초록 ▼

A system apparatus and method is also disclosed for delivering a quantity of a drug, tissue, cells, genetic material, sensor, implant or implant material, repair material, diagnostic material, protein, hormone or the like or a combination thereof to a select location in the body, such as in an arter

A system apparatus and method is also disclosed for delivering a quantity of a drug, tissue, cells, genetic material, sensor, implant or implant material, repair material, diagnostic material, protein, hormone or the like or a combination thereof to a select location in the body, such as in an artery, vein, or a portion of the digestive tract. In one form, a select amount of such a (medical) material is disposed within a so-called intelligent gel per se or in one or more small capsules or the like in or attached to such intelligent gel or a container therefor, such as a thin skinned flexible elongated balloon-like enclosure. Such elongated, narrow container or strip of electrical energy or magnetic or radio-frequency energy force responsive gel attached to or containing medical material, is inserted into a body duct such as a vein or artery and is caused to "swim" or wiggle therealong to a select location therein by passing electrical energy through the blood (and vessel wall) and/or by means of an alternating magnetic or radio-frequency field controllably applied thereto with a hand-held instrument which is moved by hand to induce such movement and/or controllably may move such field in a manner to induce the gel to move or swim to the select location. In a particular form, the drug and gel are small enough in size to pass into the bloodstream through the wall of the small intestine after being swallowed, as a drug unit along with other such drug units--when so located at the select location in the body duct, the drug carried by the intelligent gel or (sausage-like) membrane or thin skin contained unit is released therefrom by biodegradation or other means, such as by radio-frequency, ultrasonic or magnetic field energy applied from outside the body or a catheter, or a combination thereof.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A drug delivery device comprising an aliquot of a drug; a closed, flexible sack surrounding said drug; a layer of expandable copolymer gel surrounding said flexible sack; a permeable membrane surrounding said layer of expandable copolymer gel; and electrode means operably coupled to

[ I claim:] [1.] A drug delivery device comprising an aliquot of a drug; a closed, flexible sack surrounding said drug; a layer of expandable copolymer gel surrounding said flexible sack; a permeable membrane surrounding said layer of expandable copolymer gel; and electrode means operably coupled to said expandable copolymer gel to cause controllable contraction of said expandable copolymer gel in response to a voltage applied to said electrode means.