Lung constriction apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A lung constriction device comprising a jacket of flexible material configured to cover only a portion of a lung, the jacket having a pair of opened ends to permit the lung portion to be drawn into the jacket and the jacket being dimensioned to constrict and collapse the lung portion.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A lung constriction device and method provide lung air leak suppression or lung volume reduction. The lung constriction device includes a jacket of flexible material. The jacket is configured to cover at least a portion of a lung. The jacket is further configured to receive the lung portion as it is drawn therein. The jacket may be expandable and held in an expanded condition as the lung tissue is drawn into the jacket. Thereafter, the jacket is permitted to collapse about the lung portion to constrict the lung portion. The jacket may alternatively be nonexpandable. As the lung tissue is drawn into the jacket, it will collapse. Once disposed in the jacket, the jacket constricts the lung tissue to provide leakage suppression or lung volume reduction. The jacket may further be severable so that after the lung portion is drawn into the jacket, the jacket may be severed to section the lung portion.
-
Citations
41 Claims
- 1. A lung constriction device comprising a jacket of flexible material configured to cover only a portion of a lung, the jacket having a pair of opened ends to permit the lung portion to be drawn into the jacket and the jacket being dimensioned to constrict and collapse the lung portion.
- 7. A lung constriction device comprising a member formed of expandable material, the member being configured for receiving only a portion of a lung when forced into an expanded enlarged condition by an expansion force, and contractible about the lung portion upon release of the expansion force for constricting and collapsing the lung portion.
-
14. A method of constricting and collapsing only a portion of a lung, the method including the steps of:
-
providing a jacket formed of flexible material and configured to cover only a portion of the lung; and
drawing the lung portion into the jacket to constrict and collapse the lung portion. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method of constricting at least a portion of a lung, the method including the steps of:
-
providing a jacket formed of flexible material and configured to cover the lung portion;
drawing the lung portion into the jacket; and
positioning the jacket on a mandrel, wherein the lung portion is physically pulled into the mandrel, and the method further including the step of removing the mandrel from the jacket and the lung portion to leave the lung portion constricted in the jacket.
-
-
21. A method of constricting at least a portion of a lung, the method including the steps of:
-
providing a jacket formed of flexible material and configured to cover the lung portion; and
drawing the lung portion into the jacket, wherein the jacket is dimensioned to constrict the lung portion, wherein the drawing step includes collapsing the lung portion while drawing the lung portion into the jacket, and wherein the drawing step includes applying a vacuum suction to the lung portion. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
-
24. A method of constricting at least a portion of a lung, the method including the steps of:
-
providing a jacket formed of flexible material and configured to cover the lung portion; and
drawing the lung portion into the jacket, wherein the jacket is formed of expandable material, wherein the method includes the further steps of applying an expansion force to the jacket to enlarge the jacket dimensions and releasing the expansion force on the jacket after the drawing step to permit the jacket to collapse about the lung portion for constricting the lung portion, and wherein the applying step includes positioning the jacket on a mandrel. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. A method of constricting at least a portion of a lung, the method including the steps of:
-
providing a jacket formed of flexible material and configured to cover the lung portion; and
drawing the lung portion into the jacket, wherein the jacket is formed of expandable material, wherein the method includes the further steps of applying an expansion force to the jacket to enlarge the jacket dimensions and releasing the expansion force on the jacket after the drawing step to permit the jacket to collapse about the lung portion for constricting the lung portion, and wherein the drawing step includes applying a vacuum suction to the lung portion.
-
-
29. A method of constricting at least a portion of a lung, the method including the steps of:
-
providing a jacket formed of flexible material and configured to cover the lung portion; and
drawing the lung portion into the jacket, wherein the jacket is formed of expandable material, wherein the method includes the further steps of applying an expansion force to the jacket to enlarge the jacket dimensions and releasing the expansion force on the jacket after the drawing step to permit the jacket to collapse about the lung portion for constricting the lung portion, and wherein the method further includes the steps of positioning the jacket within a mandrel, and applying a vacuum suction to the lung portion through the mandrel and the jacket to cause the lung portion to be drawn into the jacket and the jacket to be expanded by the lung portion drawn by the vacuum suction. - View Dependent Claims (30)
-
-
31. A method of reducing the size of a lung, the method including the steps of:
-
providing a jacket of severable material configured and dimensioned to constrict and seal lung tissue;
drawing a portion of the lung into the jacket to constrict and seal lung tissue of the lung portion; and
severing the jacket to section the lung. - View Dependent Claims (32)
-
-
33. A method of sectioning body tissue, the method including the steps of:
-
providing a jacket of severable material configured and dimensioned to constrict and seal the body tissue;
drawing the body tissue into the jacket to constrict and seal the body tissue; and
severing the jacket to section the body tissue. - View Dependent Claims (34)
-
-
35. A system for sectioning body tissue, the system comprising:
-
a jacket of severable material configured and dimensioned to constrict and seal the body tissue;
means for drawing the body tissue into the jacket to constrict and seal the body tissue; and
means for severing the jacket to section the body tissue. - View Dependent Claims (36)
-
- 37. A device for use in sectioning body tissue comprising a jacket of severable material configured to cover the body tissue, the jacket having a pair of opened ends to permit the body tissue to be drawn into the jacket and the jacket being dimensioned to constrict and seal the body tissue.
-
39. A lung constriction device comprising a jacket of flexible material configured to cover only a portion of a lung, the jacket having a pair of opened ends to permit the lung portion to be drawn into the jacket and the jacket being dimensioned to constrict, collapse, and disable the lung portion.
-
40. A lung constriction device comprising a member formed of expandable material, the member being configured for receiving only a portion of a lung when forced into an expanded enlarged condition by an expansion force, and contractible about the lung portion upon release of the expansion force for constricting, collapsing, and disabling the lung portion.
-
41. A method of constricting, collapsing, and disabling a portion of a lung, the method including the steps of:
-
providing a jacket formed of flexible material and configured to cover the lung portion; and
drawing the lung portion into the jacket to constrict, collapse, and disable the lung portion.
-
Specification