MODIFICATION OF AIRWAYS BY APPLICATION OF ULTRASOUND ENERGY
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods of increasing gas exchange performed by the lung by damaging lung cells, damaging tissue, causing trauma, and/or destroying airway smooth muscle tone with an apparatus inserted into an airway of the lung. The damaging of lung cells, damaging tissue, causing trauma, and destroying airway smooth muscle tone with the apparatus may be any one of or combinations of the following: heating the airway; cooling the airway; delivering a liquid to the airway; delivering a gas to the airway; puncturing the airway; tearing the airway; cutting the airway; applying ultrasound to the airway; and applying ionizing radiation to the airway.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1-32. -32. (canceled)
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33. A method of treating an airway in an asthmatic lung of a patient, comprising:
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inserting an elongated shaft into the airway, wherein the elongated shaft has a distal end, and wherein an energy transfer device is at the distal end of the elongated shaft; delivering ultrasonic energy to tissue structures of an airway wall at a treatment site via the energy transfer device, whereby the ultrasonic energy causes the airway to undergo a transformation effective to reduce asthma symptoms. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification