Patent ID: 9173669
Filing Date: 2015-11-03
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
1. A method for treating a lung of a patient, the lung including an airway system with a plurality of branching airways, the method comprising: coupling a ventilator to the patient prior to treatment of the patient for measuring lung characteristics; obtaining a pre-treatment forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) lung measurement of the patient; while the ventilator is coupled with the patient and measuring lung characteristics of the patient, compressing a first portion of the lung from within a first airway so as to generate an increased tension in a first uncompressed portion of the lung while permitting airflow through the first airway into the compressed first portion of the lung from the first uncompressed portion of the lung; evaluating a change in the ventilator measured lung characteristics of the patient with the first portion of the lung compressed, wherein the evaluation comprises measurement of FEV1 with the first portion of the lung compressed; and while the ventilator is coupled with the patient and measuring lung characteristics of the patient, compressing a second portion of the lung from within a second airway in response to the evaluation indicating an increase of less than an FEV1 improvement threshold from the pre-treatment FEV1 to the FEV1 after compression of the first portion of the lung, the FEV1 improvement threshold being at least 8% or more, wherein the compressing of the second portion of the lung is performed so as to generate an increased tension in a second uncompressed portion of the lung while permitting airflow through the second airway into the compressed second portion of the lung from the second uncompressed portion of the lung, the second compressed portion of the lung being different from the first compressed portion of the lung.