Devices for delivering a chemical denervation agent and methods of use

1. A method for treating back pain in a patient in need of such treatment, the method comprising:

providing a balloon catheter having a proximal first end, an opposite distal second end, a mid-longitudinal axis extending through the proximal first end and the distal second end, an outer shaft portion, an inner shaft portion, and a porous balloon portion, the outer shaft portion and the inner shaft portion being coaxial with the mid-longitudinal axis and extending between the proximal first end and the distal second end, the inner shaft portion being positioned within the outer shaft portion, a first lumen being formed between the outer shaft portion and the inner shaft portion, a second lumen being formed through the inner shaft portion, the balloon portion being attached to the outer shaft portion at a first location at the distal second end and a second location between the proximal first end and the distal second end, the outer shaft portion including apertures formed therethrough adjacent the distal second end, and the balloon portion including porosities formed therein, the apertures in the outer shaft portion affording communication between the first lumen and an interior of the balloon portion, and the porosities formed in the balloon portion affording communication between the interior of the balloon and an exterior of the balloon portion;

positioning the distal second end of the balloon catheter in or adjacent to a treatment zone containing a basivertebral nerve;

transferring a first chemical denervation agent at a first pressure through the first lumen, through the apertures in the outer shaft portion, and into the interior of the balloon portion to inflate the balloon portion;

after the inflation of the balloon portion, increasing the first chemical denervation agent to a second pressure greater than the first pressure to transfer the first chemical denervation agent from the interior to the exterior of the balloon portion and the treatment zone via the porosities formed in the balloon portion;

transferring a second denervation agent through the second lumen to the treatment zone; and

chemically ablating at least a portion of the basivertebral nerve with the first and second denervation agents.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment zone is a vertebra, and further comprising positioning the balloon portion of the balloon catheter within the vertebra.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment zone is a vertebra, and the inflation of the balloon portion moves the balloon portion from an unexpanded configuration to an expanded configuration within the vertebra.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second lumen includes a port adjacent the distal second end, and transferring the second chemical denervation agent comprises moving the second chemical denervation agent out of the port.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating a curved path for the balloon catheter to the treatment zone, and positioning the distal second end of the balloon catheter comprises moving the balloon portion along the curved path until the balloon portion is positioned within the vertebra.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the balloon portion is at least partially coated with a third chemical denervation agent.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exterior of the balloon portion is at least partially coated with a third chemical denervation agent, and further comprising contacting a portion of the treatment zone with the exterior of the balloon portion.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first chemical denervation agent and the second chemical denervation agent is delivered within 1 mm of the basivertebral nerve.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the balloon catheter is at least partially steerable, and further comprising creating a curved path from an incision to the treatment zone and actively steering the balloon catheter along the path and positioning the balloon portion in or adjacent to the vertebra.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the steerable catheter is deflectable in only one plane.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second chemical denervation agent comprises an implantable biodegradable drug depot that releases the second chemical denervation agent in the treatment zone when implanted in the treatment zone so as to chemically ablate the basivertebral nerve over time as the chemical denervation agent is released.

12. A method for treating back pain in a patient in need of such treatment, the method comprising:

providing a balloon catheter having a proximal first end, an opposite distal second end, a mid-longitudinal axis extending through the proximal first end and the distal second end, an outer shaft portion, an inner shaft portion, and a porous balloon portion, the outer shaft portion and the inner shaft portion being coaxial with the mid-longitudinal axis and extending between the proximal first end and the distal second end, the inner shaft portion being positioned within the outer shaft portion, the balloon portion being attached to the outer shaft portion at a first location at the distal second end and a second location between the proximal first end and the distal second end;

positioning the distal second end of the balloon catheter in or adjacent to a treatment zone in a vertebra, the treatment zone containing a basivertebral nerve;

transferring a first chemical denervation agent at a first pressure through a first lumen formed between the outer shaft portion and the inner shaft portion, through apertures formed in the outer shaft portion adjacent the distal second end, and into an interior of the balloon portion to inflate the balloon portion;

after the inflation of the balloon portion, increasing the first chemical denervation to a second pressure greater than the first pressure to transfer the first chemical denervation agent from the interior to an exterior of the balloon portion and the treatment zone via porosities formed in the balloon portion;

transferring a second denervation agent through the second lumen formed through the inner shaft portion to the treatment zone; and

chemically ablating at least a portion of the basivertebral nerve with the first and second denervation agents.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the inflation of the balloon portion moves the balloon portion from an unexpanded configuration to an expanded configuration within the vertebra.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the balloon catheter is at least partially steerable, and further comprising creating a curved path from an incision to the treatment zone and actively steering the balloon catheter along the path.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the balloon portion is at least partially coated with a third chemical denervation agent.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the exterior of the balloon portion is at least partially coated with a third chemical denervation agent, and further comprising contacting a portion of the treatment zone with the exterior of the balloon portion.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first chemical denervation agent and the second chemical denervation agent is delivered within 1 mm of the basivertebral nerve.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the balloon catheter is at least partially steerable, and further comprising creating a curved path from an incision to the treatment zone and actively steering the balloon catheter along the path and positioning the balloon portion into the vertebra.

19. A method for treating back pain in a patient in need of such treatment, the method comprising:

inserting portions of a balloon catheter into the patient, the balloon catheter having a proximal first end, an opposite distal second end, a mid-longitudinal axis extending through the proximal first end and the distal second end, an outer shaft portion, an inner shaft portion, and a porous balloon portion, the outer shaft portion and the inner shaft portion being coaxial with the mid-longitudinal axis and extending between the proximal first end and the distal second end, the inner shaft portion being positioned within the outer shaft portion, the balloon portion being attached to the outer shaft portion at a first location at the distal second end and a second location between the proximal first end and the distal second end;

positioning the balloon portion into a vertebra in or adjacent to a treatment zone containing a basivertebral nerve;

transferring a first chemical denervation agent at first pressure through a first lumen formed between the outer shaft portion and the inner shaft portion, through apertures formed in the outer shaft portion adjacent the distal second end, and into an interior of the balloon portion to inflate the balloon portion;

after the inflation of the balloon portion, increasing the first chemical denervation to a second pressure greater than the first pressure to transfer the first chemical denervation agent from the interior to an exterior of the balloon portion and the treatment zone via porosities formed in the balloon portion;

transferring a second denervation agent through second lumen formed through the inner shaft portion to the treatment zone; and

chemically ablating at least a portion of the basivertebral nerve with the first and second denervation agents.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the balloon catheter is at least partially steerable, and further comprising creating a curved path from an incision to the treatment zone and actively steering the balloon catheter along the path.