Neuromodulation for Menopause Hot Flashes via Sympathetic Nerve Targeting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for menopause-related hot flashes, such as hormone replacement therapy, come with significant side effects and risks, necessitating alternative neuromodulatory approaches to manage sympathetic nervous system activity effectively.
Innovation Solution
The development of neuromodulatory devices and methods that deliver therapy signals to target sites within the sympathetic nervous system, either through insertion, transcutaneous placement, or implantation, to modulate sympathetic activity and treat menopause-related conditions like hot flashes, using electrical, magnetic, or pharmacological agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hormone replacement therapy is used to treat hot flashes, then the frequency and severity of hot flashes are reduced by 80-90%, but the risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and breast cancer increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical mechanism of hormone replacement therapy with an electrical/neuromodulatory mechanism. The device uses electrical signals to modulate the sympathetic nervous system, specifically targeting the stellate ganglion, to reduce hot flash symptoms without introducing the harmful side effects of exogenous hormones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the sympathetic nervous system as an intermediary target between the brain and the peripheral vasculature. By modulating sympathetic activity at the stellate ganglion, the device indirectly controls vasoconstriction and vasodilation processes that cause hot flashes, avoiding direct hormonal intervention.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If neuromodulation is used to treat hot flashes, then the risk of adverse effects is reduced, but the device complexity and procedural invasiveness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the treatment approach into distinct components: a catheter for delivery, a positioning system for navigation, and a neuromodulation module for signal delivery. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates sensors that detect physiological parameters such as impedance changes or neural signals to automatically verify proper positioning of the electrode near the stellate ganglion. This self-verification reduces reliance on complex external imaging guidance and simplifies the procedural workflow.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These methods provide a non-invasive or minimally invasive means to effectively reduce or eliminate hot flashes by modulating sympathetic nervous system activity, offering a safer alternative to hormone therapy with reduced risk of adverse effects.
Implementation Method 1
The therapy delivery device can then be activated to deliver a therapy signal to the target site of the SNS
Data Source
AI summary
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for treating a menopause-related condition in a subject. One step of the method can include inserting a therapy delivery device into a vessel of the subject. Next, the therapy delivery device can be advanced to a point substantially adjacent a target site of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) that is associated with the menopause-related condition. The therapy delivery device can then be activated to deliver a therapy signal to the target site of the SNS in an amount and for a time sufficient to effect a change in sympathetic activity in the subject and thereby treat the menopause-related condition.