Patents by Inventor Douglas Hettrick

Douglas Hettrick has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12226220
    Abstract: Systems and methods for assessing sympathetic nervous system (SNS) tone for renal neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. A system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a detector attached to or implanted in a patient and a receiver communicatively coupled to the detector. The detector can measure cardiac data and the receiver and/or a device communicatively coupled thereto can analyze the cardiac data to provide one or more SNS tone indicators. The SNS tone indicators can be used to determine whether a patient will be responsive to a neuromodulation therapy and/or whether a neuromodulation therapy was effective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Medtronic Ireland Manufacturing Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Douglas Hettrick, Shantanu Sarkar
  • Publication number: 20250025235
    Abstract: Methods for treating depression and for reducing a risk associated with developing depression in patients via therapeutic renal neuromodulation and associated systems are disclosed herein. Sympathetic nerve activity can contribute to several cellular and physiological conditions associated with depression as well as an increased risk of developing depression. One aspect of the present technology is directed to methods for improving a patient's calculated risk score corresponding to a depression status in the patient. Other aspects are directed to reducing a likelihood of developing depression in patients presenting one or more depression risk factors. Renal sympathetic nerve activity can be attenuated to improve a patient's depression status or risk of developing depression. The attenuation can be achieved, for example, using an intravascularly positioned catheter carrying a therapeutic assembly configured to use, e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2024
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventors: Marcia Gallagher, Douglas Hettrick
  • Publication number: 20240407662
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing, assessing, and adjusting neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. One method for assessing the likely efficacy of neuromodulation therapy includes positioning a neuromodulation catheter at a target site within a renal blood vessel of a human patient and obtaining a measurement related to a diameter of the renal blood vessel via the neuromodulation catheter. The method can further include determining a diameter of the renal blood vessel at or near the target site based on the measurement. In some embodiments, (i) one or more parameters of neuromodulation energy to be delivered to the renal blood vessel can be adjusted based on the determined diameter and/or (ii) the neuromodulation catheter may be repositioned within the renal blood vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2024
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Inventors: Venmathi Gunasekaran, Douglas Hettrick
  • Publication number: 20240398252
    Abstract: Systems and methods for evaluating neuromodulation via hemodynamic responses are disclosed herein. A system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a neuromodulation catheter comprising an elongated shaft having a distal portion, and a plurality of electrodes spaced along a distal portion. The system can further include a controller communicatively coupled to the electrodes. The controller can be configured to apply first and second stimuli at and/or proximate to a target site within a blood vessel before and after delivering neuromodulation energy to the target site, and detect, via at least one of the electrodes, vessel impedance resulting from the first and second stimuli to determine a baseline impedance and a post-neuromodulation impedance. The controller can further be configured to assess the efficacy of the neuromodulation based, at least in part, on a comparison of the baseline impedance and the post-neuromodulation impedance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Douglas Hettrick, Avram Scheiner
  • Patent number: 12150699
    Abstract: Methods for treating depression and for reducing a risk associated with developing depression in patients via therapeutic renal neuromodulation and associated systems are disclosed herein. Sympathetic nerve activity can contribute to several cellular and physiological conditions associated with depression as well as an increased risk of developing depression. One aspect of the present technology is directed to methods for improving a patient's calculated risk score corresponding to a depression status in the patient. Other aspects are directed to reducing a likelihood of developing depression in patients presenting one or more depression risk factors. Renal sympathetic nerve activity can be attenuated to improve a patient's depression status or risk of developing depression. The attenuation can be achieved, for example, using an intravascularly positioned catheter carrying a therapeutic assembly configured to use, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic Ireland Manufacturing Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Marcia Gallagher, Douglas Hettrick
  • Patent number: 12082917
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing, assessing, and adjusting neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. One method for assessing the likely efficacy of neuromodulation therapy includes positioning a neuromodulation catheter at a target site within a renal blood vessel of a human patient and obtaining a measurement related to a diameter of the renal blood vessel via the neuromodulation catheter. The method can further include determining a diameter of the renal blood vessel at or near the target site based on the measurement. In some embodiments, (i) one or more parameters of neuromodulation energy to be delivered to the renal blood vessel can be adjusted based on the determined diameter and/or (ii) the neuromodulation catheter may be repositioned within the renal blood vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic Ireland Manufacturing Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Venmathi Gunasekaran, Douglas Hettrick
  • Patent number: 12064226
