Neuromodulation therapy for perineal or dorsal branch of pudendal nerve

• US 20070255333A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Gerber, Martin, Giftakis, Jonathon
• Application Number:
  US11/414,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255333A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3604 for correcting spinal deformities, e.g. scoliosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula

Abstract

The disclosure describes a method and system for applying electrical stimulation to a pudendal nerve of a patient via an implantable electrical stimulation device to treat a pelvic disorder in men or women. Pelvic disorders may include sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE), and urogenital pain or other forms of pelvic pain, e.g., chronic pelvic pain and prostatitis-like pain. The electrical stimulation may be applied to one or both pudendal nerves and, more particularly, to at least one of a dorsal branch and a perineal branch of one or both pudendal nerves. In some embodiments, the electrical stimulation may be applied to at least one of the dorsal and perineal branches of a pudendal nerve via a pudendal canal of the patient. In further embodiments, drug therapy may be delivered alone or in combination with electrical stimulation to one or both pudendal nerves of a patient via an implantable drug delivery device.

Claims

1. A method comprising applying electrical stimulation to at least one branch of a pudendal nerve of a patient via an implanted electrical stimulation device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pudendal nerve includes a dorsal branch and a perineal branch.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising applying the electrical stimulation to at least one of the dorsal and perineal branches of the pudendal nerve at a point prior to the nerve branch entering a pudendal canal of the patient.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising applying the electrical stimulation to one of the dorsal and perineal branches of the pudendal nerve at a point after the nerve branch exits a pudendal canal of the patient.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying electrical stimulation to at least one branch of the pudendal nerve via a pudendal canal of the patient.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying electrical stimulation to at least one of a dorsal branch and a perineal branch of first and second pudendal nerves of the patient via the implanted electrical stimulation device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising applying the electrical stimulation to at least one of the dorsal and perineal branches of the first and second pudendal nerves at points prior to the nerve branches entering respective pudendal canals of the patient.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising applying the electrical stimulation to at least one of the dorsal and perineal branches of the first and second pudendal nerves at points after the nerve branches exit respective pudendal canals of the patient.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising applying the electrical stimulation to at least one of the dorsal and perineal branches of the first and second pudendal nerves via first and second pudendal canals of the patient.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical stimulation device delivers electrical stimulation selected to treat one or more pelvic disorders.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pelvic disorders include at least one of pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE), chronic groin pain, chronic testicular pain (CTP), prostatitis-like pain, urogenital pain, sexual dysfunction, and urinary incontinence.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical stimulation device comprises one or more of a cuff electrode, a ring electrode, a planar electrode, or an electrode on a leadless stimulator.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering a drug to at least one of a dorsal branch and a perineal branch of the pudendal nerve of the patient via an implanted drug delivery device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein delivering the drug comprises delivering the drug to at least one of a dorsal branch and a perineal branch of first and second pudendal nerves of the patient via the implanted drug delivery device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the drug is selected to treat a pelvic disorder.

16. A system comprising:

an implantable electrical stimulation device that generates electrical stimulation selected to treat a pelvic disorder; and

one or more electrodes coupled to the electrical stimulation device at a position adjacent to at least one of a dorsal branch and a perineal branch of a pudendal nerve of a patient.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the electrical stimulation is selected to treat the pelvic disorder including at least one of pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE), chronic groin pain, urogenital pain, chronic testicular pain (CTP), prostatitis-like pain, sexual dysfunction, and urinary incontinence.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more electrodes are positioned to apply the electrical stimulation to at least one of the dorsal and perineal branches of the pudendal nerve at a point prior to the branches entering a pudendal canal of the patient.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more electrodes are positioned to apply the electrical stimulation to at least one of the dorsal and perineal branches of the pudendal nerve at a point after the branches exit a pudendal canal of the patient.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more electrodes are positioned to apply the electrical stimulation to at least one of the dorsal and perineal branches of the pudendal nerve via a pudendal canal of the patient.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more electrodes are positioned to apply the electrical stimulation to at least one a dorsal branch and a perineal branch of first and second pudendal nerves of the patient.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the electrodes include at least one of a cuff electrode, a ring electrode, a planar electrode or an electrode on a leadless stimulator.

23. The system of claim 16, further comprising an implantable drug delivery device that delivers a drug to at least one of the dorsal branch and the perineal branch of the pudendal nerve of the patient.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the implantable drug delivery device delivers the drug to at least one of a dorsal branch and a perineal branch of first and second pudendal nerves of the patient.

25. A method comprising:

delivering electrical stimulation to at least one of a dorsal branch and a perineal branch of at least one pudendal nerve of a patient via an implanted electrical stimulation device; and

delivering a fluid to at least at least one of the dorsal and perineal branches of the pudendal nerves of the patient via an implanted fluid delivery device,

wherein the implanted fluid delivery device and the implanted fluid delivery device share a common housing.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein delivering a fluid includes delivering a drug via a catheter coupled to the common housing, and delivering electrical stimulation includes delivering the electrical stimulation via a lead coupled to the common housing.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the electrical stimulation and fluid are selected to treat a pelvic disorder including at least one of pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE), chronic groin pain, urogenital pain, chronic testicular pain (CTP), prostatitis-like pain, sexual dysfunction, and urinary incontinence.

28. A system comprising:

an implantable electrical stimulation device that delivers electrical stimulation selected to treat a pelvic disorder to at least one of a dorsal branch and a perineal branch of at least one pudendal nerve of a patient; and

an implantable fluid delivery device that delivers a fluid selected to alleviate a pelvic disorder to at least one of the dorsal and perineal branches of at least one pudendal nerve of the patient,

wherein the implanted electrical stimulation device and the implanted fluid delivery device share a common housing.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising a lead coupled to the common housing to deliver the electrical stimulation, and a catheter coupled to the common housing to deliver the fluid.

30. A method comprising delivering a fluid to at least at least one of the dorsal and perineal branches of the pudendal nerves of the patient via an implanted fluid delivery device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein delivering a fluid includes delivering a drug via a catheter coupled to implanted fluid delivery device.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the fluid is selected to treat a pelvic disorder including at least one of pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE), chronic groin pain, urogenital pain, chronic testicular pain (CTP), prostatitis-like pain, sexual dysfunction, and urinary incontinence.

33. A system comprising:

an implantable fluid delivery device that containing a fluid selected to alleviate a pelvic disorder; and

a catheter, coupled to the implantable fluid delivery device, that delivers the fluid to at least one of the dorsal and perineal branches of at least one pudendal nerve of the patient.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the fluid is a drug selected to treat a pelvic disorder including at least one of pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE), chronic groin pain, urogenital pain, chronic testicular pain (CTP), prostatitis-like pain, sexual dysfunction, and urinary incontinence.