Methods for catheter-based renal neuromodulation
First Claim
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1. A method for catheter-based renal neuromodulation, the method comprising:
- intravascularly positioning an electrode of a catheter within renal vasculature of a human patient and proximate to neural fibers that innervate a kidney of the patient; and
delivering an electric field between the electrode and a ground pad coupled to an exterior of the patient, thereby thermally inhibiting neural communication along the neural fibers,wherein delivering the electric field and thermally inhibiting neural communication along the neural fibers results in a therapeutically beneficial reduction in blood pressure of the patient.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided for monopolar neuromodulation, e.g., via a pulsed electric field. Such monopolar 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, monopolar neuromodulation is applied to neural fibers that contribute to renal function. In some embodiments, such monopolar neuromodulation is performed bilaterally.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for catheter-based renal neuromodulation, the method comprising:
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intravascularly positioning an electrode of a catheter within renal vasculature of a human patient and proximate to neural fibers that innervate a kidney of the patient; and delivering an electric field between the electrode and a ground pad coupled to an exterior of the patient, thereby thermally inhibiting neural communication along the neural fibers, wherein delivering the electric field and thermally inhibiting neural communication along the neural fibers results in a therapeutically beneficial reduction in blood pressure of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of performing renal denervation of a human patient with a diagnosed condition comprising at least one of heart failure, hypertension, acute myocardial infarction, impaired renal function, or chronic renal failure, the method comprising:
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attaching a ground pad to an exterior of the patient; passing a renal denervation catheter comprising a monopolar electrode through vasculature of the patient to a renal blood vessel such that the monopolar electrode is located proximate renal nerves of the patient; and ablating the renal nerves via electrical energy delivered in a monopolar fashion between the monopolar electrode and the ground pad, wherein ablating the renal nerves of the patient attenuates neural communication along the renal nerves to thereby improve a measurable physiological parameter corresponding to the diagnosed condition of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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