    Abstract: Systems and methods for evaluating neuromodulation via hemodynamic responses are disclosed herein. A system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a neuromodulation catheter comprising an elongated shaft having a distal portion, and a plurality of electrodes spaced along a distal portion. The system can further include a controller communicatively coupled to the electrodes. The controller can be configured to apply first and second stimuli at and/or proximate to a target site within a blood vessel before and after delivering neuromodulation energy to the target site, and detect, via at least one of the electrodes, vessel impedance resulting from the first and second stimuli to determine a baseline impedance and a post-neuromodulation impedance. The controller can further be configured to assess the efficacy of the neuromodulation based, at least in part, on a comparison of the baseline impedance and the post-neuromodulation impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic Ireland Manufacturing Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Douglas Hettrick, Avram Scheiner
  • Patent number: 11864904
    Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring the magnetic fields generated by renal nerves before and/or after neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. One method for measuring the magnetic field of target nerves during a neuromodulation procedure includes positioning a neuromodulation catheter at a target site within a renal blood vessel of a human patient near the target nerves, and detecting a measurement of the magnetic field generated by the target nerves. The method can further include determining, based on the measurement of the magnetic field, a location of the target nerves, a location of ablation at the target nerves, and/or a percentage the target nerves were ablated by delivered neuromodulation energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic Ireland Manufacturing Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Abhijeet Dubhashi, Douglas Hettrick, Guo Xu
  • Publication number: 20230309902
    Abstract: Systems and methods for assessing sympathetic nervous system (SNS) tone for renal neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. A system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a detector attached to or implanted in a patient and a receiver communicatively coupled to the detector. The detector can measure cardiac data and the receiver and/or a device communicatively coupled thereto can analyze the cardiac data to provide one or more SNS tone indicators. The SNS tone indicators can be used to determine whether a patient will be responsive to a neuromodulation therapy and/or whether a neuromodulation therapy was effective.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Douglas Hettrick, Shantanu Sarkar
  • Publication number: 20230240549
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing and assessing neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. One method for assessing the efficacy of neuromodulation therapy includes positioning a neuromodulation catheter at a target site within a renal blood vessel of a human patient and delivering neuromodulation energy at the target site with the neuromodulation catheter. The method can further include obtaining a measurement related to a blood flow rate through the renal blood vessel via the neuromodulation catheter. The measurement can be compared to a baseline measurement related to the blood flow rate through the renal blood vessel to assess the efficacy of the neuromodulation therapy. In some embodiments, the baseline and post-neuromodulation measurements are obtained by injecting an indicator fluid into the renal blood vessel upstream of the target site and detecting a transient change in vessel impedance caused by the indicator fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Douglas Hettrick, Paul Coates
  • Patent number: 11707220
    Abstract: Systems and methods for assessing sympathetic nervous system (SNS) tone for renal neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. A system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a detector attached to or implanted in a patient and a receiver communicatively coupled to the detector. The detector can measure cardiac data and the receiver and/or a device communicatively coupled thereto can analyze the cardiac data to provide one or more SNS tone indicators. The SNS tone indicators can be used to determine whether a patient will be responsive to a neuromodulation therapy and/or whether a neuromodulation therapy was effective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Medtronic Ireland Manufacturing Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Douglas Hettrick, Shantanu Sarkar
  • Patent number: 11633120
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing and assessing neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. One method for assessing the efficacy of neuromodulation therapy includes positioning a neuromodulation catheter at a target site within a renal blood vessel of a human patient and delivering neuromodulation energy at the target site with the neuromodulation catheter. The method can further include obtaining a measurement related to a blood flow rate through the renal blood vessel via the neuromodulation catheter. The measurement can be compared to a baseline measurement related to the blood flow rate through the renal blood vessel to assess the efficacy of the neuromodulation therapy. In some embodiments, the baseline and post-neuromodulation measurements are obtained by injecting an indicator fluid into the renal blood vessel upstream of the target site and detecting a transient change in vessel impedance caused by the indicator fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC ARDIAN LUXEMBOURG S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Douglas Hettrick, Paul Coates
  • Patent number: 11553960
    Abstract: Methods for treating hypertension and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. One aspect of the present technology, for example, is directed to methods for therapeutic renal neuromodulation that partially inhibit sympathetic neural activity in renal nerves proximate a renal blood vessel of a human patient having a 24-hour heart rate at or above a median heart rate for a population of hypertensive patients. This reduction in sympathetic neural activity is expected to therapeutically treat one or more conditions associated with hypertension of the patient. Renal sympathetic nerve activity can be modulated, for example, using an intravascularly positioned catheter carrying a neuromodulation assembly, e.g., a neuromodulation assembly configured to use electrically-induced, thermally-induced, and/or chemically-induced approaches to modulate the renal nerves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC ARDIAN LUXEMBOURG S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Michael Bohm, Felix Mahfoud, Sandeep Brar, Douglas Hettrick, Martin Fahy
