Neuromodulatory methods for treating pulmonary disorders

• US 8,155,744 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Original Assignee: Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Inventors: Rezai, Ali R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATTON, AMANDA K
• Application Number:
  US12/333,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20090155336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 607/9, 607/42, 607/2
• US Class Current: 607/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 9/10 for treating ischaemic or atherosclerotic diseases, e.g. antianginal drugs, coronary vasodilators, drugs for myocardial infarction, retinopathy, cerebrovascula insufficiency, renal arteriosclerosis

Abstract

A method for treating a pulmonary disorder in a subject includes inserting a therapy delivery device into a vessel of the subject, advancing the therapy delivery device to a point adjacent an intraluminal target site of the autonomic nervous system, and activating the therapy delivery device to delivery a therapy signal to the intraluminal target site to treat the pulmonary disorder. The intraluminal target site is in electrical communication with nervous tissue selected from the group consisting of a spinal nerve, a postganglionic fiber of a spinal nerve, a sympathetic chain ganglion, a thoracic sympathetic chain ganglion, a cervical ganglion, a lower cervical ganglion, an inferior cervical ganglion, an intramural ganglion, a splanchnic nerve, an esophageal plexus, a cardiac plexus, a pulmonary plexus, an anterior pulmonary plexus, a posterior pulmonary plexus, a celiac plexus, a hypogastric plexus, an inferior mesenteric ganglion, a celiac ganglion, and a superior mesenteric ganglion.

Claims

1. A method for treating asthma in a subject, said method comprising the steps of:

inserting a therapy delivery device into a pulmonary artery of the subject;

advancing the therapy delivery device to a point substantially adjacent an intraluminal target site of the autonomic nervous system (ANS); and

activating the therapy delivery device to deliver a therapy signal to the intraluminal target site of the ANS to treat the asthma;

wherein the intraluminal target site is in electrical communication with nervous tissue selected from the group consisting of a spinal nerve, pre- or post-ganglionic autonomic fibers, a sympathetic chain ganglion, a thoracic sympathetic chain ganglion, a cervical ganglion, a lower cervical ganglion, an inferior cervical ganglion, an intramural ganglion, a splanchnic nerve, an esophageal plexus, a cardiac plexus, a pulmonary plexus, an anterior pulmonary plexus, a posterior pulmonary plexus, a celiac plexus, a hypogastric plexus, an inferior mesenteric ganglion, a celiac ganglion, and a superior mesenteric ganglion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the therapy delivery device is inserted into a left pulmonary artery.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the therapy delivery device is advanced to a point in the left pulmonary artery that is crossed by the anterior pulmonary plexus.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the therapy delivery device is advanced to a portion of the left pulmonary artery so that the therapy delivery device is in electrical communication with the anterior pulmonary plexus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the therapy delivery device is advanced to a point substantially adjacent the anterior pulmonary plexus.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

sensing a bodily activity associated with the asthma;

generating a sensor signal based on the bodily activity; and

activating the therapy delivery device to adjust application of the therapy signal to the intraluminal target site in response to the sensor signal to treat the asthma.

7. The method of claim 1, said step of activating the therapy delivery device further including increasing the sympathetic activity of the nervous tissue.

8. A method for treating asthma in a subject, said method comprising the steps of:

inserting a therapy delivery device into a pulmonary artery of the subject;

advancing the therapy delivery device to a point substantially adjacent an intraluminal target site of the ANS; and

activating the therapy delivery device to deliver a therapy signal to the intraluminal target site of the ANS to treat the asthma.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the intraluminal target site is in electrical communication with nervous tissue selected from the group consisting of a pulmonary plexus, an anterior pulmonary plexus, and a posterior pulmonary plexus.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the therapy delivery device is inserted into a left pulmonary artery.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the therapy delivery device is advanced to a point in the left pulmonary artery that is crossed by the anterior pulmonary plexus.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

sensing a bodily activity associated with the asthma;

generating a sensor signal based on the bodily activity; and

activating the therapy delivery device to adjust application of the therapy signal to the intraluminal target site in response to the sensor signal to treat the asthma.

13. The method of claim 8, said step of activating the therapy delivery device further including increasing the sympathetic activity of the nervous tissue.

14. A method for treating asthma in a subject, said method comprising the steps of:

inserting a therapy delivery device into an esophagus of the subject;

advancing the therapy delivery device to a point substantially adjacent an anterior pulmonary plexus; and

activating the therapy delivery device to deliver a therapy signal to the anterior pulmonary plexus to treat the asthma.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

sensing a bodily activity associated with the asthma;

generating a sensor signal based on the bodily activity; and

activating the therapy delivery device to adjust application of the therapy signal to the anterior pulmonary plexus in response to the sensor signal to treat the asthma.