Apparatus and Methods to Modulate Bladder Function

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided to concentrate energy delivery in non-superficial target tissue within a trigone region of a human bladder wall to modulate bladder function.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A urinary bladder treatment device, comprising:
 an elongate shaft configured to extend through a urethra and into a bladder;   an expandable bladder treatment element attached at a distal end portion of the elongate shaft, the expandable bladder treatment element being reconfigurable between a reduced diameter state for advancement through the urethra and an expanded state for delivering treatment while in the bladder; and   one or more linear groupings of energy delivery elements attached to the expandable bladder treatment element at a position to output an ablation pattern along a wall of the bladder when the expandable bladder treatment element is in the expanded state.   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the expandable bladder treatment element is spherical while the expandable bladder treatment element is configured in the expanded state. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the expandable bladder treatment element comprises a balloon. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the expandable bladder treatment element comprises a wire structure. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the wire structure comprises a shape memory wire structure. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the expandable bladder treatment element comprises both the wire structure and an inflatable balloon. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the expandable bladder treatment element comprises a mesh cage. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the distal region of the elongate shaft includes a steerable element for directing the elongated shaft to a targeted orientation within the bladder. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the energy delivery elements comprise radiofrequency (RF) electrodes. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein each of the one or more linear groupings of energy delivery elements comprise elongate conductors for delivering ablation energy to the wall of the bladder. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more linear groupings of energy delivery elements comprise at least three linear groupings of energy delivery elements. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein each of the one or more linear groupings of energy delivery elements extend along an arcuate path along the expandable bladder treatment element. 
     
     
         14 . A method of treating an overactive bladder condition of a bladder, the method comprising:
 advancing a bladder treatment device through a urethra until a distal end portion of the device is positioned in the bladder, the bladder treatment device comprising:
 an elongate shaft configured to extend through the urethra and into the bladder; 
 an expandable bladder treatment element attached at the distal end portion of the elongate shaft, the expandable bladder treatment element being reconfigurable between a reduced diameter state for advancement through the urethra and an expanded state for delivering treatment while in the bladder; and 
 one or more linear groupings of ablation energy delivery elements attached to the expandable bladder treatment element; 
   expanding the expandable bladder treatment element to position at least some of the ablation energy delivery elements in contact against an inner wall of the bladder; and   delivering ablation energy from the ablation energy delivery elements to the inner wall of the bladder, wherein the ablation energy creates a predetermined ablation pattern in the inner wall of the bladder.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said delivering ablation energy comprises outputting radiofrequency (RF) energy from the ablation energy delivery elements. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the predetermined ablation pattern comprises one or more lines of ablated tissue along the inner wall of the bladder. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the ablation pattern comprises two or more lines of ablated tissue along the inner wall of the bladder. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the expandable bladder treatment element is compliant such that the expandable bladder treatment element conforms to the geometry of the inner wall of the bladder when in the expanded state. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the expandable bladder treatment element is rigid such that the expandable element causes the inner wall of the bladder to conform to the shape of the expandable element when in the expanded state.