| abstract |
The present invention is directed generally to a layered polymeric monofilament fiber drug delivery device, where each layer of the device can contain a different polymer, drug, additive, or any combination or mixture thereof. The layered nature of the current monofilament polymeric monofilament device provides the capability to modulate the release of one or more drugs and/or the mechanical properties of the fiber so that drug release and device failure can be separately tuned to provide for the tailored introduction of therapeutically effective drugs or agents to a target tissue. Moreover, the fiber may comprise more than one distinct segments along its length, each segment itself having different combinations and/or numbers of layers thereby providing even greater freedom in the design of the therapeutic delivery device. The invention is also directed to a method of manufacturing such a layered polymeric monofilament fiber drug delivery device, and methods of treatment using such devices. |