| Devices for modification of airways by transfer of energy -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
  Devices for modification of airways by transfer of energyUSPTO Application #: 20070118184Title: Devices for modification of airways by transfer of energy Abstract: This relates to methods and devices for treating reversible chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and more particularly, relates to a device for exchanging energy with airway tissue such as that found in the airway of human lungs. The exchange of energy with this airway tissue in the airways reduces the ability of the air ways to constrict and/or reduces the resistance within the airway to the flow of air through the airway. This also relates to a method for decreasing responsiveness or decreasing resistance to airflow of airways involves the transfer of energy to or from the airway walls to prevent or reduce airway constriction and other symptoms of lung diseases. The treatment reduces the ability of the airway to contract during an acute narrowing of the airways, reduces mucus plugging of the airways, and/or increases the airway diameter. The methods according to the present invention provide a longer duration and/or more effective treatment for lung diseases than currently used drug treatments, and obviate patient compliance issues. This also includes additional steps that reduce the ability of the lung to produce at least one of the symptoms of reversible obstructive pulmonary disease and to reduce the resistance to the flow of air through a lung. (end of abstract) Agent: Asthmatx, Inc. C/o Levine Bagade Han, LLP - Palo Alto, CA, US Inventors: Christopher James DANEK, Bryan E. Loomas, Michael Biggs, Keith M. Burger, Dave Haugaard, Thomas M. Keast, John Arthur Ross, Michael D. Laufer USPTO Applicaton #: 20070118184 - Class: 607042000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Surgery: Light, Thermal, And Electrical Application, Light, Thermal, And Electrical Application, Electrical Therapeutic Systems, Stimulating Respiration Function The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070118184. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The invention relates to methods of treating a lung having at least one symptom of reversible obstructive pulmonary disease, and more particularly, the invention relates to devices for transferring energy into airway tissue to at least reduce the ability of the lung to produce at least one of the symptoms of reversible obstructive pulmonary disease. The invention includes additional steps that reduce the ability of the lung to produce at least one of the symptoms of reversible obstructive pulmonary disease and to reduce the resistance to the flow of air through a lung. [0003] 2. Brief Description of the Related Art [0004] Reversible obstructive pulmonary disease includes asthma and reversible aspects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Asthma is a disease in which (i) bronchoconstriction, (ii) excessive mucus production, and (iii) inflammation and swelling of airways occur, causing widespread but variable airflow obstruction thereby making it difficult for the asthma sufferer to breathe. Asthma is a chronic disorder, primarily characterized by persistent airway inflammation. Asthma is further characterized by acute episodes of additional airway narrowing via contraction of hyper-responsive airway smooth muscle. [0005] The reversible aspects of COPD generally describe excessive mucus production in the bronchial tree. Usually, there is a general increase in bulk (hypertrophy) of the large bronchi and chronic inflammatory changes in the small airways. Excessive amounts of mucus are found in the airways and semisolid plugs of mucus may occlude some small bronchi. Also, the small airways are narrowed and show inflammatory changes. The reversible aspects of COPD include partial airway occlusion by excess secretions and airway narrowing secondary to smooth muscle contraction, bronchial wall edema and inflation of the airways [0006] In asthma, chronic inflammatory processes in the airway play a central role in increasing the resistance to airflow within the lungs. Many cells and cellular elements are involved in the inflammatory process, particularly mast cells, eosinophils T lymphocytes, neutrophils, epithelial cells, and even airway smooth muscle itself. The reactions of these cells result in an associated increase in the existing sensitivity and hyper-responsiveness of the airway smooth muscle cells that line the airways to the particular stimuli involved. [0007] The chronic nature of asthma can also lead to remodeling of the airway wall (i.e., structural changes such as thickening or edema) which can further affect the function of the airway wall and influence airway hyper-responsiveness. Other physiologic changes associated with asthma include excess mucus production, and if the asthma is severe, mucus plugging, as well as ongoing epithelial denudation and repair. Epithelial denudation exposes the underlying tissue to substances that would not normally come in contact with them, further reinforcing the cycle of cellular damage and inflammatory response. [0008] In susceptible individuals, asthma symptoms include recurrent episodes of shortness of breath (dyspnea), wheezing, chest tightness, and cough. Currently, asthma is managed by a combination of stimulus avoidance and pharmacology. [0009] Stimulus avoidance is accomplished via systematic identification and minimization of contact with each type of stimuli. It may, however, be impractical and not always helpful to avoid all potential stimuli. [0010] Asthma is managed pharmacologically by: (1) long term control through use of anti-inflammatories and long-acting bronchodilators and (2) short term management of acute exacerbations through use of short-acting bronchodilators. Both of these approaches require repeated and regular use of the prescribed drugs. High doses of corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs can have serious side effects that require careful management. In addition, some patients are resistant to steroid treatment. The difficulty involved in patient compliance with pharmacologic management and the difficulty of avoiding stimulus that triggers asthma are common barriers to successful asthma management. [0011] Asthma is a serious disease with growing numbers of sufferers. Current management techniques are neither completely successful nor free from side effects. [0012] Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an asthma treatment which improves airflow without the need for patient compliance. [0013] In addition to the airways of the lungs, other body conduits such as the esophagus, ureter, urethra, and coronary arteries, are also subject to periodic reversible spasms that produce obstruction to flow. