Abstract: A medical device, for example, an endoscope or catheter, includes local drug delivery capabilities for selectively delivering at least one drug in vivo. The local drug delivery may occur as the medical device is advanced through tortuous passageways of the patient's body or may occur after the medical device has reached its targeted destination. The medical device includes a drug agent, for example, carried in or on a hydrophilic or hydrogel coating disposed on the outside thereof. When the hydrogel or drug agent receives an appropriate signal, e.g., solution containing a triggering agent or triggering condition, e.g., heat or light, the hydrogel contracts or expands to squeeze out the drug from hydrogel. If electric current is provided as the signal, and the drug agent is charged, the drug agent is released by electrophoretic forces.

Abstract: The present invention includes systems, methods and apparatus. A system in accord with the present invention may include an intraluminal patch sized to fit within a lumen and an expandable therapeutic delivery device. The patch in this embodiment may have an adhesive region on an exposed surface and a drug reservoir region in communication with the exposed surface. By comparison, a method employing the present invention may include placing an intraluminal patch over an expandable delivery device, advancing the delivery device and the expandable patch to a target site, expanding the delivery device so that the patch adheres to the target site, and contracting and withdrawing the delivery device. In so doing the patch may remain to emit a drug to the target site over a sustained period of time.

Abstract: The present invention includes systems, methods and apparatus. A system in accord with the present invention may include an intraluminal patch sized to fit within a lumen and an expandable therapeutic delivery device. The patch in this embodiment may have an adhesive region on an exposed surface and a drug reservoir region in communication with the exposed surface. By comparison, a method employing the present invention may include placing an intraluminal patch over an expandable delivery device, advancing the delivery device and the expandable patch to a target site, expanding the delivery device so that the patch adheres to the target site, and contracting and withdrawing the delivery device. In so doing the patch may remain to emit a drug to the target site over a sustained period of time.