Lung assist apparatus and methods for use

• US 6,905,518 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2004
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gateway Edi (Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Edi (Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.)
• Inventors: Ginn, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SNOW, BRUCE EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US10/751,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20040143328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 623/23.65, 623/23.64, 623/1.13, 623/1.15, 623/2.12, 623/2.18, 623/9
• US Class Current: 623/23.65
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/00 Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents as cosmetic articles, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. wigs, hair pieces, A41G3/00, A41G5/00; artificial nails A45D31/00; dental prostheses A61C13/00; materials for prostheses A61L27/00; artificial hearts A61M60/00; artificial kidneys A61M1/14
• 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 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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 2/852 Two or more distinct overlapping stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/043 Bronchi
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/821 Ostial stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0063 Nested prosthetic parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0406 implanted flow modifiers

Abstract

A lung-assist apparatus includes a tubular housing, a tubular nozzle therein, and a first valve disposed between the housing and nozzle. The housing is implanted across a bifurcation such that the nozzle extends from a first branch communicating with a healthy region of a lung towards a main passage, and terminates proximate a lateral opening in the housing that is disposed within a second branch communicating with a damaged region of the lung. During inhalation, the first valve opens to allow air flow into the first branch, and closes during exhalation to force air through the nozzle, thereby inducing a vacuum for drawing air from the damaged region. A second valve in the second branch opens during exhalation to draw air from the diseased region, and closes during inhalation to prevent air from being drawn into the damaged region.

Claims

1. A method for assisting exhalation at a branch in a lung, the branch comprising a main passage, a first branch communicating with a relatively healthy region of the lung, and a second branch communicating with a relatively unhealthy region of the lung to be isolated, the method comprising:

providing a device comprising a tubular member including an inlet end, an outlet end, and an inner lumen and an outer surface extending therebetween, the device being provided with a first valve disposed adjacent the outer surface of the tubular member, the first valve being configured to close for limiting flow along the outer surface from the inlet end towards the outlet end and configured to open for allowing flow along the outer surface from the outlet end towards the inlet end;

implanting the device in the branch such that the inlet end is disposed in the first branch, and the outlet end is disposed proximate the proximal region of the second branch, the first valve engaging a wall of the first branch, the first valve being configured to be open during inhalation and to be closed during exhalation to force air from the first branch to pass through the lumen into the main passage, thereby inducing a vacuum at the second branch for drawing air from the region to be isolated into the main passage, and

implanting a second valve in the second branch, the second valve being configured to be open during exhalation to allow air to be drawn from the region to be isolated into the main passage, and configured to be closed during inhalation to prevent air from being drawn into the region to be isolated.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising implanting a support structure within the branch, and wherein the step of implanting the device comprises securing the device to the support structure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the support structure comprises a tubular mesh that is expandable between a contracted condition for facilitating delivery into a lung, and an enlarged condition for engaging tissue at the branch.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the device further comprises a support structure to which the tubular member is attached, and wherein the implanting step comprises securing the support structure to tissue at the branch.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the support structure comprises a tubular mesh that is expandable between a contracted condition for facilitating delivery into a lung, and an enlarged condition for engaging tissue at the branch.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the implanting step comprises advancing the tubular mesh in the contracted condition along a bronchial passage to the branch, and expanding the tubular mesh to engage a wall of the bronchial passage.

7. A method for assisting exhalation at a branch in a lung, the branch comprising a main passage, a first branch communicating with a first relatively healthy region of the lung, and a second branch communicating with a second relatively unhealthy region of the lung, the method comprising:

implanting a tubular device having a lumen which has a smaller cross-section than the first branch within the first branch such that a distal first end of the tubular device is disposed in the first branch distal to the second branch, and a proximal second end of the tubular device is disposed proximal to the proximal region of the second branch such that, during exhalation, air flows proximally through the tubular device towards the main passage, thereby inducing a vacuum proximate the proximal region of the second branch for drawing air from the second branch into the main passage.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a ratio of cross-sections of the lumen of the tubular device and the first branch is less than one, whereby flow from the first branch passing through the lumen of the tubular device causes an increase in velocity of air exiting the second end of the tubular device compared with the velocity of air entering the first end of the tubular device, the increase in velocity inducing the vacuum.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the tubular device is provided with a first valve disposed adjacent an outer surface of the tubular device, the first valve being configured to close during exhalation to obstruct the flow of air around the exterior of the tubular device and to cause air to flow through the tubular device, and configured to open during inhalation for allowing substantially unobstructed flow between the main passage and the first branch.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the implanting step comprises implanting a second valve across the second branch, the second valve configured to open during exhalation to allow air to be drawn from the second branch into the main passage, and configured to close during inhalation to obstruct air from being drawn into the second branch from the main branch.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the tubular device comprises a lumen having a substantially uniform diameter through which air flows through the device.

12. A method for assisting exhalation at a branch in lung, the branch comprising a main passage, a first branch communicating with a first relatively healthy region of the lung, and a second branch communicating with a second relatively unhealthy region of the lung, the method comprising:

implanting a tubular device having a lumen having a narrow flow path within the first branch such that a first end of the tubular device is disposed in the first branch distal to the second branch, and a second end of the tubular device is disposed proximate the proximal region of the second branch such that, during exhalation, air flows through the tubular device towards the main passage, thereby inducing a vacuum proximate the second branch for drawing air from the second branch into the main passage wherein the tubular device is provided with a first valve disposed adjacent an outer surface of the tubular device, the first valve being configured to close during exhalation to obstruct the flow of air around the exterior of the tubular device and to cause air to flow through the tubular device, and configured to open during inhalation for allowing substantially unobstructed flow between the main passage and the first branch.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the implanting step comprises implanting a second valve across the second branch, the second valve configured to open during exhalation to allow air to be drawn from the second branch into the main passage, and configured to close during inhalation to obstruct air from being drawn into the second branch from the main branch.