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 method of manufacturing an airway occlusion device, the method comprising:
shaping a piece of superelastic material into an hourglass shape having a first end and a second end, wherein:
the first end comprises two or more struts;
the second end comprises two or more anchors; and
the first end and second end are connected by a substantially cylindrical center portion; and
covering the struts with an air impermeable membrane,
wherein the piece of superelastic material is a tube and at least one of the struts or the anchors are formed by making axial cuts along the tube.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hourglass shape is an asymmetric hourglass shape.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the superelastic material is Nickel-Titanium.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the piece of superelastic material is shaped using machining.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the piece of superelastic material is shaped using molding.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the struts are formed by making axial cuts along the tube.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the piece of superelastic material is sections of wire.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heat treating the superelastic material.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising attaching a connector rod to the substantially cylindrical center portion, wherein the rod extends toward the first end.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the connector rod is attached using press fitting.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the connector rod is attached using adhesives.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the connector rod is attached using welds.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the connector rod is made of a biocompatible stainless steel.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising splitting the distal ends of the anchor members and bending a first one of the split sections downward to form a stop, while leaving a second one of the split sections to extend outwards.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the membrane includes tabs which can be folded over the interior sides of the proximal ends of the struts.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sealing the membrane to the frame using adhesives.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein covering the struts with an air impermeable membrane comprises placing a mandrel inside the concave space between the struts and then dipping the piece of superelastic material into a molten solution of a desired polymer.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising dipping the anchors into a molten solution of a desired polymer.