Methods and systems for endobronchial diagnosis

• US 9,364,168 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pulmonx Corp.
• Original Assignee: Pulmonx Corp.
• Inventors: Mantri, Surag
• Primary Examiner(s): Mallari, Patricia
• Assistant Examiner(s): WESTON, TIFFANY C
• Application Number:
  US13/174,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 600529-543
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/091 Measuring volume of inspired or expired gases, e.g. to determine lung capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6853 with a balloon

Abstract

A method of diagnosing an air leak in a lung compartment of a patient may include: advancing a diagnostic catheter into an airway leading to the lung compartment; inflating an occluding member on the catheter to form a seal with a wall of the airway and thus isolate the lung compartment; measuring air pressure within the lung compartment during multiple breaths, using the diagnostic catheter; displaying the measured air pressure as an air pressure value on a console coupled with the diagnostic catheter; and determining whether an air leak is present in the lung compartment based on the displayed air pressure value during the multiple breaths.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing an air leak in a lung compartment of a patient, the method comprising:

advancing a diagnostic catheter into an airway leading to the lung compartment;

inflating an occluding member on the catheter to form a seal with a wall of the airway and thus isolate the lung compartment;

measuring air pressure within the lung compartment during multiple breaths, using the diagnostic catheter;

measuring air flow out of the lung compartment during the multiple breaths, using the catheter;

displaying the measured air pressure as an air pressure value and displaying the measured air flow as an air flow value on a console coupled with the diagnostic catheter; and

determining whether an air leak is present in the lung compartment based on the displayed air pressure value during the multiple breaths by correlating a negative base-line value to the presence of the air leak and by determining a ratio of inspiratory to expiratory flow; and

correlating said negative base-line value and the ratio with a size of the air leak.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the console displays multiple air pressure values measured during the multiple breaths as a wave-form.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the console whether the air leak is present in the compartment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the lung compartment comprises a lobe of a lung.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the lung compartment comprises a segment of a lung.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the diagnostic catheter to assess whether there is collateral ventilation into the lung compartment; and

determining a treatment method based on the determinations of the air leak and collateral ventilation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the steps to assess at least one additional lung compartment.