Magnetic-based methods for treating vessel obstructions
First Claim
1. A method of treating a thrombus within a blood vessel of the brain through external magnetomotive manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles, the method comprising:
- introducing a thrombolytic drug within vasculature of a subject, the thrombolytic drug configured to have a therapeutic effect on a thrombus within a blood vessel of the brain;
introducing a plurality of coated magnetic nanoparticles within the vasculature of the subject,wherein the magnetic nanoparticles have a diameter between about 15 nm and 150 nm;
orienting a permanent magnet external to the blood vessel and having a magnetic field and a directed magnetic gradient to establish a magnetic rotation plane of the permanent magnet;
programming a controller to cause the permanent magnet to be positioned and to rotate in a manner sufficient to cause the magnetic nanoparticles to agglomerate to form a plurality of magnetic nanoparticle rods having a length between 0.1 and 2 millimeters within the vasculature to travel toward the thrombus in an end over end walking motion in response to torque exerted by the rotating magnetic field and to an attractive force of the directed magnetic gradient,wherein the rotational frequency of the rotating magnetic field is between 1 Hz and 30 Hz,wherein the rotating magnetic field has a magnitude of between 0.01 Tesla and 0.1 Tesla,wherein the directed magnetic gradient has a strength of between 0.01 Tesla/meter and 5 Tesla/meter,wherein the end over end walking motion of each of the magnetic nanoparticle rods generates a circulating fluid motion within the vasculature proximal to the thrombus, andwherein the circulating fluid motion facilitates contact of the thrombolytic drug with the thrombus by enhancing diffusion of the thrombolytic drug to the region of the blood vessel proximal to the thrombus and by refreshing contact of the thrombus with the thrombolytic drug, thereby providing more effective interaction of the thrombolytic drug with the thrombus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Some embodiments provide a system for external manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles in vasculature using a remotely placed magnetic field-generating stator. In one aspect, the systems and methods relate to the control of magnetic nanoparticles in a fluid medium using permanent magnet-based or electromagnetic field-generating stator sources. Such a system can be useful for increasing the diffusion of therapeutic agents in a fluid medium, such as a human circulatory system, which can result in substantial clearance of fluid obstructions, such as vascular occlusions, in a circulatory system resulting in increased blood flow.
258 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of treating a thrombus within a blood vessel of the brain through external magnetomotive manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles, the method comprising:
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introducing a thrombolytic drug within vasculature of a subject, the thrombolytic drug configured to have a therapeutic effect on a thrombus within a blood vessel of the brain; introducing a plurality of coated magnetic nanoparticles within the vasculature of the subject, wherein the magnetic nanoparticles have a diameter between about 15 nm and 150 nm; orienting a permanent magnet external to the blood vessel and having a magnetic field and a directed magnetic gradient to establish a magnetic rotation plane of the permanent magnet; programming a controller to cause the permanent magnet to be positioned and to rotate in a manner sufficient to cause the magnetic nanoparticles to agglomerate to form a plurality of magnetic nanoparticle rods having a length between 0.1 and 2 millimeters within the vasculature to travel toward the thrombus in an end over end walking motion in response to torque exerted by the rotating magnetic field and to an attractive force of the directed magnetic gradient, wherein the rotational frequency of the rotating magnetic field is between 1 Hz and 30 Hz, wherein the rotating magnetic field has a magnitude of between 0.01 Tesla and 0.1 Tesla, wherein the directed magnetic gradient has a strength of between 0.01 Tesla/meter and 5 Tesla/meter, wherein the end over end walking motion of each of the magnetic nanoparticle rods generates a circulating fluid motion within the vasculature proximal to the thrombus, and wherein the circulating fluid motion facilitates contact of the thrombolytic drug with the thrombus by enhancing diffusion of the thrombolytic drug to the region of the blood vessel proximal to the thrombus and by refreshing contact of the thrombus with the thrombolytic drug, thereby providing more effective interaction of the thrombolytic drug with the thrombus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16)
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11. A method of treating a thrombus within a blood vessel of a subject through external magnetomotive manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles, the method comprising:
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introducing a thrombolytic agent within vasculature of a subject, the thrombolytic agent configured to facilitate lysis of a thrombus within a blood vessel; administering a therapeutically effective amount of magnetic nanoparticles within the vasculature, wherein the magnetic nanoparticles have a diameter between about 15 nm and 150 nm; positioning a magnet external to the blood vessel and having a magnetic field and a directed magnetic gradient to establish a magnetic rotation plane of the magnet; programming a controller to cause the magnet to be positioned and to rotate in a manner sufficient to cause the magnetic nanoparticles to agglomerate to form a plurality of magnetic nanoparticle rods having a length between 0.1 and 2 millimeters within the vasculature and to cause the magnetic nanoparticle rods to travel within the vasculature toward the thrombus within the blood vessel by individually walking end over end in response to the rotating magnetic field and the directed magnetic gradient of the magnet; wherein the rotational frequency of the rotating magnetic field is between 1 Hz and 30 Hz, wherein the rotating magnetic field has a magnitude of between 0.01 Tesla and 0.1 Tesla, wherein the directed magnetic gradient has a strength of between 0.01 Tesla/meter and 5 Tesla/meter; and adjusting a frequency of the rotating magnetic field, a plane of the rotating magnetic field with respect to the thrombus, and a distance of the rotating magnetic field with respect to the thrombus to cause the magnetic nanoparticle rods to generate a circulating fluid motion within the vasculature proximal to the thrombus, wherein the circulating fluid motion facilitates contact of the thrombolytic agent with the thrombus by enhancing diffusion of the thrombolytic agent to the region of the blood vessel proximal to the thrombus and by refreshing contact of the thrombus with the thrombolytic agent, thereby providing more effective interaction of the thrombolytic agent with the thrombus. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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17. A method of treating a thrombus within a blood vessel of a subject through external magnetomotive manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles, the method comprising:
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applying a magnetic field and a directed magnetic gradient of a magnet to a plurality of coated magnetic nanoparticles introduced within vasculature of a subject, wherein the magnetic nanoparticles have a diameter between about 15 nm and 150 nm; rotating the magnet at a first rotational frequency effective to agglomerate the magnetic nanoparticles into a plurality of magnetic nanoparticle rods having a length between 0.1 and 2 millimeters in response to the rotating magnetic field and the directed gradient; and rotating the magnet at a second rotational frequency effective to move the magnetic nanoparticle rods along the vasculature in a walking end-over-end manner toward a thrombus in response to the rotating magnetic field and the directed gradient, wherein the walking end-over-end manner of each of the rotating magnetic nanoparticle rods generates a circulating fluid motion within fluid proximal to the thrombus, thereby enhancing diffusion of a therapeutic agent to the thrombus and facilitating exposure of the therapeutic agent to the thrombus in response to the rotating magnetic field and the directed gradient. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification