ENERGETIC MODULATION OF NERVES

摘要

A method to deliver focused ultrasound energy from a position outside a skin of a patient to a nerve surrounding a blood vessel, includes placing the patient on a table in a substantially flat position, moving a transducer into a position inferior to ribs, superior to an iliac crest, and lateral to a spine of the patient, maintaining the transducer at the position relative to the patient, and delivering focused ultrasound energy through the skin of the patient without traversing bone, wherein the direction of the focused ultrasound is directed from a lower torso to an upper torso of the patient.

主权项

1. A system for treatment of one or more nerves next to a blood vessel leading to a kidney comprising:
an ultrasound energy source for placement outside a patient, wherein the ultrasound energy source comprises an array of ultrasound transducers; and a programmable controller configured to control a phasing for one or more elements in the array of ultrasound transducers, to sequentially deliver focused ultrasound to a plurality of target areas next to the blood vessel leading to the kidney; wherein the controller is configured to update a position of one of the plurality of target areas to correlate with a current vessel position; wherein the controller is configured to control the ultrasound energy source to place an energy focus at a first one of the target areas in accordance with a vessel position at a first time instance, and to place the energy focus at a second one of the target areas in accordance with the vessel position at a second time instance; and wherein the vessel position at the first time instance is different from the vessel position at the second time instance.