Implantable medical device with controllable gaseous agent release system

• US 7,122,027 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Untereker, Darrell F., Keogh, James R., Trescony, Paul V., Istephanous, Naim S., Rohly, Kenneth E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SNYDER, MELISSA A
• Application Number:
  US10/155,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20030009127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 604 23- 26, 60428801-28804, 604/890.1, 604/891.1, 604/93.01, 604 65- 67, 604 9601-10314, 604/131, 604145-146, 604/151, 424422-425
• US Class Current: 604/891.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 33/00 Medicinal preparations containing inorganic active ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 33/40 Peroxides
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0009 involving or responsive to electricity, magnetism or acoustic waves; Galenical aspects of sonophoresis, iontophoresis, electroporation or electroosmosis microelectromechanical systems A61K9/0097
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0024 Solid, semi-solid or solidifying implants, which are implanted or injected in body tissue compositions for intravenous administration, normal injectable solutions or dispersions for, e.g. subcutaneous administration A61K9/0019; brain implants A61K9/0085; (coated) prostheses, catheters or stents A61L

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to medical devices. Specifically, the invention pertains to implantable medical devices that produces gaseous agents from precursors and releases them into the body. More specifically, the invention provides for the controlled release of the gaseous agent to the body to produce a local or systemic therapeutic effect.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device for delivery of at least one gaseous agent to surrounding tissue, comprising:

a. an energy storage component; and

b. an implantable chemical cell, comprising;

i. a reservoir containing at least one gaseous agent precursor, wherein said at least one gaseous agent precursor is supplied to said implantable chemical cell prior to implantation of said implantable chemical cell;

ii. an energy interface operably linked to said at least one gaseous agent precursors; and

iii. a gaseous agent dispensing interface for dispensing said at least one gaseous agents produced in said chemical cell;

wherein said energy source provides energy at the interface of said chemical cell to convert said at least one gaseous agent precursors into said at least one gaseous agents, wherein said at least one gaseous agent is delivered to the surrounding tissue from said gaseous agent dispensing interface.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the energy source provides an electrical voltage through a pair of biocompatible electrical leads.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the energy source provides light.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the implantable chemical cell is an electrochemical cell.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the implantable chemical cell is a photochemical cell.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising an energy controlling component.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein said at least one gaseous agent is selected from the group consisting of O₂, O₃,NO, N₂O, CO, CO₂, H₂S, NH₃, H₂O₂ and SF₆.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein said energy interface is a pair of electrodes.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein said energy interface is a light dispensing cell.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the gaseous agent dispensing interface comprises a gas-permeable material.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for controllably delivering said at least one gaseous agent.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein said at least one gaseous agent is selected from the group consisting of NO, NO₂,O₂, and CO.

13. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a drug pump for resupplying said at least one gaseous agent precursors to said implantable chemical cell.

14. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor for controlling the delivery of said at least one gaseous agent.

15. A method of treating a patient comprising delivering at least one gaseous agent from the implantable medical device of claim 1 to said surrounding tissue.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said at least one gaseous agent is selected from the group consisting of NO, NO₂, O₂, and CO.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the delivery of said at least one gaseous agent has a therapeutic use selected from the group consisting of delivery of oxygen to oxygen depleted tissues, minimizing ischemia in an organ, improving efficacy of anticancer therapy, anesthetizing a patient, reversing hypoxia in a tissue, treating angina, preventing or slowing restenosis following balloon angioplasty, treating impotence, preventing or delaying pre-term labor, treating asthma and other lung dysfunction, preventing or decreasing the severity of stroke, preventing or decreasing memory loss due to trauma or neurodegenerative diseases, treating Parkinson'"'"'s disease or epilepsy, stimulating angiogensis, and promoting site-specific healing or tissue development.