# US 12,178,506 B2 · System and method for treating COPD and emphysema > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,178,506 B2 - Document ID: US12178506B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/458,657 - Filed: 2021-08-27 - Published: 2021-12-16 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-31 - Assignees: Covidien LP - Applicants: Covidien LP - Inventors: Joseph D. Brannan; Kathy E. Rooks; Giordana M. Belenchia; Kurt R. Smith - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178506B2 ## CPC - A61B 18/1815: {using microwaves} - A61B 18/14: Probes or electrodes therefor - A61B 34/10: Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations - A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis - A61B 2018/00023: {closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid} - A61B 2018/00404: {Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart} - A61B 2018/00541: {Lung or bronchi} - A61B 2018/00577: {Ablation} - A61B 2018/00589: {Coagulation} - A61B 2018/0063: {Sealing} - A61B 2018/00642: {with feedback, i.e. closed loop control} - A61B 2018/0066: {without feedback, i.e. open loop control} - A61B 2018/00684: {using lookup tables} - A61B 2018/00702: {Power or energy} - A61B 2018/00797: {measured by multiple temperature sensors} - A61B 2018/00821: {measured by a thermocouple} - A61B 2018/00904: {Automatic detection of target tissue} - A61B 2018/00982: {combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes} - A61B 2018/1861: {with an instrument inserted into a body lumen or cavity, e.g. a catheter} - A61B 2018/1869: {with an instrument interstitially inserted into the body, e.g. needles} - A61B 2034/101: {Computer-aided simulation of surgical operations} - A61B 2034/107: {Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions} - A61B 2034/2051: {Electromagnetic tracking systems} - A61B 2218/002: Irrigation - A61B 2218/007: Aspiration - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A system and method enabling the receipt of image data of a patient, identification of one or more locations within the image data depicting symptoms of COPD, analyzing airways and vasculature proximate the identified locations; planning a pathway to the one or more locations, navigating an extended working channel to one of the locations, positioning a microwave ablation catheter proximate the location, and energizing the microwave ablation catheter to treat the locations depicting symptoms of COPD. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A surgical system, comprising: a guide catheter having a first balloon, the guide catheter configured to be received through a bronchoscope for placement of the guide catheter within a patient's lungs; a microwave ablation catheter configured to be received through the guide catheter for placement of the microwave ablation catheter within the patient's lungs, the microwave ablation catheter having a second balloon disposed distal to the first balloon; one or more processors; and at least one memory coupled to the one or more processors, the at least one memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the surgical system to: identify, within an image of a patient's lung, one or more locations depicting symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); generate a navigation pathway to the identified one or more locations; display the navigation pathway to aid in navigating the guide catheter to one of the identified one or more locations; display a representation of the microwave ablation catheter proximate one identified location of the identified one or more locations for providing guidance in positioning the microwave ablation catheter for delivering microwave energy to the one identified location; expand the first balloon within an airway of the patient's lungs; expand the second balloon while the microwave ablation catheter is extended distally from the distal end of the guide catheter and the first balloon is expanded to temporarily fluidly seal an area of the airway extending between the first and second balloons; place the microwave ablation catheter in proximity to alveoli; collapse tissue in fluid communication with the temporarily fluidly sealed area of the airway; and cause at least one needle ablation probe of the microwave ablation catheter to be inserted into the one identified location to deliver microwave energy to the one identified location while the microwave ablation catheter is extended from the guide catheter such that the at least one needle ablation probe is disposed within the area of the airway extending between the first and second balloons to create at least one coagulated zone at the one identified location. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor, further cause the system to: coagulate tissue of the alveoli in a collapsed state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor, further cause the system to: increase perfusion of blood supply to untreated lung tissue. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor, further cause the system to: increase a chest cavity volume into which untreated lung tissue can expand. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor, further cause the system to: increase a ventilation of the untreated lung tissue. ### Claim 6 A surgical system, comprising: a guide catheter having a first balloon, the guide catheter configured to be received through a bronchoscope for placement of the guide catheter within a patient's lungs; a microwave ablation catheter configured to be received through the guide catheter for placement of the microwave ablation catheter within the patient's lungs, the microwave ablation catheter having a second balloon disposed distal to the first balloon; one or more processors; and at least one memory coupled to the one or more processors, the at least one memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the surgical system to: identify one or more locations within image data of a patient's lungs depicting symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); generate a pathway to the identified one or more locations; display a navigation pathway to aid in navigating the microwave ablation catheter to one of the identified locations; display a representation of the microwave ablation catheter proximate the one of the identified locations for providing guidance in positioning the microwave ablation catheter; expand the first and second balloons within an airway of the patient's lungs to temporarily fluidly seal an area of the airway extending between the first and second balloons; place the microwave ablation catheter in proximity to alveoli; collapse tissue in fluid communication with the temporarily fluidly sealed area of the airway; and cause at least one needle ablation probe of the microwave ablation catheter to be inserted into at least one pulmonary blood vessel to deliver microwave energy to the at least one pulmonary blood vessel while the microwave ablation catheter is extended from the guide catheter such that the at least one needle ablation probe is disposed within the area of the airway extending between the first and second balloons to seal the at least one pulmonary blood vessel via coagulation-necrosis, wherein the at least one pulmonary blood vessel supplies blood to the identified one or more locations depicting symptoms of COPD. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor, further cause the system to: coagulate tissue of the alveoli in a collapsed state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor, further cause the system to: increase perfusion of blood supply to untreated lung tissue. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor, further cause the system to: increase a chest cavity volume into which untreated lung tissue can expand. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor, further cause the system to: increase a ventilation of the untreated lung tissue. ### Claim 11 A surgical system, comprising: a guide catheter having a first balloon, the guide catheter configured to be received through a bronchoscope for placement of the guide catheter within a patient's lungs; a microwave ablation catheter configured to be received through the guide catheter for placement of the microwave ablation catheter within the patient's lungs, the microwave ablation catheter having a second balloon disposed distal to the first balloon; one or more processors; and at least one memory coupled to the one or more processors, the at least one memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the surgical system to: generate a three dimensional (3-D) model of affected areas of lungs to identify one or more locations within the 3-D model depicting symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); generate a navigation pathway to the one or more locations for navigating the microwave ablation catheter to the one or more locations; expand the first and second balloons within an airway of the patient's lungs to fluidly seal an area of the airway extending between the first and second balloons; place the microwave ablation catheter in proximity to alveoli; collapse tissue in fluid communication with the temporarily fluidly sealed area of the airway; and cause at least one needle ablation probe of the microwave ablation catheter to be inserted into tissue within the fluidly sealed area of the airway to deliver microwave energy to at least one pulmonary blood vessel while the microwave ablation catheter is extended from the guide catheter such that the at least one needle ablation probe is disposed within the area of the airway extending between the first and second balloons to seal the at least one pulmonary blood vessel via coagulation-necrosis.