Control of magnetic rotors to treat therapeutic targets

• US 9,339,664 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pulse Therapeutics, Inc. (Euphrates Vascular, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pulse Therapeutics, Inc. (Euphrates Vascular, Inc.)
• Inventors: Creighton, Francis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reddy, Sunita
• Application Number:
  US14/268,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20150099919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/427, 600/9, 600/12, 600/13, 600/114, 600/117, 600/118, 600/424, 977/700, 977/737, 977/745, 977/773, 977/786, 977/811, 977/833, 977/838, 977/839, 977900-902, 977904-906, 977/908, 977/909, 977/915, 977/959, 977/963, 128897-899, 607/1, 424/489, 606/159
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22 Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on the inside of inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; Calculus removers; Calculus smashing apparatus; Apparatus for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22012 in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00876 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22084 stone- or thrombus-dissolving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22094 for crossing total occlusions, i.e. piercing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/733 arranged only on one side of the patient, e.g. under a table
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/73 Manipulators for magnetic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/482 Serine endopeptidases (3.4.21)
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/484 Plasmin (3.4.21.7)
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 41/00 Medicinal preparations obtained by treating materials with wave energy or particle radiation ; Therapies using these preparations
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 47/6941 the form being a granulate or an agglomerate
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0019 Injectable compositions; Intramuscular, intravenous, arterial, subcutaneous administration; Compositions to be administered through the skin in an invasive manner non-active ingredients are additionally classified in A61K47/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/004 specially adapted for a specific therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/06 using magnetic fields produced by permanent magnets A61N2/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 3/04 Anorexiants; Antiobesity agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 9/08 Vasodilators for multiple indications
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 9/10 for treating ischaemic or atherosclerotic diseases, e.g. antianginal drugs, coronary vasodilators, drugs for myocardial infarction, retinopathy, cerebrovascula insufficiency, renal arteriosclerosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 9/14 Vasoprotectives; Antihaemorrhoidals; Drugs for varicose therapy; Capillary stabilisers
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: C12Y 304/21007 : Plasmin (3.4.21.7), i.e. fibrinolysin
• CPC Class Codes: C12Y 304/21068 : Tissue plasminogen activator (3.4.21.68), i.e. tPA
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0273 : Magnetic circuits with PM for magnetic field generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/811 : Of specified metal oxide composition, e.g. conducting or semiconducting compositions such as ITO, ZnOx
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/905 : Specially adapted for travel through blood circulatory system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/909 : Obstruction removal

Abstract

A system for the physical manipulation of free magnetic rotors in a circulatory system using a remotely placed magnetic field-generating stator is provided. In one embodiment, the invention relates to the control of magnetic particles 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. Examples of vascular occlusions targeted by the system include, but are not limited to, atherosclerotic plaques, including fibrous caps, fatty buildup, coronary occlusions, arterial stenosis, restenosis, vein thrombi, arterial thrombi, cerebral thrombi, embolisms, hemorrhages, other blood clots, and very small vessels.

Claims

1. A system for increasing diffusion of a pharmaceutical composition in a body lumen of a subject comprising:

a plurality of individual magnetic rotors;

a magnet having a magnetic field and a gradient; and

a controller configured to position and rotate the magnetic field and to control the gradient in a manner to (i) cause the individual magnetic rotors to form ensembles in which each individual magnetic rotor generally simultaneously rotates and travels in a same direction and (ii) cause the ensembles to simultaneously rotate and travel toward a therapeutic target in the body lumen to collectively create hydrodynamic forces that generate turbulence and increase diffusion of a pharmaceutical composition capable of inducing a desired therapeutic effect in the body lumen.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

the individual magnetic rotors comprise coated magnetic nanoparticles,

the ensembles comprise rods of 0.1 to 2 millimeters in length,

the magnet comprises a permanent magnet, and

a strength of the magnetic field is between 0.02 Tesla and 0.20 Tesla.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein

the permanent magnet is coupled to two motors,

a strength of the gradient is between 0.01 Tesla/meter and 5 Tesla/meter, and

a rotation frequency of the magnet is between 1 and 30 Hz.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the magnet comprises an electromagnet.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the magnetic nanoparticles have a diameter less than 150 nm, and wherein the magnetic nanoparticles comprise magnetite.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic rotors comprise a coating that comprises thrombolytic agents.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display for viewing the magnetic rotors and the therapeutic target; and

a user interface for controlling the magnetic rotors,

wherein an operator controls the magnetic rotors to clear the therapeutic target by adjusting a frequency of rotation of the magnetic field, a plane of the magnetic field with respect to the therapeutic target, and a distance of the magnetic field with respect to the therapeutic target.

8. A system for increasing diffusion of a pharmaceutical composition in a body lumen of a subject comprising:

a magnet having a magnetic field and a gradient; and

a controller configured to position and rotate the magnetic field and to control the gradient in a manner to (i) cause individual magnetic nanoparticles introduced within the subject to agglomerate into magnetic rods and (ii) cause the magnetic rods to simultaneously rotate and travel toward a therapeutic target in the body lumen to collectively create hydrodynamic forces that generate turbulence and increase diffusion of a pharmaceutical composition capable of inducing a desired therapeutic effect in the body lumen.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein

the individual magnetic nanoparticles are coated,

the magnetic rods have a length of 0.1 to 2 millimeters,

the magnet comprises a permanent magnet coupled to a motor, and

a strength of the magnetic field is between 0.02 Tesla and 0.20 Tesla.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the magnetic nanoparticles have a diameter of less than 150 nm and wherein the magnetic nanoparticles comprise magnetite.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the system comprises two motors configured to control rotation of the magnet in multiple planes.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the magnet comprises an electromagnet.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein

a rotation frequency of the magnetic field is between 1 Hz and 30 Hz, and

a strength of the gradient is between 0.01 Tesla/meter and 5 Tesla/meter.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the magnetic nanoparticles comprise a coating that comprises thrombolytic agents.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein a pharmaceutical composition is introduced into a body of the subject separate from the magnetic nanoparticles.

16. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a display for viewing the magnetic rods and the therapeutic target in the body lumen; and

a user interface for controlling the magnetic rotors.

17. A system for increasing diffusion of a pharmaceutical composition in a body lumen of a subject comprising:

a magnet having a magnetic field and a gradient; and

a controller configured to position and rotate the magnetic field and to control the gradient in a manner to cause magnetic rotors introduced within the subject to simultaneously rotate and travel toward a therapeutic target in the body lumen, wherein the magnetic rotors simultaneously rotate and travel collectively to increase diffusion of a therapeutic agent to a location of the therapeutic target and to increase interaction between the therapeutic agent and the therapeutic target in the body lumen.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein

the magnetic rotors comprise coated magnetic nanoparticles,

the magnet comprises a permanent magnet coupled to a motor, and

a strength of the magnetic field is between 0.02 Tesla and 0.20 Tesla.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein

the permanent magnet is coupled to two motors configured to control rotation of the permanent magnet in multiple planes,

the magnetic nanoparticles have a diameter of less than 150 nm, and

the magnetic nanoparticles comprise magnetite.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein a rotation frequency of the magnetic field is between 1 Hz and 30 Hz and a strength of the gradient is between 0.01 Tesla/meter and 5 Tesla/meter.