Drug delivery system and method using shock waves

Abstract

Acoustic pressure shock waves are applied to a drug delivery structure implanted in tissue of a human or animal body and including one or more pouches that contain at least one drug in fluid form that is releasable from the drug delivery structure when targeted by the acoustic pressure shock waves.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating a human or animal body comprising applying acoustic pressure shock waves to a drug delivery structure implanted in tissue of the body sufficient to locally release a drug contained as a fluid within at least one pouch of the drug delivery structure. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising perforating a film or foil of the at least one pouch with the acoustic pressure shock waves to release the drug. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising releasing a plurality of drugs contained as fluid within a plurality of pouches of the drug delivery structure with the acoustic pressure shock waves. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of pouches have an ellipsoidal shape. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising releasing a plurality of drugs contained as fluid within a plurality of pouches of the drug delivery structure with the acoustic pressure shock waves. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of pouches have an ellipsoidal shape. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising applying focused acoustic pressure shock waves so that a focal volume of the acoustic pressure shock waves intersects the plurality of pouches of the drug delivery structure. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying focused acoustic pressure shock waves so that a focal volume of the acoustic pressure shock waves intersects the at least one pouch of the drug delivery structure. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising applying focused acoustic pressure shock waves so that a focal volume of the acoustic pressure shock waves intersects the at least one pouch of the drug delivery structure. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the drug delivery structure is biodegradable and further comprising applying acoustic pressure shock waves to break the drug delivery structure into small pieces that are able to be absorbed by the tissue into which the drug delivery structure is implanted. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the drug delivery structure is biodegradable and further comprising applying acoustic pressure shock waves to break the drug delivery structure into small pieces that are able to be absorbed by the tissue into which the drug delivery structure is implanted. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the drug delivery structure is biodegradable and further comprising applying acoustic pressure shock waves to break the drug delivery structure into small pieces that are able to be absorbed by the tissue into which the drug delivery structure is implanted. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the drug delivery structure is biodegradable and further comprising applying acoustic pressure shock waves to break the drug delivery structure into small pieces that are able to be absorbed by the tissue into which the drug delivery structure is implanted. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the drug delivery structure is biodegradable and further comprising applying acoustic pressure shock waves to break the drug delivery structure into small pieces that are able to be absorbed by the tissue into which the drug delivery structure is implanted. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the drug delivery structure is biodegradable and further comprising applying acoustic pressure shock waves to break the drug delivery structure into small pieces that are able to be absorbed by the tissue into which the drug delivery structure is implanted. 
     
     
         16 . A system for treating a human or animal body comprising:
 a drug delivery structure having at least one pouch containing a drug in fluid form implanted in tissue in the body wherein the pouch is configured to release the drug when targeted by acoustic pressure shock waves; and   an extracorporeal acoustic pressure shock wave applicator positioned to intersect a focal volume of acoustic pressure shock waves produced by the applicator with the at least one pouch.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the drug delivery structure includes a plurality of pouches containing a plurality of different drugs in fluid form and the extracorporeal acoustic pressure shock wave applicator is positioned to intersect a focal volume of acoustic pressure shock waves produced by the applicator with the plurality of pouches. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the extracorporeal shock wave applicator includes a reflector that produces the focal volume. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the drug delivery structure includes film or foil configured to be perforated by acoustic pressure shock waves. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the extracorporeal shock wave applicator includes a reflector that produces the focal volume.