System and method for loading a beneficial agent into a medical device

摘要

A system for delivery of a beneficial agent in the form of a viscous liquid or paste allows holes in a medical device to be loaded in a single step process. Another system for loading a beneficial agent into holes in a medical device includes a punch system for punching plugs of beneficial agent from a thin sheet into the holes in the medical device. The loading of a beneficial agent in a paste form or from a thin film also provides the ability to deliver large and potentially sensitive molecules including proteins, enzymes, antibodies, antisense, ribozymes, gene/vector constructs, and cells including endothelial cells.