METHODS OF TREATING MEDICAL CONDITIONS BY TRANSVASCULAR NEUROMODULATION OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
The present invention is directed to a method of treating a respiratory or pulmonary condition in a patient by transvascular neuromodulation of an adrenal gland or neural structures that innervate the adrenal gland or components thereof. Methods also include implanting a controller in the patient to control delivery of a therapy signal to the patient's adrenal gland. The therapy signal can be an electrical and/or chemical signal.
1 . A method of treating a patient suffering from a pulmonary or respiratory condition comprising:
inserting a therapy delivery device into a vessel of the patient's body;
advancing the therapy delivery device in the vessel to a position adjacent to an adrenal gland; and
activating the therapy delivery device to deliver a therapy signal to the adrenal gland to electrically or chemically modulate the adrenal gland to treat the patient's pulmonary or respiratory condition.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapy delivery device is an electrode and the therapy signal is an electrical signal that modulates the adrenal gland.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapy delivery device is a drug port and the therapy signal is a chemical signal that modulates the adrenal gland.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vessel is a vein.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the vessel is a suprarenal vein or a tributary thereof.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the vein is an inferior vena cava or a tributary thereof.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pulmonary or respiratory condition is asthma.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pulmonary or respiratory condition is chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pulmonary or respiratory condition is anaphylactic shock.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapy delivery device is advanced to a position adjacent to an adrenal cortex.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapy delivery device is advanced to a position adjacent to an adrenal medulla.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapy delivery device is advanced to one or more neural structures that innervate the adrenal medulla.
13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising implanting a controller in the patient, the controller in electrical communication with the therapy delivery device to control delivery of the therapy signal to the adrenal gland.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the controller is implanted in a retroperitoneal space of the patient.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the controller is implanted in a lower abdomen of the patient.
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the controller is implanted in a vein of the patient.
17 . The method of claim 2 , wherein delivering an electrical signal from an electrode to the adrenal gland causes the adrenal gland to release catecholamines.
18 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the catecholamines are epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, or any combination thereof.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising modulating the electrical signal to cause differential release of epinephrine and norepinephrine.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein modulating the electrical signal comprises modulating the stimulation frequency to cause release of more epinephrine relative to release of norepinephrine.
21 . The method of claim 2 , wherein delivering an electrical signal from an electrode to the adrenal gland causes the release of serotonin, GABA, norepinephrine, epinephrine, corticosteroids, dopamine, acetylcholine, or any combination thereof.