Bronchial stenter

• US 6,299,633 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1998
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Broncus Technologies, Inc
• Inventors: Laufer, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROY DEAN
• Application Number:
  US09/176,899
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 606/39, 606/41, 606/45, 606/49, 606/50, 606/5, 607/96, 607/101, 607/98-99
• US Class Current: 607/96
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/08 by means of electrically-heated probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00115 with audible or visual output with imaging means A61B90/37, A61B34/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22062 to be filled with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00541 Lung or bronchi
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/044 the surgical action being effected by a circulating hot fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/046 in liquid form
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1807 using light other than laser radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/06 for high-frequency therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/403 for thermotherapy, e.g. hyperthermia

Abstract

A device and method for treating collapsed bronchial tubes found in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma are provided. The device includes an elongated member having a heating element that comprises one or more energy delivery members. The method includes heating the bronchial tube to cause at least a portion of the cross links of the collagen in the wall to unlink/open and subsequently form new cross links after the collagen fibers have realigned. The procedure effectively reinforces the structural integrity of the wall and thereby prevents the lumen from collapsing.

Claims

1. A method of treating a bronchial tube in a lung having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that comprises the step of:

advancing a treatment device to a treatment site in the bronchial tube;

heating a wall of the bronchial tube to a temperature effective to form a region which increases the rigidity of the bronchial wall; and

removing the treatment device from the treatment site.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the heating step forms a region which increases the rigidity of the bronchial wall without ablating the bronchial tissue.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wall is heated to a temperature in the range between about 40°

C. and about 95°

C.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the wall is heated for about 1 to about 120 seconds.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of detecting whether the bronchial tube remains patent.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the detecting step is performed by visual inspection, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, or impedance monitoring.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the treatment device comprises an elongated member having a proximal end and a distal end and a heating element that is positioned at the distal end and that comprises one or more energy delivery members which when energized causes the wall to form a region which increases the rigidity of the bronchial wall;

and a source of energy that is conducted to the heating element.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more energy delivery members each comprise an electrode band being spaced apart from an adjacent electrode band.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the elongated member comprises a segment that is made of an elastic material and wherein the one or more energy delivery members are positioned on the surface of the segment.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more energy delivery members comprise one or more sets of double electrode bands wherein each set comprises a first electrode which is connected to the positive electrode of an RF generator and a second electrode which is connected to the negative electrode of the RF generator.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more energy delivery members emit light energy.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the elongated member comprises a conduit that channels fluid into the one or more energy delivery members.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the distal end of the elongated member comprises a segment that is radially expandable, wherein the one or more electrodes that comprise non-ferrous material are positioned on the surface of the segment, and wherein the treatment device further comprises an electromagnet located in an interior region of said segment.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein the distal end of the elongated member comprises a segment that is pleated, wherein the one or more energy delivery members comprising non-ferrous material are positioned on an outer surface of the segment, and wherein the treating device further comprises an electromagnet located in an interior region of said segment.

15. The method of claim 7 whereby heating the wall causes the wall to form one or more patency bands that increase the rigidity of the bronchial wall.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein each patency band has a contour substantially resulting from the affect of one or more of the energy delivery members.

17. The method of claim 7 wherein heating the inner wall causes the inner wall to form a pattern that increases the rigidity of the bronchial wall.

18. A method of training a person to treat a bronchial tube in a lung having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that comprises demonstrating or instructing the performance of the following steps:

advancing a treatment device to a treatment site in the bronchial tube;

heating a wall of the bronchial tube to a temperature effective to form a region which increases the rigidity of the bronchial wall; and

removing the treatment device from the treatment site.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the heating step forms a region which increases the rigidity of the bronchial wall without ablating bronchial tissue.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the inner wall is heated to a temperature in the range between about 40°

C. and about 95°

C.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the wall is heated for about 1 to about 120 seconds.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of detecting whether the bronchial tube remains patent.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the detecting step is performed by visual inspection, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, or impedance monitoring.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the treatment device comprises an elongated member having a proximal end and a distal end and a heating element that is positioned at the distal end and that comprises one or more energy delivery members of sufficient width so that when energized causes the wall to form a region which increases the rigidity of the bronchial wall;

and a source of energy that is conducted to the heating element.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the one or more energy delivery members each comprises an electrode band being spaced apart from an adjacent electrode band.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the elongated member comprises a segment that is made of an elastic material and wherein the one or more energy delivery members are positioned on the surface of the segment.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the one or more energy delivery members comprise one or more sets of double electrode bands wherein each set comprises a first electrode which is connected to the positive electrode of an RF generator and a second electrode which is connected to the negative electrode of the RF generator.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the one or more energy delivery members emit light energy.

29. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the elongated member comprises a conduit that channels fluid into the one or more energy delivery members.

30. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the distal end of the elongated member comprises a segment that is radially expandable, wherein the one or more energy delivery members comprising non-ferrous material are positioned on an outer surface of the segment, and wherein the treatment device further comprises an electromagnet located in an interior region of said segment.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein the distal end of the elongated member comprises a segment that is pleated, wherein the one or more energy delivery members comprising non-ferrous material are positioned on an outer surface of the segment, and wherein the treating device further comprises an electromagnet located in an interior region of said segment.

32. The method of claim 24 wherein heating the wall causes the wall to form one or more patency bands which increase the rigidity of the bronchial wall.