Drug delivery devices with drug-permeable component and methods

1. A drug delivery device comprising:

a housing comprising a first wall structure and a second wall structure that are integrally formed in a coextrusion process, and adjacent one another at two interface edges such that together the first and second wall structures form a tube defining a drug reservoir lumen; and

a drug contained in the drug reservoir lumen,

wherein:

the second wall structure, or both the first wall structure and the second wall structure, are permeable to water,

the first wall structure is impermeable to the drug and the second wall structure is permeable to the drug, such that the drug is releasable in vivo by diffusion through the second wall structure,

the second wall structure comprises less than 90 percent of a cross sectional area of the tube, in a cross section normal to the longitudinal axis of the tube,

the first wall structure comprises a first polyurethane composition, and

the second wall structure is not bioerodible.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second wall structure has an arc angle from about 15 degrees to about 90 degrees of the circumference of the tube in the cross section.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second wall structure comprises a second polyurethane composition, which is different from the first polyurethane composition.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the first and second wall structures each comprise a thermoplastic polyurethane,

the tube is elastically deformable from a coiled retention shape suited to retain the device within the urinary bladder of a patient to an uncoiled shape suited for insertion through the patient's urethra and into the bladder, and

the tube is thermally shape set to have the retention shape.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to be elastically deformable from a coiled retention shape suited to retain the device within the urinary bladder of a patient to an uncoiled shape suited for insertion through the patient's urethra and into the bladder, in the absence of a wire retention frame.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second wall structure is a hydrophilic polymer selected from the group consisting of hydrophilic polyurethane, hydrophilic polyesters, and hydrophilic polyamides.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first wall structure has a thickness which is greater than the thickness of the second wall structure.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the drug is in the form of a plurality of solid tablets.

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an annular-shaped wall segment having an end which is integrally formed and connected with a first end of the tube formed of the first and second wall structures, wherein the annular-shaped wall segment defines a lumen which defines a further portion of the drug reservoir lumen and wherein the annular-shaped wall segment is formed entirely of the first polyurethane composition.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a retention frame lumen loaded with an elastic retention frame.

11. A drug delivery device comprising:

a tubular housing having a closed drug reservoir lumen bounded by a wall structure comprising at least one thermoplastic material; and

a drug contained in the drug reservoir lumen,

wherein at least a portion of the wall structure is water permeable,

wherein at least a portion of the wall structure is permeable to the drug such that the drug is releasable in vivo by diffusion through the drug permeable portion of the wall structure,

wherein the wall structure comprises a first wall structure, which is impermeable to the drug, and a second wall structure that is not bioerodible, which is the drug permeable portion, and wherein the first and second wall structures are integrally formed in a coextrusion process, and adjacent one another such that together the first and second wall structures form the tubular housing,

wherein the tubular housing is elastically deformable from a coiled retention shape suited to retain the device within the urinary bladder of a patient to an uncoiled shape suited for insertion of the device through the patient's urethra and into the bladder, and

the tubular housing is thermally shape set to have the coiled retention shape.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the second wall structure, or both the first wall structure and the second wall structure, are water permeable.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first wall structure comprises a first thermoplastic polyurethane composition and the second wall structure comprises a second thermoplastic polyurethane composition which is different from the first thermoplastic polyurethane composition.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the second wall structure comprises less than 90 percent of a cross sectional area of the tube, in a cross section normal to the longitudinal axis of the tube.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the second wall structure has an arc angle from about 15 degrees to about 90 degrees of the circumference of the tube in the cross section.

16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the second wall structure is a hydrophilic polymer selected from the group consisting of hydrophilic polyurethane, hydrophilic polyesters, and hydrophilic polyamides.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the first wall structure is formed of a material having a Shore durometer value from about 50A to about 70A.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the second wall structure is formed of a material having a Shore durometer value from about 70A to about 65D.

19. The device of claim 11 , wherein the coiled retention shape comprises at east one loop having a radius of curvature of at least 0.5 era.

20. The device of claim 11 , wherein the drug is in the form of a plurality of solid tablets.