Patent Description:
A denervation is a surgical procedure intended to control an abnormally overactive autonomic nervous system by damaging specific nerves. For example, a renal denervation can treat hypertension and heart diseases by damaging renal sympathetic nerves directed to the kidney, and a pulmonary denervation can treat lung diseases by damaging parasympathetic nerves directed to the lung.

Nerves usually enclose the outer walls of tubes, such as blood vessels, bronchial tubes, etc., and it may be necessary to enclose the outer walls of tubes to measure signals from the nerves or transmit electrical impulses or various energies to the nerves to damage or destroy the nerves. For example, when a surgical procedure is performed on the renal artery, the main renal artery which is a procedure target has a diameter of from <NUM> to <NUM>, and the accessory renal artery having a diameter of from <NUM> to <NUM> may also be a procedure target. Also, the artery with distributed nerves varies in size from person to person and has different sizes depending on the location.

When the surgical procedure is performed as described above, it is important to delicately locate a component including an electrode to be formed at the end of a catheter so as to enclose the outer wall of the artery. Specifically, in order to effectively denervate or modulate the nerves, the component needs to enclose the outer wall of the artery with distributed nerves in a circumferential direction. Also, it is necessary to reliably and rapidly enclose the artery with the component including the electrode.

Systems for perivascular nerve denervaion are known from <CIT>.

The present disclosure is conceived to provide an electrode device having a component that guides an electrode to be disposed around a tube in the body as a plurality of unit elements are connected to each other and deformed.

Also, the present disclosure is conceived to provide an electrode device having a configuration in which a plurality of unit elements are connected and deformed so that an electrode completely surrounds the circumference of a tube in the body.

Further, the present disclosure is conceived to provide an electrode apparatus in which a component connected to a plurality of unit elements and configured to guide an electrode is manufactured as a single member without assembly.

The problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described problems. There may be other problems to be solved by the present disclosure.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, An electrode apparatus for nerve denervation or modulation in body includes a main body including a shaft; an electrode unit formed to be drawn out from one end of the shaft and configured to denervate or modulate at least part of nerves on a tube in the body; and an electrode guide coupled to the electrode unit and deformed into a wound state to bring the electrode unit into contact with the tube in the body. The electrode guide includes a plurality of joint units disposed to enclose the circumference of the tube with the electrode unit interposed therebetween in the wound state.

According to the present disclosure, each joint unit includes a hinge unit formed on one or both sides of the joint unit in a longitudinal direction to be connected to an adjacent joint unit; and a winding support unit formed on one or both sides of the joint unit in the longitudinal direction to support the adjacent joint unit in the wound state.

According to the present disclosure, the electrode guide further includes a tip joint coupled to the electrode unit and connected to the shaft by the plurality of joint units, and in the wound state, a radius of curvature formed by a plurality of joint units located close to the tip joint is smaller than a radius of curvature formed by a plurality of joint units located close to the shaft.

According to the present disclosure, the plurality of joint units is made of an elastically deformable material and formed as one body, and a winding support groove of which at least a part of a space is deformed to be closed in the wound state is formed between adjacent joint units of the electrode guide.

The above-described aspects are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as liming the present disclosure. Besides the above-described embodiments, there may be additional embodiments described in the accompanying drawings and the detailed description.

According to an electrode apparatus of the present disclosure, joint units are driven to deform an electrode guide into a wound state in order to bring an electrode into close contact with an outer surface of a tube and efficiently transfer energy. Therefore, it is possible to reliably control the location of an electrode unit.

Further, according to the electrode apparatus of the present disclosure, joint units are formed to have different lengths or shapes, and, thus, the shape of the electrode guide in the wound state can be precisely designed and the electrode guide can be located to completely enclose the tube in the body. Accordingly, a surgical procedure for denervating or modulating nerves can be effectively performed.

