초록 ▼

The invention features a catheter and methods for delivering drug to tissue at a desired location of the wall of a body lumen. The catheter is constructed for insertion in a body lumen and has a catheter shaft and an expandable portion mounted on the catheter shaft. The expandable portion is expanda

The invention features a catheter and methods for delivering drug to tissue at a desired location of the wall of a body lumen. The catheter is constructed for insertion in a body lumen and has a catheter shaft and an expandable portion mounted on the catheter shaft. The expandable portion is expandable to a controlled pressure to fill the cross-section of the body lumen and press against the wall of the body lumen. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the exterior surface of the expandable portion is defined by a coating of a tenaciously adhered swellable hydrogel polymer. Incorporated in the hydrogel polymer is an aqueous solution of a preselected drug to be delivered to the tissue or plaque. The hydrogel polymer and drug are selected to allow rapid release of a desired dosage of the drug from the hydrogel polymer coating during compression of the hydrogel polymer coating against the wall of the lumen when the expandable portion is expanded. In other embodiments the polymer is released from the expandable portion in response to pressure, to coat the wall of the body lumen.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of gene therapy comprising: rapidly delivering a dose of a preselected nucleic acid drug to tissue at a desired location deep within the body while simultaneously maintaining pressure on said tissue at said location, by: providing a catheter having a catheter shaft constructed for delivery

A method of gene therapy comprising: rapidly delivering a dose of a preselected nucleic acid drug to tissue at a desired location deep within the body while simultaneously maintaining pressure on said tissue at said location, by: providing a catheter having a catheter shaft constructed for delivery deep into the body by urging from a proximal end an expandable portion mounted on said catheter shaft, said expandable portion being expandable in response to controlled expansion pressure to engage the tissue, at least a portion of the exterior surface of the expandable portion being defined by a coating of a swellable hydrogel polymer having said nucleic acid drug incorporated therein, said hydrogel polymer selected to cause the coating to reach a characteristic swollen state thicker than the thickness of the coating in its dry state as a result of absorption of fluid, and, when in said swollen state, said coating being compressible, in response to compressive pressure from said expandable portion to introduce an effective portion of said drug into said tissue while simultaneously maintaining pressure on said tissue, whereby transfection of said nucleic acid drug into cells at said location occurs, preparing said expandable portion by introducing said nucleic acid to said hydrogel polymer coating, positioning said expandable portion with said hydrogel coating in a pre-swollen state deep in the body at the point of desired nucleic acid drug application, transfecting said nucleic acid drug into cells at said location by expanding said expandable portion to cause immediate delivery of said nucleic acid drug by forcing said hydrogel polymer coating against the tissue for a brief interval, during which said dose of said nucleic acid is rapidly delivered to said tissue while simultaneously maintaining pressure on said tissue, whereby transfection of said nucleic acid into cells at said location occurs, contracting said expandable portion, and removing said catheter from said body lumen.