Patent ID: 8251067

Claim:
A method for modifying air flow in a bronchial passageway of a lung, the method comprising: advancing a delivery catheter through a bronchoscope so that a distal end of the delivery catheter and an attached flow control device protrude out of a distal end of the bronchoscope and into the bronchial passageway; releasing the flow control device from the delivery catheter to allow a retainer region of the flow control device, which is at least partially covered with a membrane, to move from a contracted state to an expanded state to form a seal with an interior wall of the bronchial passageway to retain the flow control device in a fixed location therein; and removing the delivery catheter from the bronchial passageway, leaving the flow control device in the passageway to modify air flow therethrough, wherein a valve member disposed in the flow control device permits air flow in an exhalation direction and limits air flow in an inhalation direction, wherein the membrane provides a fluid pathway from the seal to the valve member to direct air flowing through the bronchial passageway into the valve member, wherein the valve member is disposed in a valve protector region of the flow control device, which is connected to the retainer region, and wherein, upon release, the retainer region expands to a larger diameter than an expanded diameter of the valve protector region.