Drug delivery apparatus and method for automatically reducing drug dosage

Abstract

A drug delivery device which includes a fluid drug reservoir, a catheter, a controllable fluid transfer device, e.g., a pump mechanism or valve, and a drug delivery control means. The drug delivery control means comprises a controller, e.g., a microprocessor or microcontroller which is operable to automatically reduce the rate of drug delivery over a certain reduction interval (e.g., multiple days) from an initial dosage value to a final dosage value.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a CIP of U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 069,573 filed on 28 Feb. 2005 which is incorporated herein by reference. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60 / 604,999 filed on 27 Aug. 2004 which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates generally to medical devices for delivering a medication, or drug, to a body site at flow rates and times specified by a stored drug delivery profile. More particularly, this invention relates to such devices which can operate to automatically gradually modify rates of drug delivery to achieve a desired target dosage. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Various implantable drug delivery devices are known in the art which can be programmed to deliver a drug to a body site for infusion at flow rates and times dictated by a stored drug delivery profile. Such delivery devices typically include a refillable reservoir for storing a fluid dru...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] The present invention relates to a drug delivery device which includes a fluid drug reservoir, a catheter, a controllable fluid transfer device, e.g., a pump or valve mechanism, and a drug delivery controller. The controller, e.g., a microprocessor, is operable in accordance with the invention, to automatically gradually reduce the rate of drug delivery specified by a stored delivery profile from a current dosage value to a targeted final dosage value.

[0010] The preferred embodiment also enables the clinician to alternatively specify a periodic (e.g., daily) dosage reduction rate thus enabling the system to then calculate the duration of the reduction interval (e.g., number of days).

Problems solved by technology

However, in the use of implanted drug delivery devices, patients typically visit their clinicians infrequently, e.g., once per month, and it has therefore been inconvenient and impractical to administer a drug modification program.

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