Patent ID: 8632605

Claim:
A method for treating a lung of a patient, the lung including an airway system having a plurality of branching airways, the method comprising: identifying a target axial region of the airway system, the target axial region having a proximal end toward the esophagus and a distal end away from the esophagus with a length therebetween; selecting an implant in response to the length of the target axial region such that the implant has an elongate body with a body length greater than the length of the target axial region; advancing a distal end of the selected implant along a catheter and through the airway system toward the distal end of the target axial region; deploying a distal portion of the implant within the target axial region so that the distal portion axially couples the elongate body of the implant to the airway system; and withdrawing the catheter proximally relative to the axially coupled elongate body while a proximal portion of the elongate body remains along the catheter; wherein the proximal portion of the elongate body moves distally along the catheter and distally relative to the airway toward the distal end of the axially coupled elongate body during the withdrawal of the catheter, and wherein movement of the proximal portion of the elongate body toward the distal end, laterally compresses a portion of the lung between the proximal portion and the distal portion during the withdrawal of the catheter.