Patent · US Expired

Transthoracic drug delivery device

US6251079A · kind A · utility

61Cited by
50References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 30, 1998
Grant dateJun 26, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 30, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61M2210/10
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention provides a transthoracic drug delivery device that utilizes pressure to determine the precise location of the distal tip of the delivery tube of the device to insure that therapeutic substances are ejected into the myocardium and not dissipated in unintended tissue locations. In one embodiment the drug delivery device comprises a pressure sensing tube mounted in parallel to a drug delivery tube wherein the tubes are staggered so that the pressure tube extends beyond the delivery tube. When the myocardium is penetrated by the tubes, advancement into the heart and penetration into the left ventricle by the pressure sensing tube results in a pressure increase that indicates to the physician that the drug delivery tube, by its placement relative to the pressure sensing tube is still in the myocardium and, thus, prepared to deliver the drug. In another embodiment, a steerable syringe is provided so that multiple sites in the myocardium can be treated with a therapeutic substance with only one penetration into the heart. Once the delivery tube of the syringe penetrates the left ventricle, its distal tip can be deflected back toward the endocardial surface and the tu…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.