Patent ID: 8845629
Filing Date: 2014-09-30
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61M,A61N

Abstract:
1. An ultrasound apparatus for thermally-induced renal neuromodulation, the apparatus comprising: a catheter sized and shaped for delivery within a blood vessel to a vicinity of neural fibers that contribute to renal function; an ultrasound transducer carried by the catheter, wherein the ultrasound transducer is configured to transmit ultrasound energy waves to target renal neural fibers outside of the blood vessel to thermally induce modulation of target neural fibers while protecting non-target tissue in the blood vessel wall from thermal injury; and an expandable member carried by a distal region of the catheter, wherein the expandable member is configured to vary between a reduced configuration for delivery and retrieval and an expanded deployed configuration, and wherein the ultrasound transducer is positioned on a shaft of the catheter and within the expandable member.