Methods of improving autonomic imbalance or sympathetic impairment by regulating the stellate ganglion
Inventors
Rezai, Ali R. • Deogaonkar, Milind • Marsh, Clay B. • Finomore, Victor
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Assignees
MemberWest Virginia UniversityWest Virginia UniversityWest Virginia University is a public R1 research institution offering diverse undergraduate and graduate programs across science, engineering, business, creative arts, and media. The university emphasizes experiential learning, research, and innovation, with notable strengths in academic program development, research excellence, community engagement, and a commitment to affordability, career readiness, and student success. WVU supports a vibrant campus environment, industry partnerships, and impactful scholarship, preparing students for careers through hands-on education, research, and applied learning.
West Virginia University is a public R1 research institution offering diverse undergraduate and graduate programs across science, engineering, business, creative arts, and media. The university emphasizes experiential learning, research, and innovation, with notable strengths in academic program development, research excellence, community engagement, and a commitment to affordability, career readiness, and student success. WVU supports a vibrant campus environment, industry partnerships, and impactful scholarship, preparing students for careers through hands-on education, research, and applied learning.
Publication Number
US-12678399-B2
Publication Date
2026-07-14
Expiration Date
Abstract
Methods of improving ARDS by regulating a stellate ganglion is provided herein. Methods of improving a hypercoagulation state are also provided by regulating the sympathetic nervous system.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to improving acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a human patient by delivering a therapeutically effective dose of an anesthetic to the patient’s stellate ganglion (SG) to regulate function of the SG and thereby improve the patient’s ARDS. The anesthetic is selected from lidocaine, bupivacaine or combinations thereof. The approach is directed to regulating and optimizing SG function to address ARDS.
The described problem is ARDS in a human patient, including contexts where ARDS is associated with ANS imbalance and/or sympathetic impairment, and where sympathetic dysregulation and related sympathetic conditions are present. The invention addresses the role of the SG as a target for modulating cardiopulmonary signaling to improve ARDS outcomes. In some embodiments, the ARDS context includes COVID-19 induced ARDS and hypercoagulability or thrombotic states.
The invention further includes monitoring and feedback concepts in which physiological parameters indicative of ANS imbalance and/or sympathetic impairment are measured and used to guide delivery of the SG anesthetic. In additional embodiments, a baseline value is obtained, a subsequent measurement is obtained during or after delivering the therapeutically effective dose, and the resultant value is compared to the baseline value to determine whether the patient’s ARDS has improved, with applying or adjusting delivery when ARDS has not improved.
Claims Coverage
The partial content identifies three independent method claims. Across these claims, the coverage centers on therapeutic SG regulation using an anesthetic selected from lidocaine, bupivacaine, or combinations thereof, with optional measurement-based decision steps for optimization and adjustment.
Therapeutic anesthetic delivery to the stellate ganglion to regulate SG function to improve ARDS
Delivering a therapeutically effective dose of an anesthetic to the human patient's stellate ganglion (SG) to regulate function of the SG to improve the human patient's ARDS, wherein the anesthetic is selected from lidocaine, bupivacaine or combinations thereof.
Measurement-guided SG regulation using anesthetic to improve ARDS
Obtaining a measurement of a physiological parameter of the patient indicative of ANS imbalance and/or sympathetic impairment; and delivering a therapeutically effective dose of an anesthetic to the patient's stellate ganglion (SG) to regulate and optimize the function of the SG based on the measurement of the physiological parameter of the patient to improve the patient's ARDS, wherein the anesthetic is selected from lidocaine, bupivacaine or combinations thereof.
Baseline-to-result physiological comparison with SG anesthetic adjustment to improve ARDS
Obtaining a measurement of a baseline value of a physiological parameter of the patient indicative of ANS imbalance, sympathetic sensitization, sympathetic dysregulation and/or sympathetic impairment; delivering a therapeutically effective dose of an anesthetic to the patient's stellate ganglion (SG) to regulate function of the SG; obtaining a subsequent measurement of a resultant value of the physiological parameter during or after delivering the therapeutically effective dose; obtaining a comparison of the resultant value to the baseline value to determine if the patient's ARDS has improved; and applying or adjusting delivery of the therapeutically effective dose of the anesthetic to the SG based upon a determination that the patient's ARDS has not improved to improve the patient's ARDS, wherein the anesthetic is selected from lidocaine, bupivacaine or combinations thereof.
The claim set broadly covers methods that improve ARDS by delivering a therapeutically effective anesthetic dose to the stellate ganglion (SG) to regulate SG function, with additional coverage for measurement-based optimization and for baseline-to-result comparisons that support applying or adjusting anesthetic delivery when ARDS has not improved.
Stated Advantages
Improving acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a human patient by regulating stellate ganglion (SG) function.
Improving ARDS by regulating and optimizing SG function based on a measurement indicative of ANS imbalance and/or sympathetic impairment.
Determining whether ARDS has improved by comparing baseline and subsequent physiological parameter values during or after SG anesthetic delivery, and adjusting delivery when ARDS has not improved.
Documented Applications
Improving ARDS in a human patient suffering from ARDS, including COVID-19 induced ARDS.
Improving ARDS in patients using measurement of physiological parameters indicative of ANS imbalance and/or sympathetic impairment to guide SG anesthetic delivery.
Using baseline and subsequent physiological parameter measurements to determine whether ARDS has improved and to apply or adjust SG anesthetic delivery when ARDS has not improved.
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