Methods and devices for pain management
AssigneeMyoScience, Inc.
InventorsJohn Allison, Richard Radnovich, Jason Reynolds
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method in which a location is determined on the skin that is proximate to a sensory nerve that is associated with a painful condition. At least one needle of a cryogenic device is inserted into the location on the skin such that the needle is proximate to the sensory nerve. The device is activated such that the at least one needle creates a cooling zone about the sensory nerve, thereby eliminating or reducing severity of the painful condition.
Claims22
A method for reducing knee pain experienced by a patient, the method comprising:
- determining a location of a zone with reference to a skin surface adjacent to a nerve associated with pain of a knee of a leg;
- inserting at least one needle of a cryogenic device through the skin and into the zone;
- applying a series of adjacent cooling treatments along a treatment line, the treatment line formed by the series of adjacent cooling treatments being transverse to a length of the nerve, the series of adjacent cooling treatments being applied by:
- 1) positioning the at least one needle at a plurality of positions along the treatment line for applying the series of adjacent cooling treatments that traverse the nerve such that at least one of the plurality of positions where the at least one needle is positioned is adjacent to the nerve;
- 2) activating the cryogenic device at each of the plurality of positions such that the at least one needle creates a cooling zone at each of the plurality of positions along the treatment line and about the nerve, thereby blocking signals along the nerve and eliminating or reducing severity of pain;
- and
- removing the at least one needle from the tissue after treatment.
A method for reducing knee pain experienced by a patient, the method comprising:
- determining a location of a zone with reference to a skin surface adjacent to a nerve associated with pain of a knee of a leg;
- inserting at least one needle of a cryogenic device through the skin and into the zone along an insertion axis;
- bending the needle after insertion through the skin away from the insertion axis;
- and
- after bending the needle away from the insertion axis, advancing the needle to position the needle adjacent to the nerve;
- and
- activating the cryogenic device such that the at least one needle creates a cooling zone about the nerve, thereby eliminating or reducing the severity of pain.
A method for reducing knee pain experienced by a patient, the method comprising:
- positioning a treatment surface of a cryogenic device within a treatment zone below skin of a patient body, wherein the treatment zone is proximate a selected branch of a nerve associated with osteoarthritis of a joint by:
- identifying a region of the skin with reference to hard tissue structures identifiable tactilely or visibly through the skin;
- inserting at least one probe of the cryogenic device through the skin and into the zone along an insertion axis;
- bending the probe after insertion through the skin away from the insertion axis;
- and
- after bending the needle away from the insertion axis, advancing the probe of the cryogenic device through the skin and into the treatment zone underlying the region to position the probe adjacent to the nerve;
- activating the device such that the at least one probe creates a cooling zone about the selected branch, the cooling zone inducing Wallerian degeneration of the selected branch so as to eliminate or reduce severity of pain caused by the osteoarthritis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.