Drug Device Electroporation Angioplasty System

Abstract

Active Energy Facilitated Drug Delivery platform for delivering therapeutics to biological tissue through electrical conductivity. This delivery method is comprised of an elastic alloy to encase a balloon or drug deposition, where the alloy acts to emit an electric field in aiding and actively allowing the pharmaceutical agent to have enhanced permeation, binding and internalization to cells and the biological matrix. A therapeutic agent is deposited onto a balloon to embody the drug deposition, reservoir whereby the electrical field facilitates the active transfer of a pharmaceutical agent to the target tissue is described.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A balloon catheter comprising:
 an expandable balloon;   a coating on the expandable balloon, the coating including a therapeutic bio-active agent;   an elastic conducting alloy cage that is biased to be in a collapsed state on the expandable balloon and is expanded by expansion of the expandable balloon such that the expandable balloon is encased by the elastic conducting alloy cage; and   a shaft having an electrode to transfer electrical energy to the elastic conducting alloy cage, wherein the elastic conducting alloy cage is to apply the electrical energy to a target tissue and emit an electric field to facilitate concurrent transfer of the bio-active agent from the coating on the expandable balloon to a target tissue.   
     
     
         25 . The balloon catheter of  claim 24 , wherein the elastic conducting alloy cage is connected to both distal and proximal ends of the balloon and is electrically connected therebetween. 
     
     
         26 . The balloon catheter of  claim 25 , wherein the elastic conducting alloy cage includes a continuous electrical path around a circumference of the working length of the balloon when the balloon is expanded. 
     
     
         27 . The balloon catheter of  claim 26 , wherein the elastic conducting alloy cage comprises an arrangement of electrically connected struts forming the continuous electrical path around the circumference of the working length of the balloon when the balloon is expanded. 
     
     
         28 . The balloon catheter of  claim 24 , wherein the elastic conducting alloy cage is formed from nitinol. 
     
     
         29 . The balloon catheter of  claim 24 , in which the bio-active agent is selected from the group of classes consisting of anti-neoplastic agents, mTOR inhibitors, taxanes, neurotoxins, steroids, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents. 
     
     
         30 . The balloon catheter of  claim 24 , wherein the elastic conducting alloy cage is coated with the coating. 
     
     
         31 . The balloon catheter of  claim 24 , wherein the coating includes an excipient. 
     
     
         32 . The balloon catheter of  claim 31 , wherein the elastic conducting alloy cage is coated with the coating. 
     
     
         33 . The balloon catheter of  claim 31 , wherein the excipient is selected from the group consisting of a polymer with hydrophilic character and an oligomer with hydrophilic character. 
     
     
         34 . The balloon catheter of  claim 31 , wherein the excipient comprises poly(ethyleneglycol). 
     
     
         35 . The balloon catheter of  claim 31 , wherein the excipient is selected from the group consisting of a sorbitan mono oleate and a block co-polymer of PEO and PPO. 
     
     
         36 . The balloon catheter of  claim 31 , wherein the excipient comprises an iodinated non-ionic contrast agent. 
     
     
         37 . The balloon catheter of  claim 31 , wherein the excipient comprises shellac. 
     
     
         38 . The balloon catheter of  claim 31 , wherein the excipient comprises a lipid. 
     
     
         39 . The balloon catheter of  claim 31 , wherein the excipient comprises a phospholipid.