IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,533,095
Granted Patent B1
US 12,533,095 · App. 19/258,014 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Airway mucus scoring system

Inventors: Eleanor Dunican (San Francisco, CA); John Fahy (San Francisco, CA); Brett Elicker (San Francisco, CA); John Newell (Iowa City, IA); Scott Nagle (Madison, WI); Mark Schiebler (Madison, WI); David Gierada (St. Louis, MO)
Assignees: The Regents of the University of California; Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation; University of Iowa Research Foundation; Washington University
A61B6/50A61B6/032
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,533,095
App. No.
19/258,014
Granted
Jan 27, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

Provided herein are, inter alia, methods and systems for detecting mucus in the lungs of a subject. Aspects provide methods and systems for the diagnosis, prognosis, characterization, detection, and treatment of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and type 2 inflammation.

Claims (79)

1 . A method of treating asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a human subject in need thereof, the method comprising:

(a) scanning twenty lung segments of the human subject for airway mucus plugs with multidetector computed tomography, thereby obtaining multidetector computed tomography scans; wherein:

(i) the airway mucus plugs are each a complete occlusion of a bronchus;

(ii) the human subject has been identified as having asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and does not have a chronic mucus hypersecretion symptom; and

(iii) the twenty lung segments are;

(1) apical segment of upper lobe of right lung,

(2) posterior segment of upper lobe of right lung,

(3) anterior segment of upper lobe of right lung,

(4) lateral segment of middle lobe of right lung,

(5) medial segment of middle lobe of right lung,

(6) superior segment of lower lobe of right lung,

(7) medial segment of lower lobe of right lung,

(8) anterior segment of lower lobe of right lung,

(9) lateral segment of lower lobe of right lung,

(10) posterior segment of lower lobe of right lung,

(11) apical segment of upper lobe of left lung,

(12) posterior segment of upper lobe of left lung,

(13) anterior segment of upper lobe of left lung,

(14) superior lingular segment of upper lobe of left lung,

(15) inferior lingular segment of upper lobe of left lung,

(16) superior segment of lower lobe of left lung,

(17) anterior segment of lower lobe of left lung,

(18) medial segment of lower lobe of left lung,

(19) lateral segment of lower lobe of left lung, and

(20) posterior segment of lower lobe of left lung;

(b) detecting the airway mucus plugs with the multidetector computed tomography scans;

(c) calculating a mucus score of the human subject based on the multidetector computed tomography scans, the mucus score comprising a number of the twenty lung segments that have a detected airway mucus plug, wherein the mucus score of the human subject is 1-20; and

(d) administering to the human subject identified as having the mucus score of 1-20 an effective amount of a composition comprising n-acetylcysteine, carbocisteine, erdosteine, mecysteine, thioacetyl saccharide, methyl 6-thio-6-deoxy-α-D-galactopyranoside, 5-thiopentyl β-D-galactopyranoside, hypertonic saline, ambroxol, recombinant human Dnase, ivacaftor, lumacaftor, omalizumab, mepolizumab, benralizumab, reslizumab, lebrikizumab, tralokinumab, dupilumab, or fevipiprant.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the multidetector computed tomography is a low dose radiation multidetector computed tomography.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the airway mucus plugs are not within 2 cm of the diaphragmatic pleura and costal pleura.

4 . The method of claim 1 for treating asthma, wherein the subject has been identified as having asthma.

5 . The method of claim 1 for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, wherein the subject has been identified as having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mucus score is at least 3.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mucus score is at least 4.

8 . A method of treating asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a human subject in need thereof, the method comprising:

(a) scanning twenty lung segments of the human subject for airway mucus occlusions with multidetector computed tomography, thereby obtaining multidetector computed tomography scans;

wherein the human subject has been identified as having asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;

wherein the twenty lung segments are;

(1) apical segment of upper lobe of right lung,

(2) posterior segment of upper lobe of right lung,

(3) anterior segment of upper lobe of right lung,

(4) lateral segment of middle lobe of right lung,

(5) medial segment of middle lobe of right lung,

(6) superior segment of lower lobe of right lung,

(7) medial segment of lower lobe of right lung,

(8) anterior segment of lower lobe of right lung,

(9) lateral segment of lower lobe of right lung,

(10) posterior segment of lower lobe of right lung,

(11) apical segment of upper lobe of left lung,

(12) posterior segment of upper lobe of left lung,

(13) anterior segment of upper lobe of left lung,

(14) superior lingular segment of upper lobe of left lung,

(15) inferior lingular segment of upper lobe of left lung,

(16) superior segment of lower lobe of left lung,

(17) anterior segment of lower lobe of left lung,

(18) medial segment of lower lobe of left lung,

(19) lateral segment of lower lobe of left lung, and

(20) posterior segment of lower lobe of left lung;

