Patent ID: 8721734

Claim:
A method for treating a lung of a patient, the lung including an airway system having an airway axis and a plurality of branching airways, the method comprising: advancing an implant distally into the airway system while the implant is in a delivery configuration, the implant having an elongate length defining an axis and a lateral bearing surface transverse to the axis, the lateral bearing surface of the implant having a bearing surface area when the implant is in the delivery configuration; and deploying the implant within the airway by: expanding the lateral bearing surface laterally from the axis of the implant and within the airway so as to increase the bearing surface area of the lateral bearing surface; and bending the implant within the airway such that the implant bends the airway axis and locally compresses lung tissue along the implant by bearing laterally against a luminal surface of the airway so that tension in other lung tissue of the patient is increased to enhance lung function, and limiting penetration of the implant through the luminal surface of the airway using the increased airway bearing surface area by performing the bending of the airway axis using engagement of the expanded lateral bearing surface against the luminal surface; wherein the expanding of the lateral bearing surface further comprises resilient lateral expansion, the lateral bearing surface being laterally constrained within a lumen of a delivery catheter during advancing of the implant into the airway system and the catheter being withdrawn proximally during expanding of the lateral bearing surface.