Mechanical apparatus and method for dilating and delivering a therapeutic agent to a site of treatment
A mechanical dilatation and medicament delivery device for enlarging a flow passage of a vessel by dilating and delivering a liposome or micelle-encapsulated therapeutic agent or medicament to an obstruction in the vessel. The present invention comprises a substantially cylindrically shaped expansion member and includes a means engaged to the expansion member for altering the distance between the proximal end and the distal end of the expansion member thereby transforming the expansion member between a diametrically contracted configuration to diametrically expanded configuration. A liposome or micelle-encapsulated therapeutic agent or medicament is coated on either the expansion member, or incorporated into a substrate coated on the expansion member. The present method comprises the steps of advancing the coated expansion member to the obstruction in a vessel and applying opposed forces on said expansion member in an axial direction to move the expansion member to an expanded configuration wherein the expansion member dilates the obstruction and the expansion member either passively or actively delivers a liposome or micelle-encapsulated therapeutic agent or medicament to the obstruction.
1 . A method for introducing liposomal encapsulated medicaments into cells of a patient, comprising the steps of:
selecting a elongated catheter a substantially cylindrical shaped expansion member located on a distal end, said expansion member having a first end and a second end, said first end being a distance from said second end, an altering means engagable to said first end and said second end of said expansion member for altering said first distance therebetween to move said expansion member between a first configuration wherein said expansion member is characterized by a first diameter and a second configuration wherein said expansion member is characterized by a second diameter, said second diameter being greater than said first diameter; and a liposome encapsulated medicament coated on at least a portion of said expansion member;
implanting said catheter into a selected blood vessel of a patient;
expanding said expansion member wherein a portion of said expansion member contacts the vessel wall at a predetermine location;
applying a predetermined electric signal to said expansion member to assist in transporting said liposome encapsulated medicaments across cell membranes.
2 . The method as recited in claim 1 which further comprises the step of positioning a guidewire in the body passageway, and wherein said advancing step is accomplished by threading said expansion member over said guidewire.
3 . The method as recited in claim 1 which further comprises the step of allowing said expansion member to be in said second expanded configuration for a predetermined period of time after the dilatation step to further expose said obstruction to the medicament.
4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said liposome encapsulated medicament is an anticoagulant selected from the group consisting of D-Phe-Pro-Arg chloromethyl ketone, an RGD peptide-containing compound, heparin, an antithrombin compound, a platelet receptor antagonist, an anti-thrombin antibody, an anti-platelet receptor antibody, hirudin, hirulog, phe-pro-arg-chloromethyketone (Ppack), Factor VIIa, Factor Xa, aspirin, clopridogrel, ticlopidine, a prostaglandin inhibitor, a platelet inhibitor and a tick anti-platelet peptide, and combinations thereof.
5 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said liposome encapsulated medicament is a promoter of vascular cell growth selected from the group consisting of a growth factor stimulator, a growth factor receptor agonist, a transcriptional activator, and a translational promoter, and combinations thereof.
6 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said liposome encapsulated medicament is an inhibitor of vascular cell growth selected from the group consisting of a growth factor inhibitor, a growth factor receptor antagonist, a transcriptional repressor, a translational repressor, an antisense DNA, an antisense RNA, synthetic DNA compounds, especially those with backbones that have been modified to inhibit enzymatic degradation (e.g. phosphorothioate compounds and morpholino diamidate compounds), a replication inhibitor, an inhibitory antibody, an antibody directed against growth factors, a bifunctional molecule consisting of a growth factor and a cytotoxin, and a bifunctional molecule consisting of an antibody and a cytotoxin, double stranded DNA, single stranded DNA, single stranded RNA and a double stranded RNA and combinations thereof.
7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said liposome encapsulated medicament is selected from the group consisting of a cholesterol-lowering agent, a vasodilating agent, and agents which interfere with endogenous vasoactive mechanisms, estrogen, testosterone, steroid hormones, cortisol, dexamethasone, corticosteroids, thyroid hormones, thyroid hormones analogs, throid hormones antagonist, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, thyroid releasing factor, thyroid releasing factor analogs, thyroid releasing factor antagonists and combinations thereof.
