Method and system for implantable pressure transducer for regulating blood pressure

• US 7,835,797 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CVRx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CVRx, Inc.
• Inventors: Irwin, Eric, Rossing, Martin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Manuel; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Narayanaswamy; Shubatra
• Application Number:
  US11/950,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/3, 607/9
• US Class Current: 607/44
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36114 Cardiac control, e.g. by vagal stimulation stimulating the heart A61N1/362
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36117 for treating hypertension

Abstract

An apparatus and a system can chronically and automatically measure a physiologic parameter associated with the high pressure side of the vasculature and/or regulate blood pressure based upon the measured parameter. The apparatus may be made up of a transducer, a baroreflex activation device having one or more electrodes, and a lead having two or more conductors. The system can measure a physiologic parameter and selectively administer a therapy, such as, for example, electro-stimulation of baroreceptors, based upon the measurement. The transducer for measuring the physiologic parameter can be chronically implanted in the high-pressure side of the vasculature. The implantation method may include intravascularly positioning the transducer in the external carotid artery in such a way that the transducer is first introduced into the arterial vasculature through the superior thyroid artery.

Claims

1. A method of initiating a baroreflex response, the method comprising:

accessing a first blood vessel having a region capable of initiating the baroreflex response;

creating an opening in a second blood vessel proximate the region and branching from the first blood vessel;

inserting a transducer operably carried by a distal end of an apparatus into the opening in the second blood vessel;

positioning an electrode operably carried by the distal end of the apparatus proximate the region of the first blood vessel; and

operably connecting the transducer and the electrode to a control unit; and

causing the control unit to selectively generate a therapy signal delivered to the electrode;

wherein the first blood vessel and the second blood vessel are both arteries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the opening in the second arterial blood vessel is accomplished by sacrificing the second arterial blood vessel.

3. The method of claim 1, the method is performed on the high-pressure side of the vasculature.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein creating the opening in the second blood vessel branching from the first blood vessel is performed on a superior thyroid artery branching from a carotid sinus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the electrode positions the electrode about an exterior portion of the first blood vessel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the electrode positions the electrode about a nerve proximate the first blood vessel.

7. A method of initiating a baroreflex response, the method comprising:

providing a control unit and at least one apparatus adapted to be implanted in a patient; and

providing instructions for implanting the at least one apparatus including;

accessing a first blood vessel having a region capable of initiating a baroreflex response;

creating an opening in a second blood vessel proximate the region and branching from the first blood vessel;

inserting a transducer operably carried by a distal end of an apparatus into the opening in the second blood vessel;

positioning an electrode operably carried by the distal end of the apparatus proximate the region of the first blood vessel; and

operably connecting the transducer and the electrode to a control unit; and

causing the control unit to selectively generate a therapy signal delivered to the electrode in response to a sensor signal representative of the physiologic parameter measured by the transducer;

wherein the first blood vessel and the second blood vessel are both arteries.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein creating the opening in the second arterial blood vessel is accomplished by sacrificing the second arterial blood vessel.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the method is performed on the high-pressure side of the vasculature.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein creating the opening in the second blood vessel branching from the first blood vessel is performed on a superior thyroid artery branching from an external carotid artery.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein positioning the electrode positions the electrode about an exterior portion of the first blood vessel.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein positioning the electrode positions the electrode about a nerve proximate the first blood vessel.