Methods and apparatus for delivering a drug influencing appetite for treatment of eating disorders
First Claim
1. A method of delivering drug from an implantable infusion pump to receptors of the brain to therapeutically treat an eating disorder of a patient by suppressing or enhancing appetite, the method comprising the steps of:
- surgically implanting an intrathecal drug infusion catheter so that a distal drug delivery portion lies in a predetermined intrathecal space site of the spinal column in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) communication with receptors in the brain;
coupling the proximal end of the drug infusion catheter to an drug infusion pump;
implanting the drug infusion pump in the patient'"'"'s body; and
operating the pump to discharge a predetermined dosage of drug into the CSF sufficient to suppress or enhance appetite through interaction of drug transported through the CSF with receptors in the brain.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for treating patients suffering from eating disorders, e.g. obesity, through the dispensation of a drug by an implantable infusion pump (IIP) delivering drug into the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) at a site of the intrathecal space in amounts and at times effective to suppress the patient'"'"'s appetite through interaction of the drug transported through the CSF with receptors in the brain. Delivery of a programmed drug dosage is preferably by one of time-out of programmed time(s) of day, a command received from the patient, or a trigger signal developed from a sensed GI tract signal accompanying peristalsis.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method of delivering drug from an implantable infusion pump to receptors of the brain to therapeutically treat an eating disorder of a patient by suppressing or enhancing appetite, the method comprising the steps of:
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surgically implanting an intrathecal drug infusion catheter so that a distal drug delivery portion lies in a predetermined intrathecal space site of the spinal column in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) communication with receptors in the brain; coupling the proximal end of the drug infusion catheter to an drug infusion pump; implanting the drug infusion pump in the patient'"'"'s body; and operating the pump to discharge a predetermined dosage of drug into the CSF sufficient to suppress or enhance appetite through interaction of drug transported through the CSF with receptors in the brain. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of delivering drug from an implantable infusion pump to receptors of the brain to therapeutically treat an eating disorder of a patient by suppressing or enhancing appetite, the method comprising the steps of:
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surgically implanting an intrathecal drug infusion catheter so that a distal drug delivery portion lies in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in communication with receptors in the brain; coupling the proximal end of the drug infusion catheter to an drug infusion pump; implanting the drug infusion pump in the patient'"'"'s body; detecting an electrical signal of the GI tract characteristic of peristalsis; and triggering the operation of the drug infusion pump to discharge the predetermined dosage of drug into the CSF in timed relation to the detection of the electrical signal to suppress or enhance appetite through interaction with receptors in the brain. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system comprising an implantable infusion pump for delivering drug to receptors of the brain to therapeutically treat an eating disorder of a patient by suppressing or enhancing the patient'"'"'s appetite, the system comprising:
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an intrathecal drug infusion catheter having catheter lumen extending from a catheter proximal end and a distal drug infusion portion adapted to be implanted so that the distal drug delivery portion lies in a predetermined intrathecal space site of the spinal column in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in communication with receptors in the brain; a drug infusion pump comprising an drug reservoir, a pump and infusion discharge control circuitry adapted to be implanted in the patient and coupled to a proximal end of the drug infusion catheter, the infusion discharge control circuitry providing an infusion discharge control signal; and means responsive to an infusion discharge control signal of the infusion discharge control circuitry for initiating operation of the pump to discharge a predetermined dosage of drug into the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) sufficient to suppress or enhance appetite through interaction of drug transported through the CSF with receptors in the brain, wherein the drug infusion discharge control circuitry comprises; means for detecting an electrical signal of the GI tract characteristic of peristalsis; and means for triggering the operation of the drug infusion pump to discharge the predetermined dosage of drug into the CSF in timed relation to the detection of the electrical signal to suppress or enhance appetite through interaction with receptors in the brain. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A system comprising an implantable infusion pump for delivering drug to receptors of the brain to therapeutically treat an eating disorder of a patient by suppressing or enhancing the patient'"'"'s appetite, the system comprising:
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an intrathecal drug infusion catheter having catheter lumen extending from a catheter proximal end and a distal drug infusion portion adapted to be implanted so that the distal drug delivery portion lies in a predetermined intrathecal space site of the spinal column in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in communication with receptors in the brain; a drug infusion pump comprising an drug reservoir, a pump and infusion discharge control circuitry adapted to be implanted in the patient and coupled to a proximal end of the drug infusion catheter, the infusion discharge control circuitry providing an infusion discharge control signal; and means responsive to an infusion discharge control signal of the infusion discharge control circuitry for initiating operation of the pump to discharge a predetermined dosage of drug into the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) sufficient to suppress or enhance appetite through interaction of drug transported through the CSF with receptors in the brain, and wherein the drug is insulin acting to suppress appetite when detected by the receptors in the brain, and the operating step further comprises; means for detecting an electrical signal of the GI tract characteristic of peristalsis; and means for triggering the operation of the drug infusion pump to discharge a predetermined dosage of insulin in the range of 1×
10−
5–
15×
10−
2 Units/Kg/day into the CSF in timed relation to the detection of the electrical signal to suppress appetite through interaction with receptors in the brain.
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38. A system delivering drug from an implantable infusion pump to receptors of the brain to therapeutically treat an eating disorder of a patient by suppressing or enhancing appetite comprising:
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a drug infusion catheter having catheter lumen extending from a catheter proximal end and a distal drug infusion portion adapted to be implanted so that the distal drug delivery portion lies in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in communication with receptors in the brain; a drug infusion pump comprising an drug reservoir, a pump, and infusion discharge control circuitry adapted to be implanted in the patient and coupled to a proximal end of the drug infusion catheter; means for detecting an electrical signal of the GI tract characteristic of peristalsis; and means for triggering the operation of the drug infusion pump to discharge the predetermined dosage of drug into the CSF in timed relation to the detection of the electrical signal to suppress or enhance appetite through interaction with receptors in the brain. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification