Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction method
First Claim
1. A method of minimally invasively performing lung volume reduction to treat a diseased lung section, the method comprising:
- deflating one or more cavities of at least a portion of the diseased lung section to bring opposing walls surrounding each of one or more of said cavities substantially closer together to provide a substantially reduced cavity;
allowing a substantial portion of the opposing walls of said one or more cavities to adhere; and
implanting a device within an airway of the lung upstream from said one or more cavities, the device configured to substantially preclude inspiration downstream of said device to prevent substantial re-inflation of said one or more cavities;
wherein said device is implanted in situ sufficiently long so that the substantial portion of the opposing walls of said one or more cavities grow together.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of minimally invasively reducing a volume of a hyper-inflated target section of diseased lung comprising the steps of introducing a bronchoscope into a patient'"'"'s airway to a position adjacent the target section and equilibrating air within the target section with atmospheric air to at least partially deflate the target lung section; injecting an inflammation-causing substance into the target section to precipitate adhesion of the walls within the target lung section, preventing substantial re-inflation of the target section by occluding an airway upstream of the target section for a period of time, and removing the airway occlusion after the target section has substantially permanently been reduced in volume. The injected substance can be autologous blood or a constituent thereof.
139 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of minimally invasively performing lung volume reduction to treat a diseased lung section, the method comprising:
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deflating one or more cavities of at least a portion of the diseased lung section to bring opposing walls surrounding each of one or more of said cavities substantially closer together to provide a substantially reduced cavity;
allowing a substantial portion of the opposing walls of said one or more cavities to adhere; and
implanting a device within an airway of the lung upstream from said one or more cavities, the device configured to substantially preclude inspiration downstream of said device to prevent substantial re-inflation of said one or more cavities;
wherein said device is implanted in situ sufficiently long so that the substantial portion of the opposing walls of said one or more cavities grow together. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A minimally invasive method of reducing the volume of a cavity in a lung, the method comprising:
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inserting a catheter into the lung via the patient'"'"'s trachea;
removing at least some of the air in the cavity;
injecting an inflammation-causing substance within the cavity so that at least a portion of the walls surrounding said cavity become coated with the substance; and
implanting an occlusion device in an airway upstream of said cavity;
wherein said occlusion device is implanted before and after the at least a portion of the walls, coated with the substance, grow together. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of reducing a volume of a diseased lung section, comprising:
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guiding a distal end of a bronchoscope through a patient'"'"'s airway to the diseased lung section;
employing the bronchoscope to inject an inflammation-causing substance into the diseased lung section;
implanting an occlusion device in an airway proximal to the diseased lung section; and
wherein the occlusion device is implanted sufficiently long so that a substantial portion of opposing walls of the diseased lung grow together. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification