Medical probes for the treatment of blood vessels

• US 8,911,430 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tsunami MedTech, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tsunami MedTech, LLC
• Inventors: Hoey, Michael, Shadduck, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): PINKNEY, DAWAYNE
• Application Number:
  US14/032,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20140018890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 606 2- 52, 128/898
• US Class Current: 606/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22051 with an inflatable part, e.g. balloon, for positioning, blocking, or immobilisation A61B2017/22048, A61B2017/3486 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00011 with fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1861 with an instrument inserted into a body lumen or cavity, e.g. a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/12 Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities

Abstract

Devices and methods for thermally-mediated treatment of blood vessels to elicit an immune response to cause rapid endothelial growth over at least portions of an implant or stent to prevent adverse events such as restenosis. Devices and methods for thermally-mediated treatment to inhibit contraction of vessels to elicit an immune response to cause rapid endothelial growth over at least portions of a stent to prevent adverse events such as restenosis.

Claims

1. A method of treating a muscle in a blood, vessel to reduce vasospasm in the blood vessel, the method comprising:

locating a target site within the blood vessel; and

applying an amount of thermal energy at the target site where the amount of thermal energy is sufficient to reduce an ability of a muscle in a blood vessel tissue to contract, where applying the thermal energy comprises applying a flow media to the target site where the flow media comprises a heat of vaporization, where the flow media condenses at the target site to release the heat of vaporization to the blood vessel tissue causing an increase in temperature of the blood vessel tissue to reduce an ability of the muscle in the blood vessel tissue to contract.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal energy is sufficient to inhibit function of at least one of actin, myosin, myofilaments, titin filaments, nebulin filaments, and sarcomeric subunits in the blood vessel tissue.

4. The method of claim 1. where applying thermal energy comprises applying an energy mode selected from the group consisting of Rf energy, light energy, ultrasound energy, resistive heating energy, inductive heating energy, mechanical energy and microwave energy.

5. The method of claim 1, where applying thermal energy comprises irradiating the target site with light energy.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising expanding a balloon in the target site and applying the thermal energy within the balloon.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising expanding a balloon at the target site and where applying the thermal energy comprises applying the flow media within the balloon.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, delivering the flow medial comprises delivering a vapor to the blood vessel to cause modification of contractile proteins in the blood vessel wall.

9. The method of claim 1, where the flow media comprises a vapor content versus liquid droplet content of at least 50%.

10. The method of claim 1, where the flow media comprises a heat of vaporization of at least 1200 kJ/kg.

11. The method of claim 1, where applying the flow media comprises introducing an energy delivery device into the blood vessel, and delivering a vapor from the energy delivery device into the blood vessel.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein applying energy comprises applying energy uniformly about a wall of the blood vessel lumen.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the amount of thermal energy comprises applying the amount of thermal energy to inhibit the function of actomyosin in the blood vessel without ablating the blood, vessel tissue.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an angioplasty within the blood vessel.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising deploying a stent in the blood vessel.

16. The method of claim 1, where applying the amount of thermal energy comprises

introducing a vapor media into the blood vessel and allowing the vapor media to change phase such that the change in phase delivers a selected level of energy to the blood vessel tissue to reduce an ability of a muscle in a blood vessel tissue to contract.

17. The method of claim 16, where introducing the vapor media comprises introducing the vapor media into a balloon located within the blood vessel.

18. The method of claim 16, further including expanding at least one occlusion balloon in the blood vessel to create an occluded region and where introducing the vapor media into the blood vessel comprises introducing the vapor into the occluded region.

2. The method of claim where the thermal energy is sufficient to inhibit a function of actomyosin in the blood vessel tissue.

19. A method comprising:

determining a library of data of operation parameters for applying a selected level of energy to reduce an ability of a muscle in a blood vessel tissue to contract using a model energy delivery system having an energy application portion in a working end configured for applying thermal energy to a wall of a body vessel, where applying the thermal energy comprises applying a flow media to the target site where the flow media comprises a heat of vaporization, where the flow media condenses at the target site to release the heat of vaporization to the blood vessel tissue causing an increase in temperature of the blood vessel tissue to reduce an ability of the muscle in the blood vessel tissue to contract; and

providing the library of data for loading within a remote catheter system.