Spinal Multi-Segmental Cell and Drug Delivery System

Background

Delivery devices and methods are used in humans for spinal delivery of cells, drugs, or vectors. The patient population may include patients with spinal traumatic injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, spinal ischemia, and any other spinal neurodegenerative disorders that require spinal cell, vector, or drug delivery. Current conventional methods require multiple injection sites to make multiple, localized substrate deliveries.

Technology Description

A UC San Diego researcher has developed a delivery device and method that will deliver—via a single spinal-cord puncture—an agent (stem cells, drugs, or any injectable substances) into the spinal cord to permit multisegmental (between four and six segments) delivery of substances. This technology utilizes multiple vertical spinal-cord injections, up to several hundred, in order to deliver to multiple segments of the spinal cord. The advantage of fewer spinal injections over several segments is significant.

Intellectual Property Info

For patent status, please see PCT application 2008/137760 published 13-Nov-2008.

Patent Status

Additional Patent Pending