  • Publication number: 20220409059
    Abstract: Systems and methods for informing and evaluating neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. A system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a guidewire having a proximal portion, a distal portion configured to be positioned at a target site in a blood vessel of a human patient, and a sensing element positioned along the distal portion. The sensing element can be a pressure sensing element, a flow sensing element, an impedance sensing element, and/or a temperature sensing element. The system can further include a controller configured to obtain one or more measurements related to a physiological parameter of the patient via the sensing element. Based on the measurements, the controller can determine the physiological parameter and compare the parameter to a predetermined threshold. Based on the comparison, the controller and/or the operator can assess the likelihood of the patient benefitting from neuromodulation therapy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Julie Trudel, Douglas Hettrick
  • Patent number: 11457819
    Abstract: Systems and methods for informing and evaluating neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. A system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a guidewire having a proximal portion, a distal portion configured to be positioned at a target site in a blood vessel of a human patient, and a sensing element positioned along the distal portion. The sensing element can be a pressure sensing element, a flow sensing element, an impedance sensing element, and/or a temperature sensing element. The system can further include a controller configured to obtain one or more measurements related to a physiological parameter of the patient via the sensing element. Based on the measurements, the controller can determine the physiological parameter and compare the parameter to a predetermined threshold. Based on the comparison, the controller and/or the operator can assess the likelihood of the patient benefiting from neuromodulation therapy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC ARDIAN LUXEMBOURG S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Julie Trudel, Douglas Hettrick
  • Patent number: 11413084
    Abstract: Methods for treating eating disorders and for reducing a risk associated with developing an eating disorder in patients via therapeutic renal neuromodulation and associated systems. Renal sympathetic nerve activity can be attenuated to improve a patient's eating disorder status or risk of developing an eating disorder. The attenuation can be achieved, for example, using an intravascularly positioned catheter carrying a therapeutic assembly configured to modulate the renal sympathetic nerve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC ARDIAN LUXEMBOURG S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Gabriel Lazarus, Douglas Hettrick
  • Publication number: 20220240807
    Abstract: Systems and methods for evaluating neuromodulation via hemodynamic responses are disclosed herein. A system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a neuromodulation catheter comprising an elongated shaft having a distal portion, and a plurality of electrodes spaced along a distal portion. The system can further include a controller communicatively coupled to the electrodes. The controller can be configured to apply first and second stimuli at and/or proximate to a target site within a blood vessel before and after delivering neuromodulation energy to the target site, and detect, via at least one of the electrodes, vessel impedance resulting from the first and second stimuli to determine a baseline impedance and a post-neuromodulation impedance. The controller can further be configured to assess the efficacy of the neuromodulation based, at least in part, on a comparison of the baseline impedance and the post-neuromodulation impedance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Douglas Hettrick, Avram Scheiner
  • Publication number: 20220241020
    Abstract: Methods and systems for optimizing perivascular neuromodulation therapy using computational fluid dynamics. Digital data regarding three-dimensional imaging of a target blood vessel and corresponding hemodynamic data are inputs to generating a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The CFD model enables identification of one or more regions of the vessel suitable for neuromodulation therapy and/or identifying one or more regions of the vessel to avoid during such therapy. A system of the present technology can include a neuromodulation catheter, a computing device that can generate and analyze the CFD model, and a user interface for displaying the vessel with indicia for target regions and/or avoidance regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Douglas Hettrick, Julie Trudel
  • Publication number: 20220133210
    Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring the magnetic fields generated by renal nerves before and/or after neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. One method for measuring the magnetic field of target nerves during a neuromodulation procedure includes positioning a neuromodulation catheter at a target site within a renal blood vessel of a human patient near the target nerves, and detecting a measurement of the magnetic field generated by the target nerves. The method can further include determining, based on the measurement of the magnetic field, a location of the target nerves, a location of ablation at the target nerves, and/or a percentage the target nerves were ablated by delivered neuromodulation energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Abhijeet Dubhashi, Douglas Hettrick, Guo Xu
  • Patent number: 11311340
    Abstract: Methods and systems for optimizing perivascular neuromodulation therapy using computational fluid dynamics. Digital data regarding three-dimensional imaging of a target blood vessel and corresponding hemodynamic data are inputs to generating a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The CFD model enables identification of one or more regions of the vessel suitable for neuromodulation therapy and/or identifying one or more regions of the vessel to avoid during such therapy. A system of the present technology can include a neuromodulation catheter, a computing device that can generate and analyze the CFD model, and a user interface for displaying the vessel with indicia for target regions and/or avoidance regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Medtronic Ardian Luxembourg S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Douglas Hettrick, Julie Trudel