Non-invasive and minimally invasive denervation methods and systems for performing the same
Inventors
Mayse, Martin L. • Dimmer, Steven C.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11712283-B2
Publication Date
2023-08-01
Expiration Date
Abstract
A system and method can be used to denervate at least a portion of a bronchial tree. An energy emitter of an instrument is percutaneously delivered to a treatment site and outputs energy to damage nerve tissue of the bronchial tree. The denervation procedure can be performed without damaging non-targeted tissue. Minimally invasive methods can be used to open airways to improve lung function in subjects with COPD, asthma, or the like. Different sections of the bronchial tree can be denervated while leaving airways intact to reduce recovery times.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a method in which an instrument includes an energy emitter positioned at a distal section. A user is provided the instrument and instructions to decrease mucus production in lungs of a subject, and the instructions include moving the energy emitter through skin and wrapping the distal section around an airway of a bronchial tree to position the energy emitter with respect to nerve tissue along the airway.
The energy emitter is energized to deliver energy to the nerve tissue while the energy emitter is positioned outside of the airway, and the instrument is removed. A further aspect provides percutaneous delivery by delivering a distal section of the instrument through skin and wrapping the distal section around an airway of the bronchial tree so the distal section is positioned to deliver energy to nerve tissue.
Energy is delivered to a first portion of the nerve tissue of the bronchial tree, and the delivery is used to substantially inhibit nervous system signals from traveling to a second portion of the bronchial tree, thereby providing reduction of mucus production. The disclosed approach targets bronchial nerve tissue by positioning the energy emitter outside the airway while wrapped around the airway.
In certain implementations, the instructions include damaging a nerve trunk located along a main bronchus, or damaging nerve tissue located between a trachea and a lung, and can include ablating a sufficient amount of nerve tissue to prevent nervous system signals from traveling to substantially all bronchial branches, while removing the instrument without destroying the airway.
Claims Coverage
The partial set of relevant claims contains two independent methods, each grounded in user instructions for percutaneous energy delivery to inhibit nervous system signaling to reduce mucus production. Across the independent claims, the inventive features are (i) positioning a distal energy emitter outside a bronchial airway by wrapping, (ii) delivering energy to bronchial nerve tissue percutaneously through skin, and (iii) achieving inhibition of nervous system signals to selected bronchial portions.
Wrapping a distal energy emitter around an airway outside the airway
providing instructions to a user comprising moving an energy emitter through skin, wrapping the distal section of the instrument around an airway of a bronchial tree to position the energy emitter with respect to nerve tissue along the airway, energizing the energy emitter to deliver energy from the energy emitter to the nerve tissue while the energy emitter is positioned outside of the airway, and removing the instrument
Substantially inhibiting nervous system signals by delivering energy to bronchial nerve tissue
providing instructions to the user to provide a treatment comprising percutaneously delivering a distal section through skin and wrapping the distal section around an airway so the distal section is positioned to deliver energy to nerve tissue, delivering energy to a first portion of the nerve tissue using the instrument to substantially inhibit nervous system signals from traveling to a second portion of the bronchial tree
In both independent claims, the core claimed coverage is user-instruction-based, percutaneous energy delivery in which a distal section is wrapped around a bronchial airway to position an energy emitter outside the airway while delivering energy to nerve tissue to decrease mucus production by substantially inhibiting nervous system signal travel to selected portions of the bronchial tree.
Stated Advantages
Reduced mucus production by providing inhibition of nervous system signals traveling to bronchial portions.
Preservation of airway integrity by removing the instrument without destroying the airway.
Avoidance of substantially damaging airway blood vessels (as constrained by monitoring in dependent claim language).
Documented Applications
Non-invasive and minimally invasive bronchial-tree denervation for COPD/asthma by delivering energy to airway nerve tissue to reduce mucus production.
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