Method and apparatus for loading a beneficial agent into an expandable medical device

• US 8,197,881 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conor Medsystems Incorporated, Innovational Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Conor Medsystems Incorporated, Innovational Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Shanley, John F., Diaz, Stephen Hunter
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Vy Q
• Application Number:
  US12/872,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20110048574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 427/2.24, 427/2.25, 427/348, 427/446, 623/1.15
• US Class Current: 427/2.25
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91541 Adjacent bands are arranged out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0068 the pharmaceutical product being in a reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/63 Crystals
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/16 Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L31/047 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to method and apparatus for dispensing a beneficial agent into an expandable medical device. The method includes the step of placing an expandable medical device on a support and dispensing a beneficial agent into a plurality of openings in the medical device with a shield gas for controlling a local environment surrounding the dispenser.

Claims

1. A method for loading a medical device with a beneficial agent, the method comprising:

providing a medical device to be provided with a therapeutic agent;

providing a dispenser containing a beneficial agent including a therapeutic agent and a volatile solvent;

delivering droplets of the beneficial agent to the medical device with the dispenser; and

inhibiting evaporation of the volatile solvent during delivery of the droplets by creating a cloud of vaporized solvent around an exit orifice of the dispenser.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloud is created by containment of the volatile solvent evaporating from the beneficial agent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloud is created by delivery of the volatile solvent around the exit orifice from an auxiliary solvent source.