OSMOTIC DRUG DELIVERY DEVICES, KITS, AND METHODS

1 . A medical device comprising:

a housing defining a lumen; and

an osmotically-driven piston moveable within the lumen,

wherein the housing is elastically deformable between a first shape suitable for insertion through a patient's urethra and a second shape suitable for retention of the device in the patient's bladder, and

wherein the piston is a fluid which, in use, is configured to separate a substance to be dispensed from the device from an osmotic solution on a driving side of the piston.

2 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a substance to be dispensed to the patient, wherein the device is operable to move the piston within the lumen to displace the substance from the device.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein:

the housing comprises an elongated tube,

the piston comprises a gas, and

the substance comprises a drug.

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein:

the elongated tube comprises a first end having a release structure for releasing the substance and an opposed second end,

the housing in further defines a reservoir that is connected to the second end of the elongated tube and which an osmotic agent is disposed,

the housing further comprises a water permeable wall for permitting water to enter the reservoir and contact the osmotic agent, and

the piston is operable to be advanced in the lumen toward the first end of the elongated tube under osmotic pressure generated by the osmotic agent to cause the substance to be displaced out of the lumen via the release structure.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an annular tube having a single, central lumen.

6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the central lumen has a diameter from 1 mm to 3 mm.

7 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the elongated tube is formed of an elastomeric polymer.

8 . The device of claim 7 , wherein the elastomeric polymer is substantially water and gas impermeable or has a coating that is substantially water and gas impermeable.

9 . The device of claim 7 , wherein the elastomeric polymer comprises silicone or polyurethane.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the tube comprises silicone coated with parylene.

11 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the reservoir is formed by an annular tube connected to or integrally formed with the elongated tube which contains the substance.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the water permeable wall comprises a water permeable disc at an end of the annular tube.

13 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the water permeable wall of the housing comprises a hydrophilic polymer.

14 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the hydrophilic polymer comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane.

15 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the osmotic agent is in a solid form.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the osmotic agent is in the form of one or more tablets.

17 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the osmotic agent is selected from the group consisting of monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, lactose, sodium chloride, urea, sucrose, and combinations thereof.

18 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a retention frame which urges the device into the second shape, which second shape comprises a coil, in the absence of a compressive load needed to deform the device into the first shape.

19 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the drug comprises gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, and/or another chemotherapeutic agent.

20 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the drug comprises oxybutynin, trospium and/or another antimuscarinic agent.

21 . The device of claim 3 wherein the drug comprises lidocaine and/or another anesthetic agent.

22 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the elongated tube has an inner diameter sized such that capillary force is dominant over gravitational force within the tube.

23 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the release structure comprises an aperture and/or a check valve.

24 . The device of claim 4 , further comprising a connector connecting the elongated tube and the reservoir.

25 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the piston is a bubble of air or another gas.

26 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the housing comprises an elongated tube having a first end comprising a release structure for releasing a fluid and an opposed second end, the elongated tube being configured to receive a fluid drug or a precursor thereof,

the housing further defines a reservoir that is connected to the second end of the elongated tube and in which an osmotic agent is disposed,

the housing further comprises a water permeable wall for permitting water to enter the reservoir and contact the osmotic agent,

the device is configured such that upon receipt of the fluid or precursor thereof, the piston comprises a gas formed between the fluid and the osmotic agent, and

the device is configured to imbibe water into the reservoir via the water permeable wall to advance the gas piston through the elongated tube via osmotic pressure generated by the osmotic agent to drive the fluid from the device via the release structure.

27 . The device of claim 26 , further comprising an air vent in fluid communication with the elongated tube or the reservoir, the air vent being configured to be plugged once the elongated tube receives the fluid or precursor thereof.

28 . The device of claim 26 , wherein the device is configured to receive the fluid or fluid precursor via the release structure.

29 . The device of claim 26 , wherein:

the device further comprises a solid or semi-solid formulation of the drug, which is housed within the elongated tube, and

the fluid precursor is a solvent for the drug, such that upon receipt of the fluid precursor in the elongated tube, the fluid precursor dissolves the drug to form the fluid driven from the device.

30 . The device of claim 29 , wherein the solvent comprises water or dimethyl sulfoxide.

31 . The device of claim 26 , further comprising a compartment adjacent the reservoir, the compartment being configured to house water to be imbibed into the reservoir via the water permeable wall.

32 . The device of claim 31 , wherein the water permeable wall of the reservoir comprises a hydrophilic membrane positioned between the reservoir and the compartment.

33 . The device of claim 31 , further comprising an air vent in fluid communication with the compartment, the air vent being configured to be plugged once the compartment receives the water.

34 . A kit comprising:

the device of claim 3 ;

a container housing the substance, the fluid, or a precursor thereof; and

a device for transferring the fluid or precursor from the container and into the elongated tube.

35 . The kit of claim 34 , wherein:

the device further comprises a solid or semi-solid formulation of the drug, which is housed within the elongated tube, and

the container houses a precursor comprising a solvent for the drug.

36 . The kit of claim 34 , further comprising a degradable pin configured to be inserted into the release structure after the substance, fluid, or precursor has been introduced into the elongated tube, such that upon insertion of the device into the bladder the degradable pin degrades to allow the fluid to be released from the device via the release structure.

37 - 38 . (canceled)

39 . A method of drug delivery, comprising:

deploying a drug delivery device into a patient's bladder via the patient's urethra, the device comprising a housing defining a lumen and a fluid to be dispensed to the patient,

wherein the device is elastically deformable between a first shape suitable for insertion through the urethra and a second shape suitable for retention of the device in the bladder,

wherein the device is operable to move an osmotically-driven piston within the lumen to displace the fluid from the device.

40 . The method of claim 39 , wherein:

the housing comprises an elongated tube,

the piston comprises a gas, and

the fluid comprises a drug.

41 - 50 . (canceled)