Method of treating a lung

Abstract

This invention provides methods for treating a lung, such as to treat a patient suffering from COPD. One aspect of the invention provides a method of treating a lung including the steps of: endotracheally delivering an expandable member (such as an inflatable member) to an air passageway of the lung with a delivery system; expanding the expandable member to make contact with a wall of the air passageway; and providing an open lumen through the expandable member to provide access to a portion of the lung distal to the expandable member. Some embodiments add the step of plugging the lumen, such as by contacting a plug with the expandable member or closing a port in the lumen. Some embodiments of the invention also include the step of reducing collateral flow around the expandable member and / or reducing collateral flow to lung regions distal to the expandable member, such as by delivering a collateral flow blocking agent, through the lumen. In some embodiments, the method includes the step of causing the portion of the lung distal to the expandable member to reduce volume, such as by compressing the lung portion.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 580,565, filed Jun. 16, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The primary role of the lung is to perform the function of breathing which assists in the intake of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide from the body. The oxygen in air is inhaled through the mouth and trachea to the main bronchi. The bronchi divide at the end of the trachea into the left and right main bronchi and these respectively divide into bronchial branches, which “feed” the three lobes of the lung on the right and two on the left. These bronchi continue to subdivide into bronchioles (smaller bronchi), over twenty three times in total. The over 100,000 bronchioles get smaller in diameter and ultimately terminate in over 300 million air sacs, called alveoli. The alveoli, which are clustered like grapes, are approximately 0.3 mm in diameter and provide a huge ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Likewise, toxic CO2 is diffused into the alveoli from the capillaries and is removed from the body during expiration.

These stretched regions fail to pull on and thus fail to suspend the major airways in a radial fashion to hold them open.

As the disease progresses, the patient will eventually need to force expiration, which causes the major airways to collapse and block air flow.

This effect is exacerbated with additional applied expiration pressure since the airways are ill-supported.

Pain associated with this causes interruption of normal breathing and difficulty to revive the patient from forced ventilation to normal breathing after the procedure.

The procedure presents with high mortality rates and long recovery times.

Another risk with LVRS is associated with cutting too much volume out.

Also, adhesions between the lung and chest wall that occur naturally present stress points upon expansion that can cause ruptures.

The imbalance of force in the chest after expanding highly elastic lung tissue pulls the mediastinal region of the central thorax sufficiently to actually shift large vessels and cause flow restrictions.

This condition can be very serious and warrant further surgeries.

Current less invasive approaches to LVR have met with limited success, however.

However, there are several problems with these earlier devices as they are currently used.

Current blocking devices do not facilitate access to distal regions of the lung after deployment to allow for reoccurring interventions or treatments.

Covered devices that are stretched to this extent are typically not robust air leak seals.

This also requires that the device be scaled down to such a small diameter profile that the self expansion forces are extremely low to anchor the device and the covering materials must be thin and therefore fragile.

Moreover, these devices block air from flowing in the major airways but are not effective if collateral flow paths exist.

Finally, uncontrolled atelectasis beyond a one third volume reduction may cause tension pneumothorax complications and stress ruptures within the lung wall, causing lung collapse.

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