Patent ID: 8337549
Filing Date: 2012-12-25
Classification: A61F,A61L,A61N,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A dialysis graft for the treatment of dialysis graft intimal hyperplasia adapted for use in an animal or human patient requiring hemodialysis graft access in the treatment of kidney disease comprising, a polymeric graft tube that is flexible throughout having a central lumen therein and a pair of ends adapted to be grafted to a blood vessel of the patient for circulating the patient's blood through said lumen such that said tube thereby comprises a shunt which replaces a portion of said blood vessel by being grafted thereto at each of said ends, the polymeric graft tube being a) comprised of a material adapted for surgical grafting at both ends thereof, b) constructed and arranged for having body tissue surrounding the flexible graft tube and being attached to or carried by the patient to permit access throughout to the patient's blood c) formed from a material that is transparent to visible light energy to thereby enable visible light to be directed therethrough for exteriorly irradiating blood cells proliferating within the flexible graft tube to kill or debilitate the cells without detectable damage to the surrounding body tissue in contact with the flexible graft tube, a drug-eluting erodible matrix coating within the central lumen that is applied to an interior surface of the tube comprising a biocompatible erodible supporting matrix with a cell-division inhibiting agent comprising an anticarcinogen dispersed therein that is transparent to visible light and in direct contact with the patient's blood during use, the erodible matrix coating provides sustained delivery of the agent from the matrix at a selected release rate of the matrix that is used into a central lumen of the tube, a visible light source that is attached to the flexible graft tube in position to direct visible light emanating from the source through the flexible graft tube and through the matrix into the lumen thereof while the patient's blood flows therethrough, and the blood in the lumen of the tube being thereby exposed to the agent while the blood receives the visible light radiation that is directed into the flexible graft tube from the attached visible light source for reducing or eliminating one or more of the symptoms of kidney dialysis graft intimal hyperplasia.