Method and apparatus for treating bodily tissues with medicinal substance

• US 7,785,319 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MicroTech Medical Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: MicroTech Medical Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Richter, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koharski; Christopher D
• Application Number:
  US11/142,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20050222627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 604/19, 604/20, 604/21, 604/890.1, 604/891.1, 604/501, 604/502, 604/503, 604/93.01, 606/32, 607/62, 607/115, 607/116
• US Class Current: 604/890.1
• 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: 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: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/306 Arrangements where at least part of the apparatus is introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/32 alternating or intermittent currents applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling A61N1/40; microwave apparatus A61N5/02
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/202 using longitudinal or thickness displacement combined with bending, shear or torsion displacement

Abstract

A therapeutic device and therapeutic method for delivering electrical energy to a polymer containing a medicament that allows release of the medicament to a body tissue or organ. The device and method utilizes ultrasonic vibrations to cause the device, implanted in the body tissue or organ to be treated, to discharge an electrical current to the polymer containing the medicament. The medicament is controllably released to the target area by changing the charge of the polymer with the electrical current.

Claims

1. A method of treating bodily tissue or an organ, comprising:

disposing an electrical stimulation device in the vicinity of the bodily tissue or organ to be treated; and

subjecting the device to ultrasonic vibrations in an amount and for a period of time sufficient for the device to generate and transmit electrical currents at a preselected voltage and amperage, in the absence of a battery, to a polymer microstructure containing a medicament causing controlled release of the medicament from the polymer microstructure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission of ultrasonic vibrations to the device is initiated in response to preselected stimuli generated by the bodily tissue.

3. The method of claim 2, further includes receiving the preselected stimuli generated by the body tissue through a sensor adapted to communicate with and selectively energize a means for selectively generating and transmitting the ultrasonic vibrations.

4. A method of treating bodily tissue or an organ, comprising:

disposing an electrical stimulation device in the vicinity of the bodily tissue or organ to be treated,

generating an electrical current from said device, having a preselected voltage and amperage, in response to ultrasonic vibrations;

releasing a medicament from an implanted polymer material in response to said electrical current; and

subjecting the device to ultrasonic vibrations in an amount and for a period of time sufficient for the device to generate and transmit electrical current at the preselected voltage and amperage, in the absence of a battery, required to release a preselected dosage of the medicament from the polymer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said electrical current is generated in response to preselected stimuli received from a different tissue than the bodily tissue to be treated.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said electrical current is generated in response to preselected stimuli received from the bodily tissue to be treated.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein generating a positive electrical current drives positively charged medicament molecules away from the electrode and into the tissues.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the releasing includes releasing the medicament from a cellular polymer microstructure in which the medicament is dispersed.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein releasing the medicament is from a polymer surface upon which the medicament is adsorbed.

10. A method of treating bodily tissue or an organ, comprising:

generating current from an implanted electrical stimulation device via piezoelectric effect, and applying said current to an implanted polymer embedded with a drug, the drug being electrically charged at a given polarity similar to the polarity of the applied current; and

eluting the drug from the polymer and into the bodily tissue being treated.

11. The method of claim 10, further includes disposing the device in the vicinity of a tissue or organ to be treated.

12. The method of claim 10, further includes receiving a preselected stimuli generated by a body tissue or organ through a sensor adapted to communicate with and selectively energize the device.

13. A method of treating body tissue, comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal from a sensor, said signal being a preselected stimuli generated by the body tissue;

selectively energizing a signal generator with said signal;

generating and transmitting ultrasonic vibrations from said signal generator to an electrical stimulation device;

generating and transmitting electrical current from said electrical stimulation device at a preselected voltage and amperage, in the absence of a battery, in response to said ultrasonic vibrations to an implanted polymer microstructure; and

releasing medicament from said implanted polymer microstructure, in a controlled release, said polymer implanted in the vicinity of the body tissue to be treated, thereby treating the body tissue.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the electrical stimulation device is implanted in the vicinity of the body tissue to be treated.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the sensor is implanted in the vicinity of the body tissue to be treated.

16. A method of treating body tissue comprising the steps of:

generating and transmitting ultrasonic vibrations from a signal generator to an electrical stimulation device thereby stimulating generation and transmission of an electrical current at a preselected voltage and amperage, in the absence of a battery, causing controlled release of a medicament from an implanted polymer containing said medicament, said polymer implanted in the vicinity of said body tissue to be treated, thereby treating said body tissue.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said electrical stimulation device is implanted in the vicinity of the body tissue to be treated.