Nasal neuromodulation devices and methods
AssigneeAerin Medical Inc.
InventorScott J. Wolf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for treating nerves in a nasal cavity starts with identifying a patient having a condition occurring outside the nasal cavity. The method then involves activating a console attached to a radiofrequency stylus, advancing a distal tip of the radiofrequency stylus into a nostril of the patient, contacting nasal mucosa lining the nasal cavity with a treatment surface of the distal tip, and delivering radiofrequency energy from one set of bipolar electrodes on the treatment surface of the distal tip to a second set of bipolar electrodes on the treatment surface, to treat at least one nerve underlying the nasal mucosa. Treating the nerve (or nerves) involves modulating activity of the nerve to ameliorate the condition occurring outside the nasal cavity.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
A system for treating headaches, the system comprising:
- a treatment device comprising:
- a treatment element having a plurality of bipolar radiofrequency electrodes disposed thereon to treat a tissue area of nasal mucosa in a nasal cavity;
- and
- a sensor on the treatment element, the sensor being configured to measure a pressure applied by the treatment element on the tissue area;
- and
- a console configured to receive a signal from the sensor and to cause delivery of radiofrequency energy to an electrode pair of the plurality of bipolar radiofrequency electrodes when the signal indicates that the measured pressure from the sensor is sufficient to confirm contact between the treatment element and the tissue area,
- wherein the radiofrequency energy delivered from the electrode pair of the plurality of bipolar radiofrequency electrodes is configured to disrupt a posterior nasal nerve underlying the tissue area of the nasal mucosa, and
- wherein disrupting the posterior nasal nerve ameliorates the headaches.
A system for treating headaches, the system comprising:
- a treatment device comprising a treatment element having a plurality of bipolar radiofrequency electrodes disposed thereon to treat a tissue area of nasal mucosa in a nasal cavity, the treatment element being configured to apply a pressure on the tissue area;
- and
- console being configured to receive a signal indicative of the pressure applied by the treatment element on the tissue area and to cause delivery of radiofrequency energy to an electrode pair of the plurality of bipolar radiofrequency electrodes when the signal indicates that the pressure is sufficient to confirm contact between the treatment element and the tissue area,
- wherein the radiofrequency energy delivered from the electrode pair of the plurality of bipolar radiofrequency electrodes is configured to disrupt a posterior nasal nerve underlying the tissue area of the nasal mucosa, and
- wherein disrupting the posterior nasal nerve ameliorates the headaches.
A method for treating headaches, the method comprising:
- advancing a treatment device into a nasal cavity of a patient suffering from headaches, wherein the treatment device comprises a treatment element having a plurality of bipolar radiofrequency electrodes disposed thereon to treat a tissue area of nasal mucosa;
- contacting nasal mucosa lining the nasal cavity with the treatment element to cause the plurality of bipolar radiofrequency electrodes to contact the tissue area of the nasal mucosa;
- applying a pressure with the treatment element on the nasal mucosa;
- activating at least one electrode pair from the plurality of bipolar radiofrequency electrodes when it is determined when the pressure applied by the treatment element is sufficient to confirm contact between the treatment element and the tissue area of the nasal mucosa to delivery of radiofrequency energy to at least one posterior nasal nerve underlying the tissue area of the nasal mucosa;
- wherein the delivery of the radiofrequency energy disrupt the at least one posterior nasal nerve, thereby ameliorating the headaches.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.