IMAGE-GUIDED RENAL NERVE ABLATION
First Claim
1. A method of treating hypertension in a mammal, comprising:
- by focused sound energy, heating at least one nerve at a surface of a renal artery in a mammal;
during the heating and by magnetic resonance imaging, repeatedly determining thermal levels in each of first and second volumetric zones of a region that includes at least a portion of the surface, the second zone being adjacent to the first zone;
after determining that an indicium of a thermal level in the first zone exceeds a first threshold, and upon determining that an indicium of a thermal level in the second zone exceeds a second threshold, ceasing the heating of the at least one nerve for at least three months; and
as a result of the heating, lowering a blood pressure in the mammal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of treating hypertension in a mammal is described, including: by focused sound energy, heating at least one nerve at a surface of a renal artery in a mammal; during the heating and by magnetic resonance imaging, repeatedly determining thermal levels in each of first and second volumetric zones of a region that includes at least a portion of the surface, the second zone being adjacent to the first zone; after determining that an indicium of a thermal level in the first zone exceeds a first threshold, and upon determining that an indicium of a thermal level in the second zone exceeds a second threshold, ceasing the heating of the at least one nerve for at least three months; and as a result of the heating, lowering a blood pressure in the mammal.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of treating hypertension in a mammal, comprising:
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by focused sound energy, heating at least one nerve at a surface of a renal artery in a mammal; during the heating and by magnetic resonance imaging, repeatedly determining thermal levels in each of first and second volumetric zones of a region that includes at least a portion of the surface, the second zone being adjacent to the first zone; after determining that an indicium of a thermal level in the first zone exceeds a first threshold, and upon determining that an indicium of a thermal level in the second zone exceeds a second threshold, ceasing the heating of the at least one nerve for at least three months; and as a result of the heating, lowering a blood pressure in the mammal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of treating hypertension in a mammal, comprising:
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by focused sound energy, heating a first region of at least one nerve at a surface of a renal artery in a mammal; during the heating and by magnetic resonance imaging, repeatedly determining thermal levels in each of first and second volumetric zones of the first region that includes at least a portion of the surface, the second zone being adjacent to the first zone; after determining that an indicium of a thermal level in the first zone exceeds a first threshold, and upon determining that an indicium of a thermal level in the second zone exceeds a second threshold, heating a second region of the at least one nerve by focused sound energy; during the heating and by magnetic resonance imaging, repeatedly determining thermal levels in each of third and fourth volumetric zones of the second region that includes at least a portion of the surface, the fourth zone being adjacent to the third zone; after determining that an indicium of a thermal level in the third zone exceeds a third threshold, and upon determining that an indicium of a thermal level in the fourth zone exceeds a fourth threshold, ceasing the heating of the at least one nerve for at least three months; and as a result of the heating, lowering a blood pressure in the mammal. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for performing renal nerve ablation, comprising:
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a HIFU device comprising at least one ultrasound transducer and configured to heat a targeted tissue at a focal region of the array; and a MRI device programmed to monitor thermal levels in a plurality of volumetric zones. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification