Patent ID: 6238368
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61M

Abstract:
A therapeutic device intended for substantially fully intracorporeal insertion for treatment of an obstruction in the prostatic portion of a male urethra, comprising:a non-biodegradable element that is designed to be placed and retained in a prostatic portion of the male urethra to maintain a channel, said element being sufficiently flexible to conform to the urethra, but sufficiently rigid to maintain the channel for urine flow in the prostatic portion, the channel providing for passage of urine from upstream of the obstruction to downstream of the obstruction;a cytoreductive agent that causes reduction of the obstruction, said cytoreductive agent being positioned along said element, so as to treat the obstruction of the prostatic portion of the male urethra, when said element is retained in the prostatic portion of the male urethra; anda protective surface envelope covering said cytoreductive agent, wherein said envelope is biodegradable through tissue contact in situ with the obstructed part of the male urethra,wherein said device is non-traumatically removable from the male urethra following treatment of the obstruction.