Inactivation of smooth muscle tissue
View Patent ↗Treatment and procedures for treating bodily conduits involves deactivating, killing, or otherwise treating smooth muscle tissue of the conduit.
1. A method of treating asthma, the method comprising:
locating a blood vessel supplying airway smooth muscle in a lung; and
injecting botulinum toxin type A into the blood vessel in an amount effective to lessen airway smooth muscle contraction.
2. The method of claim 1 , where the blood vessel comprises a bronchial artery.
3. The method of claim 1 , further selecting a second vascular site, and reducing a blood flow within the second vascular site to decrease a flow rate of the toxin in the blood vessel.
4. The method of claim 1 , where the toxin blocks flow of blood within the blood vessel to damage smooth muscle.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising stimulating an airway in the lung.
6. The method of claim 1 , where stimulating the airway increases absorption of the toxin.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring blood supply to determine an amount of the toxin remaining in the blood supply.
8. The method of claim 1 , where the toxin irreversibly damages smooth muscle tissue.