Injector apparatus and method for drug delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11786396-B2
Application number	US-201916386854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2019
Priority date	Aug 5, 2010
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

Methods and apparatus provide a therapeutic fluid to devices implanted in the body, for example to containers of devices implanted in the eye of a patient. The methods and apparatus may comprise an injector to increase an amount of therapeutic agent injected into the device implanted in the eye, or a structure to receive the therapeutic fluid within the device implanted in the eye, or combinations thereof. The device implanted in the eye may comprise a reservoir chamber having a fluid with a density different than the therapeutic fluid, and the apparatus can be adapted to at least partially separate the implanted device fluid from therapeutic fluid within the reservoir chamber to increase and amount of therapeutic fluid placed in the reservoir chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for injecting a therapeutic agent into an ocular implant, the ocular implant being at least partially implanted in an eye, the system comprising:
a cartridge configured to couple to a syringe; and
a needle coupled to the cartridge defining an injection lumen and an outlet lumen fixed relative to one another, wherein the injection lumen is longer than the outlet lumen such that an opening from the injection lumen is positioned distal to an opening into the outlet lumen,
wherein application of positive pressure into the injection lumen injects a therapeutic agent into an ocular implant through the injection lumen and displaces pre-existing fluid in the ocular implant through the outlet lumen into the cartridge, and
wherein the outlet lumen includes a restriction structure configured to resist flow into the outlet lumen such that a portion of the therapeutic agent injected through the injection lumen passes as a bolus through the ocular implant and into the eye.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the container is configured to store the first amount of pre-existing fluid displaced from the ocular implant in a manner suitable for analysis.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet lumen and the injection lumen are concentrically positioned relative to one another.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet lumen surrounds the injection lumen along at least a portion of a length of the injection lumen.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the syringe having a source chamber and configured to be fluidly coupled to the injection lumen, the source chamber providing a source of therapeutic agent for injecting into the ocular implant via the injection lumen.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a hub configured to removably receive the syringe to fluidly couple the syringe to the injection lumen.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a sheath positioned at least partially over the needle so as to form the outlet lumen between an inner surface of the sheath and an outer surface of the needle.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein a distal tip of the sheath tapers such that at least a portion of the distal tip of the sheath contacts an outer surface of the needle.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of a distal tip of the sheath is spaced from an outer surface of the needle.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the sheath forms at least one opening through which fluid can pass from the implant into the outlet lumen.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the opening is between a distal-most end of the sheath and an outer surface of the needle.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein an opening at the end of the needle permits fluid to pass from the injection lumen into the ocular implant.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a stop, the stop configured to limit a depth of insertion of the injection lumen into the ocular implant.

14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the ocular implant, wherein the ocular implant comprises a second porous structure configured to release the therapeutic agent from the ocular implant, the second porous structure having a second resistance to flow.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first resistance to flow of the first porous structure is proportional to or greater than the second resistance to flow of the second porous structure such that a second amount of pre-existing fluid in the ocular implant exits the ocular implant through the second porous structure as the therapeutic agent is injected into the ocular implant through the injection lumen to provide a bolus injection of the pre-existing fluid into the eye.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first resistance to flow is less than the second resistance to flow so as to at least partially separate the first amount of pre-existing fluid from the therapeutic agent being injected.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pre-existing fluid in the ocular implant is displaced with an efficiency of at least about 70%.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pre-existing fluid in the ocular implant is displaced with an efficiency of at least about 80%.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pre-existing fluid in the ocular implant is displaced with an efficiency of at least about 90%.

20. An injector for injecting a therapeutic agent into an ocular implant at least partially implanted in an eye, the injector comprising:
an injection lumen having a first opening, the injection lumen configured to provide a pathway for injecting a therapeutic agent from the injection lumen through the first opening into the ocular implant using positive pressure applied through the injection lumen;
an outlet lumen configured to provide a pathway through which a first amount of pre-existing liquid in the ocular implant exits the ocular implant as therapeutic agent is injected into the ocular implant through the first opening from the injection lumen, wherein the injection lumen is in a fixed position relative to the outlet lumen such that the first opening from the injection lumen is located distal to the outlet lumen;
a receiver chamber fluidly coupled to the outlet lumen, the receiver chamber comprises a vent to pass air that is fluidly coupled to the outlet lumen so as to define a vent path,
wherein injection of the therapeutic agent into the ocular implant via the injection lumen through the distal opening upon application of the positive pressure through the injection lumen displaces the first amount of pre-existing liquid in the ocular implant into the receiver chamber via the outlet lumen, wherein the vent path comprises no substantial resistance to flow as the therapeutic agent is injected into the ocular implant through the injection lumen.

21. The injector of claim 20 , wherein the outlet lumen surrounds the injection lumen along at least a portion of a length of the injection lumen such that the outlet lumen and the injection lumen are concentrically positioned relative to one another.

22. The injector of claim 20 , wherein the outlet lumen and the injection lumen are positioned side-by-side.

23. The injector of claim 20 , wherein outlet lumen extends to a second opening, the first opening is located distal to the second opening to encourage at least partial separation between the injected therapeutic agent and the first amount of pre-existing liquid.

24. The injector of claim 20 , further comprising a cartridge having at least one needle that defines the injection lumen.

25. The injector of claim 20 , further comprising a source chamber fluidly coupled to the injection lumen, the source chamber providing a source of therapeutic agent for injecting into the ocular implant via the injection lumen.

26. The injector of claim 25 , wherein the source chamber is removably attached to the injection lumen.

27. The injector of claim 25 , wherein the source chamber is loaded with the therapeutic agent.

28. The injector of claim 25 , wherein the source chamber is part of a syringe that attaches to the injection lumen.

29. The injector of claim 20 , further comprising a hub configured to removably receive a syringe that is configured to fluidly couple to the injection lumen.

30. The injector of claim 20 , further comprising a stop, the stop configured to limit a depth of ins

Assignees

• Forsight Vision4 Inc

Inventors

• De Juan Jr Eugene
• Alster Yair
• Farinas Kathleen Cogan
• Macfarlane K Angela
• Reich Cary J
• Campbell Randolph E
• Doud Darren
• Erickson Signe
• Barrett Mike
• Batten David
• Skieller Christina
• Stine Greg

Classifications

• A61F9/0017 Primary

  implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts · CPC title

• A61F9/0008

  Introducing ophthalmic products into the ocular cavity or retaining products therein (putting in contact lenses A61F9/0061; introducing or retaining media in cavities of the body in general A61M31/00) · CPC title

• A61M5/14276

  specially adapted for implantation · CPC title

• A61M5/178 Primary

  Syringes · CPC title

• A61M5/31

  Details · CPC title