Nerve treatment system

• US 9,352,171 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otsuka Medical Devices Co., Ltd. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kona Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Gertner, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Remaly, Mark
• Application Number:
  US13/751,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20130138018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,220 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00404 Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00434 Neural system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00511 Kidney
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4035 Evaluating the autonomic nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4041 Evaluating nerves condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4047 afferent nerves, i.e. nerves that relay impulses to the central nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/412 Detecting or monitoring sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/506 for diagnosis of nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0841 for locating instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/485 involving measuring strain or elastic properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0612 using probes penetrating tissue; interstitial probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0026 Stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/003 : Destruction of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0039 : using microbubbles
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 : with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/025 : interstitial
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 : Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 : Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0622 : Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 : Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 : Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 : intracavitary

Abstract

A method of treatment includes delivering an agent into a patient, and providing energy inside the patient so that the energy can interact with the agent to treat a nerve. A system for treatment includes a source of agent for delivery into a patient, and an energy source for providing energy inside the patient so that the energy can interact with the agent to treat a nerve.

Claims

1. A therapeutic ultrasonic energy system, comprising:

a transducer; and

a processor coupled to the transducer;

wherein the processor is configured to control the transducer so that the transducer delivers energy to treatment areas that are arranged approximately in a spherical or ellipsoidal configuration around a reference position associated with a blood vessel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control one or more operation parameter for the transducer so that the transducer delivers the energy to nerve tissue on at least two sides of the blood vessel.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an intravascular catheter, wherein the transducer is located on the catheter.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a positioning system for determining a position of the intravascular catheter.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the transducer on the catheter is configured to deliver therapeutic energy.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the transducer is configured to deliver the energy from outside a patient to inside the patient.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transducer is configured to deliver the energy from inside the blood vessel to outside the blood vessel.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a motion tracking module to track motion of the blood vessel.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the motion tracking module is configured to track speckles.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the motion tracking module is configured to determine a three dimensional coordinate of the blood vessel.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the motion tracking module is configured to track a doppler ultrasound signal from the blood vessel.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a patient interface configured to position the transducer so that regions of bone are avoided by the energy from the transducer.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the transducer is configured to deliver the energy at an energy level sufficient to create a reduction in a norepinephrine output of an autonomic nerve region.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine a position of the blood vessel, and to control the transducer to deliver the energy to one or more of the treatment areas that are about ten millimeters away from a position of the blood vessel.

15. A therapeutic energy system, comprising:

an energy source; and

a processor coupled to the energy source;

wherein the processor is configured to control the energy source so that the energy source delivers energy to treatment areas that are arranged approximately in a spherical or ellipsoidal configuration around a reference position associated with a blood vessel.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to control one or more operation parameter for the energy source so that the energy source delivers the energy to nerve tissue on at least two sides of the blood vessel.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising an intravascular catheter, wherein the energy source is located on the catheter.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a positioning system for determining a position of the intravascular catheter.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the energy source on the catheter is configured to deliver therapeutic energy.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the energy source is configured to deliver the energy from outside a patient to inside the patient.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the energy source is configured to deliver the energy from inside the blood vessel to outside the blood vessel.

22. The system of claim 15, further comprising a motion tracking module to track motion of the blood vessel.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the motion tracking module is configured to track speckles.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the motion tracking module is configured to determine a three dimensional coordinate of the blood vessel.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the motion tracking module is configured to track a doppler ultrasound signal from the blood vessel.

26. The system of claim 15, further comprising a patient interface configured to position the energy source so that regions of bone are avoided by the energy from the energy source.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the energy source is configured to deliver the energy at an energy level sufficient to create a reduction in a norepinephrine output of an autonomic nerve region.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to determine a position of the blood vessel, and to control the energy source to deliver the energy to one or more of the treatment areas that are about ten millimeters away from a position of the blood vessel.