FIELD: medical equipment.
SUBSTANCE: invention relates to medical devices and methods, and more specifically to drug delivery devices and related methods for use of such devices for controlled drug delivery to a selected area of the lower urinary tract, for example, into the bladder of a patient with an inserted catheter. The drug delivery device for use with a urinary catheter contains a drug reservoir and a flexible elongated case attached to the drug reservoir. The drug reservoir contains a drug chamber containing a drug, a fluid chamber containing fluid, and an osmotic barrier separating the drug chamber and the fluid chamber. The flexible elongated case is made with the possibility of passage through the patient’s urethra to reach the bladder. The case contains a lumen for the drug delivery, passing through it and being in a fluid communication with the drug chamber. The flexible elongated case contains a capillary tube made with the possibility of detachable attachment to the urinary catheter or passage through it. The urinary catheter and drug delivery system contains a urinary catheter made with the possibility of provision of the removal of urine from the patient’s bladder and containing a flexible elongated case made with the possibility of passage through the patient’s urethra to reach the bladder and containing a drainage lumen passing through it; and the above-described drug delivery device. A method for the administration of a drug to a patient in need includes stages, at which: distal end sections of the above-described drug delivery device are inserted through the patient’s urethra, and distal end sections are located inside the bladder, while maintaining the location of proximal end sections of the above-described drug delivery device and the urinary catheter outside the patient’s body; urine is allowed for flowing out of the bladder through the urinary catheter; and the drug is delivered by osmotic pressure from the proximal end section of the above-described drug delivery device to the bladder. In accordance with the second embodiment, the urinary catheter and drug delivery system contains a urinary catheter made with the possibility of provision of the removal of urine from the patient’s bladder, and a drug delivery device detachably attached to the urinary catheter. The urinary catheter contains (i) a flexible elongated catheter case made with the possibility of passage through the patient’s urethra to reach the bladder, and (ii) a cylinder attached to the catheter case and having an internal cavity. The catheter case contains (i) a drainage lumen passing through it from a distal hole to a proximal hole made in the catheter case, and (ii) a pumping lumen passing through it and being in a fluid communication with the internal cavity. The drug delivery device contains a drug reservoir located near the distal hole of the drainage lumen and made with the possibility of being placed inside the patient’s bladder. The drug reservoir contains a drug chamber containing a drug. The drug reservoir is located axially between the distal hole of the drainage lumen and the cylinder. In accordance with the second option, the method for the administration of a drug to a patient in need includes stages, at which: the above-described drug delivery device and the distal end section of the urinary catheter are inserted through the patient’s urethra, and the above-described drug delivery device and the distal end section of the urinary catheter are placed inside the bladder; urine is allowed for flowing out of the bladder through the drainage lumen; and the drug is delivered from the drug chamber to the bladder.
EFFECT: advantage for such devices and methods is that they include a sufficiently large payload of a drug to ensure the drug delivery for an extended period of time, without blocking the desired function of a urinary catheter and without occupying a significant part of the bladder, which could lead to problems with patient tolerance; advantage of such devices and methods is also that they prevent or suppress microbial infections, which could otherwise develop with prolonged catheterization.
79 cl, 5 dwg
