Implantable medical device having pre-implant exoskeleton

Abstract

The present application describes a method and apparatus for implanting a medical device within a living body. The apparatus includes an elongate sleeve positionable with a living body, such as within a blood vessel, and a medical device insertable into the sleeve. During use, the sleeve is retained with the body, and the medical device is sealed within the sleeve. The sleeve substantially avoids biological growth onto the medical device, and thus permits removal of the medical device independently of the sleeve.

1 - 30 . (canceled)  
   
   
       31 . A implantable intravascular medical system including: 
 a elongate sleeve proportioned for implantation within a blood vessel in a body of a patient; and    an implantable medical device positionable within the sleeve, the medical device including a drug reservoir, a delivery port fluidly coupled to the drug reservoir, and a pump positioned to pump drug stored in the drug reservoir out the delivery port.    
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein: 
 the sleeve includes an interior and an exit orifice fluidly coupled to the interior; and    the delivery port of the implantable medical device is positioned to fluidly couple to the exit orifice of the sleeve when the implantable medical device is positioned within the sleeve.    
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the sleeve includes an opening, wherein the implantable medical device is insertable into the sleeve through the opening, and wherein the system further includes a seal positionable in the opening to seal the opening against body fluids.  
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 31 , further including an anchor on the sleeve, the anchor expandable into contact with the walls of the blood vessel to retain the sleeve therein.  
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the sleeve includes a distal section and a proximal section, wherein the proximal section is more flexible than the distal section, and wherein the opening is formed in the proximal section.  
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein: 
 the implantable medical device includes a fill tube fluidly coupled to the drug reservoir; and    a port fluidly coupled to the fill tube, the port accessible from outside the body.    
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein: 
 the system includes a vessel containing a volume of a drug, the vessel enageable with the port for fluid communication with the fill tube.    
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the vessel comprises a having a needle tip sufficiently sharpened to penetrate the patient's skin for access to the port.  
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the fill tube is fully disposed within the sleeve, and wherein the fill tube and sleeve have sufficient length to extend outside the body, and wherein the vessel and port are engageable outside the body.  
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the sleeve is constructed to prevent biological growth onto the medical device when the sleeve and medical device are implanted in a blood vessel.  
   
   
       41 - 42 . (canceled)  
   
   
       43 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the sleeve is formed of a material that will degrade within a blood vessel over a predetermined period of time.