Implantable medical device with controllable gaseous agent release system

• US 20030009127A1
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Keogh, James R., Trescony, Paul V., Istephanous, Naim S., Rohly, Kenneth E., Untereker, Darrell F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,122,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/23
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 33/00 Medicinal preparations containing inorganic active ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 33/40 Peroxides
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0009 involving or responsive to electricity, magnetism or acoustic waves; Galenical aspects of sonophoresis, iontophoresis, electroporation or electroosmosis microelectromechanical systems A61K9/0097
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0024 Solid, semi-solid or solidifying implants, which are implanted or injected in body tissue compositions for intravenous administration, normal injectable solutions or dispersions for, e.g. subcutaneous administration A61K9/0019; brain implants A61K9/0085; (coated) prostheses, catheters or stents A61L

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to medical devices. Specifically, the invention pertains to implantable medical devices that produces gaseous agents from precursors and releases them into the body. More specifically, the invention provides for the controlled release of the gaseous agent to the body to produce a local or systemic therapeutic effect.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device for delivery of gaseous agent comprising

a. an energy storage component;

and

b. an implantable chemical cell comprising

i. a reservoir containing gaseous agent precursor,

ii. energy interface operably linked to said gaseous agent precursors; and

iii. a gaseous agent dispensing interface for dispensing gaseous agents produced in said chemical cell;

wherein said energy source provides energy at the interface of said chemical cell to convert said gaseous precursors into a selected gaseous agents which are then dispensed to the surrounding tissue from said gaseous dispensing interface.

2. An implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein the energy source provides an electrical voltage through a pair of biocompatible electrical leads.

3. An implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein the energy source provides light.

4. An implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein the implantable chemical cell is an electrochemical cell.

5. An implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein the implantable chemical cell is a photochemical cell.

6. An implantable medical device of claim 1 additionally comprising energy controlling component.

7. An implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein said gaseous agents are selected from O₂, O₃, NO,, N₂O, O₂, CO, CO₂, H₂S, NH₃, H₂O₂, OH, SF₆.

8. An implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein energy interface is a pair of electrodes.

9. An implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein energy interface is a light dispensing cell.

10. An implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein the gaseous output port is a gas-permeable material.

11. An implantable medical device of claim 1 additionally comprising a mechanism for controllably releasing said therapeutic gas.

12. An implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein said therapeutic gas is selected from the group consisting of NO, NO₂, O₂, CO.

13. An implantable medical device of claim 1 additionally comprising a drug pump for resupplying gaseous precursors to said electrochemical cell.

14. An implantable medical device of claim 1 additionally comprising a sensor for controlling the implanted medical device.

15. A method of treating a patient with a therapeutic gas using an implantable medical device of claim 1.

16. A method of treating a patient of claim 15, wherein the therapeutic gas is selected from the group consisting of NO, NO₂, O₂, and CO.

17. A method of treating a patient of claim 15, wherein the therapeutic use is selected from the group consisting of delivery of oxygen to oxygen depleted tissues, minimizing ischemia in an organ, improving efficacy of anticancer therapy, anesthetizing a patient, reversing hypoxia in a tissue, treatment of angina, preventing or slowing restenosis following balloon angioplasty, treatment of impotence, preventing or delaying pre-term labor, treating asthma and other lung dysfunction, preventing or decreasing the severity of stroke, preventing or decreasing memory loss due to trauma or neurodegenerative diseases, treatment of Parkinson'"'"'s disease or epilepsy, stimulating angiogensis, promoting site-specific healing or tissue development.