Drug release system

Claim 1

A method of introducing a plurality of medicaments into an animal body which includes selecting an area of the body to be treated, implanting into the living tissues of the body a body implant device for delivery of a medicament over a long period of time comprising a chamber adapted to receive a medicament, wall means sufficiently thick to be resistant to fluid flow therethrough partially surrounding said chamber, relatively thin fluid permeable membrane means engaging said wall means and completing the surrounding of said chamber, said membrane means being adapted to permit transport of fluids between the body and said chamber, said membrane means being not over one-half the thickness of said wall means, said wall means and said membrane means being made of a water insoluble hydrophilic non-toxic polymer of a member of the group consisting of hydroxy lower alkyl acrylates, hydroxy lower alkyl methacrylates, hydroxy lower alkoxy lower alkyl acrylates, hydroxy lower alkoxy lower alkyl methacrylates, vinyl pyrrolidone, acrylamide, methacrylamide, Nlower alkyl acrylamide, N-lower alkyl methacrylamide N-hydroxy lower alkyl acrylamide and N-hydroxy lower alkyl methacrylamide first conduit means for feeding medicament to said chamber and second conduit means for rapid removal of medicament from said chamber, introducing into the chamber of the device a first medicament, allowing the device to remain within the body while permitting said first medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body, passing a second medicament through said first conduit means into said chamber after said device is implanted in the body, removing the first medicament through said second conduit means and permitting said second medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body.

Claim 2

A method of introducing a plurality of medicaments into an animal body which includes selecting an area of the body to be treated, implanting into the living tissues of the body a body implant device for delivery of a medicament over a long period of time comprising a chamber adapted to receive a medicament, wall means sufficiently thick to be resistant to fluid flow therethrough partially surrounding said chamber, relatively thin fluid permeable membrane means engaging said wall means and completing the surrounding of said chamber, said membrane means being adapted to permit transport of fluids between the body and said chamber, said membrane means being not over one-half the thickness of said wall means, said wall means and said membrane means being made of a water insoluble hydrophilic non-toxic polymer of a member of the group consisting of hydroxy lower alkyl acrylates, hydroxy lower alkyl methacrylates, hydroxy lower alkoxy lower alkyl acrylates, hydroxy lower alkoxy lower alkyl methacrylates, vinyl pyrrolidone, acrylamide, methacrylamide, Nlower alkyl acrylamide, N-lower alkyl methacrylamide N-hydroxy lower alkyl acrylamide and N-hydroxy lower alkyl methacrylamide first conduit means for feeding medicament to said chamber and second conduit means for rapid removal of medicament from said chamber, introducing into the chamber of the device a first medicament, allowing the device to remain within the body while permitting said first medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body, passing a second medicament through said first conduit means into said chamber after said device is implanted in the body, removing the first medicament through said second conduit means and permitting said second medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body.

Claim 3

A method of introducing a plurality of medicaments into an animal body which includes selecting an area of the body to be treated, implanting into the living tissues of the body a body implant device for delivery of a medicament over a long period of time comprising a chamber adopted to receive a medicament, wall means sufficiently thick to be resistant to fluid flow therethrough at least partially surrounding said chamber, relatively thin fluid permeable membrane means engaging said wall means and either (1) completing the surrounding of said chamber, or (2) completely surrounding both said chamber and said wall means, said membrane means being adapted to permit transport of fluids between the body and said chamber, said membrane means being not over one-half the thickness of said wall means, said wall means and said membrane means being made of a biologically incompatible material and an extremely thin coating of a water insoluble hydrophilic non-toxic, biocompatible polymer of a member of the group consisting of hydroxy lower alkyl acrylates, hydroxy lower alkyl methacrylates, hydroxy lower alkoxy lower alkyl acrylates, hydroxy lower alkoxy lower alkyl methacrylates, vinyl pyrrolidone, acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-lower alkyl acrylamide, N-lower alkyl methacrylamide, N-hydroxy lower alkyl acrylamide and N-hydroxy lower alkyl methacrylamide surrounding all externally exposed portions of said wall means and said membrane means, said coating being sufficiently thin that it does not interfere with fluid transport through said membrane means, a first conduit means for feeding medicament to said chamber and a second conduit for rapid removal of medicament from said chamber, introducing into the chamber of the device a first medicament, allowing the device to remain within the body while permitting said first medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body, passing a second medicament through said first conduit means into said chamber after the device is implanted in the body, removing the first medicament through said second conduit means and permitting said second medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body.

Claim 4

A method of introducing a plurality of medicaments into an animal body which includes selecting an area of the body to be treated, implanting into the living tissues of the body a body implant device for delivery of a medicament over a long period of time comprising a chamber adopted to receive a medicament, wall means sufficiently thick to be resistant to fluid flow therethrough at least partially surrounding said chamber, relatively thin fluid permeable membrane means engaging said wall means and either (1) completing the surrounding of said chamber, or (2) completely surrounding both said chamber and said wall means, said membrane means being adapted to permit transport of fluids between the body and said chamber, said membrane means being not over one-half the thickness of said wall means, said wall means and said membrane means being made of a biologically incompatible material and an extremely thin coating of a water insoluble hydrophilic non-toxic, biocompatible polymer of a member of the group consisting of hydroxy lower alkyl acrylates, hydroxy lower alkyl methacrylates, hydroxy lower alkoxy lower alkyl acrylates, hydroxy lower alkoxy lower alkyl methacrylates, vinyl pyrrolidone, acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-lower alkyl acrylamide, N-lower alkyl methacrylamide, N-hydroxy lower alkyl acrylamide and N-hydroxy lower alkyl methacrylamide surrounding all externally exposed portions of said wall means and said membrane means, said coating being sufficiently thin that it does not interfere with fluid transport through said membrane means, a first conduit means for feeding medicament to said chamber and a second conduit for rapid removal of medicament from said chamber, introducing into the chamber of the device a first medicament, allowing the device to remain within the body while permitting said first medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body, passing a second medicament through said first conduit means into said chamber after the device is implanted in the body, removing the first medicament through said second conduit means and permitting said second medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body.

