Methods for renal neuromodulation
First Claim
1. A method for treating a human patient with a diagnosed condition or disease associated with cardio-renal function, the method comprising:
- positioning a nerve modulation device in a vicinity of post-ganglionic neural fibers that innervate a kidney of the patient; and
reducing neural communication to and from the kidney by at least partially ablating the neural fibers of the patient via the nerve modulation device,wherein the kidney continues to secrete renin in the patient after reducing neural communication with the nerve modulation device,wherein reducing neural communication to and from the kidney results in improved cardio-renal function of the patient.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided for treating hypertension, e.g., via a pulsed electric field, via a stimulation electric field, via localized drug delivery, via high frequency ultrasound, via thermal techniques, etc. Such neuromodulation may effectuate irreversible electroporation or electrofusion, necrosis and/or inducement of apoptosis, alteration of gene expression, action potential attenuation or blockade, changes in cytokine up-regulation and other conditions in target neural fibers. In some embodiments, neuromodulation is applied to neural fibers that contribute to renal function. In some embodiments, such neuromodulation is performed in a bilateral fashion. Bilateral renal neuromodulation may provide enhanced therapeutic effect in some patients as compared to renal neuromodulation performed unilaterally, i.e., as compared to renal neuromodulation performed on neural tissue innervating a single kidney.
943 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for treating a human patient with a diagnosed condition or disease associated with cardio-renal function, the method comprising:
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positioning a nerve modulation device in a vicinity of post-ganglionic neural fibers that innervate a kidney of the patient; and reducing neural communication to and from the kidney by at least partially ablating the neural fibers of the patient via the nerve modulation device, wherein the kidney continues to secrete renin in the patient after reducing neural communication with the nerve modulation device, wherein reducing neural communication to and from the kidney results in improved cardio-renal function of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for treating a human patient with a diagnosed condition or disease associated with cardio-renal function, the method comprising:
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positioning an energy element in a renal vasculature of the patient and in a vicinity of post-ganglionic neural fibers that innervate a kidney of the patient; and at least partially ablating a renal nerve of the patient via the energy element, wherein at least partially ablating the renal nerve results in a therapeutically beneficial reduction in blood pressure of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method for therapeutic renal denervation of a human patient having a diagnosed condition or disease associated with central sympathetic overactivity, the method comprising:
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positioning a thermal element in a renal vasculature of the patient and in a vicinity of post-ganglionic neural fibers that innervate a kidney of the patient; and at least partially ablating the neural fibers of the patient via the thermal element, wherein at least partially ablating the neural fibers results in a therapeutically beneficial reduction in central sympathetic overactivity of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification