Patent ID: 7519418

Claim:
An apparatus for delivering a medicament to an obstruction within a vascular segment or a body passageway which comprises: a catheter having a distal end and a proximal end; a substantially cylindrical shaped expansion member located on the distal end of the catheter, the expansion member including first and second ends and having a plurality of flexible elongate elements, the flexible elongate elements comprising: a first set of elements having a first common direction of rotation crossing a second set of elements having a second common direction of rotation opposite to that of the first direction of rotation to form a double helix mesh; a first elongate member defining a first lumen to receive at least one electrical lead; a second elongate member defining a second lumen, which is located within the first lumen, to receive a guide wire, the second elongate member is centrally disposed within a space formed by the expansion member; a movement mechanism which causes axial movement of collars towards one another, the collars engaging the first end and the second ends of the expansion member for altering a distance therebetween to move the expansion member between a first configuration wherein the expansion member is characterized by a first diameter and a second configuration wherein the expansion member is characterized by a second diameter, the second diameter being greater than the first diameter; and one or more liposomes encapsulated with medicament or therapeutic agent coated on the expansion member, wherein the at least one electrical lead extends through the longitudinal length of the catheter, in electrical communication with and engaged to the expansion member, the electrical lead adapted to communicate electrical energy to the expansion member to cause both iontopheric and electroporation transfer of the medicament or therapeutic agent into target tissues.