Medical devices for modulating nerves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9693821-B2
Application number	US-201414194392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 11, 2013
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include a medical device for modulating nerves. The medical device may include an elongate shaft having a distal region. A balloon may be coupled to the distal region. An electrode may be disposed within the balloon. A virtual electrode may be defined on the balloon. The virtual electrode may include a region having a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medical device for modulating nerves, the medical device comprising:
an elongate shaft having a distal region;
a balloon coupled to the distal region, the balloon having an inner conductive layer, an outer conductive layer, and an intermediate non-conductive layer disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer;
an electrode disposed within the balloon; and
a virtual electrode defined on the balloon, the virtual electrode including a conductive region defined along a first portion of the balloon that comprises the inner conductive layer and the outer conductive layer and is free of the intermediate non-conductive layer.

2. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the outer conductive layer covers the entire balloon.

3. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the outer conductive layer covers only a portion of the balloon.

4. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate non-conductive layer has a substantially constant thickness.

5. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrode includes a coil electrode helically disposed about the shaft.

6. The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional virtual electrodes.

7. The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising a conductive fluid disposed within the balloon.

8. A medical device for modulating nerves, the medical device comprising:
an elongate shaft having a distal region and a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet proximate the distal region;
a balloon coupled to the distal region, the balloon having an inner conductive layer, an outer conductive layer, and an intermediate non-conductive layer disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer;
a helically wound electrode disposed along the elongate shaft and within the balloon; and
a virtual electrode defined on the balloon, the virtual electrode including a conductive region defined along a first portion of the balloon that comprises the inner conductive layer and the outer conductive layer and is free of the intermediate non-conductive layer.

9. The medical device of claim 8 , wherein the outer conductive layer covers the entire balloon.

10. The medical device of claim 8 , wherein the outer conductive layer covers a portion of the balloon.

11. The medical device of claim 8 , wherein the intermediate non-conductive layer has a substantially constant thickness.

12. The medical device of claim 8 , further comprising one or more additional virtual electrodes.

13. The medical device of claim 8 , further comprising a conductive fluid disposed within the balloon.

14. The medical device of claim 8 , wherein the inner the outer layers comprise a hydrophilic polymer.

15. The medical device of claim 14 , wherein the hydrophilic polymer exhibits between 20% and 120% water uptake.

16. The medical device of claim 14 , wherein the inner and outer layers comprise a hydrophilic polymer selected from a hydrophilic polyurethane, a hydrophilic polyether block amide, a hydrophilic nylon and a hydrophilic polyester.

Assignees

• Boston Scient Scimed Inc

Inventors

• Hanson Cass A
• Squire Robert N
• Quillin Daniel T
• Sutermeister Derek C

Classifications

• A61B2090/065

  for measuring contact or contact pressure · CPC title

• A61B2090/064

  for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension · CPC title

• A61B2018/1472

  for use with liquid electrolyte, e.g. virtual electrodes · CPC title

• A61B2018/00892

  Voltage · CPC title

• A61B2018/00875

  Resistance or impedance · CPC title