Method and assembly for lung volume reduction

• US 6,174,323 B1
• Filed: 06/05/1998
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ekos LLC (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Broncus Technologies, Inc
• Inventors: Loomas, Bryan, Biggs, Michael J., Davenport, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, LIEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/092,727
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 606/167, 606/213-230, 606/232, 606/233, 606/144-150
• US Class Current: 606/232
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0487 Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12022 Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20
• 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 2017/00349 Needle-like instruments having hook or barb-like gripping means, e.g. for grasping suture or tissue A61B17/06066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0412 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from suture anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0437 the barbs being resilient or spring-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0451 Cams or wedges holding the suture by friction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1205 Introduction devices

Abstract

A method and assembly for reducing the volume of a lung. A plurality of anchors are anchored at different positions in the lung. A cord is attached to each of the anchors. The anchors are drawn towards one another via the cords to cause the lung to collapse, thus compressing the tissue in the lung and establishing a reduction in lung volume.

Claims

1. A method for compressing the volume of a portion of a lung, the method comprising:

anchoring a first anchor at a first position in the lung;

anchoring a second anchor at a second position in the lung, the first position being distant from the second position;

reducing the distance between the anchored first anchor and the anchored second anchor; and

preventing the reduced distance from substantially increasing.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising attaching a first cord to the first anchor and attaching a second cord to the second anchor.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first cord is attached to the first anchor and a second cord is attached to the second anchor, and the distance is prevented from substantially increasing by connecting the first cord to the second cord after the distance has been reduced.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first cord is attached to the first anchor and a second cord is attached to the second anchor, and the distance is reduced between the anchored first anchor and the anchored second anchor by causing relative motion between at least one of the cords and a self-locking device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first cord is attached to the first anchor and a second cord is attached to the second anchor, the step of reducing the distance between the anchored first anchor and the anchored second anchor includes pulling at least one of the first cord and the second cord to reduce the distance between the anchors.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of preventing the reduced distance from substantially increasing includes connecting the first anchor to the second anchor with a cord.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

anchoring a third anchor at a third position in the lung, the third position distant form the first position and the second position;

reducing the distance between the anchored first anchor and the anchored third anchor to decrease the volume of the lung; and

preventing the reduced distance between the first and third anchors from substantially increasing.

8. A method for compressing the volume of a portion of a lung, the method comprising:

anchoring in a portion of a lung an anchor having a cord attached thereto; and

pulling the cord to cause the anchor to pull on the portion of the lung to compress the volume of the portion of the lung.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the anchor is a first anchor and the cord is a first cord, further comprising anchoring a second anchor having a second cord attached thereto in a second portion of the lung;

pulling the second cord attached to the second anchor to cause the second anchor to pull on the second portion of the lung.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising cutting the first cord and a second cord to decrease a length of the first cord and the second cord.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising passing the first cord and the second cord through a self-locking device, wherein the pulling of the first cord and the pulling of the second cord are performed by pulling the first cord and the second cord through the self-locking device.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the anchor is anchored to a bronchial passageway.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising connecting the first cord to the second cord.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the pulling of at least one of the first cord and the second cord causes relative motion between the first anchor and the second anchor in a direction towards each other.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first cord is pulled before the second cord is pulled.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first cord and the second cord are pulled simultaneously.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first cord has a first cord length measured between the anchor and a point of connection, the second cord has a second cord length measured between the anchor and the point of connection, wherein the tensioning of the first cord and the second cord are performed by decreasing the first cord length and the second cord length.

18. The method according to claim 8, further comprising located the anchor in the lung by inserting into a bronchial passageway of the lung a bronchoscope having the anchor therein, and then releasing the anchor from the bronchoscope at the portion of the lung to anchor the anchor in the lung.

19. The method according to claim 9, wherein the pulling of at least one of the first cord and the second cord causes an anchor length L_AD to decrease.

20. An assembly for compressing the volume of a portion of a lung, the assembly comprising:

a first cord;

a first anchor in the form of a deformable spring for anchoring to a first portion of the lung, the first cord attached to the first anchor;

a second cord;

a second anchor in the form of a deformable spring for anchoring to a second portion of the lung, the second cord being attached to the second anchor;

a delivery device for delivering the first anchor to the first portion of the lung and for delivering the second anchor to the second portion of the lung; and

a connection device for connecting the first cord to the second cord within the lung.