Meanwhile, according to the electrode apparatus of the present disclosure, the electrode guide including the plurality of joint units as one body is formed while implementing driving of the plurality of joint units. Thus, the electrode apparatus can be manufactured through a simple process and produced in a small size, which results in a reduction in manufacturing cost.

Hereafter, example embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that the present disclosure may be readily implemented by those skilled in the art. However, it is to be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the example embodiments but can be embodied in various other ways. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted for the simplicity of explanation, and like reference numerals denote like parts through the whole document.

Through the whole document, the term "connected to" or "coupled to" that is used to designate a connection or coupling of one element to another element includes both a case that an element is "directly connected or coupled to" another element and a case that an element is "electronically connected or coupled to" another element via still another element. Further, it is to be understood that the term "comprises or includes" and/or "comprising or including" used in the document means that one or more other components, steps, operation and/or existence or addition of elements are not excluded in addition to the described components, steps, operation and/or elements unless context dictates otherwise and is not intended to preclude the possibility that one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof may exist or may be added. Through the whole document, the term "on" that is used to designate a position of one element with respect to another element includes both a case that the one element is adjacent to the other element and a case that any other element exists between these two elements.

<FIG> is a side view of an electrode apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and <FIG> is a perspective view illustrating a wound state of an electrode guide illustrated in <FIG>. <FIG> illustrate a process of deforming the electrode guide into a wound state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Further, <FIG> is a perspective view illustrating joint units and a tip joint illustrated in <FIG>, <FIG> is an exploded perspective view illustrating a portion of the joint units illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> is a side view illustrating a portion of the joint units illustrated in <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG>, an electrode apparatus <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a main body <NUM>, an electrode unit <NUM> and an electrode guide <NUM>.

The main body <NUM> may include the shaft <NUM> extending in one direction, a grip portion <NUM> connected to the shaft <NUM> so as to be gripped by an operator, a guide manipulation unit <NUM> formed on the grip portion <NUM> so as to manipulate an operation of the electrode guide <NUM>, and an electrode manipulation unit <NUM> formed on the grip portion <NUM> so as to manipulate an operation of the electrode unit <NUM>. The components for driving and controlling the electrode unit <NUM> and the electrode guide <NUM> may be located inside the main body <NUM>.

The electrode unit <NUM> is formed to be drawn out from one end of the shaft <NUM> and configured to denervate or modulate at least part of nerves distributed on a tissue in the body including a tube depending on manipulation by the operator.

Referring to <FIG>, the electrode unit <NUM> may include a substrate portion <NUM>, an electrode unit <NUM> and a sensor unit <NUM>. In the electrode apparatus <NUM> according to the present disclosure, an electrode encloses an outer surface of a tube or tube-shaped tissue V in the body and energy can be transferred through the electrode. To this end, the substrate portion <NUM> may be formed as a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

The electrode unit <NUM> is formed on the substrate portion <NUM>, and in the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, the electrode unit <NUM> may be composed of two electrodes extending parallel to each other on the substrate portion <NUM>. In the present embodiment, the substrate portion <NUM> and the electrode unit <NUM> may be configured to extend in a circumferential direction and enclose the tube in the body or the like.

The electrode unit <NUM> may be made of a material such as stainless steel or gold, which is harmless to the human body and conducts electricity well, in order to block or denervate or control or modulate the nerves. Also, the electrode unit <NUM> may transfer various types of energy from an energy source generator. For example, the energy may include radio-frequency (RF) energy, electrical energy, laser energy, ultrasonic energy, high-intensity focused ultrasound energy, cryogenic energy and other heat energy.

Also, the electrode unit <NUM> may be implemented as a flexible PCB for transferring RF energy, a transducer for transferring ultrasonic energy or a metal electrode for transferring high-voltage energy and thus may transfer energy to damage the nerves.

