Use of platelet rich plasma composition in the treatment of cardiac conduction abnormalities

Abstract

Methods and kits for treating a cardiac arrhythmia using a platelet rich plasma (PRP) composition are provided. Any type of arrhythmia may be treated using the PRP composition. The PRP composition may comprise PRP developed using blood collected from a patient suffering the cardiac arrhythmia. The PRP composition may be buffered to a physiological pH and may include one or more anti-arrhythmic agents, anti-coagulants, or other drugs. The PRP composition may be delivered using a nebulizer, minimally invasively, or surgically. In some embodiments, the PRP composition may be coated on one or more medical devices. The PRP composition may be delivered to an identified portion of the electrical conduction system of the heart affected and / or causing the arrhythmia to occur.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]This invention relates generally to treatment of cardiac conditions and more specifically to treatment of a cardiac conduction abnormality (e.g., arrhythmia) using a composition comprising platelet rich plasma.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]Arrhythmias are a common disorder where the regular electric pacemaker activity of the heart may be disturbed. The disturbance may be caused by a blockage, delay, or misfiring of the electrical conduction system of the heart that controls the contraction and relaxation of the cardiac muscle. Arrhythmias may vary in severity, from asymptomatic disease to sudden cardiac death, and may lead to heart disease and stroke. According to the American Heart Association, about 2.2 million Americans suffer from atrial fibrillation, one type of arrhythmia.[0005]To maintain regular, rhythmic beating, the heart comprises an electrical conduction system that controls the contraction of...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]Methods for treating cardiac conduction abnormalities (e.g., arrhythmias) are provided. Generally, the methods may include identifying a patient with a cardiac arrhythmia or an arrhythmia risk and delivering a platelet rich plasma (PRP) composition comprising PRP to treat the cardiac conduction abnormality. The cardiac conduction abnormality may be determined based on an abnormal heart beat, an electrocardiogram (ECG), electrophysiology study or by any other suitable mechanism. The functional effect of the conduction abnormality may also be assessed using electrocardiography, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, or cardiac nuclear medicine imaging. The cardiac abnormality or a heightened risk of a cardiac abnormality may be documented in, for example, a medical history, test results, patient file, procedure log, or other electronic or paper record. The PRP composition may be delivered to cardiac tissue in an amount sufficient to treat the conduction abnormality. For example, the amount may be about one to about three cubic centimeters, about three to about five cubic centimeters, about five to about seven cubic centimeters, or seven or more cubic centimeters. The PRP composition may comprise a platelet rich plasma, a buffering agent, and / or an anti-arrhythmic agent. In some examples, the PRP composition may be injected into the heart muscle or infused into one or more regions of the cardiac vasculature. The injection or infusion may be performed in a translumenal access procedure, a thorascopic procedure, an open chest procedure or any other access procedure.

Problems solved by technology

The disturbance may be caused by a blockage, delay, or misfiring of the electrical conduction system of the heart that controls the contraction and relaxation of the cardiac muscle.

Arrhythmias may vary in severity, from asymptomatic disease to sudden cardiac death, and may lead to heart disease and stroke.

For example, atrio-ventricular dyssynchrony, may cause the loss of the “atrial kick” which facilitates ventricular filling, or result in an atrium contracting against a closed atrio-ventricular valve.

Ventricular dyssynchrony, where the left and right ventricles contract at different times, may reduce contractile efficiency when one ventricle is contracting while the other ventricle is relaxed, and may result in interventricular septal displacement that reduces the net forward blood flow of the ventricle.

In still another example, atrial fibrillation results in a disorganized quivering of the atrial muscle and a loss of forward flow, which may predispose the patient to blood clot formation and a higher risk of stroke.

While some treatments may relieve some arrhythmias, the same treatments may aggravate or have no effect on other arrhythmias.

Drug treatments that may be used to treat arrhythmias may have undesirable side effects and / or may be required for months if not years in order to maintain a regular heart rate.

Indeed, some anti-arrhythmic agents even predispose a patient to an increased risk of certain arrhythmias.

Hemodynamically unstable patients suffering an acute arrhythmia may be treated with electrical shocks using an automatic external defibrillator (AED) or manual defibrillator, but electrical shocks are not always successful in ending an arrhythmia and may cause significant discomfort or even burn the skin.

However, these devices are subject to malfunction and may be difficult to implant in certain patients.

Ablation of abnormal conduction pathways, or the formation of scar tissue to control the propagation of electrical activity, such as the Maze procedure used for atrial fibrillation, also requires invasive procedures and may only be effective in treating a narrow range of arrhythmias and while also increasing the patient's arrhythmia risk during the procedure or surgery.

In some embodiments, the blood may be collected from a patient who is suffering a myocardial infarction that may, in turn, increase the patient's risk of arrhythmia.

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