Systems and methods for applying a selected treatment agent into contact with tissue to treat sphincter dysfunction
AssigneeCuron Medical, Inc.
InventorsDavid S Utley, John W Gaiser, Rachel Croft
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods apply a selected treatment agent or agents into contact with tissue at or in the region of a dysfunctional sphincter (in the case of GERD, fecal incontinence, or other dysfunctional sphincter disorders) to affect improved sphincter barrier function and/or to disrupt abnormal nerve pathways. The treatment agent can include at least one cytokine and/or at least one tissue bulking agent and/or at least one vanilloid compound to evoke a desired tissue response. The systems and methods can be used a primary treatment modality, or applied as a supplementary treatment before, during or after a primary intervention.
Claims6
A method for treating a tissue region at or near a sphincter comprising the steps of
- selecting at least one cytokine subtype,
- providing a source of the at least one cytokine subtype,
- deploying a catheter carrying on its distal end a tissue-piercing element adjacent a tissue region at or near a sphincter,
- coupling the catheter to the source of the at least one cytokine subtype,
- delivering radiofrequency energy through the catheter to induce a wound healing response, and
- applying through the tissue-piercing element a treatment agent including the at least one cytokine subtype into contact with the tissue region.
A method for treating a tissue region at or near a sphincter comprising the steps of
- selecting at least one vanilloid compound,
- providing a source of the at least one vanilloid compound,
- deploying a catheter carrying on its distal end a tissue-piercing element adjacent a tissue region at or near a sphincter,
- coupling the catheter to the source of the at least one vanilloid compound, and
- applying through the tissue-piercing element a treatment agent including the at least one vanilloid compound into contact with the tissue region.
A method for treating a tissue region at or near a sphincter comprising the steps of
- selecting at least one tissue bulking agent,
- providing a source of the at least one tissue hulking agent,
- deploying a catheter carrying on its distal end a tissue-piercing element adjacent a tissue region at or near a sphincter,
- coupling the catheter to the source of the at least one tissue bulking agent, and
- applying through the tissue-piercing element a treatment agent including the at least one tissue hulking agent into contact with the tissue region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.