Removable anchored lung volume reduction devices and methods

• US 20080119866A1
• Filed: 07/19/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Spiration, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Alferness, Clifton A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,021,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12022 Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1204 temporary occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12104 in an air passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12159 Solid plugs; being solid before insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12172 having a pre-set deployed three-dimensional shape methods of manufacturing A61B2017/00526
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1205 Introduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22051 with an inflatable part, e.g. balloon, for positioning, blocking, or immobilisation A61B2017/22048, A61B2017/3486 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22067 Blocking; Occlusion A61B2017/22054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/043 Bronchi

Abstract

An intra-bronchial device may be placed and anchored in an air passageway of a patient to collapse a lung portion associated with the air passageway. The device includes an obstructing member that prevents air from being inhaled into the lung portion, and an anchor that anchors the obstruction device within the air passageway. The anchor may piercingly engage the air passageway wall. The anchor may be releasable from the air passageway for removal of the obstructing member. The anchor may be releasable by collapsing a portion of the obstructing member, or by drawing the obstructing member toward the larynx. The obstructing member may be a one-way valve.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. An air passageway device comprising:

obstructing means for obstructing air flow within the air passageway; and

anchoring means for anchoring the air passageway obstructing device within the air passageway.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein said anchoring means is releasable for removal of said obstructing means from the air passageway.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein said anchoring means comprises at least one anchor and said obstructing means comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that is supported by and in intimate contact with said support structure, said anchor being integrally formed with at least a portion of said support structure that is in intimate contact with said flexible membrane.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein said anchor is a radial extension of an axially extending portion of said support structure.

27. The device of claim 23, wherein said anchoring means comprises at least one anchor and said obstructing means comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that is supported by and in intimate contact with said support structure, said anchor being formed proximally of said flexible membrane.

28. The device of claim 23, wherein said anchoring means comprises at least one anchor and said obstructing means comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that is supported by and in intimate contact with said support structure, said anchor being formed distally of said flexible membrane.

29. The device of claim 23, wherein said anchoring means comprises at least one anchor and said obstructing means comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that is supported by and in intimate contact with said support structure, said anchor extending through said flexible membrane.

30. The device of claim 23, wherein said anchoring means comprises at least one anchor and said obstructing means comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that is supported by and in intimate contact with said support structure, and wherein said anchor does not comprise a separate stop structure.

31. The device of claim 23, wherein said obstructing means comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that overlies at least a portion of said support structure, said flexible membrane being secured to said support structure.

32. The device of claim 23, wherein said obstructing means comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that overlies at least a portion of said support structure, said flexible membrane being loosely supported by said support structure.

33. The device of claim 23, wherein said anchoring means comprises at least one anchor and said obstructing means comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that is supported by and in intimate contact with said support structure, said anchor being separately formed from a portion of said support structure that is in intimate contact with said flexible membrane.

34. The device of claim 23, wherein said obstructing means is configured to expand within a lung lumen,

35. The device of claim 23, wherein said obstructing means being configured such that, when expanded in situ, said obstructing means obstructs air flow within the air passageway when a deployment device for delivering said obstructing means is disengaged from said obstructing means.

36. The device of claim 23, wherein said obstructing member is configured to permit mucus transport past said obstructing member.

37. The device of claim 23, wherein said anchoring means comprises a plurality of anchor members.

38. An air passageway device comprising:

an obstructing member configured to expand within an air passageway and comprising a resilient membrane that precludes fluid flow through said membrane;

said obstructing member being configured such that, when expanded in situ, said obstructing member substantially precludes air from being inhaled into a lung portion when a deployment device for delivering said obstructing member is disengaged from said obstructing member; and

an anchor that anchors said obstructing member within the air passageway when said anchor is deployed, said anchor being releasable from the air passageway for removal of said obstructing member by drawing said obstructing member proximally.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein said anchor comprises a resilient material that is configured to imparting a force against the air passageway to deform the air passageway such that said obstructing member can be anchored against migration within the air passageway.

40. The device of claim 38, wherein said anchor comprises at least one anchor and said obstructing member comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that is supported by and in intimate contact with said support structure, said anchor being integrally formed with at least a portion of said support structure that is in intimate contact with said flexible membrane.

41. The device of claim 40, wherein said anchor is a radial extension of an axially extending portion of said support structure.

42. The device of claim 38, wherein said anchor comprises at least one anchor and said obstructing member comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that is supported by and in intimate contact with said support structure, said anchor being formed proximally of said flexible membrane.

43. The device of claim 38, wherein said anchor comprises at least one anchor and said obstructing member comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that is supported by and in intimate contact with said support structure, said anchor being formed distally of said flexible membrane.

44. The device of claim 38, wherein said anchor comprises at least one anchor and said obstructing member comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that is supported by and in intimate contact with said support structure, said anchor extending through said flexible membrane.

45. The device of claim 38, wherein said obstructing member comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that overlies at least a portion of said support structure, said flexible membrane being secured to said support structure.

