapy controller is adapted to control the delivery of the cardiac pacing pulses by alternately executing a CRT algorithm adapted to maximize a measure of hemodynamic performance and an RCT algorithm adapted to alter a cardiac remodeling process.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable drug delivery device further comprises:

a drug level monitoring circuit, coupled to the drug reservoir, to monitor a level of the drug in the drug reservoir; and

a drug pump to delivery the drug from the drug reservoir.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the implantable drug delivery device further comprises:

a sensor circuit to sense one or more signals indicative of a need to deliver the drug; and

a drug delivery controller to control the delivery of the drug, the drug delivery controller including a sensor processing circuit coupled to the sensor circuit and a therapy controller coupled to the sensor processing circuit, the therapy controller adapted to control the delivery of the drug based on at least the one or more signals.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the drug delivery controller further comprises a command receiver to receive an external command controlling the delivery of the drug.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising an external system communicating with the implantable medical device, the external system including a user interface including a user input device to receive the external command.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second implantable housing is glued to the first implantable housing a biocompatible adhesive.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second implantable housing is welded to the first implantable housing.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the second implantable housing is braced to the first implantable housing.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the second implantable housing is soldered to the first implantable housing.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first implantable housing and the second implantable housing have approximately identical major contours.

14. A method for making an implantable medical device, comprising:

providing an implantable pulse generator including an implantable pulse generator housing;

providing an implantable drug delivery device including a drug reservoir, an implantable drug delivery device housing, and a self-resealable reservoir filling port constructed on the implantable drug delivery device housing to allow filling of the drug reservoir using a hollow needle; and

fastening the implantable drug delivery device housing to the implantable pulse generator housing.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the implantable pulse generator comprises providing one of an implantable pacemaker, an implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device, a implantable remodeling control therapy (RCT) device, an implantable cardioverter/defibrillator, and an implantable pacemaker-cardioverter/defibrillator.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing implantable device housings having approximately identical major contours for use as the implantable pulse generator housing and the implantable drug delivery device housing.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein fastening the implantable drug delivery device housing to the implantable pulse generator housing comprises gluing the implantable drug delivery device housing to the implantable pulse generator housing a biocompatible adhesive.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein fastening the implantable drug delivery device housing to the implantable pulse generator housing comprises welding the implantable drug delivery device housing to the implantable pulse generator housing.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein fastening the implantable drug delivery device housing to the implantable pulse generator housing comprises bracing the implantable drug delivery device housing to the implantable pulse generator housing.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein fastening the implantable drug delivery device housing to the implantable pulse generator housing comprises soldering the implantable drug delivery device housing to the implantable pulse generator housing.