21. The assembly according to claim 20, wherein the delivery device is a tube.

22. The assembly according to claim 20, wherein the first anchor and the second anchor are V-shaped springs.

23. The assembly according to claim 20, wherein the connection device includes a self-locking device.

24. The assembly according to claim 20, wherein the first cord has a first cord length measured between the first anchor and the connection device, the second cord has a second cord length measured between the second anchor and the connection device, the connection device preventing the first cord length and the second cord length from increasing.

44. The assembly according to claim 20, further comprising a third cord and a third anchor for anchoring to a third portion of the lung, the third cord attached to the third anchor and connected to the connection device.

25. An assembly for compressing the volume of a portion of a lung, the assembly comprising:

a first anchor for anchoring to a first portion of the bronchial passageways of the lung, the first anchor being deformable from an insertion configuration to an expanded anchoring configuration;

a second anchor for anchoring to a second portion of the bronchial passageways of the lung, the second anchor being deformable from an insertion configuration to an expanded anchoring configuration;

a connection device for positioning in the lung;

a first cord connecting the first anchor to the connection device; and

a second cord connecting the second anchor to the connection device, the connection device preventing the first cord and the second cord from moving relative to the connection device in a direction away from the connection device.

26. The assembly according to claim 25, wherein the connection device is a self-locking device, at least one of the first cord and the second cord wedgeable in the self-locking device such that the one cord is prevented from moving relative to the self-locking device in the direction away from the connection device and is permitted to move in an opposite direction.

27. The assembly according to claim 25, wherein the direction away from the self-locking device is toward one of the first and second anchors.

28. The assembly according to claim 25, wherein the first and second anchors include V-shaped springs.

45. The assembly according to claim 25, further comprising a third anchor for anchoring to a third portion of the bronchial passageways of the lung.

29. An assembly for compressing the volume of a portion of a lung, the assembly comprising:

a first anchor for anchoring to a first portion of the lung;

a second anchor for anchoring to a second portion of the lung;

a third anchor for anchoring to a third portion of the lung;

a connection device connected to the first anchor by a first cord, connected to the second anchor by a second cord, and connected to the third anchor by a third cord, the first cord having a first cord length measured between the first anchor and the connection device, the second cord having a second cord length measured between the second anchor and the connection device, the third cord having a third cord length measured between the third anchor and the connection device, the connection device preventing the first cord length, the second cord length, and the third cord length from increasing.

30. The assembly according to claim 29, wherein the connection device permits the first cord length and the second cord length to decrease.

31. The assembly according to claim 29, wherein the first anchor and the second anchor include barbs.

32. The assembly according to claim 29, wherein the connection device is located between the first anchor and the second anchor.

33. A method for compressing the volume of a portion of a lung, the method comprising:

connecting the first anchor to the second anchor with at least one cord;

fixing the first anchor at a first portion of the lung;

fixing the second anchor at a second portion of the lung; and

tensioning the at least one cord to cause at least one of the first anchor and the second anchor to decrease the volume of the lung.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the anchors are connected with two cords after the first anchor has been fixed at said first position and the second anchor has been fixed at said second position.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the at least one cord is tensioned after the first anchor is fixed at said first position and before the second anchor is fixed at said second position.

36. An assembly for compressing the volume of a portion of a lung, the assembly comprising:

a first deformable anchor for anchoring to a first portion of the lung;

a second deformable anchor for anchoring to a second portion of the lung; and

a cord for attaching the first anchor to the second anchor.

37. The assembly according to claim 36, wherein the cord includes two cords that are connected to each other.

38. The assembly according to claim 37, wherein the two cords are connected to each other with a connecting device.

39. The assembly according to claim 36, wherein the cord is elastic.

40. The assembly according to claim 36, wherein the cord is attached to the first anchor.

41. The assembly according to claim 36, wherein the first anchor is a V-shaped spring.

42. The assembly according to claim 36, wherein the first anchor is a self-locking device.

43. The assembly according to claim 36, further comprising a device for anchoring the first and second anchors in the lung.

46. The assembly according to claim 36, further comprising a third anchor for anchoring to a third portion of the lung, the cord attaching the first anchor, the second anchor, and the third anchor.

47. The assembly according to claim 36, wherein the first deformable anchor and the second deformable anchor each include two flexible barbs.