Renal Pelvis Ablation Effector for Kidney Disease Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Chronic kidney disease progresses to end-stage kidney failure without effective treatment options, and existing therapies like intravascular renal nerve ablation do not significantly improve estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or reduce serum creatinine levels.
Innovation Solution
Renal pelvic denervation is performed by introducing an effector into the renal pelvis to deliver energy or active agents, disrupting renal nerves and modulating their activity, which increases eGFR and decreases serum creatinine, thereby slowing kidney disease progression and reducing associated morbidities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If intravascular renal nerve ablation is performed, then blood pressure is reduced, but eGFR is not significantly improved and serum creatinine levels are not significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the renal pelvis as an intermediary structure to deliver therapeutic agents or energy to the renal nerves. Instead of directly ablating nerves through the renal artery, the effector is positioned in the renal pelvis to modulate nerve activity, providing a different pathway to achieve both blood pressure control and kidney function preservation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from thermal ablation to other energy forms or mechanical disruption methods. By using radiofrequency energy, ultrasound, or mechanical disruption in the renal pelvis, the treatment modifies nerve activity without the harsh effects of traditional ablation, thereby improving eGFR and reducing serum creatinine while still controlling blood pressure
2Reliability
If renal pelvic denervation is performed to improve kidney function, then risk of stroke and heart failure is reduced, but procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The effector device is designed to perform multiple functions: it can deliver radiofrequency energy, ultrasound, or mechanical disruption, and can be positioned to treat both renal nerves and potentially other structures. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple separate procedures or devices, offsetting the initial complexity with long-term versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The renal pelvis structure itself serves as the delivery pathway for the effector, utilizing the natural urinary tract route rather than requiring complex vascular access. The body's own anatomy facilitates the treatment delivery, reducing the need for complex external equipment or procedures
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
The procedure significantly reduces blood pressure and improves kidney function, as evidenced by increased eGFR and decreased serum creatinine, reducing the risk of stroke, congestive heart failure, and end-stage renal disease.
Implementation Method 1
The effector is used to deliver energy to an interior wall of the renal pelvis
Data Source
AI summary
In an illustrative embodiment, systems and methods for treatment of nerves present in a wall of a human renal pelvis are described. One system uses a sheath to access a position in or near the renal pelvis via the urinary tract. An effector inserted through the sheath has an uncooled distal region formed with a superelastic wire that supports at least four non-insulated, preferably spherical electrodes distributed along the distal region. The distal region expands within the renal pelvis, and vacuum applied through the sheath at least partially evacuates the renal pelvis to draw opposing walls of the renal pelvis inwards and compress the distal region somewhat from its expanded form, placing the electrodes in intimate contact with different points along the renal pelvic wall. Energy is applied to the electrodes to create discrete lesions at the points of contact of the electrodes.