Claim 7

A method of introducing a plurality of mediaments into an animal body which includes selecting an area of the body to be treated, implanting into the living tissues of the body a body implant device for delivery of a medicament over a long period of time comprising a chamber adapted to receive a medicament, wall means sufficiently thick to be resistant to fluid flow therethrough partially surrounding said chamber, relatively thin fluid permeable membrane means engaging said wall means and completing the surroundiNg of said chamber, said membrane means being adapted to permit transport of fluids between the body and said chamber, said membrane means not being over one-half the thickness of said wall means, said wall means and said membrane means being made of a water insoluble hydrophilic non-toxic biocompatible polymer of a hydroxy lower alkyl acrylate or methacrylate, first conduit means for feeding medicament to said chamber and second conduit means for rapid removal of medicament from said chamber, introducing into the chamber of the device a first medicament, allowing the device to remain within the body while permitting said first medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body, passing a second medicament through said first conduit means into said chamber after said device is implanted in the body, removing the first medicament through said second conduit means and permitting said second medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body.

Claim 8

A method of introducing a plurality of mediaments into an animal body which includes selecting an area of the body to be treated, implanting into the living tissues of the body a body implant device for delivery of a medicament over a long period of time comprising a chamber adapted to receive a medicament, wall means sufficiently thick to be resistant to fluid flow therethrough partially surrounding said chamber, relatively thin fluid permeable membrane means engaging said wall means and completing the surroundiNg of said chamber, said membrane means being adapted to permit transport of fluids between the body and said chamber, said membrane means not being over one-half the thickness of said wall means, said wall means and said membrane means being made of a water insoluble hydrophilic non-toxic biocompatible polymer of a hydroxy lower alkyl acrylate or methacrylate, first conduit means for feeding medicament to said chamber and second conduit means for rapid removal of medicament from said chamber, introducing into the chamber of the device a first medicament, allowing the device to remain within the body while permitting said first medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body, passing a second medicament through said first conduit means into said chamber after said device is implanted in the body, removing the first medicament through said second conduit means and permitting said second medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body.

Claim 10

A method of introducing a plurality of medicaments into an animal body which includes selecting an area of the body to be treated, implanting into the living tissues of the body a body implant device for delivery of a medicament over a long period of time comprising a chamber adopted to receive a medicament, wall means sufficiently thick to be resistant to fluid flow therethrough at least partially surrounding said chamber, relatively thin fluid permeable membrane means engaging said wall means and at least completing the surrounding of said chamber, said membrane means being adapted to permit transport of fluids between the body and said chamber, said membrane means being not over one-half the thickness of said wall means, said wall means and said membrane means being made of a biologically incompatible material and an extremely thin coating of a water insoluble hydrophilic non-toxic, biocompatible polymer of a hydroxy lower alkyl acrylate or methacrylate surrounding all externally exposed portions of said wall means and said membrane means, said coating being sufficiently thin that it does not interfere with fluid transport through said membrane means, a first conduit means for feeding medicament to said chamber and a second conduit means for rapid removal of medicament from said chamber, introducing into the chamber of the device a first medicament, allowing the device to remain within the body while permitting said first medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body, passing a second medicament through said first conduit means into said chamber after the device is implanted in the body, removing the first medicament through said second conduit means and permitting said second medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body.

Claim 11

A method of introducing a plurality of medicaments into an animal body which includes selecting an area of the body to be treated, implanting into the living tissues of the body a body implant device for delivery of a medicament over a long period of time comprising a chamber adopted to receive a medicament, wall means sufficiently thick to be resistant to fluid flow therethrough at least partially surrounding said chamber, relatively thin fluid permeable membrane means engaging said wall means and at least completing the surrounding of said chamber, said membrane means being adapted to permit transport of fluids between the body and said chamber, said membrane means being not over one-half the thickness of said wall means, said wall means and said membrane means being made of a biologically incompatible material and an extremely thin coating of a water insoluble hydrophilic non-toxic, biocompatible polymer of a hydroxy lower alkyl acrylate or methacrylate surrounding all externally exposed portions of said wall means and said membrane means, said coating being sufficiently thin that it does not interfere with fluid transport through said membrane means, a first conduit means for feeding medicament to said chamber and a second conduit means for rapid removal of medicament from said chamber, introducing into the chamber of the device a first medicament, allowing the device to remain within the body while permitting said first medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body, passing a second medicament through said first conduit means into said chamber after the device is implanted in the body, removing the first medicament through said second conduit means and permitting said second medicament to pass through said membrane means into the animal body.