Therapeutic tissue modulation devices and methods
AssigneeMedtronic Ireland Manufacturing Unlimited Company
InventorsAnthony Ciro Vrba, Scott Raymond Smith, Bobak Robert Azamian, James G. Hansen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to various embodiments, systems, devices and methods for modulating targeted nerve fibers (e.g., hepatic neuromodulation) or other tissue are provided. Systems, devices and methods for cooling energy delivery members are also provided. The systems may be configured to access tortuous anatomy of or adjacent hepatic vasculature. The systems may be configured to target nerves surrounding (e.g., within adventitia of or within perivascular space of) an artery or other blood vessel, such as the common hepatic artery.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a catheter configured to be navigated across a turn to a target site within a blood vessel of a patient, the catheter comprising:
- an elongate shaft;
- a balloon at a distal portion of the elongate shaft;
- one or more energy delivery elements on or within the balloon, the one or more energy delivery elements configured to deliver energy to one or more nerves of the patient proximate the blood vessel when the balloon is positioned at the target site in the blood vessel;
- and
- a distal shaft extension extending distal of the balloon, the distal shaft extension configured to provide a transition in flexibility of the catheter as the catheter traverses the turn within the blood vessel,
- wherein to provide the transition in flexibility, the distal shaft extension changes in flexibility in a distal to proximal direction.
A method comprising:
- introducing a catheter into a blood vessel of a patient, the catheter comprising:
- an elongate shaft,
- a balloon at a distal portion of the elongate shaft,
- one or more energy delivery elements on or within the balloon, and
- a distal shaft extension extending distal of the balloon;
- navigating the catheter including the balloon across a turn within the blood vessel to position the one or more energy delivery elements at a target site in the blood vessel, wherein the distal shaft extension is configured to provide a transition in flexibility of the catheter as the catheter traverses the turn within the blood vessel, and wherein to provide the transition in flexibility, the distal shaft extension changes in flexibility in a distal to proximal direction;
- and
- causing the one or more energy delivery elements to deliver energy to one or more nerves of the patient proximate the blood vessel when the balloon is positioned at the target site in the blood vessel.
A system comprising:
- a catheter configured to be navigated across a turn to a target site within a blood vessel of a patient, the catheter comprising:
- an elongate shaft;
- a balloon at a distal portion of the elongate shaft;
- one or more energy delivery elements on or within the balloon, the one or more energy delivery elements configured to deliver energy to one or more nerves of the patient proximate the blood vessel when the balloon is positioned at the target site in the blood vessel;
- and
- a distal shaft extension extending distal of the balloon, the distal shaft extension being configured to transition between a first configuration and a shaped configuration,
- wherein in the shaped configuration, the distal shaft extension defines a shape corresponding to the turn within the blood vessel, and
- wherein the elongate shaft and the distal shaft extension are configured such that a guidewire can be repositioned relative to the distal shaft extension to transition the distal shaft extension from the first configuration to the shaped configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.