American Biomed, Inc.

Other

Endovasc Ltd., Inc.

Forerank, Inc.

Nutraleutical Development Corporation

David P Summers

Jeddy D Nixon

Ned H Hwang

Gary R Ball

Jackie R See

James W Davidson

Gail L Brinson

A method of administering a pharmaceutical agent to the circulatory system through the skin of a mammal may include the steps of loading a pharmaceutical agent in a transdermal patch, applying the transdermal patch to the skin of the mammal and releasing the pharmaceutical agent into the circulatory system at a rate of at least 0.001 micrograms per hour up to 50.0 micrograms per hour per kilogram of bodyweight of the mammal. The drug delivery system may comprise a transdermal patch loaded with the pharmaceutical agent. The patch may include a porous membrane and an outer impermeable cover defining a cavity therebetween. A plurality of drug delivery layers may be disposed between the porous membrane and the impermeable cover. A lipophilic/hydrophilic suspension may be disposed between the drug delivery layers.

Transdermal delivery of pharmaceutical agents

In a multilamellar liposome, a pharmaceutical agent is encapsulated in the liposome in the absence of a partition enhancing buffer. Preferably, the pharmaceutical agent is prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). The pharmaceutical agent may be administered to a mammal in an amount effective to treat vascular disease. The release of the pharmaceutical agent from the multilamellar liposome may be regulated by proper selection of liposome size, dosage of the pharmaceutical agent, lipid to pharmaceutical agent weight ratio, and rate of infusion of the pharmaceutical agent.

Method for treating vascular disease by administering a liposomal prostaglandin composition

In a method of developing muscle mass in a mammal, nicotine or nicotine acetylcholine receptor agonist (nAChR) is administered in combination with exercise to stimulate, recruit and mobilize muscle cells to a specific muscle mass.

Development of muscle mass in a mammal

A prosthesis for replacing or strengthening a particular part of the body is coated with a biodegradable, resorbable and biocompatible surface coating. Biologically active microspheres which controllably release the biologically active agents are embedded in the surface coating. The biologically active microspheres include encapsulated PGE1 in a polyethylene glycol mix, which over a period of time dissolves and releases the PGE1 into the body part.

Prosthesis with biodegradable surface coating and method for making same

A stent comprising a coil including a plurality of arcuate sections that alternate directions around a central axis, each arcuate section including a pair of curved turns joined by a cusp, and the cusps of adjacent arcuate sections intermeshing and defining at least one region of overlap, which in turn describes a helix around and along the length of the coil. In the preferred embodiment, there are two regions of overlap, which together describe a double helix. In another preferred embodiment, the stent is bifurcated so as to support a branched vessel or the like. A method for forming a stent, including the steps of providing a flat sheet of material, chemically etching said sheet to form a blank, and forming said blank into a cylindrical coil. The coiling step is preferably carried out on a plurality of rollers.

Method for making a stent

A stent or vascular graft for supporting a blood vessel or organ lumen is coated with a biodegradable, resorbable and hemocompatible surface substrate. Biologically active microspheres which controllably release the biologically active agent into the vessel wall or organ to inhibit restenosis of the stent is embedded in the stent substrate. The biologically active microspheres include encapsulated PGE1 in a water soluble polyethylene glycol mix, which over a period of time dissolves and releases the PGE1 into the vessel wall or organ.

Composition and method for making a biodegradable drug delivery stent

An endoprosthesis or stent comprising a continuous loop of material is disclosed, along with a method and systems for deploying the stent at a desired location within a collapsed vessel. The stent can comprise a double spiral configuration or a double helix configuration, and can be coated with a slippery biocompatable substance. The systems for deploying a stent include catheters capable of maintaining a stent in a reduced diameter state and releasing the stent so that it can resume it expanded diameter state at the implantation site.

Apparatus for placing an endoprosthesis

A distal atherectomy catheter is disclosed for removing obstructions, plaque, stenosis, occlusions, or the like from an artery or coronary vessel. The catheter comprises a flexible, hollow catheter tube. A cutting element is located within a cylindrical housing mounted at the distal end of the catheter tube. The cutting element is connected to a hollow, flexible drive shaft concentrically located within the catheter tube. The cutting element housing includes a side opening window or port providing access to the interior of the housing. An idler shaft journaled about the drive shaft provides a non-rotating surface adjacent the cutting element. An annular return passage is defined between the catheter tube and the flexible drive shaft providing a discharge passage communicating with external aspirating means for collection of cuttings removed by the cutting element from the artery or coronary vessel. A guide wire may extend through the catheter tube and cutting element for guiding the catheter to the occluded site in a vessel. The drive cable is connected to a drive motor housed within a handle housing. The catheter tube and cutter housing are enclosed within a sheath extending from the distal end of the catheter to the handle housing.