Further, the sensor unit <NUM> may be formed on the substrate portion <NUM>. For example, the sensor unit <NUM> may be a thermocouple that measures a temperature by contacting with the tube in the body or the like, and when neurotomy is performed with the electrode apparatus <NUM> according to the present disclosure, the sensor unit <NUM> may monitor a temperature of a treatment site. As another example, the sensor unit <NUM> may measure signals from the nerves on the tube.

The electrode guide <NUM> functions to bring the electrode unit <NUM> into contact with the tube in the body. The electrode guide <NUM> is coupled to the electrode unit <NUM> and deformed into a wound state to bring the electrode unit <NUM> into contact with the tube in the body.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the electrode guide <NUM> of the present disclosure includes a plurality of joint units <NUM> in order to be deformed into the wound state. In the wound state, the plurality of joint units <NUM> is disposed to enclose the circumference of the tube V in the body with the electrode unit <NUM> interposed therebetween. For example, the state illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> may be the wound state.

According to the electrode apparatus <NUM> of the present disclosure, the joint units <NUM> may be driven to deform the electrode guide <NUM> into the wound state in order to bring the electrode unit <NUM> into close contact with the outer surface of the tube in the body and efficiently transfer energy. Such a joint driving mechanism makes it possible to control an operation timing and the shape of the electrode guide <NUM> directly and improve the reliability of repetitive operation, as compared to a conventional shape memory material mechanism. Therefore, it is possible to perform a customized and detailed surgical procedure using the electrode apparatus <NUM> of the present disclosure.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrode guide <NUM> is accommodated together with the electrode unit <NUM> inside the shaft <NUM> and may protrude from one end in a forward direction F while being deformed into the wound state at the time of surgical procedure. As illustrated in <FIG>, when the plurality of joint units <NUM> is sequentially drawn out, the plurality of joint units <NUM> may move toward one direction and thus may overall enclose the tube V in the wound state. In the wound state, the electrode guide <NUM> is spaced apart from an outer circumferential surface of the tube and the electrode unit <NUM> located inside the wound electrode guide <NUM> may be in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tube V.

Hereafter, the detailed configuration of the electrode unit <NUM> and the joint units <NUM> will be described with further reference to <FIG> and <FIG>.

The electrode guide <NUM> may further include a tip joint <NUM> and a wire <NUM>. The tip joint <NUM> may be connected to the shaft <NUM> by the plurality of joint units <NUM> and coupled to the electrode unit <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the tip joint <NUM> may be located close to the tube V in the body in the wound state and may have a shape that gradually decreases in width or thickness toward the end in order to suppress interference with the electrode unit <NUM> or maximize the surface enclosing the tube in the body. The end of the electrode unit <NUM> may be fastened and fixed to the tip joint <NUM>.

The wire <NUM> may be formed to sequentially penetrate the plurality of joint units <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, each joint unit <NUM> may have a through-hole 131c in a longitudinal direction to allow penetration of the wire <NUM>. The end of the wire <NUM> sequentially penetrating the through-holes 131c may be coupled and fixed to the tip joint <NUM>, and the wire <NUM> can slide with respect to each joint unit <NUM> in the through-hole 131c in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the wire <NUM> can guide the plurality of joint units <NUM> and the tip joint <NUM> to be in the wound state and support the tip joint <NUM> and the plurality of joint units <NUM> in the wound state.

Meanwhile, each join unit <NUM> may include hinge units 131a and winding support units 131b. The hinge units 131a are configured for rotatable connection to adjacent joints and may be formed on one or both sides of the joint unit <NUM> in the longitudinal direction in which the joint units <NUM> are connected parallel to each other. As illustrated in <FIG>, the hinge unit 131a may have a rotation axis in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction so as to be connected to the hinge unit 131a of the adjacent joint unit <NUM>. A hinge pin (not illustrated) may be inserted into and fastened to each hinge unit 131a in the direction of the rotation axis.

The winding support units 131b are configured to maintain the wound state and may be formed on one or both sides of the joint unit <NUM> in the longitudinal direction to support the adjacent joint unit <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the winding support unit 131b may be located adjacent to the hinge unit 131a in an inward direction of the electrode guide <NUM> (in a direction of winding the joint unit <NUM>). For example, the winding support unit 131b may be formed as a surface having a predetermined angle and area and supported by the adjacent winding support unit 131b in surface contact with each other in the wound state, and, thus, a wound shape of the electrode guide <NUM> can be maintained.

In the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, when the wire <NUM> is pulled backwards relative to the electrode guide <NUM> (when a length of the wire <NUM> drawn out from the shaft <NUM> is smaller than that of the electrode guide <NUM>), a tensile force may be applied to the wire <NUM> in a direction of winding the electrode guide <NUM>. On the other hand, the winding support units 131b may provide a force of supporting the joint units <NUM> to each other in a direction of suppressing winding of the electrode guide <NUM>. That is, since the wire <NUM> and the winding support units 131b form a balanced force in opposite directions, the electrode guide <NUM> can be fixed in the wound state.

More specifically, the through-hole 131c may be formed at a location spaced apart from a rotation center of the hinge unit 131a in an inward direction (in an upward direction in <FIG>). When the wire <NUM> of which the end is fixed to the tip joint <NUM> is pulled relatively backwards (toward a right direction in <FIG>), the plurality of joint units <NUM> may be bent overall in an inward direction. When the joint unit <NUM> is rotated around the hinge unit 131a with respect to the adjacent joint unit <NUM> and the winding support units 131b are in contact with each other, the locations of the plurality of joint units <NUM> may be fixed and the plurality of joint units <NUM> may be in the wound state. Here, the wire <NUM> may provide a force (tensile force) of supporting the winding support units 131b to each other.

As described above, a change in location in the wound state is suppressed by the wire <NUM> and the winding support units 131b, and, thus, the electrode guide <NUM> of the electrode apparatus <NUM> according to the present disclosure can maintain its location during a surgical procedure.

Hereafter, an embodiment where the shape of the electrode guide <NUM> can be set in the wound state due to a difference in shape between the joint units <NUM> will be described.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrode guide <NUM> may include a first joint group 131x and a second joint group 131y. That is, the plurality of joint units <NUM> may be divided into the first joint group 131x and the second joint group 131y having different shapes.

In the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, the first joint group 131x may include joint units <NUM> each having a first length L1 in the longitudinal direction, and the second joint group 131y may include joint units <NUM> each having a second length L2 greater than the first length L1. In the present embodiment, each of the first joint group 131x and the second joint group 131y may include, for example, six joint units <NUM> each having the same length.

Due to such a difference in length, the first joint group 131x may form a first radius of curvature and the second joint group 131y may form a second radius of curvature greater than the first radius of curvature in the wound state. As can be seen from <FIG>, the joint units (the first joint group 131x) having a relatively small length may form a smaller radius of curvature and the joint units (the second joint group 131y) having a relatively great length may form a greater radius of curvature.

More specifically, the first joint group 131x forming the first radius of curvature may be located close to the tip joint <NUM>, and the second joint group 131y forming the second radius of curvature may be located close to the shaft <NUM>.

When the joint units <NUM> located close to the tip joint <NUM> form a smaller radius of curvature in the wound state, a path along which the tip joint <NUM> enters a space between the tube in the body and the shaft <NUM> may be formed as shown in <FIG>. For example, the electrode guide <NUM> including the joint units <NUM> may have an overall spiral shape.

As described above, in the electrode apparatus <NUM> according to the present disclosure, the shape of the electrode guide <NUM> in the wound state can be easily and precisely set by designing the lengths of the plurality of joint units <NUM>. Also, it is possible to secure excellent repeatability in the shape in the wound state. Further, the electrode guide <NUM> can be located to fully enclose the tube in the body in the wound state by varying the radius of curvature. Therefore, it is possible to generally denervate or modulate the nerves around the tube in a one-time surgical procedure and thus possible to increase the treatment effect.

