US Patent 8187255 - Nanoporous coatings for controlled therapeutic agent delivery

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8187255.html

In conventional methods of drug delivery diffusion rates of the drug decay over time. This patent from Boston Scientific teaches how nanoporous materials can be used to help solve this problem and better regulate the release of therapeutic agents. Claim 1 reads:

1. A medical device comprising

a substrate,

a porous reservoir containing a therapeutic agent disposed over the substrate,

a nanoporous layer disposed over the porous reservoir, and

a plugged aperture located within the substrate or the nanoporous layer,

wherein said medical device releases said therapeutic agent in vivo, wherein said plugged aperture is located within the nanoporous layer.

US Patent 8052989 - Method of coating a medical device with CNT foam

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8052989.html

Carbon nanotubes have been found to be useful as coatings for stents and catheters to provide drug delivery. This patent from Boston Scientific Scimed teaches one method to provide a uniform porous coating of carbon nanotubes on implantable medical devices. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of coating a medical device, comprising

assembling an array of vertically-oriented carbon nanotubes on a surface of the medical device;

contacting the array of carbon nanotubes with a liquid; and

evaporating the liquid to form a cellular foam made of carbon nanotubes.

US Patent 7767219 - Magnetic nanocapsules for drug delivery

http://ip.com/patent/US7767219

This patent from Boston Scientific Scimed teaches a system of controlled release nanocapsules for drug delivery. Claim 1 reads:

1. A medical device adapted for implantation or insertion into a patient, said medical device comprising a magnetic or paramagnetic region and a plurality of nanocapsules that are magnetically attracted to said magnetic or paramagnetic region, said nanocapsules comprising a therapeutic agent, a magnetic or paramagnetic material, and a polyelectrolyte multilayer shell.

US Patent 7758892 - Medical device with nanoparticle layer

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7758892.html

This patent from Boston Scientific teaches a multilayered charged coating which facilitate manufacture of thin, flexible, and mechanically robust stents. Claim 1 reads:

1. A medical device comprising a multilayer region that comprises:

(a) a charged nanoparticle layer comprising charged nanoparticles;

(b) a plurality of charged polyelectroyte layers comprising charged polyelectrolyte species, and

(c) at least one charged therapeutic agent, wherein said medical device is configured for implantation or insertion into a subject.

US Patent 7618647 - Buckypaper medical implant

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7618647.html

"Buckypaper" is used to refer to an entangled mat of carbon nanotubes. This patent from Boston Scientific Scimed includes some basic claims to using buckypaper as a biocompatible and high-strength coating for medical implants such as stents. Claim 1 reads:

1. A medical implant system comprising:

a medical implant having an exterior surface; and

a first layer of bucky paper covering at least a portion of the exterior surface.

US Patent 7493160 - Nanoactuated catheter

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7493160.html

Balloon catheters are often employed to repair blocked arteries. This patent from Boston Scientific teaches using buckypaper as an actuator in such balloon catheters for improvements in the actuation force. Claim 1 reads:

1. A nano-actuated medical device, comprising:

a housing sized to pass within a body lumen; and

a nanoactuator operatively associated with the housing, said nanoactuator, upon electrical energization, actuating expansion of the housing within the body lumen.