8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said liposome encapsulated medicament is a smooth muscle inhibitor selected from the group consisting of an agent that modulates intracellular calcium binding proteins, a receptor blocker for contractile agonists, an inhibitor of the sodium/hydrogen antiporter, a protease inhibitor, a nitrovasodilator, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, a phenothiazine, a growth factor receptor agonist, an anti-mitotic agent, an immunosuppressive agent, and a protein kinase inhibitor, and combinations thereof.
9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said liposome encapsulated medicament is a compound that inhibits cellular proliferation, Paclitaxel, Rapamycin, Actinomycin D, Methotrexate, Doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and 5-fluorouracil, 6-mercapatopurine, 6-thioguanine, cytoxan, cytarabinoside, cis-platin, chlorambucil, busulfan, and any other drug that can inhibit cell proliferation, and combinations thereof.
10 . The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of said liposome encapsulated medicaments coated on at least a portion of said expansion member.
11 . A method for introducing micelle encapsulated medicaments into cells of a patient, comprising the steps of:
selecting a elongated catheter a substantially cylindrical shaped expansion member located on a distal end, said expansion member having a first end and a second end, said first end being a distance from said second end, an altering means engagable to said first end and said second end of said expansion member for altering said first distance therebetween to move said expansion member between a first configuration wherein said expansion member is characterized by a first diameter and a second configuration wherein said expansion member is characterized by a second diameter, said second diameter being greater than said first diameter; and a micelle encapsulated medicament coated on at least a portion of said expansion member;
implanting said catheter into a selected blood vessel of a patient;
expanding said expansion member wherein a portion of said expansion member contacts the vessel wall at a predetermine location;
applying a predetermined electric signal to said expansion member to assist in transporting said micelle encapsulated medicaments across cell membranes.
12 . The method as recited in claim 11 which further comprises the step of positioning a guidewire in the body passageway, and wherein said advancing step is accomplished by threading said expansion member over said guidewire.
13 . The method as recited in claim 11 which further comprises the step of allowing said expansion member to be in said second expanded configuration for a predetermined period of time after the dilatation step to further expose said obstruction to the medicament.
14 . The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein said micelle encapsulated medicament is an anticoagulant selected from the group consisting of D-Phe-Pro-Arg chloromethyl ketone, an RGD peptide-containing compound, heparin, an antithrombin compound, a platelet receptor antagonist, an anti-thrombin antibody, an anti-platelet receptor antibody, hirudin, hirulog, phe-pro-arg-chloromethyketone (Ppack), Factor VIIa, Factor Xa, aspirin, clopridogrel, ticlopidine, a prostaglandin inhibitor, a platelet inhibitor and a tick anti-platelet peptide, and combinations thereof.
15 . The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein said micelle encapsulated medicament is a promoter of vascular cell growth selected from the group consisting of a growth factor stimulator, a growth factor receptor agonist, a transcriptional activator, and a translational promoter, and combinations thereof.
16 . The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein said micelle encapsulated medicament is an inhibitor of vascular cell growth selected from the group consisting of a growth factor inhibitor, a growth factor receptor antagonist, a transcriptional repressor, a translational repressor, an antisense DNA, an antisense RNA, synthetic DNA compounds, especially those with backbones that have been modified to inhibit enzymatic degradation (e.g. phosphorothioate compounds and morpholino diamidate compounds), a replication inhibitor, an inhibitory antibody, an antibody directed against growth factors, a bifunctional molecule consisting of a growth factor and a cytotoxin, and a bifunctional molecule consisting of an antibody and a cytotoxin, double stranded DNA, single stranded DNA, single stranded RNA and a double stranded RNA and combinations thereof.
