Device and method for measuring the diameter of an air passageway
First Claim
1. A method of measuring an inside diameter of a native body lumen in a lung, the method comprisingpreparing a measuring device that comprises a non-cylindrical expandable member;
- inserting the member into the body lumen; and
after positioning the member in the body lumen, expanding the member and, while the member is expanded, moving the member axially along the body lumen to a desired location in order to measure the size of the body lumen at the desired location;
and then retracting the member, changing a diameter of the member and then advancing the member toward the desired location again.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a device for measuring an inside diameter of a body lumen, such as an air passageway. The device includes a flexible catheter having an inflation lumen, a fluid dispenser in fluid communication with the inflation lumen and operable to communicate a measurable fluid volume change with the inflation lumen, and an expandable member in fluid communication with the inflation lumen and having a known relationship between volume and a changeable transverse dimension, the transverse dimension being changeable in response to fluid volume changes of the fluid dispenser and arranged for placement adjacent to opposing portions of an interior wall of the air passageway. The expandable member may be dimensioned for transoral placement into the air passageway, and may comprise a balloon that includes a complaint material.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of measuring an inside diameter of a native body lumen in a lung, the method comprising
preparing a measuring device that comprises a non-cylindrical expandable member; -
inserting the member into the body lumen; and after positioning the member in the body lumen, expanding the member and, while the member is expanded, moving the member axially along the body lumen to a desired location in order to measure the size of the body lumen at the desired location; and then retracting the member, changing a diameter of the member and then advancing the member toward the desired location again. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of measuring an inside diameter of a native body lumen in a lung, the method comprising:
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preparing a measuring device for insertion into a patient by supplying fluid to a fluid source, a lumen of the measuring device and a collapsed balloon and by removing air bubbles from the fluid; positioning a distal end of the measuring device into a trachea of the patient and steering the distal end of the measuring device to a desired location in the native body lumen for measurement; expanding the balloon in the native body lumen to a first trial transverse dimension of a known first dimension and advancing the expanded balloon toward the desired location; examining a periphery of the balloon to determine whether the first dimension is adjacent to the inside wall of the native body lumen at the desired location; and retracting the balloon from the desired location and expanding or contracting the balloon in the native body lumen to a second trial transverse dimension of a known second dimension and readvancing the expanded balloon toward the desired location. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of measuring an inside diameter of a native body lumen in a lung, the method comprising:
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preparing a measuring device for insertion into a patient by supplying fluid to a fluid source, a lumen of the measuring device and a collapsed balloon and by removing air bubbles from the fluid; positioning a distal end of the measuring device into a trachea of the patient and steering the distal end of the measuring device to a desired location in the native body lumen for measurement; expanding the balloon in the native body lumen to a first trial transverse dimension of a known first dimension and advancing the expanded balloon toward the desired location; and examining a periphery of the balloon to determine whether the first dimension is adjacent to the inside wall of the native body lumen at the desired location; wherein the balloon of the measuring device is deployed once the distal end of the measuring device is proximate the desired location, and wherein the balloon is advanced until a transverse dimension of the balloon is about a balloon length from the desired location. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification