Radiation or drug delivery source with activity gradient to minimize edge effects
First Claim
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1. An apparatus to deliver a therapeutic agent to a vessel, comprising:
- an elongated source of a therapeutic agent, the source having an amount or a concentration of the therapeutic agent that gradually decreases along a length of the elongated source from a location inward of a proximal end or at the proximal end of the elongated source, or from a location inward of a distal end or at the distal end of the elongated source.
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Abstract
A radiation delivery source, such as a stent, and method for making radioactive a delivery source are disclosed. A drug delivery source and method for making a drug delivery region on the drug delivery source are also disclosed.
196 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus to deliver a therapeutic agent to a vessel, comprising:
an elongated source of a therapeutic agent, the source having an amount or a concentration of the therapeutic agent that gradually decreases along a length of the elongated source from a location inward of a proximal end or at the proximal end of the elongated source, or from a location inward of a distal end or at the distal end of the elongated source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An apparatus for delivering therapeutic radiation to a vessel, comprising:
an elongated radiation delivery source including a radioactive region thereon, the radioactive region having a proximal end and a distal end, and being capable of delivering a therapeutic level of radioactivity, wherein the radioactive region includes a segment gradually transitioning from the therapeutic level to a non-therapeutic level of radioactivity at the proximal end or the distal end of the radioactive region. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An intravascular stent for delivering therapeutic radiation to a vessel, comprising:
a radioactive region along an elongated length of a stent, the radioactive region having an area capable of delivering a substantially uniform dose of radioactivity to a vessel localized at a central portion of the stent, wherein the radioactive region includes a radioactivity gradient at a proximal end or a distal end of the radioactive region, the radioactivity gradient gradually decreasing the dose delivered to the vessel from a therapeutic level to a non-therapeutic level of radioactivity, and wherein the gradient decreases the dose from a location inward of the proximal end or at the proximal end, or decreases the dose from a location inward of the distal end or at the distal end of the radioactive region. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An intravascular stent for delivering a drug to a vessel, comprising:
a drug delivery region along an elongated length of a stent, the drug delivery region having a variable drug concentration thereon, wherein the drug delivery region includes an area of substantially uniform drug concentration localized at a central portion of the stent, and wherein the drug delivery region includes a drug concentration gradient at a proximal end or a distal end of the drug delivery region, the drug concentration gradient gradually decreasing from a therapeutic dose level to a non-therapeutic dose level, and wherein the gradient decreases from a location inward of the proximal end or at the proximal end, or decreases from a location inward of the distal end or at the distal end of the drug delivery region. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
Specification