Arizona Patent of the Month – August 2022
Verve Medical, Inc. is tackling the world’s leading killer – hypertension. This condition is classified as a persistently elevated blood pressure and impacts nearly 1 in 2 adults in the United States. The condition, if left unchecked, can lead to a domino effect of further complications including stroke, vision loss, heart attack or failure, and even kidney failure.
Fortunately, high blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, partaking in regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking. Unfortunately, these lifestyle changes may be hard to upkeep and may not be effective for resistant hypertension. This is where Verve’s treatment comes in.
The company has designed a treatment plan known as renal denervation, which works to control hypertension through the kidney. Renal denervation is a minimally invasive procedure that targets the overactive nerves in the kidney that contribute to high blood pressure. The process delivers energy to these nerves, decreasing their activity and allowing a reliable regulation of blood pressure.
Verve’s treatment method uses a real-time fluorescent image of a tissue to identify specific target peripheral nerves. This is achieved using fluorescent labels which bind to the target nerves, causing them to fluoresce. A ureteroscope with fiber optic illumination is then inserted into the renal pelvis and illuminates the fluorescing nerves. With the nerves now easily identified, the denervation process can be easily performed, treating target nerves as needed. The company’s patented design is the most minimally invasive denervation procedure, utilizing the natural orifice of the ureter to contact the renal pelvis.
Innovative treatment methods such as this ensure that people can take care of their health regardless of external factors. Some may find it difficult to commit to the lifestyle choices needed to prevent hypertension or may experience side effects from blood pressure medication. This short procedure offers a long term solution for most hypertension patients.
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