Method of reducing lung size

• US 6,258,100 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Spiration, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Alferness, Clifton A., Lin, Richard Y., Jaeger, Wilfred E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robert, Eduardo C.
• Application Number:
  US09/686,204
• Time in Patent Office: 273 Days
• Field of Search: 128/898, 604/246, 604/247, 604/249, 604/256, 604/48, 606/108, 606/200, 606/213, 606/217, 623/1.24, 623/1.26, 623/23.68, 623/1.25, 623/23.7
• US Class Current: 606/108
• 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: A61F 2/02 Prostheses implantable into the body closure means for urethra or rectum or for artificial body openings therefor A61F2/0004
• 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 2/24 Heart valves ; Vascular valves, e.g. venous valves; Heart implants, e.g. passive devices for improving the function of the native valve or the heart muscle; Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices; Valves implantable in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2476 Valves implantable in the body not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/043 Bronchi

Abstract

A device, system, and method provides for lung size reduction by permanently collapsing at least a portion of a lung. The lung portion may be collapsed by obstructing the air passageway which communicates the lung portion to be collapsed. The air passageway may be obstructed by an obstructing member which precludes airflow in either direction or with a one-way valve which permits air to be exhaled from the lung portion while precluding air from being inhaled into the lung portion. In addition, a vacuum may be pulled within the lung portion to be collapsed for collapsing the lung portion and while the lung portion is collapsed the obstructing member may be placed in the air passageway to maintain the lung portion in a permanently collapsed state.

Claims

1. A method of reducing lung size of a lung, the method including obstructing an air passageway communicating with a portion of the lung, the obstructing step including the step of placing a one-way valve in the air passageway to permit air to be exhaled from the lung portion and to preclude air from being inhaled into the lung portion for collapsing the lung portion.

2. The method of claim 1 including the further steps of inserting a conduit into the air passageway communicating with the lung portion and pulling a vacuum in the lung portion through the conduit.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the conduit includes an outer surface, and wherein the step of pulling a vacuum includes sealing between the outer surface of conduit and the air passageway.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of placing the one-way valve in the air passageway is performed after the pulling of the vacuum.

5. A method of reducing lung size of a lung, the method including the steps of:

inserting a conduit down a trachea, into a mainstem bronchus, into a bronchial branch, and into a bronchial sub-branch communicating with a lung portion of the lung to be reduced in size;

feeding a one-way valve down the conduit; and

deploying the one-way valve in the bronchial sub-branch so that air is permitted to exit the lung portion while being precluded from entering the lung portion and causing the lung portion to collapse for reducing the size of the lung.

6. The method of claim 5 including the further step of removing the conduit after deploying the one-way valve in the bronchial sub-branch.

7. The method of claim 5 including the further step of pulling a vacuum in the lung portion through the conduit.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the conduit includes an outer surface, and wherein the step of pulling a vacuum includes sealing between the outer surface of the conduit and the bronchial sub-branch.

9. A method of reducing lung size of a lung, the method including the steps of:

inserting a conduit down a trachea, into a mainstem bronchus, into a bronchial branch, and into a bronchial sub-branch communicating with a lung portion of the lung to be reduced in size;

pulling a vacuum in the lung portion through the conduit to collapse the lung portion; and

deploying an obstructing member in the bronchial sub-branch to preclude air from being inhaled into the lung portion through the bronchial sub-branch.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the deploying step includes feeding the obstructing member down the conduit and into the bronchial sub-branch.