Systems, compositions, and methods for local imaging and treatment of pain

1. A method for conducting a medical procedure on intervertebral discs of a spine in a body of a discogenic back pain patient, comprising:

providing a substantially targeted agent that is adapted to differentially bind to a pain factor;

conjugating the targeted agent with an imaging contrast label to thereby form a targeted label configured to label the pain factor via the bound pain factor-label conjugate;

locally injecting into a first disc, using a local injection assembly, the targeted label in a manner that is adapted to differentially bind to and label the pain factor in a first region of tissue at a first location in the first disc;

locally injecting into a second disc, using a local injection assembly, the targeted label in a manner that is adapted to differentially bind to and label the pain factor in a second region of tissue at a second location in the second disc;

binding the pain factor at the first and second locations with the injected targeted label, thereby artificially labeling the pain factor with the targeted label at the first and second locations in a manner substantially increasing the ability to image the pain factor with an imaging tool;

imaging the first and second discs with the imaging tool in a manner sufficient to selectively differentiate a first concentration of the labeled pain factor in the first region of tissue at the first location relative to a second concentration of the labeled pain factor in the second region of tissue at the second location;

wherein imaging the labeled pain factor comprises using the imaging tool to image the label coupled to the pain factor via the bound targeted agent, and the first and second concentrations are a function of the amounts of the label at the first and second locations;

wherein the pain factor comprises a nerve factor;

wherein the nerve factor comprises receptor tyrosine kinase A (trkA);

wherein the targeted agent comprises a trkA binding agent or antibody; and

diagnosing the first and second locations as relatively painful versus non-painful by comparing the selectively differentiated first and second concentrations.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the targeted agent comprises nerve growth factor (NGF).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imaging contrast label used to conjugate the targeted agent comprises a nanoparticle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imaging contrast label used to conjugate the targeted agent comprises at least one of gold or iron oxide.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein imaging contrast label used to conjugate the targeted agent comprises a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the MRI contrast agent comprises gadolinium.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein imaging the labeled pain factor comprises:

using an MRI scanner to image the MRI contrast agent coupled to the pain factor via the bound targeted agent.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imaging contrast label comprises an ultrasound contrast agent.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein imaging the labeled pain factor comprises:

ultrasonically imaging the ultrasound contrast agent label coupled to the pain factor via the targeted agent.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imaging contrast label used to conjugate the targeted agent comprises a radiographic contrast agent.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein imaging the labeled pain factor comprises:

X-ray imaging the radiographic contrast agent coupled to the pain factor via the bound targeted agent.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first region of tissue comprises only a portion that is less than all of the first intervertebral disc.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the portion is less than or equal to about one-half of the first intervertebral disc.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the portion is located within less than or equal to an about one-hundred eighty degree angular circumferential region of the first disc in a transverse plane relative to the spine.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the portion is less than or equal to about one-quarter of the first intervertebral disc.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the portion is located within less than or equal to an about ninety degree angular circumferential region of the first disc in a transverse plane relative to the spine.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising imaging the labeled pain factor using an imaging tool that comprises a phosphor imaging plate.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using a local injection assembly to inject the targeted label into a third intervertebral disc in the spine of the patient and which comprises a third region of tissue at a third location;

binding the pain factor at the third location with the targeted label injected into the third disc, thereby artificially labeling the pain factor with the targeted label at the third location in a manner substantially increasing the ability to image the pain factor at the third location with the imaging tool; and

wherein imaging the labeled pain factor further comprises imaging the third intervertebral disc to thereby image a third concentration in the third region of tissue at the third location.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising imaging the first and second locations of the targeted label bound to the pain factor in a manner that enhances the directed delivery of localized therapy to the location diagnosed as painful.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

conducting a therapeutic procedure in a substantially localized manner to the location diagnosed as painful.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the therapeutic procedure is adapted to substantially alleviate generation or transmission of pain at the painful location.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the therapeutic procedure is adapted to substantially ablate at least one nerve at the painful location.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the therapeutic procedure comprises delivering at least one therapeutic chemical in a substantially localized manner to the painful location.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the therapeutic procedure comprises:

delivering a therapeutic dose of energy in a substantially localized manner to the painful location.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein delivering the therapeutic dose of energy in the substantially localized manner to the painful location further comprises:

ablating at least one nerve at the painful location with the therapeutic dose of energy.

26. The method of claim 24 , wherein delivering the therapeutic dose of energy in the substantially localized manner to the painful location further comprises:

delivering ultrasound energy to the painful location.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein delivering the ultrasound energy further comprises:

delivering the ultrasound energy in a directed manner locally into the painful location from a delivery location.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein:

the delivery location is outside of the patient; and

the ultrasound energy is delivered via high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) that is adapted to focus the ultrasound energy to the painful location.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein:

the delivery location is adjacent to the painful location within the patient; and the ultrasound energy is delivered via a directional ultrasound probe.

30. The method of claim 24 , wherein the therapeutic dose of energy comprises thermal energy.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the therapeutic dose of energy further comprises electrical energy delivered via a radiofrequency (RF) probe.