Renal neuromodulation for treatment of patients
A method and apparatus for treatment of heart failure, hypertension and renal failure by stimulating the renal nerve. The goal of therapy is to reduce sympathetic activity of the renal nerve. Therapy is accomplished by at least partially blocking the nerve with drug infusion or electrostimulation. Apparatus can be permanently implanted or catheter based.
1. A method for reducing blood pressure in a human patient, the method comprising:
positioning a nerve modulation device within renal vasculature of the patient and adjacent to a renal nerve of at least one kidney of the patient; and
at least partially blocking the renal nerve of the kidney of the patient by at least partially ablating the renal nerve,
wherein at least partially blocking the renal nerve results in a therapeutically beneficial reduction in blood pressure of the patient.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein positioning the nerve modulation device within renal vasculature of the patient comprises positioning the nerve modulation device within a renal artery of the patient.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein positioning the nerve modulation device within renal vasculature of the patient comprises positioning a catheter within the renal vasculature of the patient.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein positioning the catheter within the renal vasculature of the patient comprises positioning an electrode within the renal vasculature of the patient.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein positioning the electrode within the renal vasculature of the patient comprises positioning a unipolar electrode within the renal vasculature of the patient.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein at least partially ablating the renal nerve comprises delivering an electric field via the electrode to affect the renal nerve.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein at least partially ablating the renal nerve further comprises heating the renal nerve with energy delivered via the electrode.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the energy delivered via the electrode comprises RF energy.
9. The method of claim 4 wherein positioning the electrode within the renal vasculature of the patient comprises positioning a bipolar electrode pair within the renal vasculature of the patient.
10. The method of claim 4 wherein positioning the electrode within the renal vasculature of the patient comprises positioning the electrode in apposition with a wall of the renal vasculature of the patient.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring at least one condition of the patient with a sensor.
12. A method of treating a disease of a human patient diagnosed with at least one of heart failure, hypertension, acute myocardial infarction, impaired renal function, or chronic renal failure, the method comprising:
positioning an energy delivery element within a renal blood vessel and proximate to a renal nerve of the patient; and
delivering an energy field via the energy delivery element to modulate neural function of the renal nerve,
wherein delivering the energy field results in a therapeutically beneficial reduction in blood pressure of the patient.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein positioning the energy delivery element within a renal blood vessel comprises positioning the energy delivery element within a renal artery of the patient.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein positioning the energy delivery element within a renal blood vessel comprises positioning the energy delivery element in contact with an inner wall of a renal artery of the patient.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein delivering an energy field to modulate neural function of the renal nerve comprises delivering thermal energy to the renal nerve.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein delivering thermal energy to the renal nerve comprises heating the renal nerve.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein heating the renal nerve comprises partially ablating the renal nerve.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein heating the renal nerve comprises ablating the renal nerve.
19. A method for reducing blood pressure in a human patient, the method comprising:
intravascularly positioning a nerve modulation device within a renal artery of the patient and adjacent to a renal nerve of the patient;
at least partially blocking the renal nerve by at least partially ablating the renal nerve,
wherein at least partially blocking the renal nerve results in a therapeutically beneficial reduction in blood pressure of the patient; and
removing the nerve modulation device from the renal artery after at least partially ablating the renal nerve.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein intravascularly positioning a nerve modulation device within a renal artery of the patient comprises intravascularly positioning a catheter within the renal artery of the patient.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein intravascularly positioning the catheter within the renal artery of the patient comprises intravascularly positioning an electrode within the renal artery of the patient.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein intravascularly positioning the electrode within the renal artery of the patient comprises intravascularly positioning a unipolar electrode within the renal artery of the patient.
23. The method of claim 21 wherein at least partially ablating the renal nerve comprises delivering an electric field via the electrode to affect the renal nerve.
24. The method of claim 21 wherein at least partially ablating the renal nerve further comprises heating the renal nerve with energy delivered via the electrode.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein the energy delivered via the electrode comprises RF energy.
26. The method of claim 20 wherein intravascularly positioning the electrode within the renal artery of the patient comprises intravascularly positioning a bipolar electrode pair within the renal artery of the patient.
27. The method of claim 20 wherein intravascularly positioning the electrode within the renal artery of the patient comprises intravascularly positioning the electrode in apposition with a wall of the renal artery of the patient.
28. The method of claim 19 , further comprising monitoring at least one condition of the patient with a sensor.
29. The method of claim 19 wherein:
intravascularly positioning a nerve modulation device within a renal artery of the patient comprises intravascularly positioning a distal portion of the nerve modulation device within the renal artery and adjacent to the renal nerve and a proximal portion of the nerve modulation device external to the patient; and
removing the nerve modulation device from the renal artery after at least partially ablating the renal nerve comprises removing the distal portion of the nerve modulation device from the renal artery of the patient.