Bronchoscopic repair of air leaks in a lung
View Patent ↗Systems and devices for minimally invasively treating an air leak in a lung comprise the steps of detecting an air leak in a lung; locating an airway in fluid communication with the air leak, introducing a bronchoscope into a patient's airway to a position adjacent the target section and occluding an airway upstream of the air leak for a period of time. The airway occlusion device is preferably removed after the air leak has substantially permanently healed. The occluding device may be a one-way valve. The occluding device may also comprise strut members and anchors that penetrate an airway wall.
1. A system for use in treating an air leak in a lung, the system comprising:
a balloon catheter configured to occlude an airway and to simultaneously measure a diameter of the airway;
a delivery catheter configured to deliver an obstruction device into an airway of the lung, the delivery catheter further comprising a retractable sheath that is retractable in relation to the obstruction device;
at least one occlusion device adapted to occlude airflow in an inspiratory direction while allowing fluid to flow in an expiratory direction;
the occlusion device being configured such that fluid flow in the expiratory direction passes between an airway wall and a portion of the occlusion device;
the occlusion device further being configured to expand and contract during expansion and contraction of surrounding lung tissue during a respiration cycle;
the occlusion device further comprising a central connector rod; and
a removal device comprising gripping elements configured to grip the central connector rod for removal of the occlusion device from the airway.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the occlusion device comprises an hourglass-shaped frame.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the hourglass-shaped frame comprises a central portion, a plurality of anchors extending radially outward and distally from the central portion, and a plurality of strut members extending radially outward and proximally from the central portion.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the frame further comprises a flexible membrane supported by the strut members.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the expandable balloon is sized to permit selection of one of a plurality of available obstruction members.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the occlusion device comprises anchors extending radially outward and distally from a central portion.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the anchors further comprise stops preventing the anchors from penetrating beyond a desired depth.
8. An occlusion device for treating an air leak in a lung, the device comprising:
a substantially cylindrical center portion;
a plurality of anchors extending radially outward from the distal end of the center portion;
a plurality of strut members extending radially outward and proximally from the central portion, wherein the proximal ends of the strut members are encased by a flexible membrane; and,
a central connector rod extending proximally from the central portion.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the anchors further comprise stops preventing the anchors from penetrating beyond a desired depth.
10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the membrane is folded over the proximal ends of the strut members.
11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the central connector rod further comprises a knob disposed at its proximal end.
12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the anchors have two bend points with at least one of the bend points forming an obtuse angle with the cylindrical center portion.
13. A system for use in treating an airway in a lung, the system comprising:
a balloon catheter configured to measure the diameter of an airway;
an occlusion device adapted to occlude airflow in an inspiratory direction while permitting fluid flow in an expiratory direction between an airway wall and a portion of the occlusion device, the occlusion device further comprising a central connector rod and anchors extending radially outward and distally from a central portion;
a delivery catheter configured to deliver the obstruction device into the airway, wherein the delivery catheter comprises a distal cavity for retaining the occlusion device, and wherein the delivery catheter further comprises a retractable sheath that is retractable in relation to the occlusion device; and,
a removal device comprising gripping elements configured to grip the central connector rod for removal of the occlusion device from the airway.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the occlusion device comprises an hourglass-shaped frame, and wherein the hourglass-shaped frame comprises a central portion, a plurality of anchors extending radially outward and distally from the central portion, and a plurality of strut members extending radially outward and proximally from the central portion.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the frame further comprises a flexible membrane supported by the strut members.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the anchors further comprise stops preventing the anchors from penetrating beyond a desired depth.
17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the removal device is inserted into the airway through a catheter.
18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the balloon is further configured to detect an air leak in an air passageway in the lung.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the catheter is configured to deliver the occlusion device to the airway identified as having an air leak.
20. The device of claim 8 , wherein the proximal ends of the strut members comprise two parallel surfaces, and wherein both parallel surfaces are covered by the flexible membrane.