Patent ID: 7708712

Claim:
An implant for maintaining an opening in a wall of an airway in a lung, the implant having a delivery state and an expanded state, the implant comprising: a support member, said support member comprising a first portion having an axial length, where at least the first portion of the support member comprises a plurality of control segments folded in a curvilinear shape, each control segment forming a portion of a circumference of said support member such that collectively, the plurality of control segments span the entire circumference of the first portion of the support member, and wherein each of the control segments are circumferentially adjacent to another control segment, and where upon in the expanded state the control segments each unfold and become substantially aligned about the circumference of the support member to limit radial expansion of the first portion of the support member, and where upon, the axial length of the first portion in the expanded state is less than the axial length of the first portion in the delivery state such that the axial length decreases when expanded, and where the support member has at least a second portion unconstrained to expand beyond the first portion such that upon expansion the support member is non-cylindrical, and the support member further comprises a third portion on an end of the support member opposite to that of the second portion, the third portion being unconstrained to expand beyond the first portion, such that upon expansion the support member forms a grommet shape adapted to apply pressure to opposite sides of the wall the airway, wherein the second portion and the third portion are configured to surround the wall of the airway to secure the implant in the opening in the wall of the airway; and a composition located on the support member and comprising an antiproliferative agent, where the composition comprises an antiproliferative agent that maintains patency of an artificial opening located in the airway.