Control of arterial smooth muscle tone

• US 9,808,300 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hastings, Roger, Drasler, William J., Shapovalov, Vitaly N., Schroeder, Mark, Sadasiva, Anupama
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertram, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US13/770,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20130172882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• Field of Search: 607 44
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36117 for treating hypertension

Abstract

An apparatus for locally controlling smooth muscle tone includes a first electrode for insertion into an artery; a barrier for preventing the first electrode from contacting an arterial wall; a second electrode; a power supply; and a controller for coupling the power supply to the electrodes. The controller is configured to cause the electrode to maintain a waveform for controlling polarization of smooth muscle tone.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a catheter comprising a first electrode configured to be fed into a renal artery of a patient;

a temperature sensor disposed adjacent to the first electrode;

a power supply; and

an electronic controller configured to couple the power supply to the first electrode;

wherein the controller is configured to deliver a voltage waveform to the first electrode to perform a hypertension treatment;

wherein the controller is configured to synchronize the voltage waveform with the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle;

wherein the controller is configured to regulate the voltage waveform based on a temperature signal at a treatment location from the temperature sensor; and

wherein the controller is configured to maintain a positive voltage during diastole and a zero or negative voltage at other times.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrode includes a stent.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrode includes a distal tip electrode of a catheter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second electrode configured to be positioned to use blood vessels as communication channels to cause current flowing through conductive blood between the first and second electrodes to traverse a plurality of arterioles in an arterial bed.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to deliver pulses of alternating polarity through the first electrode.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to deliver pulses of a single polarity through the first electrode.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electrode comprises a helical shape.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to create an electric field of 50 to 2000 volts/meter.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to synchronize the voltage waveform with one or more of a blood flow measurement, a blood pressure measurement and an electrocardiogram signal.

10. A method for delivering a hypertension therapy to a patient using a system that comprises a catheter comprising a first electrode and a temperature sensor disposed adjacent to the first electrode, a power supply, and an electronic controller configured to couple the power supply to the first electrode, said method comprising:

inserting the catheter into the patient such that the first electrode is positioned in a renal artery of the patient;

delivering a voltage waveform to the first electrode to perform the hypertension therapy, wherein the voltage waveform is synchronized with the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle;

regulating the voltage waveform based on the temperature signal from the temperature sensor; and

wherein the voltage waveform comprises a positive voltage during diastole and a zero or negative voltage at other times.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising inserting the first electrode into a femoral artery to feed the first electrode into the renal artery.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first electrode includes a stent.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first electrode includes a distal tip electrode of a catheter.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the voltage waveform comprises pulses of alternating polarity.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the voltage waveform comprises pulses of a single polarity.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the electrode comprises a helical shape.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the voltage waveform creates an electric field of 50 to 2000 volts/meter.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the voltage waveform is synchronized with one or more of a blood flow measurement, a blood pressure measurement and an electrocardiogram signal.