17 . The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein said micelle encapsulated medicament is selected from the group consisting of a cholesterol-lowering agent, a vasodilating agent, and agents which interfere with endogenous vasoactive mechanisms, estrogen, testosterone, steroid hormones, cortisol, dexamethasone, corticosteroids, thyroid hormones, thyroid hormones analogs, throid hormones antagonist, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, thyroid releasing factor, thyroid releasing factor analogs, thyroid releasing factor antagonists and combinations thereof.
18 . The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein said micelle encapsulated medicament is a smooth muscle inhibitor selected from the group consisting of an agent that modulates intracellular calcium binding proteins, a receptor blocker for contractile agonists, an inhibitor of the sodium/hydrogen antiporter, a protease inhibitor, a nitrovasodilator, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, a phenothiazine, a growth factor receptor agonist, an anti-mitotic agent, an immunosuppressive agent, and a protein kinase inhibitor, and combinations thereof.
19 . The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein said micelle encapsulated medicament is a compound that inhibits cellular proliferation, Paclitaxel, Rapamycin, Actinomycin D, Methotrexate, Doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and 5-fluorouracil, 6-mercapatopurine, 6-thioguanine, cytoxan, cytarabinoside, cis-platin, chlorambucil, busulfan, and any other drug that can inhibit cell proliferation, and combinations thereof.
20 . The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising a plurality of said micelle encapsulated medicaments coated on at least a portion of said expansion member.
21 . A method for dilating and delivering a medicament to an obstruction in a body passageway which comprises the steps of:
advancing a mechanical dilatation catheter to a predetermined site with a body passageway, said catheter having an expansion member coated with a medicament and an iontophoretic transport means, said expansion member being moveable between a first contracted configuration wherein said member is defined by a first dimension extending in a radial direction, and a second expanded configuration wherein said member is defined by a second dimension extending in said radial direction;
applying a force on said expansion member in an axial direction to move said expansion member between said first contracted configuration to said second expanded configuration wherein said obstruction is dilated;
supplying a flow of electrical current to said iontophoretic means to deliver said liposome or micelle-encapsulated medicament into said obstruction or body passageway.
22 . The method as recited in claim 21 which further comprises the step of positioning a guidewire in the body passageway, and wherein said advancing step is accomplished by threading said catheter over said guidewire.
23 . The method as recited in claim 21 which further comprises the step of allowing said expansion member to be in said second expanded configuration for a predetermined period of time after the dilatation step to further expose said obstruction to the medicament.
24 . The method as recited in claim 21 which further comprises the step of varying the electric current with time to provide a waveform that controls the rate of iontophoretic transport of said medicament.
25 . The method as recited in claim 21 , further comprising, prior to advancing the catheter, the step of applying electrical energy to said expansion member to cause said medicament or therapeutic agent to electrically bond to said expansion member.
26 . A method for dilating and delivering a medicament to an obstruction in a body passageway which comprises the steps of:
advancing a mechanical dilatation catheter to a predetermined site with a body passageway, said catheter having an expansion member coated with a medicament and an iontophoretic transport means, said expansion member being moveable between a first contracted configuration wherein said member is defined by a first dimension extending in a radial direction, and a second expanded configuration wherein said member is defined by a second dimension extending in said radial direction;
applying a force on said expansion member in an axial direction to move said expansion member between said first contracted configuration to said second expanded configuration wherein said obstruction is dilated;
supplying a flow of electrical current to said iontophoretic means to deliver said liposome or micelle-encapsulated medicament into said obstruction or body passageway.
27 . The method as recited in claim 26 which further comprises the step of positioning a guidewire in the body passageway, and wherein said advancing step is accomplished by threading said catheter over said guidewire.
28 . The method as recited in claim 26 which further comprises the step of allowing said expansion member to be in said second expanded configuration for a predetermined period of time after the dilatation step to further expose said obstruction to the medicament.
29 . The method as recited in claim 26 which further comprises the step of varying the electric current with time to provide a waveform that controls the rate of iontophoretic transport of said medicament.
30 . The method as recited in claim 26 , further comprising, prior to advancing the catheter, the step of applying electrical energy to said expansion member to cause said medicament or therapeutic agent to electrically bond to said expansion member.