BRONCHIAL FLOW CONTROL DEVICES AND METHODS OF USE

• US 20110130834A1
• Filed: 11/05/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pulmonx Pulmonx
• Original Assignee: Pulmonx Corp.
• Inventors: Barrett, Michael S., Tholfsen, David R., Rapacki, Alan R., McCutcheon, John G., Wilson, Peter M., Sutton, Douglas, Hendricksen, Michael J., Gifford, Hanson S. III, Fields, Antony J., Hundertmark, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US12/940,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20110130834A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1205 Introduction devices
• 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 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/9522 Means for mounting a stent or stent-graft onto or into a placement instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/043 Bronchi
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/912 Connections and closures for tubes delivering fluids to or from the body

Abstract

Methods and systems for lung volume reduction of a patient are described. The methods include implanting a flow control device in a bronchial passageway of the lung. The flow control device regulates fluid flow through the bronchial passageway and includes a valve protector that at least partially surrounds a valve member. The valve protector has sufficient rigidity to maintain the shape of the valve member against compression.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method for deploying a flow control device in a bronchial passageway to regulate airflow to a targeted lung region, the method comprising:

identifying the targeted lung region;

determining a target location for deploying the flow control device in a bronchial passageway leading to the targeted lung region;

approximating an inner diameter of the bronchial passageway at the target location;

selecting an appropriately sized flow control device for deploying in the bronchial passageway, based on the approximated inner diameter;

loading the selected flow control device into a delivery catheter;

advancing the delivery catheter into the bronchial passageway to position the flow control device at the target location;

deploying the flow control device out of the delivery catheter at the target location, wherein upon deployment the flow control device expands to form a seal with an inner wall of the bronchial passageway; and

removing the delivery catheter.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein the identifying and determining steps are performed by evaluating a CT scan.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein approximating the inner diameter is performed using a bronchial passageway measurement device.

5. A method as in claim 2, wherein approximating the inner diameter comprises evaluating a CT scan including the bronchial passageway.

6. A method as in claim 2, wherein approximating the inner diameter comprises viewing the bronchial passageway using a bronchoscope.

7. A method as in claim 2, wherein advancing the delivery catheter comprises advancing the catheter through a bronchoscope.

8. A method as in claim 2, further comprising repeating at least some of the steps to deploy at least one additional flow control device in at least one additional bronchial passageway.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the at least one additional bronchial passageway leads to the targeted lung region.

10. A method as in claim 8, wherein the at least one additional bronchial passageway leads to an additional targeted lung region.

11. A method as in claim 2, wherein the targeted lung region comprises a lobe of a lung.

12. A method as in claim 2, wherein the targeted lung region comprises a segment of a lung.