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US 2009/0254142 A1Published application
Treating Medical Conditions of Hollow Organs
AssigneeSilhouette Medical, USA
InventorsStuart D. Edwards, Peter H. Muller, Thomas C. Wehman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A minimally invasive treatment and appartus for treating medical conditions of hollow organs is described. Electrodes positioned within the organ and in surface contact with the underlying glands, nerves, and muscle walls of the organ apply energy to specific glandular, nerve, or muscular areas to alter the organ's operation.
Claims18
A treatment for medical conditions of hollow organs, comprising:
- using at least one electrode positioned in the organ to directly apply energy to at least one surface of the organ to effect the organ's operation.
A treatment for body-weight related medical conditions, comprising:
- introducing an expandable element into a stomach;
- expanding the stomach to expose the underlying nerves, muscles and glands of the stomach;
- ablating at least one underlying nerve, muscle or gland of the stomach using a surface contact that applies energy directly to the nerve, muscle or gland.
An apparatus for treating medical conditions of hollow organs, comprising:
- a catheter;
- a hollow organ expander attached to the catheter and for expanding the organ to expose the hollow organ's underlying nerves and muscle;
- at least one group of surface electrodes contacting the vicinity of at least one of the underlying nerve and muscle and emit energy away from the organ expander and towards the exposed underlying nerve and muscle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.