Patent ID: 6905518

Claim:
A method for assisting exhalation at a branch in a lung, the branch comprising a main passage, a first branch communicating with a relatively healthy region of the lung, and a second branch communicating with a relatively unhealthy region of the lung to be isolated, the method comprising: providing a device comprising a tubular member including an inlet end, an outlet end, and an inner lumen and an outer surface extending therebetween, the device being provided with a first valve disposed adjacent the outer surface of the tubular member, the first valve being configured to close for limiting flow along the outer surface from the inlet end towards the outlet end and configured to open for allowing flow along the outer surface from the outlet end towards the inlet end; implanting the device in the branch such that the inlet end is disposed in the first branch, and the outlet end is disposed proximate the proximal region of the second branch, the first valve engaging a wall of the first branch, the first valve being configured to be open during inhalation and to be closed during exhalation to force air from the first branch to pass through the lumen into the main passage, thereby inducing a vacuum at the second branch for drawing air from the region to be isolated into the main passage, and implanting a second valve in the second branch, the second valve being configured to be open during exhalation to allow air to be drawn from the region to be isolated into the main passage, and configured to be closed during inhalation to prevent air from being drawn into the region to be isolated.