Renovascular treatment device, system, and method for radiosurgically alleviating hypertension

Abstract

A radiosurgical method for treating cardiorenal disease of a patient, the method including directing radiosurgery radiation from outside the patient towards one or more target treatment regions encompassing sympathetic ganglia of the patient so as to inhibit the cardiorenal disease. In an exemplary embodiment, the method further includes acquiring three dimensional planning image data encompassing the first and second renal arteries, planning an ionizing radiation treatment of first and second target regions using the three dimensional planning image data so as to mitigate the hypertension, the first and second target regions encompassing neural tissue of or proximate to the first and second renal arteries, respectively, and remodeling the target regions by directing the planned radiation from outside the body toward the target regions.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION DATA[0001]The present application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 483,962 filed May 9, 2011. The full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention generally provides improved devices, systems, and methods for treatment of a patient. Exemplary embodiments provide radiosurgical treatment of tissues, including nerves, in a patient body, often to treat a renovascular disease and / or to treat heart failure. Exemplary embodiments may deposit a sufficient ionizing radiation dose at a target region of the renovascular system in general, and renal nerves located proximate to the renal arteries in particular, so as to treat hypertension of the patient body. Along with allowing treatment of tissues which may move at a relatively rapid pace, embodiments of the invention may accommodate significant deformation or re...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0027]According to another aspect of the present invention, there is a radiosurgical system for treating a patient body with a renal artery and hypertension. The system comprises an image capture device for acquiring three dimensional planning image data from the renal artery and / or a location proximate the renal artery, a radiation source for transmitting a plurality of beams of ionizing radiation from outside the body, and a processor system configured to direct the ionizing radiation beams toward a target region of the renal artery and / or a target region at the location proximate the renal artery such that the radiation beams remodel the target region and the hypertension is mitigated.

[0028]In some embodiments, a position surrogate may be positioned and / or implanted from within an inferior vena cava (IVC) of the body prior to acquiring of the planning image data. The IVC position surrogate may be temporary, but will often remain implanted at least throughout planning and radiation delivery (optionally being permanent). Advantageously, an IVC surrogate may comprise a bioresorbable or biodegradable structure. Any inadvertent emboli associated with an IVC position surrogate may be relatively safely directed to the pulmonary vasculature by the bloodflow, and access to the IVC for implantation of prosthetic structures is well established with good patient safety. Surprisingly, in many of the embodiments described herein (including those employing an IVC position surrogate), no position surrogate may be implanted within at least the first renal artery, often within either of the renal arteries. This lack of a surrogate within the renal artery may help avoid challenges of accessing the renal arteries, and perhaps more importantly, may completely avoid potential implant induced-occlusive response of the tissues of the renal arteries (which could otherwise induce associated increase in blood pressure and thereby potential decrease or even overwhelm the hypertension alleviation available via denervation).

Problems solved by technology

Ablating the origin of the renal nerves in the sympathetic ganglia has historically been considered very difficult.

Pharmacologic assault on nerve functions is associated with systemic complications.

The sympathetic renal nerves arborize throughout the walls of the renal arteries, and frustrate access thereto.

Unfortunately, some radiosurgical therapies, and particularly those which seek to target and track moving tissues using x-ray imaging, fluoroscopy, or other remote imaging modalities, may subject collateral tissues to significant imaging-related radiation and associated injury.

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