METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ENDOBRONCHIAL DIAGNOSIS

• US 20120150057A1
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pulmonx Corp.
• Original Assignee: Pulmonx Corp.
• Inventors: Mantri, Surag
• Granted Patent: US 9,364,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/538
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/091 Measuring volume of inspired or expired gases, e.g. to determine lung capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6853 with a balloon

Abstract

A method of diagnosing an air leak in a lung compartment of a patient may include: advancing a diagnostic catheter into an airway leading to the lung compartment; inflating an occluding member on the catheter to form a seal with a wall of the airway and thus isolate the lung compartment; measuring air pressure within the lung compartment during multiple breaths, using the diagnostic catheter; displaying the measured air pressure as an air pressure value on a console coupled with the diagnostic catheter; and determining whether an air leak is present in the lung compartment based on the displayed air pressure value during the multiple breaths.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing an air leak in a lung compartment of a patient, the method comprising:

advancing a diagnostic catheter into an airway leading to the lung compartment;

inflating an occluding member on the catheter to form a seal with a wall of the airway and thus isolate the lung compartment;

measuring air pressure within the lung compartment during multiple breaths, using the diagnostic catheter;

displaying the measured air pressure as an air pressure value on a console coupled with the diagnostic catheter; and

determining whether an air leak is present in the lung compartment based on the displayed air pressure value during the multiple breaths.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the console displays multiple air pressure values measured during the multiple breaths as a wave-form.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the console displays the wave-form displaying a base-line value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a negative base-line value is correlated with a size of an air leak.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the console whether the air leak is present in the compartment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the lung compartment comprises a lobe of a lung.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the lung compartment comprises a segment of a lung.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the diagnostic catheter to assess whether there is collateral ventilation into the lung compartment; and

determining a treatment method based on the determinations of the air leak and collateral ventilation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring air flow out of the lung compartment during the multiple breaths, using the catheter; and

displaying the measured air flow as an air flow value,

wherein the determining step is based on the air pressure value and the air flow value.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the steps to assess at least one additional lung compartment.

11. A method of diagnosing an air leak in a lung compartment of a patient, the method comprising:

advancing a diagnostic catheter into an airway leading to the lung compartment;

inflating an occluding member on the catheter to form a seal with a wall of the airway and thus isolate the lung compartment;

measuring air flow out of the lung compartment during multiple breaths, using the diagnostic catheter;

displaying the measured air flow as an air flow value on a console coupled with the diagnostic catheter; and

determining whether an air leak is present in the lung compartment based on the displayed air flow value during the multiple breaths.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the measuring step comprises measuring air flow during inspiration and expiration.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining step includes comparing air flow during inspiration to air flow during expiration

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining step includes calculating a ratio of the inspiration air flow to the expiration air flow.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising estimating a size of the air leak based on the ratio.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying on the console whether the air leak is present in the compartment.