Treating upper airway nerve tissue

• US 9,943,361 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2017
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerin Medical Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aerin Medical Inc.
• Inventors: Wolf, Scott J., Frazier, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieland, Robert N
• Application Number:
  US15/596,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/082 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1485 having a short rigid shaft for accessing the inner body through natural openings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/16 Indifferent or passive electrodes for grounding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0022 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00327 Ear, nose or throat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00595 Cauterization
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00922 by switching or controlling the treatment energy directly within the hand-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00994 combining two or more different kinds of non-mechanical energy or combining one or more non-mechanical energies with ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0225 using an instrument for clamping tissue, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0293 using an instrument interstitially inserted into the body, e.g. needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1425 Needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/143 : multiple needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1869 : with an instrument interstitially inserted into the body, e.g. needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/08 : Devices for correcting deformities of the nose ; Devices for enlarging the nostril, e.g. for breathing improvement
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0091 : the single injection needle being fixed
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/105 : having a balloon suitable for drug delivery, e.g. by using holes for delivery, drug coating or membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0084 : being one or more injection needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 : Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 : intracavitary

Abstract

Systems and methods for treating a patient'"'"'s mucus hypersecretion condition are disclosed herein. Certain implementations may involve a method for reducing mucus secretion in an upper airway of a patient to treat at least one of post nasal drip or chronic cough. The method may include advancing a treatment delivery portion of an energy-based treatment device into a nostril of the patient. The treatment delivery portion may contact mucosal tissue of the upper airway without piercing the mucosal tissue. The treatment delivery portion may deliver treatment to at least one tissue selected from the group of the mucosal tissue and another tissue underlying the mucosal tissue to modify a property of the at least one tissue and thus treat at least one of post nasal drip or chronic cough in the patient.

Claims

1. A method for treating an upper airway of a patient by deactivating nerve tissue, the method comprising:

advancing a treatment delivery portion of an energy-based treatment device into a nostril of the patient;

contacting mucosal tissue of the upper airway with the treatment delivery portion, without piercing the mucosal tissue; and

delivering an energy-based treatment from the treatment delivery portion to deactivate nerve tissue underlying the mucosal tissue and thus treat the upper airway.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering the energy-based treatment to deactivate the nerve tissue comprises ablating the nerve tissue.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering the energy-based treatment comprises delivering energy in a form selected from the group consisting of ultrasound, microwave, heat, radiofrequency, electrical, light, and laser energy.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein delivering the energy-based treatment comprises delivering radiofrequency energy from a first electrode on a tissue contact surface of the treatment delivery portion across a convex portion of the tissue contact surface to a second electrode on the tissue contact surface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode comprise non-piercing bumps on the tissue contact surface, and wherein contacting the mucosal tissue comprises contacting the non-piercing bumps on the tissue contact surface with the mucosal tissue.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

measuring an amount of delivered energy using a thermocouple on the treatment delivery portion; and

adjusting the amount of delivered energy by adjusting a setting of the treatment delivery portion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering the energy-based treatment comprises applying cryotherapy.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein applying the cryotherapy comprises ablating the nerve tissue.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising mechanically altering the mucosal tissue while delivering the energy-based treatment.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the patient has a nasal mucus hypersecretion condition, wherein delivering the energy-based treatment ablates the nerve tissue, thereby ameliorating symptoms of the nasal mucus hypersecretion condition.

11. A method for treating an upper airway to reduce overproduction of nasal mucus, the method comprising:

selecting a patient having nasal mucus overproduction;

advancing a treatment delivery portion of an energy-based treatment device into a nostril of the patient;

contacting mucosal tissue of the upper airway with the treatment delivery portion; and

delivering an energy-based treatment from the treatment delivery portion to nerve tissue underlying the mucosal tissue, wherein delivering the energy-based treatment deactivates the nerve tissue and thereby treats the patient'"'"'s upper airway to reduce overproduction of mucus.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the energy-based treatment is a cryotherapy treatment.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein delivering the energy-based treatment comprises applying radiofrequency energy.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein deactivating the nerve tissue comprises ablating the nerve tissue.