US 11,771,897 B2
System, method and catheter for pituitary and brain implantation
Wouter R. Van Furth, Leiden (NL); Nienke R. Biermasz, Leiden (NL); and Amir H. Zamanipoor Najafabadi, Leiden (NL)
Assigned to ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS LEIDEN (H.O.D.N. LUMC), Leiden (NL)
Appl. No. 16/764,127
Filed by ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS LEIDEN (H.O.D.N. LUMC), Leiden (NL)
PCT Filed Nov. 14, 2018, PCT No. PCT/NL2018/050765
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 14, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/098830, PCT Pub. Date May 23, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 2019909 (NL), filed on Nov. 14, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0276441 A1, Sep. 3, 2020
Int. Cl. A61N 1/36 (2006.01); A61M 25/00 (2006.01); A61M 25/01 (2006.01); A61N 1/05 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 1/3605 (2013.01) [A61M 25/0021 (2013.01); A61M 25/0133 (2013.01); A61N 1/0534 (2013.01); A61M 2025/0042 (2013.01); A61M 2025/0166 (2013.01); A61M 2210/0693 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for providing electrical pulses and/or therapeutic or diagnostic liquids directly to a pituitary gland, a pituitary stalk, a hypothalamus, or other brain area of a mammalian patient via the pituitary gland, the system comprising:
a catheter having a distal end comprising an opening, the catheter configured to be movable distally through blood vessels of an endovascular route of the patent, into and through a sinus cavernosus of the patient,
the catheter comprising an action member comprising an electrode and/or a microcannula, wherein the action member is a push wire having a distal end configured to be moveable
(i) distally, within the catheter, through the endovascular route, into and through the sinus cavernosus, and
(ii) distally out of the catheter through the opening, through a perforation in a medial wall of the sinus cavernosus to the pituitary gland, and into or around the pituitary gland; and
wherein the system is adapted to actively bend to a predetermined angle of from 30 to 120° when moving along the endovascular route.
 
14. A system for providing electrical pulses and/or therapeutic or diagnostic liquids directly to a pituitary gland, a pituitary stalk, a hypothalamus, or other brain area of a mammalian patient via the pituitary gland, the system comprising:
a catheter having a distal end comprising an opening, the catheter configured to be moveable distally through blood vessels of an endovascular route of the patient, into and through a sinus cavernosus of the patient,
the catheter comprising an action member comprising an electrode and/or a microcannula, the action member having a distal end configured to be moveable:
(i) distally, within the catheter, through the endovascular route, into and through the sinus cavernosus, and
(ii) distally out of the catheter through the opening, through a perforation in a medial wall of the sinus cavernosus to the pituitary gland, and into or around the pituitary gland,
wherein the system is adapted to actively bend to a predetermined angle of from 30 to 120° when moving along the endovascular route, and
wherein a distal-most part of the catheter comprises a cushion, and an exterior of the distal end of the catheter, adjacent to and proximal of the cushion, comprises a deployable annular collar with distal surfaces which are distally projectable from the distal end of the catheter and configured to enclose a volume around the distal end of the catheter around the perforation in the medial wall of the sinus cavernosus to close a space around the opening between the distal end of the catheter and the perforation.
 
15. A method for providing electrical pulses and/or therapeutic or diagnostic liquids directly to a pituitary gland, a pituitary stalk, a hypothalamus, or other brain area of a mammalian patient via the pituitary gland, the method comprising:
providing the system of claim 1, the distal end of the catheter comprising one or more of an electrode or electrode array, a microcannula, and a guidance member;
moving a distal end of the one or more of the electrode or electrode array, the microcannula, and the guidance member distally, within the catheter, through an endovascular route of the patient from a vena jugularis, to an inferior or superior postal sinus and to a sinus cavernosus;
perforating a medial wall of the cavernosus sinus to the pituitary gland; and
moving the distal end of the one or more of the electrode or electrode array, the microcannula, and the guidance member distally from the catheter, through the opening in the distal end of the catheter and through the perforated medial wall of the sinus cavernosus to the pituitary gland.
 
18. A method of alleviating an endocrinological medical condition in a mammalian patient, the method comprising:
placing an electrode or electrode array in electrical contact with a pituitary gland of the mammalian patient with the system of claim 1;
detecting activity associated with or of relevance to the endocrinological condition; and
activating the electrode or electrode array to initiate application of an electrical signal to the pituitary gland, or
adjusting application of an electrical signal to the pituitary gland in response to alleviate, repair, or prevent worsening of the endocrinological condition.