Patent ID: 7588564
Filing Date: 2009-09-15
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. An implantable apparatus for infusing a plurality of medicating agents to a specific desired location at a tumor site for nonsystemic treatment of a tumor, when implanted within a patient's body, comprising: an implantable pouch having a plurality of collapsible and disintegratable chambers composed of a bioabsorbable material, the pouch comprising a scaffolding forming a matrix capable of degrading over time, and a synthetic human skin for substantially enclosing the pouch, the chambers being structurally defined by the matrix, each chamber having a volume for storing a corresponding one of the plurality of the medicating agents in a macroscopic amount and for a duration effective for tumor treatment including relatively long durations, and wherein the chambers and the synthetic human skin are arranged and configured to substantially completely collapse and disintegrate within the patient's body with depletion of the plurality of medicating agents which is selectively dispensed from the chambers; where the plurality of medicating agents are stored in corresponding ones of the plurality of collapsible chambers; multiple implantable piezoelectric pumps fabricated in the pouch which pumps form a skeleton for the pouch, the pumps being configured to transfer the medicating agents to the patient; where the synthetic human skin is an implantable and bioabsorbable skin substitute; at least one implanted sensor to measure a local homeostatic response related to at least one of the plurality of medicating agents; and an implanted control circuit with a programmable memory on a biodegradable substrate housed within and implanted at the site of implantation of the pouch and proximate to the pumps to control optimal local dosing amounts of each of the medicating agents and scheduling of the medicating agents in a closed loop control mode so that control of the operation is performed autonomously as determined by adjustable values of locally sensed homeostatic parameters at the treatment site, where the control circuit controls at least one of the piezoelectric pumps to modify the state of the tumor in response to measurements from the implanted sensor, and where the control circuit controls and selectively adjusts the scheduling of the amounts of the medicating agents which are delivered in response to selective user commands delivered to the control circuit and alterable during a treatment process after implantation.