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0014] The present invention relates to a device for treating airway tissue within the lungs by transfer of energy into the walls of the airway to reduce plugging of the airway, to prevent the airway from being able to constrict, to increase the inner airway diameter, or to reduce resistance to flow through the airway. The invention is particularly directed to the treatment of the airways in the lungs to reduce the effects of asthma and other lung disease. One variation of the invention includes the transfer of energy to the airway wall via the application of heat. [0015] The present invention provides devices to decrease airway responsiveness and airway resistance to flow which may augment or replace current management techniques. In accordance with one variation of the present invention, an energy transfer apparatus for treating conditions of the lungs by decreasing airway responsiveness includes transferring energy into an airway wall to alter the airway wall in such a manner that the responsiveness of the airway is reduced. [0016] In particular, the inventive device is an energy transfer apparatus which facilitates energy transfer with a mass of tissue within the airways of a lung. The inventive device is sized to enter the bronchus or bronchiole of a human lung to conduct energy transfer with the airway tissue therein. The inventive device may also be sized to fit within a bronchoscope. The bronchoscope may have a channel with a diameter of preferably 2 mm or less. [0017] A variation of the inventive device includes a flexible elongated body having a proximal portion and a distal portion with a lumen extending between the proximal and distal portions. The flexible elongated body may be of sufficient stiffness to pass through a seal of a working channel of a bronchoscope and allow operation of the device through the working channel seal. The device may include an expandable portion that is adjacent to a distal portion of the elongated body. The expandable portion has a first state, e.g., a size, and a second state where the second state is radially expanded in size from the elongated body. The device may include a temperature detecting element which is placed near to the expandable portion. The device also includes at least one energy transfer element at an exterior of the expandable portion, where the energy transfer elements are configured to contact the wall of the bronchus or bronchiole when the expanded portion is in an expanded state. The device may also include a deployment member that is configured to move the expandable portion between the first and second radially expanded states. The deployment member may extend between the expandable portion and the proximal portion of the elongated body. The inventive device may further include a distal tip located at a distal end of the apparatus. One variation of the inventive device includes an expandable portion that has a diameter of less than 15 mm when in a second expanded state. [0018] Another variation of the invention includes an expandable portion which includes pre-shaped tines. Such tines are configured to be in a first state within an elongated body and, when advanced out of the elongated body, to expand into a second expanded state. The tines may be connected to each other with an expanding element to prevent the tines from entering multiple airways at a bifurcation within the lung. [0019] Another variation of the invention includes an expandable portion comprised of a balloon. This variation of the invention may include the use of a fluid which may expand the balloon into the second state. Yet another variation of this invention includes the use of a heat generating element in the balloon which conducts heat to the fluid to heat an exterior of the balloon. In this variation, the exterior of the balloon serves as the energy transfer element. [0020] A further variation of the inventive device includes an expandable portion which comprises a plurality of legs which forms a basket. The legs of this variation may extend from a proximal joint that is found at an intersection of a distal portion of the elongated body to a distal joint that is adjacent to a distal tip. Each leg may have a center that is substantially parallel to the elongated body so that there is sufficient contact between the airway walls and the parallel portion of the leg. The center that is substantially parallel is usually referred to as the energy delivery or active region of the leg. [0021] The legs of this variation may be spaced around a circumference of the elongated body to form a basket. The legs of this variation may have a circular cross section or a rectangular cross section, or a non-axisymmetric cross section. The cross sections may be chosen to allow ready deployment from a first state to a second expanded state while resisting out-of-plane bending which may distort the spacing of the legs or the contact of electrodes with the airway surface. One variation of the invention includes a basket in which the distance between the proximal and distal joint is less than 35 mm when the basket is not expanded. Another variation of this invention includes a basket that comprises four or five legs. In this case, the legs may be placed evenly around a circumference of the elongated body. In this case the legs may be found at intervals of 90 or 72 degrees. Other variations of the invention include devices having less than four legs or more than five legs. Another variation of this inventive device includes placing a temperature detecting element on one or on more legs. In this variation, the temperature of one leg may be monitored or the temperature of several legs may be independently monitored to control the energy delivery. In a further variation, multiple temperature sensing elements may be combined with independent control of energy to each leg. Both of these variations may also apply to a variation of the device having pre-shaped tines. The legs may be soldered or made to adhere using adhesives to the elongated body at the proximal and distal ends. Another variation of the invention includes a multi-lumen elongated body into which a portion of each leg is inserted. It is also contemplated that an elongated member may be reinforced via a reinforcing member. Such a reinforcing member may include a coiled or braided wire, polymeric insert, or any other similar reinforcing member. [0022] The energy transfer element of the invention may include an element that directly heats tissue by delivering current such as an RF based electrode. The RF electrode may be either bipolar or monopolar or a heated element that conductively heats tissue. In variations of the invention using RF energy, the frequency of the RF may be selected to be in the 400 kHz range or any other standard medical range used in electro-surgical applications. Continue reading... Full patent description for Devices for modification of airways by transfer of energy Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Devices for modification of airways by transfer of energy patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Devices for modification of airways by transfer of energy or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Capacitor having a feedthrough assembly with a coupling member Next Patent Application: System and method to modulate phrenic nerve to prevent sleep apnea Industry Class: Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Devices for modification of airways by transfer of energy patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.14175 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Software: Finance , AI , Databases , Development , Document , Navigation , Error |
||
