Methods and systems for assembling intravesical drug delivery devices

Abstract

Intravesical drug delivery devices that include a device body, a number of solid drug tablets, and a retention frame. The device body includes a drug reservoir lumen and a retention frame lumen. The drug tablets is positioned in the drug reservoir lumen, and the retention frame is positioned in the retention frame lumen.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for loading a drug delivery device, the method comprising:
 positioning one or more solid drug units upstream of the drug delivery device; and   driving the drug units into the drug delivery device with a flow of pressurized gas.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the drug delivery device comprises an elastic tube. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein positioning one or more drug units upstream of the drug delivery device further comprises orienting the drug units to enter the drug delivery device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein positioning one or more drug units upstream of the drug delivery device further comprises aligning the drug units in a row adjacent to an entry into the drug delivery device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein driving the drug units into the drug delivery device with a flow of pressurized gas comprises directing a positive pressure gas flow toward an entry of the drug delivery device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein driving the drug units into the drug delivery device with a flow of pressurized gas comprises depressing a syringe filled with air. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein driving the drug units into the drug delivery device with a flow of pressurized gas comprises operating a vacuum associated with an exit of the drug delivery device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein driving the drug units into the drug delivery device with a flow of pressurized gas further comprises blocking at least one orifice of the drug delivery device to impede the flow of pressurized gas from escaping. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising stopping the drug units from exiting the drug delivery device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising permitting the flow of pressurized gas to travel about outer peripheries of the drug units. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising filtering the flow of pressurized gas before the gas enters the drug delivery device to remove contaminants. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising filtering the flow of pressurized gas after the gas exits the drug delivery device to remove at least a portion of any drug particles and/or excipient particles entrained in the pressurized gas. 
     
     
         13 . A system for loading a drug delivery device, comprising:
 an entry channel in communication with the drug delivery device, the entry channel comprising a drug entry opening; a drug unit source in communication with the entry channel via the drug entry opening; and   a pressurized gas source in communication with the entry channel from a location upstream of the drug entry opening, wherein the pressurized gas source is operable to direct a flow of pressurized gas through the entry channel.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a drug unit source valve operable to selectively permit or prevent drug units from passing through the drug entry opening; a pressurized gas source valve operable to selectively permit or prevent the flow of pressurized gas from passing through the entry channel; and   a controller operable to control the drug unit source valve and the pressurized gas source valve.