A new catheter for prolonged local drug application

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Interventional Cardiology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• A new 5F catheter with retractable needles facilitates local drug delivery into vascular tissue.
• The catheter's needles can be extended laterally for targeted drug deposition within blood vessels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a novel local drug delivery system.
• To assess drug distribution and retention within vascular tissue after local administration.

Main Methods:

• A fluorescent indicator, Photofrin, was administered via the new local drug delivery device into porcine carotid arteries.
• Vascular segments were analyzed at various time points (15, 30, 60 minutes, and 14 days) post-injection.
• Fluorescence intensity was semi-quantitatively measured to determine drug concentration in different vascular layers (adventitia, intima, media).

Main Results:

• Maximum fluorescence was observed in the adventitia, significantly exceeding systemic levels, particularly at 15 and 30 minutes.
• Intimal tissue showed high fluorescence initially, decreasing over time, while media fluorescence was lower but persistent.
• No systemic drug levels were detected, and no adverse tissue hyperplasia was observed 14 days post-delivery.

Conclusions:

• High-dose perivascular local drug delivery is achievable using the described catheter system.
• The device enables prolonged and selective drug application within a specific vessel segment.
• This local drug delivery approach appears safe, with no observed side effects or hyperplasia after 14 days.