Methods for promoting nerve regeneration and neuronal growth and elongation

• US 20070239080A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Softwave Tissue Regeneration Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: General Patent, LLC (Tissue Regeneration Technologies LLC)
• Inventors: Schaden, Wolfgang, Warlick, John, Schmidhammer, Robert, Schultheiss, Reiner
• Granted Patent: US 7,544,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/008 using shock waves

Abstract

A method of enhancing the regeneration of injured nerves has the step of administering an effective exposure of pressure pulses or acoustic shock waves in a pulse or wave pattern to the zone of injury of the nerve during the regeneration process. The inventive method may include enhancing the stimulation of neuronal cell growth or regeneration by administering an effective exposure of pressure pulses or acoustic shock waves in a pulse or wave pattern to stimulate neuronal cell growth or regeneration, wherein the administering of the treatment is applied to a patient who has a pathological condition where neuronal repair can be facilitated including peripheral nerve damage caused by injury or disease such as diabetes, brain damage associated with stroke, and for the treatment of neurological disorders related to neurodegeneration, including Parkinson'"'"'s disease, Alzheimer'"'"'s disease and amyotrophic lateral, sclerosis multiple sclerosis and disseminated sclerosis. The treatment is ideally suited for neural regeneration after a degenerative condition due to any neurological infections or any other pathological condition.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing the regeneration of injured nerves which comprises the step of:

administering an effective exposure of pressure pulses or acoustic shock waves in a pulse or wave pattern to the zone of injury of the nerve during the regeneration process.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the nerve has been severed and a pulse or wave pattern is administered to the ends of the proximal and distal stumps.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein fibrin containing collagenase is used as adhesive for the stumps.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein the ends are sutured.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the sutured region is coated with a fibrin and collegenase mixture.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein injury has resulted in neuroma in continuity.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the stumps of individual severed fascicle groups are separately co-apted.

8. The method according to claim 2 wherein a nerve graft is interposed between the stumps.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein interfascicular nerve grafts are employed.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the injured nerves are subjected to surgical repair prior to administering the exposure to pressure pulse or acoustic shock waves.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the step of:

administering one or more nerve regenerating medicaments to the patient.

12. The method of enhancing the stimulation of neuronal cell growth or regeneration comprises the step of:

adminstering an effective exposure of pressure pulses or acoustic shock waves in a pulse or wave pattern to stimulate neuronal cell growth or regeneration.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the administering is applied to a patient who has a pathological condition where neuronal repair can be facilitated including peripheral nerve damage caused by injury or disease such as diabetes, brain damage associated with stroke, and for the treatment of neurological disorders related to neurodegeneration, including Parkinson'"'"'s disease, Alzheimer'"'"'s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and disseminated sclerosis.

14. The method of stimulating nerve or neurological organ regeneration comprises the steps of:

activating an acoustic shock wave generator or source to emit acoustic shock waves; and

subjecting the organ to the acoustic shock waves stimulating said organ wherein the organ is positioned within a path of the emitted shock waves.

15. The method of stimulating nerve or neurological organ regeneration of claim 14 wherein the emitted shock waves are convergent, divergent or near planar.

16. The method of stimulating nerve or neurological organ regeneration of claim 14 wherein the emitted shock waves are convergent having one or more geometric focal volumes or points at a distance of at least X from the generator or source, the method further comprising positioning the organ at a distance at or less than the distance X from the source.

17. The method of stimulating nerve or neurological organ regeneration of claim 14 wherein the organ is from a mammal which is a human or an animal.

18. The method of stimulating nerve or neurological organ regeneration of claim 14 wherein the organ is a brain.

19. The method of stimulating nerve or neurological organ regeneration of claim 14 wherein the organ is a part of the nervous system.

20. The method of stimulating nerve or neurological organ regeneration of claim 14 wherein the step of subjecting the organ to acoustic shock waves includes killing bacteria by destroying bacterial cell membranes or stimulating a biological defense mechanism within said organ by exposure to the acoustic shock waves.

21. The method of stimulating nerve or neurological organ regeneration of claim 14 further comprises a step of administering one or more antibiotics or other drugs to a blood stream feeding the organ, the organ being stimulated by the acoustic shock waves.