Modulated Drug Delivery
A method of delivering a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to tissue is provided including the steps of inserting a catheter into a bodily cavity, the catheter having a proximal balloon and a distal balloon, inflating the proximal and distal balloons to create a chamber between the proximal and distal balloons, delivering the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to the chamber, measuring fluid pressure in the chamber, measuring at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of a subject, and adjusting the delivery of the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent based at least in part on the measured volumetric pressure in the chamber and the at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject.
1 . A method of delivering a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to tissue, comprising the steps of:
inserting a catheter into a bodily cavity, said catheter comprising a proximal balloon and a distal balloon;
inflating the proximal and distal balloons to create a chamber between the proximal and distal balloons;
delivering the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to said chamber;
measuring fluid pressure in said chamber;
measuring at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of a subject; and
adjusting the delivery of the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent based at least in part on said measured fluid pressure in said chamber and said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject is measured via at least one sensor positioned on the subject.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject comprises at least one of diastolic pressure and systolic pressure.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject comprises at least one of a lymphatic fluid dynamic characteristic, a blood dynamic characteristic, a cerebrospinal fluid dynamic characteristic, an interstitial fluid dynamic characteristic, and an intracellular fluid dynamic characteristic.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject comprises at least one of fluid velocity, fluid pressure, fluid density, and fluid temperature.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of adjusting the delivery of the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent comprises increasing or decreasing volumetric pressure inside said chamber.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of decreasing volumetric pressure inside said chamber comprises allowing fluid to escape said chamber via an outflow lumen.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the catheter further comprises a middle balloon positioned between the proximal and distal balloons and the volumetric pressure inside said chamber is increased or decreased by adjusting the inflation of the middle balloon.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of adjusting the delivery of the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent comprises increasing or decreasing the pressure at which the agent is delivered to said chamber.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of measuring fluid pressure in said chamber comprises measuring pressure via at least one sensor positioned at a fluid source.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of measuring volumetric pressure in said chamber comprises measuring pressure via at least one sensor positioned inside said chamber.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of measuring volumetric pressure in said chamber comprises measuring pressure via at least one sensor positioned in a catheter lumen.
13 . A method of delivering a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to tissue, comprising the steps of:
inserting a catheter into a bodily cavity;
delivering the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to tissue via said catheter;
measuring pressure at which the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent is delivered to tissue;
measuring at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of a subject; and
adjusting the delivery of the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent based at least in part on said measured pressure of the agent and said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject is measured via at least one sensor positioned on the subject.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject comprises at least one of diastolic pressure and systolic pressure.
16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject comprises at least one of a lymphatic fluid dynamic characteristic, a blood dynamic characteristic, a cerebrospinal fluid dynamic characteristic, an interstitial fluid dynamic characteristic, and an intracellular fluid dynamic characteristic.
17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject comprises at least one of fluid velocity, fluid pressure, fluid density, and fluid temperature.
18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of adjusting the delivery of the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent comprises increasing or decreasing pressure at which the agent is delivered to tissue.
19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of measuring pressure at which the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent is delivered to tissue comprises measuring pressure via at least one sensor positioned at a fluid source.
20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of measuring pressure at which the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent is delivered to tissue comprises measuring pressure via at least one sensor positioned in a catheter lumen.
21 . A system for delivering a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to tissue, comprising:
a catheter having a delivery port and a lumen through which a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent is communicated to the delivery port;
at least one first sensor that measures pressure of the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent being delivered via said port and generates a signal indicating the pressure;
a processor that receives the signal from said at least one first sensor; and
at least one second sensor that measures at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of a subject and transmits a signal indicating the at least one fluid dynamic characteristic to said processor;
wherein said processor adjusts the delivery of the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent based at least in part on said measured pressure of the agent and said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject.
22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject comprises at least one of diastolic pressure and systolic pressure.
23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject comprises at least one of a lymphatic fluid dynamic characteristic, a blood dynamic characteristic, a cerebrospinal fluid dynamic characteristic, an interstitial fluid dynamic characteristic, and an intracellular fluid dynamic characteristic.
24 . The system of claim 21 , wherein said at least one fluid dynamic characteristic of the subject comprises at least one of fluid velocity, fluid pressure, fluid density, and fluid temperature.
25 . The system of claim 21 , further comprising a fluid source, wherein the at least one first sensor is positioned at said fluid source.
26 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the at least one first sensor is positioned in a catheter lumen.
27 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the processor adjusts the delivery of the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent by increasing or decreasing pressure at which the agent is delivered via the delivery port.
28 . The system of claim 21 , wherein said catheter comprises a proximal balloon and a distal balloon and a fluid source that inflates said proximal and distal balloons by supplying fluid thereto to create a chamber between the proximal and distal balloons, and wherein said delivery port is positioned between the proximal and distal balloons.
29 . The system of claim 28 , wherein the at least one first sensor is positioned inside the chamber between the proximal and distal balloons.
30 . The system of claim 28 , wherein the processor adjusts the delivery of the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent by increasing or decreasing volumetric pressure inside said chamber.
31 . The system of claim 28 , wherein said catheter further comprises a middle balloon positioned between the proximal and distal balloons and wherein the processor adjusts the delivery of the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent by adjusting the inflation of the middle balloon.
32 . The system of claim 28 , wherein said catheter further comprises an outflow lumen that allows fluid to escape said chamber.