Energy delivery to intraparenchymal regions of the kidney
A method to apply a nerve inhibiting cloud surrounding a blood vessel includes creating a treatment plan, wherein the treatment plan prescribes application of the nerve inhibiting cloud towards at least a majority portion of a circumference of a blood vessel wall, and applying the nerve inhibiting cloud towards the majority portion of the circumference of the blood vessel wall for a time sufficient to inhibit a function of a nerve that surrounds the blood vessel wall.
1. A method to treat hypertension comprising:
advancing a catheter into a kidney of a patient; and
delivering energy from the catheter to target intra-parenchymal tissue inside the kidney;
wherein the energy is delivered to create a flow-restricting lesion inside the kidney.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the energy is radiofrequency energy.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the energy is x-ray.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the energy is microwave energy.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the energy is ultrasound energy.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catheter is placed in a hilum of the kidney.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catheter is configured to generate vibratory energy.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow-restricting lesion is created at a hilum of the kidney to activate mechanoreceptors inside the kidney to send signals to a brain of the patient.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow-restricting lesion is created inside the kidney to affect a hormone generating region inside the kidney.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow-restricting lesion is created inside or on a vein inside the kidney to create a high intra-parenchymal pressure.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of advancing the catheter into the kidney of the patient comprises advancing the catheter into an intra-parenchymal region of the kidney.
12. A method to treat hypertension comprising:
advancing a catheter into a kidney of a patient; and
delivering energy from the catheter to target intra-parenchymal tissue of the kidney until a flow-restricting lesion is created;
wherein the flow-restricting lesion causes a rise in an intra-parenchymal pressure of the kidney.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the energy is radiofrequency energy.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the energy is ultrasound energy.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the catheter is coupled to an energy source outside the patient.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the intra-parenchymal tissue comprises a hormone producing region of the kidney.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the act of advancing the catheter into the kidney of the patient comprises advancing the catheter into an intra-parenchymal vasculature of the kidney.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the intra-parenchymal vasculature is an arterial vasculature.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the intra-parenchymal vasculature is a venous vasculature.