Claims
- 1. A covered, coiled drug delivery stent comprising:
a coiled, radially-expandable stent body comprising an outer surface; a porous covering overlying the outer surface; a drug associated with the porous covering; and said stent, porous covering and drug constituting a stent subassembly.
- 2. The covered stent according to claim 1 wherein the stent body comprises spaced-apart parallel side elements joined by connector elements.
- 3. The covered stent according to claim 1 wherein the stent body is made of metal.
- 4. The covered stent according to claim 1 wherein the stent body is made of nickel-titanium.
- 5. The covered stent according to claim 1 wherein the porous covering comprises ePTFE.
- 6. The covered stent according to claim 1 wherein the drug and the porous covering comprises a drug/porous covering matrix.
- 7. The covered stent according to claim 1 wherein the drug is situated between the outer surface and the porous covering.
- 8. The covered stent according to claim 1 wherein the drug overlies the porous covering.
- 9. The covered stent according to claim 1 further comprising means for delaying migration of said drug from said stent subassembly.
- 10. The covered stent according to claim 9 wherein the drug migration delaying means comprise a drug/biodegradable material matrix wherein said drug is interspersed within a biodegradable material.
- 11. The covered stent according to claim 1 wherein the drug is microencapsulated using a biodegradable encapsulation material so as to delay migration of said drug from the stent subassembly.
- 12 The covered stent according to claim 1, further comprising a removable protective layer covering said stent subassembly so that when removed, said drug may migrate from said stent subassembly.
- 13. The covered stent according to claim 12 wherein the protective layer comprises a biodegradable material so that said protective layer is removed when it biodegrades.
- 14. The covered stent according to claim 13 wherein the biodegradable material comprises a biodegradable polymer.
- 15. The covered stent according to claim 12 wherein the protective layer comprises a sheath which can be pulled off of the stent subassembly to remove protective layer from the stent subassembly.
- 16. The covered stent according to claim 1 wherein the drug comprises one or more of the following:
NO generators, paclitaxel, statins, taxol, heparin in its various forms, i.e., low molecular weights, thienopyridines, glycoprotein IIb/IIIb inhibitors, antiplatelet agents, antithrombins, fibrinolytics, anticoagulants, thrombolytics, abciximab, rapamycin, hirudin, VEGF, Hirulog, ticlopidine and clopidogrel.
- 17. The covered stent according to claim 1 wherein the drug comprises taxol.
- 18. The covered stent according to claim 1 wherein the drug comprises heparin.
- 19. The covered stent according to claim 1 wherein the drug comprises rapamycin.
- 20. A covered, coiled drug delivery stent comprising:
a coiled, radially-expandable stent body comprising spaced-apart parallel side elements joined by connector elements and an outer surface; a porous covering, comprising ePTFE, overlying the outer surface; a drug associated with the porous covering; said stent body, porous covering, and drug constituting a stent subassembly; and a biodegradable protective layer covering said stent subassembly so that when said protective layer biodegrades, said drug may migrate from said stent subassembly.
- 21. A method for delivering a drug to a patient comprising:
directing a covered, coiled stent subassembly, comprising a drug associated with a porous covering which overlies a coiled, radially-expandable prosthesis, to a target site within a patient; waiting for a protective material, initially shielding the drug, to be effectively removed from said stent subassembly thereby exposing said drug; and permitting said the drug to migrate from said stent subassembly for interaction with the patient.
- 22. The method according to claim 21 wherein the directing step is carried out using a drug comprising at least one of the following:
NO generators, hirudin, Paclitaxel, Rapmycin, statins, taxol, heparin in its various forms, i.e., low molecular weights, thienopyridines, glycoprotein IIb/IIIb inhibitors, antiplatelet agents, antithrombins, fibrinolytics, anticoagulants, thrombolytics, abciximab, rapamycin, hirudin, VEGF, Hirulog, Ticlopidine and clopidogrel.
- 23. The method according to claim 21 wherein the directing step is carried out with the drug at at least one of the following locations: underlying the porous covering, overlying the porous covering and incorporated into the porous covering to create a drug/porous covering matrix.
- 24. The method according to claim 21 wherein the waiting step comprises waiting for a biodegradable material, initially enclosing the drug, to biodegrade thus exposing the drug.
- 25. The method according to claim 21 wherein the waiting step comprises waiting for the protective layer covering the subassembly to biodegrade.
- 26. The method according to claim 21 wherein the waiting step comprises waiting for a protective covering the subassembly to be at least partially pulled off of the stent.
- 27. The method according to claim 21 further comprising removing the stent subassembly from the patient following the permitting step.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is related to the following: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/258,542 filed Feb. 26, 1999; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/400,952 filed Sep. 22, 1999; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/400,955 filed Sep. 22, 1999; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/608,281 filed Jun. 30, 2000.