Devices, methods, and systems to treat chronic bronchitis
AssigneeFree Flow Medical, Inc.
InventorMark L. Mathis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods involve abrading a patient lung airway wall to reduce mucus production therein. Exemplary techniques include rotationally and/or linearly oscillating an abrasive material against the airway wall so as to damage mucus producing tissues, for example by removing goblet cells, while destroying less than the entire airway wall. The abrasive material may be present on the surface of an expandable balloon body or another expandable device, which can be delivered to the patient treatment site via a bronchoscope. In some cases, the abrasion techniques can cause cell damage or death at a controlled or predetermined tissue depth.
Claims57
A method for detaching and removing an amount of mucus from an airway wall of a lung of a patient, comprising:
- introducing an elongate member of a treatment device into the lung of the patient, the elongate member having an expandable abrasion feature comprising at least one strand or at least one spring element;
- expanding the expandable abrasion feature until it makes contact with the airway wall of the lung, the airway wall comprising a basement membrane, a smooth muscle layer, and a cartilage layer;
- detaching the amount of mucus from the airway wall of the lung of the patient with the at least one strand or the at least one spring element of the expandable abrasion feature, without separating the smooth muscle layer of the airway wall from the cartilage layer of the airway wall;
- and
- removing the amount of mucus from the airway wall of the lung of the patient while the smooth muscle layer of the airway wall remains supported by the cartilage layer of the airway wall;
- wherein the at least one strand comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a metallic wire, a fiber, and a braid, or wherein the at least one spring element comprises a member selected from the group consisting of shape memory material, a ferrous metal, a non-ferrous metal, a polymer, an elastomer, and a ceramic.
A method for detaching and enabling removal of an amount of mucus from an airway wall of a lung of a patient, comprising:
- introducing an elongate member of a treatment device into the lung of the patient, the elongate member having an expandable abrasion feature comprising at least one strand or at least one spring element;
- expanding the expandable abrasion feature until it makes contact with the airway wall of the lung, the airway wall comprising a basement membrane, a smooth muscle layer, and a cartilage layer;
- and
- detaching the amount of mucus from the airway wall of the lung of the patient with the at least one strand of the expandable abrasion feature or the at least one spring element of the expandable abrasion feature, without separating the smooth muscle layer of the airway wall from the cartilage layer of the airway wall, so as to enable removal of the amount of mucus from the airway wall of the lung of the patient while the smooth muscle layer of the airway wall remains supported by the cartilage layer of the airway wall;
- wherein the at least one strand comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a metallic wire, a fiber, and a braid, or wherein the at least one spring element comprises a member selected from the group consisting of shape memory material, a ferrous metal, a non-ferrous metal, a polymer, an elastomer, and a ceramic.
A method for treating an airway wall of a lung of a patient to increase time between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation events, comprising:
- introducing an elongate member of a treatment device into the lung of the patient, the elongate member having an expandable abrasion feature comprising at least one strand or at least one spring element;
- expanding the expandable abrasion feature until it makes contact with the airway wall of the lung, the airway wall comprising a basement membrane, a smooth muscle layer, and a cartilage layer;
- and
- detaching an amount of mucus from the airway wall of the lung of the patient with the at least one strand of the expandable abrasion feature or the at least one spring element of the expandable abrasion feature, without separating the smooth muscle layer of the airway wall from the cartilage layer of the airway wall, so as to enable removal of the amount of mucus from the airway wall of the lung of the patient while the smooth muscle layer of the airway wall remains supported by the cartilage layer of the airway wall;
- wherein the at least one strand comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a metallic wire, a fiber, and a braid, or wherein the at least one spring element comprises a member selected from the group consisting of shape memory material, a ferrous metal, a non-ferrous metal, a polymer, an elastomer, and a ceramic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.