Systems and methods for therapeutic nasal neuromodulation

Inventors

Townley, David • Shields, Brian

Assignees

Neurent Medical Ltd

Abstract

The invention provides systems and methods for therapeutically modulating nerves in or associated with a nasal region of a patient for the treatment of a rhinosinusitis condition. The system includes a device including a multi-segment end effector for delivering energy to one or more target sites within the nasal cavity of the patient. The multi-segment end effector includes a first segment and a separate second segment, wherein each of the first and second segments is transformable between a retracted configuration and an expanded deployed configuration, the first segment having a first geometry when in the deployed configuration to complement anatomy at a first location within the nasal cavity and a second segment having a second geometry when in the deployed configuration to complement anatomy at a second location within the nasal cavity.

Core Innovation

The invention provides a handheld device and associated method for treating a condition within a nasal cavity of a patient by delivering energy to one or more target sites. The handheld device includes a shaft, a multi-segment end effector operably associated with the shaft, and a handle with user-manipulatable mechanisms. The multi-segment end effector is retractable and expandable, and includes a first segment and a second segment configured to deliver energy to target sites within the nasal cavity.

The first segment includes flexible support elements arranged as a first set and a second set, where each set comprises a single deformable wire and an array of electrodes positioned at separate and discrete portions thereon. When the first segment is in the expanded deployed configuration, the first set extends in a first outward direction relative to a longitudinal axis and is positioned within a first half of the first segment to cooperatively form an inwardly extending first concave shape. The second set extends in a second outward direction substantially opposite the first outward direction and is positioned within a second half of the first segment to cooperatively form an inwardly extending second concave shape opposing the first concave shape.

The second segment is longitudinally spaced apart from the first segment along the shaft and is transformable between a retracted configuration and an expanded deployed configuration. The second segment includes a third set of flexible support elements in which each loop-shaped support element comprises an array of electrodes positioned at separate and discrete portions thereon. Each loop-shaped support element defines a freely independent distal-most portion that extends in an outward direction away from the distal portion of the shaft to define a distal-most end of the handheld device when the second segment is in either the retracted and expanded deployed configurations.

Claims Coverage

The independent claims are directed to a handheld device for treating a condition within a nasal cavity and a method for treating a condition within a nasal cavity. The inventive features center on a retractable and expandable multi-segment end effector, opposing concave electrode architectures on a first segment, loop-shaped electrode-bearing support elements on a second segment, and user control of energy output from each segment.

The claims cover a handheld device and treatment method using a shaft-mounted, retractable and expandable multi-segment end effector deployed to respective nasal cavity locations, with concave electrode architectures on the first segment, loop-shaped electrode-bearing elements on the second segment, and user-controlled energy delivery from each segment.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications