Patent ID: 7789083

Claim:
A system to alleviate a symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a lung of a patient wherein the system comprises: at least one conduit having a first end which includes a first aperture, a second end which includes a second aperture, and a lumen which connects, in fluid communication, the first aperture and the second aperture; an airway connection device which is adapted to connect the first end of the conduit to an artificial opening through a wall of a proximal airway wherein the proximal airway is a region of a trachea and a bronchus external to the lung; a lung connection device which is adapted to connect the second end of the conduit to an artificial opening through a visceral membrane of the lung; an access fitting connected to the conduit between the first end of the conduit and the second end of the conduit which can seal the lumen and is adapted to allow at least intermittent access to the lumen from outside the patient; whereby the system is adapted to allow air to exit the lung via the artificial opening through the visceral membrane, enter the lumen through the second aperture, exit the lumen through the first aperture, and enter the proximal airway through the artificial opening in the wall of the proximal airway.