Medtronic, Inc.

Medtronics, Inc.

Dennis D Elsberry

Mark Turner Rise

David L Thompson

Rahul Mehra

Lynn M Otten

Scott R Ward

Gary William King

Mary M Morris

Keith Robert Hildebrand

Reginald D Robinson

Richard H Comben

Chris C Christiansen

Douglas O Hankner

Deanna S Lane

Robert Cushing Hamlen

Jane L Kohnen

Linda M Page

George C Johnstone

Chike O Onyekaba

Doulas O Hankner

Robert E Kim

David A Clarahan

Jayantha H Ratnayake

A method and apparatus for treating Alzheimer's disease is disclosed. The method comprises delivering indomethacin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents having cyclooxygenase inhibitor action directly to the hippocampus or the lateral ventricle through an implanted catheter. The catheter has a flexible distal end that is implanted directly in the hippocampus or lateral ventricle as the preferred embodiment. The distal end has either a porous tip or a closed end. Where the distal end is closed, or a plurality of elution holes are present indomethacin is delivered to the hippocampus or lateral ventricle through either the porous tip or the elution holes. The catheter is part of a system for delivering indomethacin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents having cyclooxygenase inhibitor action to the hippocampus or lateral ventricle that includes a pump coupled to the catheter for delivering the indomethacin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents having cyclooxygenase inhibitor action through the catheter to the hippocampus or lateral ventricle.

Therapeutic method of treatment of alzheimer's disease

Injectable compositions containing gabapentin and processes for preparing sterile injectable compositions containing gabapentin are discussed. The process includes subjecting the compositions to heat. Heating results in increased production of gabapentin lactam, which has previously been shown to be toxic. Surprisingly, heated injectable compositions containing gabapentin are found to be non-toxic when administered intrathecally. Thus, heating for the purposes of sterilization or to assure sterility provides a viable option in the production of injectable compositions containing gabapentin.

Process for producing injectable gabapentin compositions

A device and method for the treatment of damaged nerves and, more particularly, a tubular membrane having a microtextured surface for the treatment of central or peripheral nerve injuries. The microtextured surface of the tubular membrane inhibits the growth of fibrous tissue, which prevents the reattachment of nerve fiber ends.

Sintered titanium tube for the management of spinal cord injury

An intraparenchymal infusion catheter system for delivering drugs or other agents to selected sites in an organism, such as a human, includes a pump that may be implanted or disposed outside the organism. A catheter is coupled to the pump. The catheter comprises a flexible biocompatible tubular portion terminating in a free distal end. The distal end of the catheter bears a rounded tip, a portion of which is slidably disposed within the lumen of the tubular portion. The tip is porous for discharging an agent or drug to a selected site. The tip has a microporosity of less than or equal to 0.22 microns. The tubular portion is composed from a material that will expand from its nominal size when exposed to a stimulus such as heat or a solvent and return to its nominal size when the stimulus is withdrawn. By expanding the tubular portion, a physician can select the amount of the tip that is exposed to the organism, thereby customizing the catheter to the structural size of the selected site within the body.

Method for manufacturing a catheter

Intraparenchymal infusion catheter system

A medical catheter comprising a proximal end having an opening for fluid containing a therapeutic drug, a distal end, the distal end defining at least one opening, and a porous portion covering the opening defined by the distal end. In one embodiment, the medical catheter comprises a proximal end having an opening for fluid containing a therapeutic drug, at least two distal ends. the proximal end connected to the two distal ends with a connector, the distal ends each defining at least, one opening, a diffuser covering the opening of each distal end, and a separate restrictor downstream of the connector and upstream of each distal end to provide substantially equal flow through each distal end. An additional restrictor can also be placed upstream of the connector. In another embodiment, a combination diffuser and restrictor covers the opening of each distal end.

Catheter for target specific drug delivery

Therapeutic method for treatment of Alzheimer's disease

A system is disclosed for providing an indication of abnormal upstream fluid pressure, abnormal downstream fluid pressure, and/or abnormal differential upstream versus downstream fluid pressures for a medicament pump that is implantable within a person's body and has a pressurized source of fluid. The system includes upstream and downstream fluid pressure sensors, which could be commercially available strain gauges attached to, or incorporated into, the wall of the inlet tubing and the wall of the outlet tubing, respectively, for sensing the amount of deformation of the tubing walls as a result of fluid pressure changes. Fluid source overpressurization could be indicated, via activation of an alarm, based upon detection of either: abnormally high upstream fluid pressure; or the difference between the upstream fluid pressure and the downstream fluid pressure exceeding a predetermined range of acceptable values. Pump outlet tube occlusion could be indicated, via activation of an alarm, based upon detection of either: abnormally high downstream fluid pressure; or the difference between the upstream fluid pressure and the downstream fluid pressure being less than a predetermined range of acceptable values. Even when the differential pressure is within an acceptable range of values, the inlet and outlet pressure values can be used to distinguish between (1) normal conditions at both the inlet and outlet; and (2) abnormal conditions at both the inlet and outlet that can not be detected differentially, such as simultaneous overpressurization at both the inlet and outlet.

System and method for detecting abnormal medicament pump fluid pressure

A peristaltic pumping mechanism is provided with a non-permeable peristaltic circuit comprising two strips of thin metal laser bonded at their edges to form a tube. In one embodiment, the non-permeable tubing takes the form of a continuous loop having input and output ports. In another embodiment, the tubing is open and generally U-shaped. In still another embodiment, a dual-tube circuit is provided, wherein a central, metal tube is disposed within an outer elastomeric tube having an inner diameter larger than the outer dimension of the metal tube. The elastomeric tube supports the metal tube only at the ends of the circuit, enabling the metal tube to &ldquo;float&rdquo; within the elastomeric tube.

Peristaltic pumping mechanism

Techniques using one or more drugs and electrical stimulation for treating neural disorders, including movement disorders resulting in abnormal motor response, by means of an implantable signal generator and electrode and an implantable pump and catheter. A sensor is used to detect activity resulting from the neural disorder. A microprocessor algorithm analyzes the output from the sensor in order to regulate the stimulation and drug dosage delivered to the neural tissue.

Method of treating movement disorders by brain stimulation and drug

Therapeutic method for treatment of alzheimer's disease

Techniques for infusing nerve growth factors into the brain to treat neurodegenerative disorders by means of an implantable pump and catheter. A sensor is used to detect an attribute of the nervous system which reflects the degeneration of the nerve cells. A microprocessor algorithm analyzes the output from the sensor in order to regulate the amount of growth factor delivered to the brain.

Techniques for treating neurodegenerative disorders by infusion of nerve

An implantable cardioverter for providing cardioversion electrical energy to at least one chamber of a patient's heart in need of cardioversion and applying a pain alleviating therapy at an appropriate site in the patient's body prior to or in conjunction with the delivery of the cardioversion energy to the heart chamber to alleviate propagated pain perceived by the patient. The combined cardioversion and pain alleviating therapies are preferably realized in a single implantable, multiprogrammable medical device or separate implantable cardioversion and pain control devices with means for communicating operating and status commands between the devices through the patient's body.

Growing community of inventors

New Hope, MN, United States of America

Dennis D Elsberry