| abstract |
The invention features a catheter (1) for delivering drugs to tissue at a desired location of the wall of a body lumen (2). The catheter (1) has a catheter shaft (3) and an expandable portion (4) mounted on the catheter shaft (3). The expandable portion (4) is expandable to a controlled pressure to fill the cross section of the body lumen (2) and press against the wall of the body lumen (2). At least a portion of the exterior surface of the expandable portion (4) is defined by a coating (6) of a tenaciously adhered swellable hydrogel polymer. Incorporated in the hydrogel polymer is an aqueous solution (8) of a preselected drug to be delivered to the tissue or plaque. The hydrogel polymer (6) and drug (8) are selected to allow rapid release of a desired dosage of the drug from the hydrogel polymer coating (6) during compression of the hydrogel polymer coating (6) against the wall of the lumen (2) when the expandable portion (4) is expanded. |