Methods and apparatuses for treating tumors

Inventors

Agah, Ramtin • Najmabadi, Kamran • BAGAI, Shaun • Paraschac, Joseph F.

Assignees

RenovoRx Inc

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for treating tumors. A method of treatment may include reducing the microvasculature of a region between a tumor and a lumen through or adjacent to the tumor (e.g., by administering radiation therapy targeting the tumor), isolating a segment of a lumen proximate to the tumor, and administering a dose of a chemotherapeutic agent to the segment.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to treating a target area including a tumor by reducing microvasculature in the target area and then delivering a dose of an agent from an isolated lumen segment. A catheter device is inserted into a lumen within or adjacent to the tumor, and the catheter device includes a first occluder and a second occluder. The first and second occluders isolate a segment of the lumen proximate to the target area so that the agent dose is delivered to the target area having the reduced microvasculature from the isolated segment via the catheter device.

The approach further incorporates pressure control relative to an interstitial space pressure. A method is provided in which a segment of a lumen proximate to a target area is isolated, the target area includes a tumor that has been devascularized to reduce the microvasculature in the target area, and an intraluminal pressure of the isolated segment is decreased to a level of pressure of an interstitial space between the lumen and the target area. The dose of the agent is delivered from the isolated segment while the intraluminal pressure is increased to greater than the pressure of the interstitial space between the lumen and the target area.

The invention is implemented with an occluder-based catheter isolation strategy for delivering an agent to a microvasculature-reduced tumor environment. The catheter device can include first and second occluders with adjustable separation distance for isolating the lumen segment, and the method can use a catheter device with a pressure sensor to measure intraluminal pressure. The agent delivery is carried out while the target area has reduced microvasculature, including embodiments where the agent includes a dye.

Claims Coverage

The document contains three independent method claims covering microvasculature reduction followed by isolated-lumen agent delivery using a catheter device with two occluders, isolated-lumen delivery with intraluminal pressure decreased to interstitial space pressure and then increased above it while delivering to a devascularized tumor, and a substantially similar occluder-based isolated-lumen delivery method specifically reciting insertion into a lumen within or adjacent to a tumor in a microvasculature-reduced target area. Across these independent claims, the core coverage centers on a catheter isolation mechanism using first and second occluders, delivery of an agent from the isolated segment, and, for one independent claim, a specific intraluminal pressure control sequence relative to interstitial space pressure.

Overall, the independent claim set is directed to delivering an agent to a tumor in a target area having reduced microvasculature by isolating a lumen segment proximate to the target area using first and second occluders on a catheter device. One independent claim additionally requires decreasing intraluminal pressure to interstitial space pressure before agent delivery and then increasing intraluminal pressure to greater than interstitial space pressure during delivery.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications