Patent ID: 8774922

Claim:
A method for catheter-based renal neuromodulation, the method comprising: positioning a first catheter having a first therapeutic element in a low profile delivery configuration within a first renal blood vessel of a human patient and proximate to neural fibers innervating a first kidney of the patient, wherein the first therapeutic element comprises a first expandable balloon sized and shaped for the first renal blood vessel, and wherein the first expandable balloon comprises a plurality of first electrodes arranged thereon, transforming the first therapeutic element from the delivery configuration to a treatment configuration such that the first electrodes on the first expandable balloon are in contact with an inner wall of the first renal blood vessel; inhibiting neural communication along the neural fibers innervating the first kidney via radio frequency (RF) energy from the first electrodes; positioning a second catheter having a second therapeutic element in a low profile delivery configuration within a second renal blood vessel of the patient and proximate to neural fibers innervating a second kidney of the patient, wherein the second therapeutic element comprises a second expandable balloon sized and shaped for the second renal blood vessel, and wherein the second balloon comprises a plurality of second electrodes arranged thereon; transforming the second therapeutic element from the delivery configuration to a treatment configuration such that the plurality of second electrodes on the second expandable balloon are in contact with an inner wall of the second renal blood vessel; and inhibiting neural communication along the neural fibers innervating the second kidney via RF energy from the second electrodes.