Patent ID: 8313422
Filing Date: 2012-11-20
Classification: A61B,A61K,A61N,A61P,B82Y,C12Y,H01F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of treating a thrombus within a blood vessel of the brain through external magnetomotive manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles, the method comprising: introducing a thrombolytic drug within vasculature of a subject, the thrombolytic drug configured to have a therapeutic effect on a thrombus within a blood vessel of the brain; introducing a plurality of coated magnetic nanoparticles within the vasculature of the subject, wherein the magnetic nanoparticles have a diameter between about 15 nm and 150 nm; orienting a permanent magnet external to the blood vessel and having a magnetic field and a directed magnetic gradient to establish a magnetic rotation plane of the permanent magnet; programming a controller to cause the permanent magnet to be positioned and to rotate in a manner sufficient to cause the magnetic nanoparticles to agglomerate to form a plurality of magnetic nanoparticle rods having a length between 0.1 and 2 millimeters within the vasculature to travel toward the thrombus in an end over end walking motion in response to torque exerted by the rotating magnetic field and to an attractive force of the directed magnetic gradient, wherein the rotational frequency of the rotating magnetic field is between 1 Hz and 30 Hz, wherein the rotating magnetic field has a magnitude of between 0.01 Tesla and 0.1 Tesla, wherein the directed magnetic gradient has a strength of between 0.01 Tesla/meter and 5 Tesla/meter, wherein the end over end walking motion of each of the magnetic nanoparticle rods generates a circulating fluid motion within the vasculature proximal to the thrombus, and wherein the circulating fluid motion facilitates contact of the thrombolytic drug with the thrombus by enhancing diffusion of the thrombolytic drug to the region of the blood vessel proximal to the thrombus and by refreshing contact of the thrombus with the thrombolytic drug, thereby providing more effective interaction of the thrombolytic drug with the thrombus.