(b) detecting the airway mucus occlusions with the multidetector computed tomography scans in a number of the twenty lung segments, wherein the number is greater than an identified threshold value;

(c) identifying the human subject as having mucus-high asthma or mucus-high chronic obstructive pulmonary disease based on the number being greater than the threshold value; and

(d) administering to the human subject identified as having mucus-high asthma or mucus-high chronic obstructive pulmonary disease a therapeutically effective amount of a mucolytic agent or a type 2 inflammation inhibitor.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the subject does not have chronic mucus hypersecretion symptoms.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the airway mucus occlusions are not within 2 cm of the diaphragmatic pleura and costal pleura.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the mucolytic agent is a thiol-based drug, a thiosaccharide, a recombinant human DNAse, hypertonic saline, ambroxol, or an airway epithelial cell ion channel modulator.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the mucolytic agent is n-acetylcysteine, carbocisteine, erdosteine, mecysteine, methyl 6-thio-6-deoxy-α-D-galactopyranoside, or 5-thiopentyl β-D-galactopyranoside.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the type 2 inflammation inhibitor is omalizumab, mepolizumab, benralizumab, reslizumab, lebrikizumab, tralokinumab, dupilumab, or fevipiprant.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the multidetector computed tomography is a low dose radiation multidetector computed tomography.

15 . The method of claim 8 for treating asthma, wherein the subject has been identified as having asthma.

16 . The method of claim 8 for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, wherein the subject has been identified as having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

17 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the threshold value is 3.

18 . A method of treating asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a human subject in need thereof, the method comprising:

(a) scanning eighteen lung segments or nineteen lung segments of the human subject for airway mucus occlusions with multidetector computed tomography, thereby obtaining multidetector computed tomography scans; wherein;

(1) the eighteen lung segments are apical segment of upper lobe of right lung, posterior segment of upper lobe of right lung, anterior segment of upper lobe of right lung, lateral segment of middle lobe of right lung, medial segment of middle lobe of right lung, superior segment of lower lobe of right lung, medial segment of lower lobe of right lung, anterior segment of lower lobe of right lung, lateral segment of lower lobe of right lung, posterior segment of lower lobe of right lung, apicoposterior segment of upper lobe of left lung, anterior segment of upper lobe of left lung, superior lingular segment of upper lobe of left lung, inferior lingular segment of upper lobe of left lung, superior segment of lower lobe of left lung, anteromedial segment of lower lobe of left lung, lateral segment of lower lobe of left lung, and posterior segment of lower lobe of left lung; and

(2) the nineteen lung segments are apical segment of upper lobe of right lung, posterior segment of upper lobe of right lung, anterior segment of upper lobe of right lung, lateral segment of middle lobe of right lung, medial segment of middle lobe of right lung, superior segment of lower lobe of right lung, medial segment of lower lobe of right lung, anterior segment of lower lobe of right lung, lateral segment of lower lobe of right lung, posterior segment of lower lobe of right lung, apicoposterior segment of upper lobe of left lung, anterior segment of upper lobe of left lung, superior lingular segment of upper lobe of left lung, inferior lingular segment of upper lobe of left lung, superior segment of lower lobe of left lung, anterior segment of lower lobe of left lung, medial segment of lower lobe of left lung, lateral segment of lower lobe of left lung, and posterior segment of lower lobe of left lung;

(b) detecting the airway mucus occlusions with the multidetector computed tomography scans;

(c) determining a number of the eighteen or nineteen lung segments that have a detected airway mucus occlusion, wherein the number is greater than an identified threshold value; and

(d) based on the number being greater than the threshold value, administering to the human subject a therapeutically effective amount of a mucolytic agent or a type 2 inflammation inhibitor.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the subject does not have chronic mucus hypersecretion symptoms.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the threshold value is 3.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2025
From: NEWELL, JOHN
To: UNIVERSITY OF IOWA RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Reel/Frame 072734/0174 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2025
From: FAHY, JOHN; DUNICAN, ELEANOR; ELICKER, BRETT
To: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Reel/Frame 072734/0467 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2025
From: GIERADA, DAVID
To: WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 072734/0652 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 2, 2025
From: NAGLE, SCOTT; SCHIEBLER, MARK
To: WISCONSIN ALUMNI RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Reel/Frame 072136/0083 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16301167
Provisional Application 62336376 · May 13, 2016
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