46. The device of claim 38, wherein said obstructing member comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that overlies at least a portion of said support structure, said flexible membrane being loosely supported by said support structure.

47. The device of claim 38, wherein said anchor does not comprise a separate stop structure.

48. The device of claim 38, wherein said anchoring means comprises at least one anchor and said obstructing means comprises a support structure and a flexible membrane that is supported by and in intimate contact with said support structure, said anchor being separately formed from a portion of said support structure that is in intimate contact with said flexible membrane.

49. The device of claim 38, wherein said obstructing member allows fluid to travel past said obstructing member in an expiratory direction through the air passageway when a deployment device for delivering said obstructing member is disengaged from said obstructing member.

50. The device of claim 38, wherein said obstructing member is movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position in situ.

51. The device of claim 38 further comprising a post connected to said obstructing member and configured to permit retrieval of said device.

52. The device of claim 38, wherein said anchor is movable between a first position and a second position such that said anchor is engageable with the air passageway in said second position and disengageable from the air passageway in said first position.

53. An air passageway device comprising:

a support structure comprising a plurality of support members, said support members extending from an attachment portion;

a membrane carried by said support structure, said membrane being configured to permit air to flow in a first direction only along a path between said membrane and a wall of an air passageway in which said device is deployed; and

at least one anchor member carried by said support structure, said at least one anchor being configured to anchor said device within the air passageway when said at least one anchor is deployed such that said device is restrained against migration in the air passageway.

54. The device of claim 53, wherein said support members are elongate.

55. The device of claim 54, wherein said attachment portion is a central portion of said support structure and said support members terminate at free ends.

56. The device of claim 55, wherein said support members extend radially and axially away from said central portion of said support structure.

57. The device of claim 55, wherein said support members extend in a curvilinear manner from said attachment.

58. The device of claim 53, wherein said support members comprise tips at their free ends that are angled radially inwards.

59. The device of claim 53, wherein said support members are configured to be radially collapsed and to return to an expanded shape upon release of a radial restraint.

60. The device of claim 53, wherein said support structure comprises a central portion that is arranged for engaging a removal device.

61. The device of claim 53, wherein said support structure is arranged such that drawing a central portion of said support structure proximally releases said at least one anchor without substantially skewing said device in the air passageway.

62. The device of claim 53, wherein said support members comprise a substantially rectangular cross-section.

63. The device of claim 53, wherein said membrane is resilient and precludes fluid flow through said membrane.

64. The device of claim 53, wherein said membrane is flexible.

65. The device of claim 64, wherein said membrane is carried by said support structure to form a substantially umbrella-shaped structure to be implanted in the air passageway to prevent air from flowing in a second direction past said device while allowing fluid to travel past said device in said first direction, said second direction being opposite to said first direction.

66. The device of claim 64, wherein said membrane assumes a substantially parabolic shape in an expanded position.

67. The device of claim 53, wherein said device is configured to permit air to flow past said device in said first direction while preventing air from flowing past said device in a second direction that is opposite to said first direction.

68. The device of claim 67, wherein said membrane obstructs air from being inhaled through the air passageway in a second direction into a lung portion associated with the air passageway, said second direction being opposite to said first direction.

69. The device of claim 53, wherein said device is configured to expand within a lung lumen with said device configured such that, when expanded in situ, said device prevents air from being inhaled in a second direction into a portion of a lung when a deployment device for delivering said device is disengaged from said device while allowing fluid to move past said obstructing member in said first direction, which is an expiratory direction, through the air passageway.

70. The device of claim 53, wherein said device is configured to permit mucus transport past said obstructing member.

71. The device of claim 53, wherein said at least one anchor is configured to be released from the air passageway for removal of said device.

72. The device of claim 71, wherein said at least one anchor is configured to be released from the air passageway when said support structure is moved proximally in the air passageway.

73. The device of claim 53, wherein said support structure is configured to urge said at least one anchor into engagement with the air passageway wall.

74. A method of treating a lung, the method comprising:

providing an air passageway device comprising an obstructing member that comprises a resilient membrane and that is so dimensioned when deployed in an air passageway communicating with a portion of the lung to preclude air from being inhaled, said device further comprising an anchor that anchors said obstructing member when said anchor is deployed;

placing said obstructing member in the air passageway with a deployment device;

deploying said anchor; and

disengaging said deployment device from said obstructing member, wherein said obstructing member substantially precludes air from being inhaled after said deployment device is disengaged from said obstructing member.

75. The method of claim 74, wherein said anchor is releasable for removal of said obstructing member.

76. The method of claim 74, wherein said obstructing member forms a one-way valve when deployed.

77. The method of claim 74, wherein a portion of said obstructing member is collapsible.

78. The method of claim 74 further comprising removing said obstructing member by drawing said obstructing member proximally.

79. The method of claim 74 further comprising drawing said anchor proximally and removing said obstructing member.

80. The method of claim 79, wherein said device comprises a plurality of anchors and said plurality of anchors are drawn proximally.

81. The method of claim 74, wherein said device comprises a plurality of anchors.