Apparatus for effective ablation and nerve sensing associated with denervation
First Claim
1. A catheter for sensing the activity from nerves outside of a lumen of a target vessel of a human body comprising:
- a catheter body having a distal end for insertion into a patient, a proximal end, and a central axis extending in a longitudinal direction;
a first needle guiding element and a second needle guiding element adapted to expand outwardly from the catheter body toward an interior wall of the target vessel;
a first needle and a second needle, the first needle having a distal electrode, the first needle adapted to be advanced outwardly, guided by the first needle guiding element to penetrate and advance through the interior wall of the target vessel into a target tissue outside of the lumen of the target vessel, the second needle adapted to be advanced outwardly, guided by the second needle guiding element to penetrate and advance through the interior wall of the target vessel into the target tissue outside of the lumen of the target vessel,wherein the first needle guiding element and the second needle guiding element are configured to maintain their position against the interior wall of the target vessel as the first needle and the second needle are advanced into the target tissue; and
a wire for conducting electrical signals, the wire extending between the distal electrode and a proximal connector, the proximal connector configured to connect to external electronic equipment, the external electronic equipment having a sensing subsystem configured for sensing local nerve activity within a patient.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An intravascular catheter for nerve activity ablation and/or sensing includes one or more needles advanced through supported guide tubes (needle guiding elements) which expand to contact the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the needles to be advanced though the vessel wall into the extra-luminal tissue including the media, adventitia and periadvential space. The catheter also includes structures which provide radial and lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes open uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall. Electrodes near the distal ends of the needles allow sensing of nerve activity before and after attempted renal denervation. In a combination embodiment ablative energy or fluid is delivered from the needles in or near the adventitia to ablate nerves outside of the media while sparing nerves within the media.
239 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A catheter for sensing the activity from nerves outside of a lumen of a target vessel of a human body comprising:
-
a catheter body having a distal end for insertion into a patient, a proximal end, and a central axis extending in a longitudinal direction; a first needle guiding element and a second needle guiding element adapted to expand outwardly from the catheter body toward an interior wall of the target vessel; a first needle and a second needle, the first needle having a distal electrode, the first needle adapted to be advanced outwardly, guided by the first needle guiding element to penetrate and advance through the interior wall of the target vessel into a target tissue outside of the lumen of the target vessel, the second needle adapted to be advanced outwardly, guided by the second needle guiding element to penetrate and advance through the interior wall of the target vessel into the target tissue outside of the lumen of the target vessel, wherein the first needle guiding element and the second needle guiding element are configured to maintain their position against the interior wall of the target vessel as the first needle and the second needle are advanced into the target tissue; and a wire for conducting electrical signals, the wire extending between the distal electrode and a proximal connector, the proximal connector configured to connect to external electronic equipment, the external electronic equipment having a sensing subsystem configured for sensing local nerve activity within a patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A system for sensing at least one nerve in an extravascular tissue in a human body, comprising:
-
a catheter with an elongate, flexible catheter body; a first guide element adapted to advance outwardly from the elongate, flexible catheter body, a first flexible extendable arm having a first sharpened tissue penetrating tip, the first flexible extendable arm movable between a first position in which the first sharpened tissue penetrating tip is positioned within the first guide element and a second position in which the first sharpened tissue penetrating tip is displaced radially outwardly from the first guide element to penetrate the extravascular tissue and reach a target site; a first electrode carried by the first flexible extendable arm; a first electrical conductor, extending through the elongate, flexible catheter body of the catheter and in electrical communication with the first electrode; a second guide element adapted to advance outwardly from the elongate, flexible catheter body, a second flexible extendable arm having a second sharpened tissue penetrating tip, the second flexible extendable arm movable between a first position in which the second sharpened tissue penetrating tip is positioned within the second guide element and a second position in which the second sharpened tissue penetrating tip is displaced radially outwardly from the second guide element to penetrate the extravascular tissue and reach the target site; a second electrode; a second electrical conductor, in electrical communication with the second electrode; and wherein the first guide element and the second guide element are configured to maintain their position against an interior wall of the extravascular tissue as the first flexible extendable arm and the second flexible extendable arm penetrate the extravascular tissue and reach the target site; wherein the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor are configured to connect to external electronic equipment having a sensing subsystem configured for measuring local nerve activity within a patient using the first electrode and the second electrode. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification