METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR LOADING AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITH BENEFICIAL AGENT

• Main Authors: SHANLEY, JOHN, F, PARKER, THEODORE, L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 23.01.2013
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; PROSTHESES; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

An implantable medical device loading method is used to deposit layers into a plurality of holes in the implantable device in a stepwise manner to achieve extended and controllable delivery of drugs from the holes in the device. Each layer is deposited in a liquid form and is then solidified. The depositing and solidifying steps are repeated with the same or different solutions to achieve a controlled drug delivery matrix within the holes. To achieve increased uniformity of the initial layers improved wetting characteristics are desired. The selection and control of the surface energies of one or more of the surfaces within the holes and the surface tension of the filling solution allow the system to achieve the desired wetting characteristics.