초록 ▼

A drug delivery system provides for mixing various drugs in an optimally controlled manner, for using flow controllers to guide multiple drugs into a single or into multiple catheters, for enabling a single lumen catheter to treat a specific region with several drugs, for allowing for dilution of a

A drug delivery system provides for mixing various drugs in an optimally controlled manner, for using flow controllers to guide multiple drugs into a single or into multiple catheters, for enabling a single lumen catheter to treat a specific region with several drugs, for allowing for dilution of a concentrated drug in order to both increase the time between refilling and also for providing any concentration of a drug that might be desired, for using a buffer fluid to deliver exact amounts of several drugs from the same catheter or to separate several drugs within a single catheter, for using external fluid present in the human body either as a diluent or buffer fluid, and for providing for a drug testing/filler apparatus to be used prior to implant to ensure proper function and easy means of filling multiple reservoirs with different fluids, and also after implant for refilling operations. The drug delivery system (DDS) can perform both bolus and continuous delivery of substances, and enable the measured delivery of any one of several drugs to one or more distal locations at independently programmable rates. New types of catheter systems and uses therefore are also described. Catheter hub assemblies allowing for easy replacement of drug delivery systems offer advantages when replacing drug delivery systems. New methods for using the DDS in the promotion of healthy pregnancy and treatment of a developing fetus are also possible.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. An implantable drug delivery device for controlling a dispensing of a fluid drug to an internal target site of a patient, the device comprising: a first reservoir for storing a first fluid; an input port in fluid communication with the first reservoir; an output port in fluid communicat

I claim: 1. An implantable drug delivery device for controlling a dispensing of a fluid drug to an internal target site of a patient, the device comprising: a first reservoir for storing a first fluid; an input port in fluid communication with the first reservoir; an output port in fluid communication with the first reservoir; a flow control system for controlling the transfer of the first fluid between the respective ports and the first reservoir, the flow control system having at least one flow controller; and a flow control module for directing the at least one flow controller to direct the flow of the first fluid between a selected one of the ports and the first reservoir. 2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a second reservoir for storing a second fluid having a fluid attribute dissimilar from the first fluid. 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the flow control module is preprogrammed to coordinate the operation of a plurality of the flow controllers for the reservoirs and the output port so as to direct a selected one of the first and second fluids into the output port and to inhibit flow of selected fluid from the output port into the reservoirs. 4. The device of claim 2 further comprising the flow control system having a plurality of the flow controllers. 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the flow controller is selected from the group comprising: valves and pumps. 6. The device of claim 4 further comprising a mixing chamber positioned between the reservoirs and the output port and in fluid communication with the reservoirs and the ports, the mixing chamber for mixing selected amounts of the first fluid and the second fluid prior to delivery to the output port. 7. The device of claim 6 further comprising the mixing chamber containing at least one of the following: at least said flow controller for controlling the flow of fluids between said reservoirs and said mixing chamber, and at least one said flow controller for controlling the flow of fluids from said mixing chamber into said output port. 8. The device of claim 6, wherein the diluent is used to adjust the concentration of the first fluid to a desired drug concentration by being mixed with the first fluid in the mixing chamber. 9. The device of claim 6, wherein said mixing chamber has a mixing flow controller for actively changing the volume of the chamber and thereby configuring the chamber fluid pressure to be approximately similar to the fluid pressure exerted by fluid from outside said mixing chamber. 10. The device of claim 4, wherein the flow control module directs the flow controllers of the flow control system to coordinate the transfer to the mixing chamber of measured amounts of the first fluid and the second fluid from their respective reservoirs. 11. The device of claim 4 further comprising a mixing chamber in fluid communication with the reservoirs and the ports, wherein the volume of the mixing chamber is variable such that the fluids contained within the mixing chamber are mixed while inhibiting fluid output from the output port. 12. The device of claim 1, wherein the fluid attribute is selected from the group comprising: drug concentration; drug type; a diluent; and a buffer solution. 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the second reservoir is adapted to store the diluent. 14. The device of claim 13 further comprising a diluent input port coupled directly to the second reservoir for supplying diluent taken from the patient, the fluid communication of the diluent input port with the patient being controlled by the flow control module. 15. The device of claim 12, wherein the diluent is selected from the group comprising: an inert substance in relation to the first fluid; a saline solution; and another drug different from the first fluid. 16. The device of claim 12, wherein the second reservoir contains the buffer solution used to pump by the flow controller the first fluid supplied from the first reservoir through at least one catheter connected to the output port. 17. The device of claim 1 further having an operational mode programmed in the flow control module, the mode selected from the group comprising; a Sequential Bolus mode, a flow-return mode, an implantee replenishment mode, a fill mode, a sample-push mode, a filter mode, a purging mode, and a shunt mode. 18. The device of claim 17, wherein for the sequential Bolus mode a drug is pushed through the length of a catheter by a buffer fluid. 19. The device of claim 17, wherein for the flow return mode a residual fluid which remains in a catheter after drug delivery is returned to at least one of the following: the reservoir from which it originally resided, the mixing chamber, and other areas of the drug delivery system such as the mixing chamber. 20. The device of claim 17, wherein for the replenishment mode fluid from outside of the body is drawn into the drug-delivery system to serve as a drug, buffer fluid or as the diluent. 21. The device of claim 1, wherein the input port in fluid communication with the first reservoir is configure for input of diluent taken from the patient, the fluid communication of the diluent input port with the patient being controlled by the flow control module.