Implants and constructs including hollow fibers

Abstract

Hollow fiber drug delivery devices are described. Device can contain structural or solid fibers. Fabric can be formed by fibers being interwoven or joined to each other. All or some of the fibers can be resorbable. Fibers can be subdivided, by deformations or closure points, into numerous compartments that separately deliver drug. Deformations can be located at points of fiber intersection or joining. Different drug or drug formulation can be provided in different places. Fibers can be given appropriate surface treatments or coatings to achieve desired properties such as wetting of pores and surfaces. Different release characteristics in different directions can be achieved. The hollow fibers can contain solid particles of drug, and can contain gel. Possible applications include hernia meshes, pouches, sutures, catheters, wound dressings, stents, nerve regrowth guides, refillable/drainable devices, and devices that deliver drug to lymphatic flow.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . An implantable device for administering a drug or biologic substance, said device comprising:
 a plurality of nonmetallic hollow fibers having native-permeable walls, said walls having characteristics such that molecules of said drug or said biologic substance can pass through said walls while a larger molecule cannot pass through said walls,   said hollow fibers having respective fiber lumens, said fiber lumens containing said drug or said biologic substance therein,   wherein said hollow fibers or said hollow fibers and additional fibers are interwoven or adhered to form a fabric construct,   wherein said fabric construct is configured to at least partially surround a nerve, or a cut nerve, or a missing section of a nerve, or a transplanted section of a nerve, or a blood vessel, or a lymph duct, or a lymph node, or an anatomical organ, or an area of tissue to be treated.   
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said fabric construct extends along a longitudinal direction and is curved along a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said fabric construct generally has a form of a sleeve or has a form of a pouch that can surround a portion of an organ. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said fabric construct is suitable to surround an artery upstream of an organ that is in need of delivery of said drug or said biological substance. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said device or a portion of said device is resorbable. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said fiber lumens contain, as said drug or said biologic substance, at least one of a substance selected from the group consisting of: an antimicrobial; an antibiotic; an anti-biofilm drug; a chemotherapeutic drug; a biological substance or molecular drugs useful for regrowth, repair or treatment of a nerve; a growth factor, a substance to suppress fibrosis; an anesthetic; an analgesic; an anti-inflammatory; an immunosuppressant; an immune modulator; a chemotherapeutic agent; an anti-coagulant; an anti-adhesion drug; a muscle relaxant; a tissue relaxant; and a biologic, and peptides, proteins, enzymes, antibodies, DNA, RNA, growth factors or modulators, immunogens, immune-therapeutics, and any substance that can act on a cell, virus, tissue, organ or organism to create a change in functioning of the cell, virus, organ or organism to achieve a pharmaceutical or therapeutic effect. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said fiber lumens contain therewithin solid particles of said drug or said biologic substance. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said additional fibers are solid fibers or are fibers that do not contain said drug or said biological substance, said additional fibers being intertwined with or interspersed with or attached to said hollow fibers. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said device comprises an externally-facing surface and an internally-facing surface, and wherein said externally-facing surface is more resistant to passage therethrough of said drugs or said biological substances than is said internally-facing surface. 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said device comprises a barrier that prevents or inhibits outward passage of said drugs or said biologic substances. 
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said fabric construct has a first layer and a second layer, and wherein fibers in said first layer said hollow fibers have a first characteristic of tightness or openness of weaving, porosity, pore size, pore size distribution, pore shape, pore wetting, pore hydrophobicity, surface treatment, coating, or any other parameter that affects the passage of drug through pores, and wherein in said second layer said hollow fibers have a second characteristic different from said first characteristic. 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said device has an adhesion-inhibiting property on a surface at which it is desired to avoid adhesion of tissue to said device. 
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said device can be used as a scaffold for cell growth. 
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said hollow fibers have respective first ends and respective second ends opposite said first ends, wherein said device further comprises a first reservoir having a reservoir internal lumen, wherein at said first ends, said fiber lumens are in fluid communication with said first reservoir internal lumen. 
     
     
         37 . The device of  claim 36 , further comprising a port connected to said first reservoir internal lumen and comprising a septum that is configured to self-seal after puncture such that said drug can be fed into said first reservoir internal lumen and thence into said fiber lumens. 
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 23 , further comprising a tube connecting said septum with said manifold, said tube providing fluid communication between said septum and said manifold. 
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said device further comprises a second reservoir having a reservoir internal lumen, wherein at said first ends, said fiber lumens are in fluid communication with said second reservoir internal lumen. 
     
     
         40 . The device of  claim 39 , further comprising a port connected to said second reservoir internal lumen and comprising a septum that is configured to self-seal after puncture such that a material can be drained from said second reservoir internal lumen and thereby from said fiber lumens. 
     
     
         41 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said fiber lumens contain therewithin a material, wherein the material comprises a gel, a liquid, or nanoparticles, and the material contains said drug or said biologic substance. 
     
     
         42 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said device can be used as a scaffold for cell growth for making organs by providing support, nutrients, drugs, growth factor, genes or other factors and compounds and can be refilled.