Implantable devices and methods for delivering drugs and other substances to treat sinusitis and other disorders
First Claim
1. A method for delivering a substance to a location within a paranasal sinus or nasal cavity, or an opening into a paranasal sinus or nasal cavity of a human or animal subject to treat a disorder, said method comprising the steps of:
- obtaining or providing a device that comprises;
a self-expanding structure comprising a plurality of interconnected elongate members which comprise biodegradable material combined with a therapeutic substance, wherein said self-expanding structure is resiliently biased to assume a radially expanded configuration, such that said self-expanding structure is initially constrainable in a radially collapsed configuration from which it will self-expand to the radially expanded configuration when unconstrained; and
an introducer device comprising a tube having a distal end opening and a lumen and a pusher, said self-expanding structure being loaded in the collapsed configuration within said lumen distal to said pusher, wherein the tube is configured to hold the self-expanding structure in the collapsed configuration, against a resilient bias of the self-expanding structure, while the self-expanding structure is loaded into the tube;
inserting the introducer device into the nose to a position where its distal end opening is aligned with the paranasal sinus or nasal cavity or the opening into the paranasal sinus or the opening into the nasal cavity;
causing the pusher to advance, thereby delivering the self-expanding structure out of the distal end opening of the introducer device so that the self-expanding structure self-expands within the paranasal sinus or nasal cavity or the opening into the paranasal sinus or the opening into the nasal cavity; and
leaving the self-expanding structure in place for a period of time over which the biodegradable material degrades and wherein the therapeutic substance is released.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Implantable devices and methods for delivering drugs and other substances to locations within the body of a human or animal subject to treat or diagnose sinusitis and a variety of other disorders. The invention includes implantable substance delivery devices that comprise reservoirs and barriers that control the rate at which substances pass out of the reservoirs. The delivery devices may be advanced into the body using guidewires, catheters, ports, introducers and other access apparatus. In some embodiments the delivery devices may be loaded with one or more desired substance before their introduction into the body. In other embodiments the delivery devices are loaded and/or reloaded with a desired substance after the delivery device has been introduced into the body.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for delivering a substance to a location within a paranasal sinus or nasal cavity, or an opening into a paranasal sinus or nasal cavity of a human or animal subject to treat a disorder, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining or providing a device that comprises; a self-expanding structure comprising a plurality of interconnected elongate members which comprise biodegradable material combined with a therapeutic substance, wherein said self-expanding structure is resiliently biased to assume a radially expanded configuration, such that said self-expanding structure is initially constrainable in a radially collapsed configuration from which it will self-expand to the radially expanded configuration when unconstrained; and an introducer device comprising a tube having a distal end opening and a lumen and a pusher, said self-expanding structure being loaded in the collapsed configuration within said lumen distal to said pusher, wherein the tube is configured to hold the self-expanding structure in the collapsed configuration, against a resilient bias of the self-expanding structure, while the self-expanding structure is loaded into the tube; inserting the introducer device into the nose to a position where its distal end opening is aligned with the paranasal sinus or nasal cavity or the opening into the paranasal sinus or the opening into the nasal cavity; causing the pusher to advance, thereby delivering the self-expanding structure out of the distal end opening of the introducer device so that the self-expanding structure self-expands within the paranasal sinus or nasal cavity or the opening into the paranasal sinus or the opening into the nasal cavity; and leaving the self-expanding structure in place for a period of time over which the biodegradable material degrades and wherein the therapeutic substance is released. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification