Methods and devices for diagnosing, monitoring, or treating medical conditions through an opening through an airway wall

• US 9,421,070 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broncus Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Broncus Medical Incorporated
• Inventors: Keast, Thomas, Laufer, Michael D., Wibowo, Henky, Cole, Cary, Kaplan, Gary S., Roschak, Edmund J.
• Primary Examiner(s): FISHBACK, ASHLEY LAUREN
• Application Number:
  US14/575,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20150126854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00082 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/01 Guiding arrangements therefore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/2676 Bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/313 for introducing through surgical openings, e.g. laparoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0233 Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0293 with ring member to support retractor elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3209 Incision instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3423 Access ports, e.g. toroid shape introducers for instruments or hands access sites for liquids A61M39/0247
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3478 Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00809 Lung operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0419 H-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0427 having anchoring barbs or pins extending outwardly from the anchor body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22034 for gripping the obstruction or the tissue part from inside
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22042 Details of the tip of the guide wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320056 : Tunnelers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3425 : for internal organs, e.g. heart ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00541 : Lung or bronchi
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 : Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 : Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 : Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2057 : Details of tracking cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/061 : for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3782 : transmitter or receiver in catheter or minimal invasive instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3945 : Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 : Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 : using magnetic field

Abstract

Methods and devices for diagnosing, monitoring, and/or treating tissue through an opening or port through an airway wall are provided herein.

Claims

1. A method of locating a target tissue in the lung, and performing a minimally invasive procedure on the target tissue, the method comprising:

approaching with a flexible elongate member a target tissue in the lung through one or more airways;

creating multiple ports through a wall of the one or more airways in the vicinity of the target tissue;

advancing at least one device through each of the ports; and

determining a position to perform said minimally invasive procedure wherein said determining step is based on triangulation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said triangulation is performed using imaging.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the imaging is video assisted.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the imaging is the same as that carried out in a VAT procedure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue is a tumor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one device is an elongate instrument including an inner axially-movable obturator or stylet member.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising dilating at least one of the multiple ports with a balloon catheter or other expandable device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one device is an ablation instrument.

9. A method of locating a target tissue in the lung, and performing a minimally invasive procedure on the target tissue comprising:

inserting at least one elongate flexible member through a natural orifice and advancing the at least one elongate flexible member along one or more airways and into the lung;

creating multiple ports, wherein said multiple ports comprise a first port through a wall of a first airway in the vicinity of the target tissue, and a second port through a wall of a second airway, opposite to the first port, and in the vicinity of the target tissue wherein the creating multiple ports is carried out with the at least one elongate flexible member;

advancing at least one device through each of the ports towards the target tissue; and

performing the minimally invasive procedure on the target tissue based on position information arising from the location of each of said devices, and wherein said position information is based on triangulation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the target tissue is a tumor.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one device is an elongate instrument including an inner axially-movable obturator or stylet member.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising dilating at least one of the multiple ports with a balloon catheter or other expandable device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one device is an ablation instrument.

14. A method of locating a target tissue in the lung, and performing a minimally invasive procedure on the target tissue, the method comprising:

creating endoluminally a plurality of ports through a wall of one or more airways, said plurality of ports comprising a first port and a second port;

advancing a first device through the first port towards the target tissue;

advancing a second device different than the first device through the second port towards the target tissue; and

determining location information based on triangulation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second device is an instrument for performing tissue removal or tissue treatment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first port is situated opposite to the second port.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first port is through a wall of a first airway, and the second port is through a wall of a second airway.