Method for control of stem cell injection into the body

摘要

A method is described for repairing tissue of a selected organ from among heart, brain, liver, pancreas, kidney, and glands in a patient's body. In the method, stem cells that have the capability to repair tissue of the selected organ are intraluminally applied through a designated natural body vessel or duct leading to a predetermined target site of the tissue of the selected organ to be repaired. The stem cells are delivered into the respective vessel or duct through a catheter having a proximal portion of relatively larger central lumen diameter and outer diameter, and a distal portion of relatively smaller central lumen diameter and outer diameter, the two portions being integral with one another so that stem cells delivered into the central lumen of the proximal portion will flow through and exit the central lumen of the distal portion, the lumen diameter and length of each of the two portions being selected to minimize the pressure drop across the catheter during flow of the stem cells.

主权项

1. A method of delivering stem cells to a failing organ in a patient's body, comprising:
selecting a catheter dimensioned for a selected failing organ, wherein the catheter comprises a proximal portion and a distal portion and has a continuous central lumen extending from the proximal portion into the distal portion, wherein the diameter of the lumen in the distal portion is smaller than the diameter of the lumen in the proximal portion, and wherein an outer diameter of the distal portion is dimensioned to fit into a duct or vessel of the failing organ to a target site of damaged tissue of the failing organ; inserting the selected catheter into the duct or vessel of the failing organ and advancing the catheter to a location proximate the target site; occluding the duct or vessel upstream of the target site by inflating a distally affixed balloon on the catheter; injecting under a selected desired pressure a fluid containing stem cells through the catheter for ejection under pressure from the central lumen at the distal tip of the catheter proximate the target site, while measuring the injection pressure; and adjusting the injection pressure of the fluid containing the stem cells flowing through the catheter to the selected desired pressure by a closed loop system coupled to the catheter.