Apparatus, systems and methods for delivery of medication to the brain to treat neurological conditions

Inventors

Imran, Mir • Morgan, Phillip • Tranchina, Ben • Spehr, Paul • Horlen, Kyle

Assignees

Incube Laboratories LLC

Abstract

Various embodiments provide an apparatus, system method for treating neurological conditions by delivering solid form medication to the ventricles or other areas of the brain. Particular embodiments provide an apparatus and method for treating epilepsy and other neurological conditions by delivering solid form medication to ventricles in the brain wherein the medication is contained in a diffusion chamber so as to allow the medication to dissolve in the cerebrospinal fluid of the brain and then diffuse out of the diffusion chamber to be delivered to the ventricles and brain tissue. In one or more embodiments, portions of apparatus have sufficient flexibility to conform to the shape of the ventricles of the brain when advanced into them and/or to not cause deformation of the ventricle sufficient to cause a significant physiologic effect.

Core Innovation

The invention provides intracranial delivery of medication to a brain of a patient in need thereof by positioning a diffusion chamber within a ventricle of the brain. The diffusion chamber conforms to the shape of ventricle without significant effect to the patient and is configured to receive a solid form medication element comprising at least one drug. A solid form medication element is advanced into the diffusion chamber, and the solid form medication element is dissolved within cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the chamber.

After dissolving, the drug is diffused from the diffusion chamber to CSF within the ventricle, using the diffusion chamber as the site where the solid becomes a drug solution and then releases drug to CSF at a target treatment location. In related apparatus, the drug delivery device comprises a flexible delivery member and a diffusion chamber coupled to a distal end of the delivery member, with the flexible delivery member and diffusion chamber delivered to and conform to the shape of ventricle without significant effect to the patient.

The system stores a plurality of solid form medication elements and advances a first dose from the storage device into the diffusion chamber, including storing in a storage device implanted within the body or a storage device located outside of the brain. The diffusion chamber and drug delivery arrangement enable controlled dissolution of a solid medication element in CSF and diffusion of the drug into CSF at the target treatment location, and the drug-infused CSF is used to block evoked or spontaneous epileptic neural activity.

In epilepsy-focused treatment or prevention, the invention includes positioning a delivery device to the target treatment location within a selected ventricle of the brain, dissolving a solid form medication element within CSF in the chamber, and diffusing the drug from the diffusion chamber to CSF in the ventricle. Blocking evoked or spontaneous epileptic neural activity occurs via the drug-infused CSF generated at the target treatment location, with the storage device providing individualized advancement of solid doses, including an advanceable belt retaining the plurality of solid form medication elements.

Claims Coverage

The partial content includes three independent claims (clm-00001, clm-00002, clm-00013) covering intracranial delivery of solid medication elements to ventricle CSF using a ventricle-conforming diffusion chamber, including external storage or implanted storage, and an epilepsy-specific treatment or prevention use case that blocks epileptic neural activity via drug-infused CSF. Across the independent claims, the inventive features center on ventricle-conforming diffusion-chamber positioning, solid-dose dissolution in CSF, diffusion of drug into ventricle CSF at a target location, and coupling to a storage device with individualized advancement of solid doses.

The independent claims collectively define intracranial delivery in which a ventricle-conforming diffusion chamber receives solid form medication elements, dissolves them in CSF, and diffuses the drug into CSF at a target location within a selected ventricle. The claims also require individualized advancement of the solid doses from a storage device via a flexible delivery member, and they further cover epilepsy treatment or prevention where the resulting drug-infused CSF blocks evoked or spontaneous epileptic neural activity.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications