Method and apparatus for treatment of hypertension through percutaneous ultrasound renal denervation
AssigneeReCor Medical, Inc.
InventorReinhard J. WARNKING
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for deactivating renal nerves extending along a renal artery of a mammalian subject to treat hypertension and related conditions. An ultrasonic transducer (30) is inserted into the renal artery (10) as, for example, by advancing the distal end of a catheter (18) bearing the transducer into the renal artery. The ultrasonic transducer emits unfocused ultrasound so as to heat tissues throughout a relatively large impact volume (11) as, for example, at least about 0.5 cm3 encompassing the renal artery to a temperature sufficient to inactivate nerve conduction but insufficient to cause rapid ablation or necrosis of the tissues. The treatment can be performed without locating or focusing on individual renal nerves.
Claims42
1-43. (canceled)
A system for inactivating nerve conduction in a mammalian subject adjacent to a blood vessel with a diameter, comprising:
- a catheter comprising a distal portion configured to be inserted into a blood vessel of the mammalian subject;
- an ultrasound transducer positioned at the distal portion of the catheter, the ultrasound transducer configured to be inserted into the blood vessel of the mammalian subject;
- an actuator electrically connected to the ultrasound transceiver, the actuator configured to cause the ultrasound transducer to emit unfocused ultrasound energy outward into an impact volume;
- and
- at least one expansible structure encompassing the transducer;
- wherein the impact volume encompasses the blood vessel so that the unfocused ultrasound energy is applied at a therapeutic level over a treatment duration sufficient to inactivate conduction of at least one nerve within the impact volume.
A method for inactivating conduction through at least one nerve of a patient, the nerve adjacent to a blood vessel with a diameter, while blood flows through the blood vessel, the method comprising:
- inserting an ultrasound transducer into a blood vessel of the mammalian subject, wherein the ultrasound transducer is positioned along a distal portion of a catheter, the distal portion of the catheter comprising an expansible structure encompassing at least part of the ultrasound transducer;
- expanding the expansible structure from a compressed state to a radially expanded state, defining a volume within the blood vessel, to hold the ultrasound transducer out of contact with an inner wall of the blood vessel, the expansible structure permitting blood to flow through the volume in the radially expanded state to cool an intima layer of the blood vessel;
- and
- emitting a therapeutic dose of unfocused ultrasound energy outward through an intima layer and into an impact volume with which the at least one nerve is associated, to inactivate conduction of the at least one nerve without causing damage to the intima layer of the blood vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.