Apparatus and Methods for Loading a Drug Eluting Medical Device
First Claim
1. A method of reverse loading a therapeutic substance within a lumenal space of a hollow wire having a plurality of side openings that forms a hollow stent for drug elution, the method comprising the steps of:
- preparing a suspension or solution of the therapeutic substance;
submerging the hollow stent within the solution or suspension; and
applying a vacuum to a first open end of the hollow stent that is connected to the lumenal space to draw the solution or suspension into the lumenal space of the hollow stent via at least the plurality of side openings.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for loading a therapeutic substance or drug within a lumenal space of a hollow wire having a plurality of side openings along a length thereof that forms a hollow drug-eluting stent with a plurality of side drug delivery openings. Loading a drug within the lumenal space of the hollow stent includes a drug filling step, in which the drug is mixed with a solvent or dispersion medium. The lumenal space may be filled with the drug solution or suspension in a reverse fill process and/or a forward fill process. After the drug filling step, a solvent or dispersion medium extracting step is performed to extract the solvent or dispersion medium from within the lumenal space such that only the drug remains within the hollow stent. A stent cleaning step may be performed to an exterior surface of the hollow stent.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of reverse loading a therapeutic substance within a lumenal space of a hollow wire having a plurality of side openings that forms a hollow stent for drug elution, the method comprising the steps of:
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preparing a suspension or solution of the therapeutic substance; submerging the hollow stent within the solution or suspension; and applying a vacuum to a first open end of the hollow stent that is connected to the lumenal space to draw the solution or suspension into the lumenal space of the hollow stent via at least the plurality of side openings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification