Methods for bilateral renal neuromodulation

摘要

Methods and apparatus are provided for bilateral renal neuromodulation, e.g., via a pulsed electric field, via a stimulation electric field, via localized drug delivery, via high frequency ultrasound, via thermal techniques, etc. Such neuromodulation may effectuate irreversible electroporation or electrofusion, necrosis and/or inducement of apoptosis, alteration of gene expression, action potential attenuation or blockade, changes in cytokine up-regulation and other conditions in target neural fibers. In some embodiments, neuromodulation is applied to neural fibers that contribute to renal function. In some embodiments, such neuromodulation is performed in a bilateral fashion. Bilateral renal neuromodulation may provide enhanced therapeutic effect in some patients as compared to renal neuromodulation performed unilaterally, i.e., as compared to renal neuromodulation performed on neural tissue innervating a single kidney.

主权项

1. A method of treating a disease of a human patient diagnosed with at least one of hypertension, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and renal failure by bilateral renal neuromodulation, the method comprising:
modulating a first neural fiber that innervates a first kidney of the patient via a first electric field that inhibits neural activity entering and exiting the first kidney, wherein the first electric field is delivered via a first energy delivery element positioned within a first renal artery of the patient; and modulating a second neural fiber that innervates a second kidney of the patient via a second electric field that inhibits neural activity entering and exiting the second kidney, wherein the second electric field is delivered via a second energy delivery element positioned within a second renal artery of the patient, wherein modulating the first and second neural fibers significantly improves a measureable physiological parameter corresponding to the disease of the patient, wherein at least one of the first kidney and second kidney continues to secrete renin in the patient after delivering the first and second electric fields.