Methods and Devices for Treating Hypertension

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are described which control blood pressure and nervous system activity by stimulating baroreceptors. By selectively and controllably activating baroreceptors and/or nerves, the present invention reduces blood pressure and alters the sympathetic nervous system; thereby minimizing deleterious effects on the heart, vasculature and other organs and tissues. A baroreceptor activation device or other sensory activation device is positioned near a dermal bone to provide the treatment.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 549,007 filed Oct. 19, 2011 titled “Hypertension and Heart Rate Reduction,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 648,060 filed May 16, 2012 titled “Methods and Devices for Treating Hypertension,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 681,469 filed Aug. 9, 2012 titled “Methods and Devices for Treating Hypertension Using and Electroactive Transducer,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 681,513 filed on Aug. 9, 2012 titled “Support Assemblies For The Treatment of Hypertension,” the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates generally to methods and devices for the treatment of hypertension. More specifically, methods and devices which treat hypertension using devices disposed extra corporally.[0003]Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects millions of people ev...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0043]There is yet another hypertensive population emerging in today's world is the hypertensive adolescent. Over the past 30 years, the number of adolescent hypertensives has risen to a rate of over 3.7% diagnosed hypertensive and 3.4% diagnosed pre-hypertensive. Only 1 in 4 adolescents are currently diagnosed. Many of the currently available pharmaceutical products have not been tested on an adolescent populati

Problems solved by technology

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects millions of people every day and is a serious health hazard.

Hypertension is associated with an elevated risk for heart attack, heart failure, arterial aneurysms, kidney failure and stroke.

An increase in the mean arterial pressure increases depolarization of these sensory endings, which results in action potentials.

The ABR system also performs an essential function to regulate blood pressure during exercise, wherein during exercise your heart rate increases as well as your blood pressure, however, at a certain point during exercise the ABR will intervene, allowing the heart rate to further increase but not allowing the blood pressure to further increase.

However, the use of pharmaceutical products is not without their risks.

Many of these products carry severe warnings of potential side effects.

Additionally, each patient may respond differently to the products, therefore multiple office visits may be required before the right dosage and type of pharmaceutical products are selected, which leads to greater health care costs.

Further still there are a number of patients who either do not respond to medication, refuse to take medication, or over time the medication no longer provides a therapeutic effect.

However, these devices are relatively new or are still under development and have not been proven over a long period of time.

Also, since the device is a permanent implant, there is always the possibility of complications during the implantation process or infections related to the implantation.

If the nerves are severed, then the device will not function properly and may lead to long term health complications for the patient.

However, even more troubling is that the patient has now permanently lost a baroreceptor for controlling blood pressure naturally, which may lead to complications later, which are currently unknown.

Additionally, the implant device requires regular battery replacement, which to do so requires another invasive surgical procedure.

Similar to the device and procedure described above, this device permanently causes a disconnection between the chemoreceptors and the nervous system/brain.

The long term effects are unknown, additionally, other nerves maybe destroyed or disconnected during the procedure which may lead to other side effects.

This may be concerning as now these patients have had their renal arteries permanently disconnected from their kidneys, which may

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