One-way valve devices for anchored implantation in a lung
View Patent ↗An intra-bronchial device placed and anchored in an air passageway of a patient to collapse a lung portion associated with the air passageway. The device includes a support structure, an obstructing member carried by the support structure that reduces ventilation to the lung portion by preventing air from being inhaled into the lung portion, and at least one anchor carried by the support structure that anchors the obstruction device within the air passageway. The anchor may engage the air passageway wall by piercing or friction, include a stop dimensioned for limiting the piercing of the air passageway wall, and may be releasable from the air passageway for removal of the intra-bronchial device. The anchors may be carried by a peripheral portion of the support structure, or by a central portion of the support structure. The obstructing member may be a one-way valve.
1. A method of collapsing a portion of a lung, the method comprising:
delivering a device to an interior of an airway in the lung, the device comprising a central support structure having a proximal end and a distal end, an occluding member carried on the central support structure and configured to allow exhalation of air past the occluding member and inhibit inhalation of air past the occluding member, a first anchor having a first anchor end, and a second anchor having a second anchor end, each of the first anchor and the second anchor configured to transition between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein the second anchor end is located distal to both the occluding member and the distal end of the central support structure when the first and second anchors are in the expanded configuration; and
deploying the device to a desired location within the airway such that at least one of the first anchor and the second anchor transitions to the expanded configuration and engages with an airway wall; and
removing the device from the airway by releasing the first anchor and the second anchor from the airway wall and engaging a portion of the device with a removal tool.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising inserting the device into a working channel of a delivery device.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the delivery device is a catheter.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the occluding member is constructed of a flexible membrane.