Immune system neuromodulation and associated systems and methods

Abstract

Methods for treating a patient using therapeutic immune system neuromodulation and associated devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein. One aspect of the present technology is directed to methods including modulating nerves proximate a vessel or duct of an immune system organ using an intravascularly or intraluminally positioned therapeutic element. One or more measurable physiological parameters corresponding to an immune system disorder, a condition associated with sympathetic activity in an immune system organ, or a condition associated with central sympathetic activity in the patient can thereby be reduced.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of treating a human patient diagnosed with an immune system condition, the method comprising:
 intravascularly positioning a neuromodulation assembly with in an immune system blood vessel of the patient and adjacent to a target immune system nerve of the patient; and   reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient by delivering energy to the immune system nerve via the neuromodulation assembly to modulate a function of the immune system nerve,   wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity improves a measurable physiological parameter corresponding to the immune system condition of the patient.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the immune system condition is an autoimmune condition. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the autoimmune condition is selected from the group consisting of multiple sclerosis, lupus, and psoriasis. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient in a manner that improves a measurable physiological parameter corresponding to the immune system condition comprises reducing muscle sympathetic nerve activity in the patient. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient in a manner that improves a measurable physiological parameter corresponding to the immune system condition comprises reducing whole body norepinephrine spillover in the patient. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein intravascularly positioning a neuromodulation assembly within an immune system blood vessel comprises positioning the neuromodulation assembly in at least one of the splenic artery, splenic branch artery, or splenic vein. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient by delivering energy to the immune system nerve comprises at least partially inhibiting afferent neural activity. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient by delivering energy to the immune system nerve comprises at least partially inhibiting efferent neural activity. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient by delivering energy to the immune system nerve comprises partially ablating the target immune system nerve. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient by delivering energy to the immune system nerve via the neuromodulation assembly comprises delivering an energy field to the target immune system nerve via the neuromodulation assembly. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein delivering an energy field to the target immune system nerve comprises delivering radio frequency energy via the neuromodulation assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein delivering an energy field to the target immune system nerve comprises delivering ultrasound energy via the neuromodulation assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein delivering ultrasound energy comprises delivering high intensity focused ultrasound energy via the neuromodulation assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein delivering an energy field to the target immune system nerve comprises delivering laser energy via the neuromodulation assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein delivering an energy field to the target immune system nerve comprises delivering microwave energy via the neuromodulation assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising removing the neuromodulation assembly from the patient after delivering energy to the immune system nerve via the neuromodulation assembly to modulate a function of the immune system nerve. 
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 percutaneously introducing a neuromodulation assembly at a distal portion of a treatment device proximate to neural fibers innervating an immune system organ of a human subject diagnosed with an immune system condition;   partially disrupting function of the neural fibers via the neuromodulation assembly; and   removing the neuromodulation assembly from the subject after treatment,   wherein partial disruption of the function of the neural fibers therapeutically treats one or more symptoms associated with the immune system condition of the subject.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein partially disrupting function of the neural fibers via the neuromodulation assembly comprises delivering a chemical agent to tissue at a treatment location proximate the neural fibers in a manner that modulates sympathetic neural activity of the neural fibers. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein partially disrupting function of the neural fibers via the neuromodulation assembly comprises thermally modulating the neural fibers via at least one wall-contact electrode. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein partially disrupting function of the neural fibers via the neuromodulation assembly comprises thermally modulating the neural fibers via a multi-electrode array positioned within an immune system blood vessel of the patient. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  wherein partially disrupting function of the neural fibers via the neuromodulation assembly comprises cryotherapeutically cooling the neural fibers via the neuromodulation assembly. 
     
     
         22 . A device for carrying out the method of  claim 1  or  17 .