ONE-WAY VALVE DEVICES FOR ANCHORED IMPLANTATION IN A LUNG

• US 20110079221A1
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Spiration, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Mia, Yi, Seung, Rimbaugh, Jenni, DeVore, Lauri J., Corcoran, Dean T., Alferness, Clifton A., Dillard, David H., Gonzalez, Hugo X.
• Granted Patent: US 8,257,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/200.24
• 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 2017/00809 Lung operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2476 Valves implantable in the body not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/043 Bronchi

Abstract

An intra-bronchial device placed and anchored in an air passageway of a patient to collapse a lung portion associated with the air passageway. The device includes a support structure, an obstructing member carried by the support structure that reduces ventilation to the lung portion by preventing air from being inhaled into the lung portion, and at least one anchor carried by the support structure that anchors the obstruction device within the air passageway. The anchor may engage the air passageway wall by piercing or friction, include a stop dimensioned for limiting the piercing of the air passageway wall, and may be releasable from the air passageway for removal of the intra-bronchial device. The anchors may be carried by a peripheral portion of the support structure, or by a central portion of the support structure. The obstructing member may be a one-way valve.

Claims

1. An air passageway obstructing device comprising:

frame means for forming a support structure;

flexible membrane means for obstructing air flow within the air passageway, carried by the support structure; and

at least one anchoring means to anchor the air passageway obstructing device, carried by the support structure,

the frame means being expandable to an expanded state within an air passageway to support the membrane means and the anchoring means, the anchoring means being releasable for removal of the device from the air passageway.

2. The air passageway obstructing device of claim 1, wherein at least one anchoring means is carried distal to the obstructing means.

3. The air passageway obstructing device of claim 1, wherein at least one anchoring means is carried proximal to the obstructing means.

4. The air passageway obstructing device of claim 1, wherein at least one anchoring means has an anchoring end that engages the air passageway wall.

5. The air passageway obstructing device of claim 1, wherein at least one anchoring means is releasable from the air passageway for removal of the air passageway obstructing device.

6. The air passageway obstructing device of claim 1, wherein at least one anchoring means pierces into the air passageway wall.

7. The air passageway obstructing device of claim 1, wherein at least one anchoring means is configured to move from a first configuration to a second configuration to engage the air passageway, and to move from the second configuration to the first configuration to disengage the air passageway.

8. The air passageway obstructing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one anchoring means includes a resilient material for imparting a force against the air passageway to deform the air passageway to more positively anchor the obstructing means.

9. The air passageway obstructing device of claim 1, wherein the obstructing means allows air and mucus to travel past the obstructing means.

10. The air passageway obstructing device of claim 1, wherein the obstructing means is generally umbrella-shaped.

11. A method of reducing the size of a lung by collapsing a target section of the lung, the method including the steps of:

delivering within a lung air passageway leading to the target section an intra-bronchial valve device having an obstructing means carried on a support structure, the obstructing means being configured to preclude air from being inhaled into the target section, while allowing air to be exhaled from the target section, the valve device further comprising at least one proximal anchoring means and at least one distal anchoring means;

deploying the valve device at a desired location within the air passageway so as to cause the at least one proximal anchoring means and the at least one distal anchoring means to move from a delivered state in which the anchoring means are spaced from an air passageway wall to an anchored state in which the anchoring means engage the wall; and

releasing the at least one proximal and distal anchoring means from engagement with the air passageway wall and removing the valve device from the desired location by engaging a portion of the valve device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the portion of the valve device that is engaged for removal of the valve device comprises a portion of the support structure or the obstructing means.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the portion of the support structure comprises the at least one proximal anchoring means, the at least one distal anchoring means or a support means.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the portion of the valve device is engaged by a retractor device.

15. A method of reducing the size of a lung by collapsing a portion of the lung with a removable device, the method including the steps of:

providing an intra-bronchial device comprising a support structure, an obstructing means carried by the support structure which is so dimensioned when deployed in an air passageway communicating with the portion of the lung to be collapsed to preclude air from being inhaled, and at least one anchoring means carried by the support structure that anchors the obstructing means when at least one anchoring means is deployed;

placing the obstructing means in the air passageway;

deploying at least one anchoring means; and

removing at least the obstructing means.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one anchoring means is releasable from the air passageway for removal of the intra-bronchial device, and the step of removing at least the obstructing means includes releasing at least one anchoring means.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the obstructing means is releasable from the support structure, and the step of removing at least the obstructing means includes releasing the obstructing means from the support structure.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the obstructing means forms a one-way valve.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the support structure is collapsible.

20. An intra-bronchial device for placement in an air passageway of a lung, the device comprising:

an obstructing means configured when deployed to substantially seal against a wall of the air passageway and preclude fluid flow in at least one direction past the obstructing means, the obstructing means being generally umbrella-shaped;

a first anchor positioned at one end of the obstructing member and terminating at a plurality of first anchor means; and

a second anchor positioned at the other end of the obstructing means and terminating at a plurality of second anchor means; and

a support structure having a distal end and a proximal end, the support structure positioned between the first anchor and the second anchor, wherein at least one of the first anchor means is positioned distally to the distal end of the support structure;

wherein the first and the second anchors are configured to prevent substantial migration of the device within the air passageway when the anchors are deployed and are releasable to permit removal of the device from said passageway.