Distal atherectomy catheter

A distal intravascular filter is disclosed for filtering blood flow therethrough and entrapping and retaining embolic debris. The intravascular filter including a small diameter hollow guide wire or tube capable of percutaneous placement of the distal end thereof beyond a carotid stenosis. The distal portion of the tube includes a filter mounted thereon. The filter is deployable from a tightly closed configuration to an open circumference for blocking the unfiltered flow of blood beyond the carotid stenosis. The filter is deployable between open and closed positions by manipulation of an actuating wire extending from the filter and out the proximal end of the tube.

Percutaneous filter for carotid angioplasty

Stent for supporting a blood vessel

The present invention is directed to a toposcopic dilatation catheter system utilizing a dilatation balloon in combination with an everting tube in a miniature catheter of a scale sufficiently small to negotiate a blood vessel for therapeutic as well as diagnostic purposes. The catheter system utilizes a primary catheter shaft provided with multiple lumen or passageways extending the length thereof. The dilatation balloon lumen provides access to a balloon carried at the distal end of the primary catheter shaft. The dilatation balloon may be expanded as required to aid in advancing the catheter system to the site requiring therapy. A secondary catheter tube is coaxially carried within the primary catheter shaft. The leading end of the secondary catheter tube includes an everting tube which everts from the leading end of the primary catheter shaft. The everting tube advances under fluid pressure in advance to the leading end of the primary catheter shaft. In an alternate embodiment, thumb actuated actuator wire is carried in a third lumen extending along the length of the primary catheter shaft. The actuator wire enables the leading end of the primary catheter shaft to be guided into a blood vessel branch or along a narrow tortuous blood vessel. In another alternate embodiment, a secondary dilatation balloon is carried on the distal end of the secondary catheter in advance of the everting tube. The secondary tube may be used to canalize, dislodge and remove a blood clot.

Everting toposcopic dilation catheter

A distal atherectomy catheter is disclosed for removing obstructions, plaque, stenosis, occlusions, or the like from an artery or coronary vessel. The catheter comprises a flexible, hollow catheter tube. A reciprocating, and rotating or oscillating cutting element is located within a cylindrical housing mounted at the distal end of the catheter tube. The cutting element is connected to a hollow, flexible drive shaft concentrically located within the catheter tube. The cutting element housing includes a side opening window or port providing access to the interior of the housing. An idler shaft journaled about the drive shaft provides a non-rotating surface adjacent the cutting element. An annular return passage is defined between the catheter tube and the flexible drive shaft providing a discharge passage communicating with external aspirating means for collection of cuttings removed by the cutting element from the artery or coronary vessel. A guide wire extends through the catheter tube and cutting element for guiding the catheter to the occluded site in a vessel. The drive cable is connected to a drive motor housed within a handle housing.

The surgical instrument of the present invention includes a cannula shaft terminating in a cutting window at the distal end of the cannula shaft. The proximal end of the cannula shaft is supported by a handle having an axial bore extending therethrough. A flexible drive shaft, connected at one end to an external drive mechanism, extends through the handle and the cannula shaft. A cutting head is mounted to the distal end of the drive shaft and positioned for cooperative cutting action with the cutting window of the cannula shaft. A non-rotating idler shaft is journaled about the drive shaft. Severed tissue is removed or evacuated from the surgical site through an annular passage formed by the cannula and idler shafts.

Spinal disc surgical instrument

This disclosure sets out a catheter for bodily insertion. The catheter tip supports an elongate hollow housing with a window for occlusive material cutting, a cutter head on the interior rotates, driven by a drive wire in the hollow catheter tube. In addition, the cutter head reciprocates or oscillates to cut on its back edge, the edge trimming material entering through the window. The window and optional slots admit the unwanted material and enable trimming for a vacuum removal through the catheter tube. The window is urged into contact by a pair of flexed wires, the wires moving the housing into operative contact.

A stent comprising a coil including a plurality of arcuate sections that alternate directions around a central axis, each arcuate section including a pair of curved turns joined by a cusp, and the cusps of adjacent arcuate sections intermeshing and defining at least one region of overlap, which in turn describes a helix around and along the length of the coil. In the preferred embodiment, there are two regions of overlap, which together describe a double helix. In another preferred embodiment, the stent is bifurcated so as to support a branched vessel or the like.

Growing community of inventors

Montgomery, TX, United States of America

David P Summers