Drug delivery system for treating erectile dysfunction

Abstract

Drug delivery systems, apparatus and methods to treat erectile dysfunction via an implanted drug infusion pump. The drug delivery system incorporates a passively pressurized drug infusion pump, one or more catheters, one or more microfluidic valves, a microcontroller, and one or more patient input mechanisms to deliver therapeutic solutions to the erectile tissues of a patient. The system in operation is entirely implanted and provides for moderated patient control over dosage via subcutaneously implanted input mechanisms, including in certain embodiments, neural control.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An implantable drug delivery system for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, comprising: a passively pressurized drug infusion pump, one or more catheters, one or more microfluidic valves, a microcontroller, and one or more patient input mechanisms. 
     
     
         2 . A method for the treatment of erectile dysfunction comprising: implanting a drug delivery system within the body of a patient wherein
 (a) the drug delivery system comprises a housing, one or more catheters, one or more microfluidic valves, and one or more patient input mechanisms;   (b) the housing encloses a propellant chamber, a drug reservoir containing a therapeutic selected to stimulate an erection, a microcontroller and a power source, and the housing further provides (i) a drug refill port in fluid communication with the drug reservoir and (ii) one or more outlet ports allowing fluid communication between the drug reservoir and the catheters;   (c) the drug delivery system further provides that the catheters have a proximal end in fluid communication with the housing outlet port and a distal end positioned in fluid communication with the corpora cavernosa of a subject, and wherein the one or more microfluidic valves are situated proximal to each catheter distal end;   wherein the method comprises implanting the housing and one or more patient input mechanisms within the body of the subject, wherein the patient input mechanisms are positioned subcutaneously so that they may register electrical, radio frequency or physical signals from outside the body of the subject;   and wherein the method further comprises the release of the therapeutic in response to a signal received by the patient input mechanism from outside the body of the subject, subject to the further condition that the microcontroller is not within a refractory period prohibiting delivery of a dosage of the therapeutic.