Patent ID: 8518053

Claim:
An instrument adapted to create a stoma into a lung of a patient the patient having a chest wall, a parietal membrane, a visceral membrane and a pleural cavity between the parietal membrane and visceral membrane, the stoma passing through the chest wall, the parietal membrane and the visceral membrane into parenchymal tissue of the lung and being sealed from the pleural cavity, wherein the instrument comprises: an elongate tube having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen; an expandable device connected to the distal end of the elongate tube wherein the expandable device has a first configuration which is approximately the same in diameter as the elongate tube and a second configuration which is significantly larger in diameter than the elongate tube and wherein expansion of the expandable device from the first configuration to the second configuration is adapted to displace parenchymal tissue of the lung and securing the expandable device within the lung; a grip attached to the proximal end of the tube wherein the grip having a protrusion; a substantially non-flexible mandrel having a proximal end, a distal end, and a cap mounted to the proximal end; a lever pivotally mounted on the grip wherein the lever can selectively engage the protrusion of the grip to secure the expandable device in the second configuration; and one or more filaments connecting the lever and the expandable device such that operation of the lever pulls the filaments towards the proximal end of the tube thereby causing expansion of the expanding device from the first configuration to the second configuration, wherein, when the mandrel is received in the lumen of the tube and the cap of the mandrel is engaged by the lever, the distal end of the mandrel engages the expandable device and maintains the expandable device in the first configuration.