In the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, it is assumed that all of the joint units <NUM> have a uniform tilt angle with respect to the adjacent joint units <NUM>. Specifically, each joint unit <NUM> may be disposed in the longitudinal direction to intersect the adjacent joint unit <NUM> at a tilt angle of, for example, <NUM>°. To this end, the respective surfaces of the winding support units 131b of the joint units <NUM> may have tilt angles θ1 and θ2 of, for example, <NUM>° with respect to the longitudinal direction.

In another embodiment of the electrode guide <NUM> of the present disclosure, the joint units <NUM> having the same length may have a plurality of radiuses of curvature in the wound state. As described above, a tilt angle between the adjacent joint units <NUM> in the wound state may be determined by tilt angles of the surfaces of the winding support units 131b with respect to the longitudinal direction of the joint units <NUM> when the joint units <NUM> are designed.

Specifically, a first joint group may include joint units in which surfaces of winding support units have a first angle with respect to the longitudinal direction, and a second joint group may include joint units in which surfaces of winding support units have a second angle greater than the first angle. Thus, when the first joint group having the first angle has a first radius of curvature in the wound state, the second joint group having the second angle may be disposed to have a second radius of curvature greater than the first radius of curvature.

Therefore, even if all of the joint units have the same length, it is possible to implement a wound state where the joint units have different radiuses of curvature by designing the winding support units differently from each other.

Although the embodiment where the joint units <NUM> include two joint groups has been described above, it is also possible to more delicately design a winding path by designing the electrode guide <NUM> to include two or more joint groups having different shapes.

<FIG> is a perspective view of an electrode guide <NUM> according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereafter, an embodiment where joint units <NUM> of the electrode guide <NUM> of the present disclosure are formed as one body will be described.

The joint units <NUM> of the electrode guide <NUM> according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may be made of a material such as elastically deformable polymer, and a plurality of joint units <NUM> may be formed as one body, for example, a living hinge structure.

As illustrated in <FIG>, each joint unit <NUM> may be formed as one body with another joint unit <NUM> adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction, and a winding support groove 231b may be formed between the adjacent joint units <NUM>. At least a part of a space in the winding support groove 231b may be reduced or closed in the wound state.

Specifically, the winding support groove 231b may be formed to be recessed in a wedge shape in the electrode guide <NUM>'s inner surface (a surface facing the electrode unit <NUM>). In the wound state, side surfaces of the wedge-shaped winding support grooves 231b may be in contact with each other and may be supported by each other.

The electrode guide <NUM> according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a wire <NUM>. The wire <NUM> may be formed to sequentially penetrate the plurality of joint units <NUM>. As in the above-described embodiment, a length of the wire <NUM> drawn out from the shaft <NUM> is smaller than that of the electrode guide <NUM>, and, thus, the wire <NUM> can guide the electrode guide <NUM> to be deformed into a shape enclosing the tube and provide a force of closing and supporting at least part of the winding support grooves 231b.

The electrode guide <NUM> according to another embodiment of the present disclosure can be manufactured as one body while implementing a reliable operation of the joint units. Since it is not necessary to assemble separately manufactured joint elements, the electrode guide <NUM> can be manufactured through a simple process and produced in a small size, which results in a reduction in manufacturing cost.

The above description of the present disclosure is provided for the purpose of illustration, and it would be understood by a person with ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without changing technical conception and essential features of the present disclosure. Thus, it is clear that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and do not limit the present disclosure.

Claim 1:
An electrode apparatus for nerve denervation or modulation in body, comprising:
a main body including a shaft;
an electrode unit formed to be drawn out from one end of the shaft and configured to denervate or modulate at least part of nerves on a tube in the body; and
an electrode guide coupled to the electrode unit and deformed into a wound state to bring the electrode unit into contact with the tube in the body;
wherein the electrode guide includes a plurality of joint units disposed to enclose the circumference of the tube with the electrode unit interposed therebetween in the wound state.