# US 10,314,739 B2 · Methods and devices for pain management

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- Number: US 10,314,739 B2
- Document ID: US10314739B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/045,797
- Filed: 2016-02-17
- Published: 2016-06-16
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15
- Assignees: MyoScience, Inc.
- Applicants: MyoScience, Inc.
- Inventors: John Allison; Richard Radnovich; Jason Reynolds
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10314739B2

## CPC

- A61F 7/12: Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities
- A61B 18/02: by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques
- A61M 5/00: Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm rests (tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units, specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00)
- A61N 1/403: {for thermotherapy, e.g. hyperthermia}
- A61B 2018/00041: {Heating, e.g. defrosting}
- A61B 2018/00434: {Neural system}
- A61B 2018/0293: {using an instrument interstitially inserted into the body, e.g. needle}
- A61B 2018/1425: {Needle}
- A61F 2007/0042: {Knee}
- A61F 2007/0087: {Hand-held applicators}
- A61F 2007/0285: {Local anaesthetic effect}
- A61M 2202/0484: Alcohol
- A61M 2210/086: Legs
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)

## Abstract

A method in which a location is determined on the skin that is proximate to a sensory nerve that is associated with a painful condition. At least one needle of a cryogenic device is inserted into the location on the skin such that the needle is proximate to the sensory nerve. The device is activated such that the at least one needle creates a cooling zone about the sensory nerve, thereby eliminating or reducing severity of the painful condition.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for reducing knee pain experienced by a patient, the method comprising:
determining a location of a treatment zone with reference to a skin surface proximate to a nerve associated with pain of a knee of a leg;
inserting at least one needle of a treatment device through the skin surface and into the treatment zone; and
applying a series of adjacent treatments along a treatment line, the treatment line formed by the series of adjacent treatments being transverse to a length of the nerve, the series of adjacent treatments being applied by:
positioning the at least one needle at a plurality of positions along the treatment line through a plurality of adjacent access sites in the skin surface for applying the series of adjacent treatments that traverse the nerve such that at least one of the plurality of positions where the at least one needle is positioned is adjacent to the nerve; and
activating treatment at each of the plurality of positions such that treatment is applied at each of the plurality of positions along the treatment line and about the nerve, thereby blocking signals along the nerve and eliminating or reducing severity of pain.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the pain is associated with osteoarthritis of the knee, and wherein the nerve is an infrapatellar branch of a saphenous nerve, a lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, or an anterior femoral cutaneous nerve.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein thermal energy is used to treat the nerve.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein RF is used to create the thermal energy.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment is with an injection.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the injection is phenol.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the injection is ethyl alcohol.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein each treatment of the series of adjacent treatments generates a corresponding treatment zone and wherein a first generated corresponding treatment zone overlaps a second generated corresponding treatment zone.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein cryogenic cooling is used to treat the nerve.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein body landmarks are used to determine the location of the treatment zone.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the treatment zone has a superior boundary defined by a midline of a patella of the leg.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the treatment zone has an inferior boundary defined by a tibial tubercle of the leg.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the treatment zone has a medial boundary defined by a distance lateral to a medial aspect of a patellar tendon of the leg.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the treatment zone has a lateral boundary defined by a distance lateral to a lower pole of a patella of the leg.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the treatment zone is defined by a medial boundary, a lateral boundary, a superior boundary, and an inferior boundary, wherein the treatment line extends substantially parallel to the medial boundary such that the treatment is applied along the medial boundary between the superior and inferior boundaries.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the treatment zone is defined by a medial boundary, a lateral boundary, a superior boundary, and an inferior boundary, and wherein the treatment is applied along the medial and lateral boundaries between the superior and inferior boundaries.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic device comprises a plurality of needles, and the plurality of needles of the cryogenic device are inserted into the treatment zone.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
applying a second series of adjacent treatments along a second treatment line, the second treatment line formed by the series of adjacent treatments being transverse to a length of the nerve at a second location, the second series of adjacent treatments being applied by:
positioning the at least one needle at a plurality of positions along the second treatment line through a plurality of adjacent access sites in the skin surface for applying the second series of adjacent treatments that traverse the nerve at the second location such that at least one of the plurality of positions where the at least one needle is positioned is adjacent to the nerve; and
activating treatment at each of the plurality of positions such that treatment is applied at each of the plurality of positions along the second treatment line and about the nerve, thereby blocking signals along the nerve and eliminating or reducing severity of pain.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the second treatment line extends substantially parallel to the first treatment line.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein second treatment line extends substantially perpendicular to the first treatment line.

### Claim 21 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the treatment device comprises a pair of needles and wherein positioning the at least one needle comprises positioning the pair of needles through first and second access sites in the skin surface to generate the first generated corresponding treatment zone and through the second access site and a third access site to generate the second generated corresponding treatment zone such that the first and second generated corresponding treatment zones overlap.