Method and device to treat vulnerable plaque

• US 6,786,904 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2002
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aspen Medisys, LLC (Rhinomed Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Triton Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Daum, Wolfgang, Döscher, Claas
• Primary Examiner(s): PEFFLEY, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US10/044,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20030139739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 606/27, 606/28, 606/32-34, 606/41, 607/96, 607/98-101, 607/103, 600/13, 623/1.1, 623/1.11, 623/1.23, 623/902, 623/903
• US Class Current: 606/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/04 by heating by applying electromagnetic radiation A61B18/18; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields, radiation or ultrasound A61N
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/082 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/406 using implantable thermoseeds or injected particles for localized hyperthermia preparations of seeds and particles A61K41/0052
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/902 Method of implanting

Abstract

A method and device to treat cardiovascular vulnerable plaque is provided by heating an implanted structure placed adjacent to a vulnerable plaque tissue to conduct heat into the vulnerable plaque tissue for a period of time. In a preferred embodiment, the implanted structure is a stent-like structure (SLS), and the heating of the implanted structure is a non-invasive inductive heating. The detecting of the vulnerable plaque tissue can be accomplished by techniques, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), infrared spectroscopy, thermography, blood tests, ultrasound, and X-ray, etc.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating vulnerable plaque, comprising:

an implanted stent-like structure adapted to be placed in a cardiovascular vessel adjacent a vulnerable plaque tissue, wherein said stent like structure does not provide a radial force to hold a blood vessel open; and

a heating assembly for heating the implanted stent-like structure to conduct heat into the vulnerable plaque tissue.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating assembly is a non-invasive inductive heating assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heating assembly comprises:

an electric power supply;

an amplifier unit; and

a resonant circuit with an induction coil, whereby the induction coil includes a winding and is positioned at a defined axial distance from the implanted structure placed in a living being.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the induction coil includes a plurality of windings and has a diameter of 30 cm.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a detecting assembly for detecting the vulnerable plaque tissue.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detecting assembly detects the vulnerable plaque tissue by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detecting assembly detects the vulnerable plaque tissue by infrared spectroscopy.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detecting assembly detects the vulnerable plaque tissue by thermography.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detecting assembly detects the vulnerable plaque tissue by a blood test.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detecting assembly detects the vulnerable plaque tissue by ultrasound.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detecting assembly detects the vulnerable plaque tissue by X-ray.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stent-like structure holds itself at an inner vessel wall.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material that possesses a relative magnetic permeability of higher than 100.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material that possesses a relative magnetic permeability of higher than 100,000.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material having a Curie temperature that lies approximately in a temperature range where the vulnerable plaque tissue is stabilized.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material having a Curie temperature that lies approximately in a temperature range whereby the vulnerable plaque tissue is inhibited from proliferation.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material that comprises at least one of nickel, cobalt, dysprosium, iron and gadolinium.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material that comprises at least one of nickel-copper, nickel-palladium, palladium-cobalt, nickel-silicon and Fe₃O₄.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stent-like structure includes a coating of high electroconductivity.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stent-like structure includes a coating of a metal.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stent-like structure includes a poorer heat conducting coating on an inner wall and a better heat conducting coating on an outer wall.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material having a Curie temperature of above 37°

C.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material having a Curie temperature in the range of about 42°

C. to 45°

C.

24. A method of treating vulnerable plaque, comprising:

implanting a stent-like structure adjacent to the vulnerable plaque tissue, wherein said stent like structure does not provide a radial force to hold a blood vessel open; and

heating the implanted stent-like structure to conduct heat into the vulnerable plaque tissue for a period of time.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein implanting the stent-like structure includes implanting the stent-like structure temporarily.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein implanting the stent-like structure includes implanting the stent-like structure permanently.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein heating the implanted stent-like structure includes inductively heating the stent-like structure noninvasively.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising detecting the vulnerable plaque by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising locating the vulnerable plaque tissue by the MRI.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the locating includes using a first marking device to mark a distal end of the vulnerable plaque tissue and a second marking device to mark a proximal end of the vulnerable plaque tissue to define the extent of the vulnerable plaque tissue.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising removing the stent-like structure after heating.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the stent-like structure holds itself at an inner vessel wall.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material that possesses a relative magnetic permeability of higher than 100.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material that possesses a relative magnetic permeability of higher than 100,000.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material having a Curie temperature that lies in an order of magnitude within temperature limits whereby the vulnerable plaque tissue is stabilized.

36. The method of claim 24, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material having a Curie temperature that lies in an order of magnitude within temperature limits whereby the vulnerable plaque tissue is inhibited from proliferation.

37. The method of claim 24, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material that is an alloy of materials selected from nickel, cobalt, dysprosium, iron and gadolinium.

38. The method of claim 24, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material that is an alloy of materials selected from nickel-copper, nickel-palladium, palladium-cobalt, nickel-silicon and Fe₃O₄.

39. The method of claim 24, wherein the stent-like structure includes a coating of high electroconductivity.

40. The method of claim 24, wherein the stent-like structure includes a coating of a metal.

41. The method of claim 24, wherein the stent-like structure includes a poorer heat conducting coating on an inner wall and a better heat conducting coating on an outer wall.

42. The method of claim 24, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material having a Curie temperature of above 37°

C.

43. The method of claim 24, wherein the stent-like structure is made of a material having a Curie temperature of between 42°

C. and 45°

C.

44. The method of claim 24, further comprising detecting the vulnerable plaque tissue by infrared spectroscopy.

45. The method of claim 24, further comprising detecting the vulnerable plaque tissue by thermography.

46. The method of claim 24, further comprising detecting the vulnerable plaque tissue by a blood test.

47. The method of claim 24, further comprising detecting the vulnerable plaque tissue by ultrasound.

48. The method of claim 24, further comprising detecting the vulnerable plaque tissue by X-ray.