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US 8,556,834 B2Granted
Flow directed heating of nervous structures
AssigneeKona Medical, Inc.
InventorMichael Gertner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In some examples, nerves surrounding arteries or leading to organs are targeted with energy sources to correct or modulate physiologic processes. In some examples, different types of energy sources are utilized singly or combined with one another. In some examples, bioactive agents or devices activated by the energy sources are delivered to the region of interest and the energy is enhanced by such agents or the agents are enhanced by the energy sources.
Claims28
A treatment method, comprising:
- placing a therapeutic ultrasonic energy source comprising a transducer external to a patient;
- controlling the transducer using information from an imaging device to deliver ultrasonic energy from outside the patient to a target region containing a nerve next to a blood vessel, wherein the transducer is controlled to deliver the ultrasonic energy to different positions three-dimensionally around a reference position in the blood vessel, wherein the different positions are arranged approximately in a spherical or ellipsoidal configuration;
- tracking the blood vessel to update a position of the target region containing the nerve;
- and
- adjusting the delivery of the ultrasonic energy from outside the patient to the target region in response to the updated position of the target region.
2 more elements
A medical method, comprising:
- detecting a blood vessel using a doppler flow signal;
- applying heat to a nerve region outside the blood vessel by delivering energy from outside a patient's body to different positions around a reference position in the blood vessel, wherein the different positions are arranged approximately in a spherical or ellipsoidal configuration;
- determining an effect of the heat being applied to the nerve region using an ultrasound signal, wherein the effect corresponds with a change in a tissue property at the nerve region outside the blood vessel.
A treatment method, comprising:
- obtaining a first signal associated with a first position of a blood vessel;
- controlling a transducer at a location external to a patient to deliver ultrasonic energy to different positions three-dimensionally around the first position of the blood vessel to thereby treat a first nerve next to the blood vessel, wherein the different positions are arranged approximately in a spherical or ellipsoidal configuration;
- obtaining a second signal associated with a second position of the blood vessel;
- adjusting the delivery of the ultrasonic energy based on the second signal.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.