Methods and systems for determining collateral ventilation

1. A method of determining collateral ventilation in a patient, the method compromising:

introducing a diagnostic catheter into a lung compartment via an assisted ventilation system, wherein the diagnostic catheter comprises a distal end comprising an occluding member and a proximal end configured to be attached to a console;

inflating the occluding member to isolate the lung compartment; and

performing a diagnostic procedure with the diagnostic catheter while the patient is ventilated via the assisted ventilation system, wherein data generated from the diagnostic procedure are displayed on the console;

wherein the diagnostic procedure comprises determining an exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over a predetermined period of time while the patient is ventilated via the assisted ventilation system and determining that collateral ventilation is present in the isolated lung compartment if the exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over the predetermined period of time plateaus above a threshold value and remains substantially flat for a respective flow trend.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that no collateral ventilation is present if the exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over the predetermined period of time decreases below the threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a degree of collateral ventilation based on the exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over the predetermined period of time at the plateau.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined period of time is approximately 20 seconds.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined period of time is approximately between 2 seconds and 60 seconds.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the console is configured to display at least a graph with a plurality of data points, each data point of the plurality of data points representing the exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over a previous predetermined period of time.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the diagnostic procedure comprises determining that collateral ventilation is not present if one or more of the plurality of data points is 50% or less of a peak flow trend.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the diagnostic procedure comprises determining that collateral ventilation is present if each data point of the plurality of data points is greater than 50% of a peak flow trend.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over the predetermined period of time remains substantially flat at a leak rate at the plateau.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that no collateral ventilation is present if the exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over the predetermined period of time decreases to approximately zero.

11. A system for determining collateral ventilation in a patient, the system comprising:

a diagnostic catheter configured to be introduced into a lung compartment via an assisted ventilation system, the diagnostic catheter comprising an occluding member on a distal end configured to inflate such that the lung compartment is isolated;

a display configured to display data generated from a diagnostic procedure performed with the diagnostic catheter while the patient is ventilated via the assisted ventilation system; and

a control unit coupled to the diagnostic catheter, wherein the control unit is configured to:

determine an exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over a predetermined period of time while the patient is ventilated via the assisted ventilation system; and

determine that collateral ventilation is present in the isolated lung compartment if the exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over the predetermined period of time plateaus above a threshold value and remains substantially flat for a respective flow trend.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control unit is further configured to determine no collateral ventilation is present if the exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over the predetermined period of time decreases below the threshold value.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the display is configured to display at least a graph with a plurality of data points, each data point of the plurality of data points representing the exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over a previous predetermined period of time.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control unit is further configured to determine that collateral ventilation is not present if one or more of the plurality of data points is 50% or less of a peak flow trend.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control unit is further configured to determine that collateral ventilation is present if each data point of the plurality of data points is greater than 50% of a peak flow trend.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control unit is further configured to determine a degree of collateral ventilation based on the exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over the predetermined period of time at the plateau.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined period of time is approximately 20 seconds.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined period of time is approximately between 2 seconds and 60 second.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over the predetermined period of time remains substantially flat at a leak rate at the plateau.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control unit is further configured to determine no collateral ventilation is present if the exhaled volume from the isolated lung compartment over the predetermined period of time decreases to approximately zero.