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US 11,141,214 B2Granted
Thoracoscopic methods for treatment of bronchial disease
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorKevin Shaun Weadock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for treatment of pulmonary conditions, including a device having an end effector sized and shaped to contact a nerve component on the exterior of a bronchial segment and apply energy to that nerve component.
Claims20
A method of treating pulmonary disease, the method comprising:
- (a) inserting an end effector that extends distally from a shaft of an apparatus into a thoracic cavity of a patient by passing at least a portion of the apparatus through a location selected from one of the following:
- between adjacent ribs, above the sternum, or through the chest wall of the patient, wherein the end effector includes first and second contact components that oppose one other;
- (b) actuating an actuator of a body to simultaneously rotate the first and second contact components that extend distally from the shaft about a hinge point disposed along a longitudinal axis of the shaft to align the first and second contact components of the end effector at least partially around a nerve component present on a bronchial segment, wherein the shaft extends distally from the body;
- and
- (c) applying energy from a source of energy to at least one of the first and second contact components to the nerve component to treat the nerve component.
2 more elements
A method of treating pulmonary disease, the method comprising:
- (a) inserting an end effector that extends from a shaft of an apparatus into a thoracic cavity of a patient by passing at least a portion of the apparatus through a location selected from one of the following:
- between adjacent ribs, above the sternum, or through the chest wall of the patient, wherein the end effector includes first and second contact components that oppose one other, wherein the first contact component includes a first bladder containing heated fluid, wherein the second contact component includes a second bladder containing heated fluid;
- (b) independently rotating one of the first and second bladders of the end effector at least partially around an outer surface of a bronchial segment;
- (c) independently rotating the other of the first and second bladders of the end effector at least partially around the outer surface of the bronchial segment such that the first and second contact components at least partially contain the bronchial segment collectively therebetween;
- and
- (d) applying energy from a source of energy to at least one of the first and second contact components to a nerve component of the bronchial segment to treat the nerve component.
3 more elements
A method of treating pulmonary disease, the method comprising:
- (a) inserting an end effector of an apparatus into a thoracic cavity of a patient, wherein the end effector includes first and second contact components that oppose one other, wherein the first contact component includes a first bladder containing heated fluid, wherein the second contact component includes a second bladder containing heated fluid;
- (b) aligning the first and second contact components proximal to or in contact with a nerve component present on a bronchial segment by independently rotating one of the first and second bladders of the end effector;
- (c) contacting each of the first and second bladders against the nerve component present on the bronchial segment so that the bronchial segment is disposed between the first and second bladders;
- and
- (d) applying energy from a source of energy to at least one of the first and second contact components to the nerve component to treat the nerve component.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.