Tissue volume reduction
AssigneeAeris Therapeutics, Inc.
InventorEdward Ingenito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices, compositions, and methods for achieving non-surgical lung volume reduction (e.g., bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR)) are described. BLVR can be carried out by collapsing a region of the lung, adhering one portion of the collapsed region to another, and promoting fibrosis in or around the adherent tissue.
Claims36
A method for reducing lung volume in a patient, the method comprising:
- (a) advancing a bronchoscope into the vicinity of a diseased alveolar region of a lung targeted for volume reduction in a patient;
- and
- (b) introducing material through the bronchoscope into the diseased alveolar region thereby reducing the volume of the diseased alveolar region;
- wherein said material induces collapse of the diseased alveolar region;
- said material promotes adhesion between one collapsed diseased alveolar region of the lung and another;
- and said material promotes fibrosis in or around the collapsed diseased alveolar region of the lung;
- wherein the material comprises fibrin or fibrinogen.
A method for performing lung volume reduction, the method comprising introducing material through an airway of a patient into a diseased alveolar region of the patient's lung to:
- (a) collapse the diseased alveolar region;
- (b) adhere one portion of the collapsed diseased alveolar region to another;
- and
- (c) promoting fibrosis in or around the collapsed diseased alveolar region of the lung;
- wherein the method is performed using a bronchoscope;
- wherein collapse of the diseased alveolar region of the lung is achieved by administering a substance that increases the surface tension of fluids lining the alveoli in the targeted region;
- wherein the substance is fibrinogen or fibrin.
A method for reducing lung volume in a patient, the method comprising:
- introducing a material into a diseased alveolar region of a patient's lung, thereby collapsing the diseased alveolar region and reducing the volume of the lung;
- wherein the material comprises an anti-surfactant, or an adhesive, or a combination thereof;
- reducing airflow into and out of the diseased alveolar region;
- wherein the material is introduced through a trachea or a smaller airway of a patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.