System and method for endoluminal and translumenal therapy

Abstract

A system for conducting denervation of the neural plexus adjacent the renal artery, comprises a pre-shaped ablative element operatively coupled to an elongate deployment member configured to be navigated into the renal artery, the pre-shaped ablative element comprising one or more RF electrodes disposed in an arcuate pattern; and an energy source operatively coupled to the one or more RF electrodes and being configured to cause current to flow from the pre-shaped ablative element and cause localized heating sufficient to denervate nearby neural tissue.

1 . A system for conducting denervation of the neural plexus adjacent the renal artery, comprising:
 a. a pre-shaped ablative element operatively coupled to an elongate deployment member configured to be navigated into the renal artery, the pre-shaped ablative element comprising one or more RF electrodes disposed in an arcuate pattern; and   b. an energy source operatively coupled to the one or more RF electrodes and being configured to cause current to flow from the pre-shaped ablative element and cause localized heating sufficient to denervate nearby neural tissue.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the arcuate pattern comprises a j-curve. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the j-curve has a substantially constant radius of curvature. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the arcuate pattern comprises at least a portion of a spiral pattern. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the arcuate pattern comprises at least one full helical loop of a spiral pattern. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-shaped ablative element is sufficiently flexible such that it may be delivered to a location adjacent to the subject neural tissue in a compressed form, before being utilized to cause the localized heating in an expanded form. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an atraumatic tip member coupled to a distal end of the pre-shaped ablative element and configured to prevent piercing of tissue structures near the subject neural tissue. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-shaped ablative element has an outer diameter configured to facilitate pullback of the pre-shaped ablative element while current is flowing from the pre-shaped ablative element, to cause an elongate lesion of denervation of nearby neural tissue. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate deployment member comprises an electromechanically steerable catheter. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a robotic instrument driver operatively coupled between the electromechanically steerable catheter and a control computing system, the robotic instrument driver configured to move one or more control elements of the electromechanically steerable catheter in response to signals transmitted from the control computing system to cause navigation movement of the electromechanically steerable catheter. 
     
     
         11 . A method for conducting a denervation process upon the neural plexus adjacent the renal artery, comprising:
 a. navigating a pre-shaped ablative element into the renal vein;   b. imaging targeted portions of the neural plexus from inside of the renal vein to create an anatomic map of the targeted portions;   c. creating an electrical mapping of one or more neural strands comprising the targeted portions; and   d. denervating the targeted portions by passing current through the pre-shaped ablative element while placing the pre-shaped ablative element in one or more desired configurations relative to the targeted portions, the configurations based at least in part upon the anatomic map and electrical mapping.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the pre-shaped ablative element comprises an arcuate pattern. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the arcuate pattern comprises a j-curve. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the j-curve has a substantially constant radius of curvature. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the arcuate pattern comprises at least a portion of a spiral pattern. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the arcuate pattern comprises at least one full helical loop of a spiral pattern. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the pre-shaped ablative element is sufficiently flexible such that it may be delivered to a location adjacent to the subject neural tissue in a compressed form, before being utilized to cause the localized heating in an expanded form. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising transforming the pre-shaped ablative element from a compressed form to an expanded form in situ before denervating the targeted portions. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising moving the pre-shaped ablative element relative to the targeted portions while passing current through the pre-shaped ablative element to cause an elongate lesion of denervation of nearby neural tissue. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the moving is actuated by manual or electromechanical pullback of the pre-shaped ablative element.