Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction method
View Patent ↗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.
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;
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; and
causing inflammation of a substantial portion of the opposing walls of said one or more cavities by injecting a substance into said target section;
wherein the substance comprises autologous whole blood.
2. A minimally invasive method of reducing a volume of an enlarged target region of a lung comprising:
guiding a distal end of an bronchoscope to a position adjacent the target region;
placing a catheter lumen in fluid communication with an interior of the target region;
equilibrating the target region with atmospheric air by opening the lumen to fluid communication with a volume of air at atmospheric pressure;
deploying one or more occlusion devices in one or more airways leading into the target region, thereby substantially isolating the target region from air flow in at least an inspiratory direction; and
injecting an inflammation-causing substance.
3. A minimally invasive method of reducing a volume of an enlarged target region of a lung comprising:
guiding a distal end of an bronchoscope to a position adjacent the target region;
placing a catheter lumen in fluid communication with an interior of the target region;
equilibrating the target region with atmospheric air by opening the lumen to fluid communication with a volume of air at atmospheric pressure;
deploying one or more occlusion devices in one or more airways leading into the target region, thereby substantially isolating the target region from air flow in at least an inspiratory direction.
4. A minimally invasive method of reducing a volume of an enlarged target region of a lung comprising:
guiding a distal end of an bronchoscope to a position adjacent the target region;
placing a catheter lumen in fluid communication with an interior of the target region;
equilibrating the target region with atmospheric air by opening the lumen to fluid communication with a volume of air at atmospheric pressure; and
injecting an inflammation-causing substance.
5. 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, wherein the deflating of the lung section portion comprises exposing a trans-bronchial lumen to the lung section portion to permit at least some of the air within said lung section portion to escape;
allowing a substantial portion of the opposing walls of said one or more cavities to adhere;
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; and
causing inflammation of a substantial portion of the opposing walls of said one or more cavities by injecting autologous whole blood into said target section, wherein said injecting step comprises directing said autologous whole blood through a lumen of the same trans-bronchial device.