Expandable electode devices and methods of treating bronchial tubes

Abstract

Methods are provided for treating collapsed bronchial tubes found in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, such as asthma. The method includes heating the bronchial tube to cause tissue in the wall of the bronchial tube to undergo a structural transformation effective to render the wall capable of supporting a non-collapsed lumen. The procedure effectively reinforces the structural integrity of the bronchial tube wall and thereby prevents the lumen from collapsing.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 232,909, filed Aug. 30, 2002, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 349,715, filed Jul. 8, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,673, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 260,401 filed Mar. 1, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,988, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 003,750 filed Jan. 7, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,026, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08 / 833,550, filed Apr. 7, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,907; U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 349,715 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08 / 994,064, filed Dec. 19, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,255, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a device and method for treatment of the airway obstruction found in chronic obstruct...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] Many types of tissue can be molded and remodeled to correct defects and dysfunction. One technique involves physical manipulation using mechanical instruments and / or balloons to effect selective shrinking, stretching, flattening, thinning, or thickening in addition to changing the material properties of the tissue. These changes of properties include alteration of the elastic coefficient of the tissue causing it to be stiffer, changing the tensile strength of the tissue, changing the shear strength of the tissue, and changing the floppiness or resiliency of the tissue. When the tissue is close to the surface of the skin or part of a non-critical organ, physical manipulation is feasible and can be executed with minimal trauma to the patient. However, when the tissue is in an internal organ, in particular, in the lungs or other vital organ, molding and remodeling by physical manipulation can involve complicated and often risky surgery.

[0012] b) heating tissue of the bronchial tube to cause tissue in a wall of the lumen to undergo a structural transformation effective to render the wall capable of supporting the lumen without collapsing; and

[0014] Prior to treatment, the lumen can be non-collapsed, partially, or fully collapsed. Preferably, the bronchial tube is heated to a temperature in the range of about 60° C. to about 95° C. for about 0.1 to about 600 seconds. With the inventive procedure, extensive surgery and the accompanying trauma are avoided.

[0015] This invention is particularly useful for treating subjects experiencing difficulty in breathing as a result of obstructed airway passages caused by, for example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including, for example, cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. This invention ameliorates the affects of these diseases by improving lung function by keeping the airway passages open. Specifically, the present invention provides a device and method for effecting changes in soft tissue in the bronchial tubes or air passages of the lungs which have collapsed. The causes of the collapse may be the destruction of the connective tissue, the disease process, swelling, and / or muscle-dependant constriction. The invention is directed to a treatment process which effectively creates an internal bronchial stent which prevents the air passages from collapsing.

Problems solved by technology

However, when the tissue is in an internal organ, in particular, in the lungs or other vital organ, molding and remodeling by physical manipulation can involve complicated and often risky surgery.

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