BRONCHIAL FLOW CONTROL DEVICES AND METHODS OF USE

• US 20110010910A1
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pulmonx Corp.
• Original Assignee: Pulmonx Corp.
• Inventors: Hendricksen, Michael J., Barrett, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,388,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/428
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12104 in an air passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12172 having a pre-set deployed three-dimensional shape methods of manufacturing A61B2017/00526
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12177 comprising additional materials, e.g. thrombogenic, having filaments, having fibers or being coated
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/043 Bronchi
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Disclosed is an assembly for loading a bronchial flow control device into a container, such as into a delivery catheter. The assembly includes a funnel housing and a puller housing that mate with one another. The funnel housing defines a funnel-shaped loading cavity that receives a flow control device and that gradually reduces in size moving in a first direction. The puller housing is removably attached to the funnel housing and is also removably attachable to a bronchial flow control device that can be positioned in the loading cavity. The puller housing pulls the bronchial flow control device in the first direction through the funnel housing to gradually contract the bronchial flow control device into a compressed state of reduced size relative to the expanded size.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method for loading a flow control device in a delivery catheter, the method comprising:

opening a package containing the flow control device in an uncompressed state, a loader device, and at least one advancement device;

advancing the flow control device through a funnel-shaped tunnel in the loader device, using the advancement device, wherein the flow control device transitions to a compressed state as it advances through the tunnel;

further advancing the flow control device in its compressed state into a housing of the delivery catheter, wherein the housing is coupled with the loader device; and

removing the delivery catheter from the loader device with the flow control device loaded in the housing of the catheter.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein the flow control device is preloaded in the loader device in the uncompressed state.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein the advancement device comprises a pusher device and wherein the advancing steps comprise pushing the flow control device with the pusher device.

5. A method as in claim 2, wherein the advancement device comprises a puller device and wherein at least advancing the flow control device through the funnel-shaped tunnel comprises pulling the flow control device with the puller device.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein the puller device comprises at least one suture attached to the flow control device, and wherein the method further comprises removing the suture from the flow control device.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein removing the suture comprises automatically cutting the suture when the flow control device has been pulled a desired distance through the funnel-shaped tunnel of the loader device.

8. A method as in claim 5, wherein the advancement device further comprises a pusher device, and wherein the advancing steps comprise:

pulling the flow control device through the funnel-shaped tunnel using the puller device; and

pushing the flow control device into the housing of the delivery catheter using the pusher device.

9. A method as in claim 2, further comprising coupling the housing of the delivery catheter with the loader device before advancing the flow control device into the housing.

10. A method as in claim 2, wherein the housing is at least partially contained in a portion of the tunnel when the flow control device is advanced into the housing.

11. A method as in claim 2, wherein the housing is disposed outside of the loader device when the flow control device is advanced into the housing.

12. A method as in claim 2, further comprising locking the delivery catheter to the loader device before advancing the flow control device into the housing.

13. A method for loading a flow control device in a delivery catheter, the method comprising:

opening a package containing the flow control device, a loader device, and a puller device, wherein the flow control device is preloaded in an uncompressed state in the loader device;

pulling the flow control device through a funnel-shaped tunnel in the loader device, using the puller device, wherein the flow control device transitions to a compressed state as it advances through the tunnel;

advancing the flow control device in its compressed state into a housing of the delivery catheter, wherein the housing is coupled with the loader device; and

removing the delivery catheter from the loader device with the flow control device loaded in the housing of the catheter.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein the puller device comprises at least one suture attached to the flow control device, and wherein the method further comprises removing the suture from the flow control device.

15. A method as in claim 13, wherein the package further contains a pusher device, and wherein advancing the flow control device into the housing comprises pushing the flow control device with the pusher device.

16. A method as in claim 13, wherein advancing the flow control device into the housing comprises pulling the device into the housing the pulling device.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein the housing of the delivery catheter is preloaded in one end of the loader device, the flow control device is preloaded in an opposite end of the loader device, the puller device comprises one or more sutures, and the sutures pass through a lumen of the delivery catheter and exit the catheter at a location proximal to the housing.

18. A method as in claim 13, wherein the housing is at least partially contained in a portion of the tunnel when the flow control device is advanced into the housing.

19. A method for loading a flow control device in a delivery catheter, the method comprising:

opening a package containing the flow control device in an uncompressed state, a loader device, and a pusher device;

pushing the flow control device through a funnel-shaped tunnel in the loader device, using the pusher device, wherein the flow control device transitions to a compressed state as it advances through the tunnel;

further pushing the flow control device in its compressed state into a housing of the delivery catheter, wherein the housing is coupled with the loader device; and

removing the delivery catheter from the loader device with the flow control device loaded in the housing of the catheter.

20. A method as in claim 19, wherein the pusher device is advanced through an opening on an end cap on the loader device, wherein the flow control device is preloaded in the uncompressed state in the loader device, and wherein the end cap protects the flow control device before and during the loading method.

21. A method as in claim 19, wherein the pushing steps include registering multiple registration grooves on the pusher device with multiple corresponding registration grooves on the loader device to achieve a desired alignment of the pusher device with the loader device.