Methods and devices for treating plumonary vasoconstriction and asthma
AssigneeThe General Hospital Corporation
InventorsWarren M. Zapol, Claes Frostell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for treating or preventing bronchoconstriction or reversible pulmonary vasoconstriction in a mammal, which method includes causing the mammal to inhale a therapeutically-effective concentration of gaseous nitric oxide or a therapeutically-effective amount of a nitric oxide-releasing compound, and an inhaler device containing nitric oxide gas and/or a nitric oxide-releasing compound.
Claims39
A method for treating or preventing reversible pulmonary vasoconstriction in a mammal, which method comprises
- providing gaseous nitric oxide (NO) mixed, immediately prior to inhalation, with an oxygen-containing gas to form a gas mixture containing a therapeutically effective concentration of NO;
- and
- causing a mammal in need of such treatment or prevention to inhale a therapeutically effective amount of said NO-containing gas mixture.
A method for diagnosing the reversibility of chronic pulmonary vasoconstriction in a mammal, which method comprises (a) measuring said mammal's PAP, (b) providing gaseous NO mixed, immediately prior to inhalation, with an oxygen-containing gas to form an NO-containing gas mixture;
- (c) causing said mammal to inhale said NO-containing gas mixture for a period of time, and (d) measuring said mammal's PAP during said period.
A method for treating or preventing bronchoconstriction in a mammal, which method comprises
- providing gaseous NO mixed, immediately prior to inhalation, with an oxygen-containing gas to form a gas mixture containing a therapeutically-effective concentration of NO, and
- causing a mammal in need of such treatment or prevention to inhale a therapeutically effective amount of said NO-containing gas mixture.
A method of improving gas exchange in the lungs of a mammal, said method comprising providing gaseous NO mixed, immediately prior to inhalation, with an oxygen-containing gas to form a gas mixture containing a therapeutically-effective concentration of NO, and causing said mammal to inhale said NO containing gas mixture.
An inhaler device comprising
- a housing defining (a) a chamber containing an inhalable pharmaceutically-active agent and (b) a lumen in communication with said chamber;
- and
- a vessel containing pressurized gas comprising at least 1 ppm nitric oxide, said vessel having a mechanism for controllably releasing said gas into said chamber, thereby suspending said agent in said released gas;
- said lumen being configured to route said released gas into the respiratory system of a patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.