Airway diagnosis and treatment devices and related methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9901384-B2
Application number	US-201615083720-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A medical device may include a stimulation member configured to apply a stimulus to a nerve that is configured to control a contraction of an airway distal to the nerve, and a measurement member configured to measure an effect of the stimulus on the airway. The medical device also may include an energy delivery element configured to deliver energy to tissue defining the airway to reduce an effect of the stimulus on the airway. The energy delivery element may be disposed at or distally of the stimulation member.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of treating a lung, comprising:
applying stimulus to a nerve at a stimulation location;
measuring an effect of the stimulus on an airway of the lung, the airway being spaced apart from or distal to the stimulation location;
selecting a treatment location in the lung distal to the stimulation location when the measured effect of the stimulus on the airway is greater than a threshold value; and
applying therapeutic energy to lung tissue at the treatment location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nerve regulates lung airway constriction.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nerve is a vagus nerve.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the vagus nerve is stimulated at a location distal to cardiac branches of the vagus nerve.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stimulus is an agent configured to activate the nerve to induce constriction of the lung airway.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the agent is capsaicin.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the effect of the stimulus on the airway includes measuring an amount the airway constricts in response to the stimulus.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment location is proximal to the airway.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold value includes one or more of a minimum contraction level, a minimum force level, a minimum airway diameter, and a minimum airflow value.

10. The method of claim 1 , further including applying an additional stimulus to the stimulation location after applying therapeutic energy to the treatment location, and measuring the effect of the additional stimulus on the airway.

11. The method of claim 10 , further including re-applying therapeutic energy to the treatment location if the measured effect of the additional stimulus exceeds the threshold value.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment location is 0.5 to 2.0 cm distal to the stimulation location.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stimulation location is within the lung.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying stimulus to a nerve at a stimulation location includes applying stimulus to a first airway of the lung, and measuring an effect of the stimulus on an airway of the lung includes measuring an effect of the stimulus on a second airway and a third airway of the lung, wherein the second airway and the third airway are of a higher generation than the first airway.

15. The method of claim 14 , further including applying therapeutic energy to each of the first airway, the second airway, and the third airway.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying stimulus to a nerve at a stimulation location includes applying a stimulus to a carina, and measuring an effect of the stimulus on an airway of the lung includes measuring an effect of the stimulus on a first lobe of the lung and on a second lobe of the lung, and wherein therapeutic energy is applied in only one of the first lobe and the second lobe of the lung.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying stimulus to a nerve at a stimulation location includes applying, at different times, stimulus to a plurality of stimulation locations, and during each stimulation, the method includes simultaneously measuring an effect of a respective stimulus on each of a plurality of airways, and selecting a treatment location includes selecting only some of the stimulation locations and only some of the measurement locations to receive therapeutic energy.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying therapeutic energy to lung tissue at the treatment location causes denervation of both afferent and efferent nerves.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment location is 0.5 to 2.0 cm distal to the stimulation location, the stimulation location is within the lung, and applying therapeutic energy to lung tissue at the treatment location causes denervation of both afferent and efferent nerves.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the agent is capsaicin.

Assignees

• Boston Scient Scimed Inc

Inventors

• Clark Bryan Allen
• Flanagan Aiden
• Eppihimer Michael
• Stoffregen William Conrad
• Hincapie Ordonez Juan Gabriel

Classifications

• A61N1/36053

  adapted for vagal stimulation (A61N1/36114 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61N1/0519

  Endotracheal electrodes · CPC title

• A61B5/6858

  with a distal basket, e.g. expandable basket · CPC title

• A61B5/6853

  with a balloon · CPC title

• A61B5/0036 Primary

  including treatment, e.g., using an implantable medical device, ablating, ventilating · CPC title