Patent ID: 6840243

Claim:
A system for use in a lung of a patient comprising: a scope adapted for viewing a lung passageway in the lung, the scope having a shaft positionable in the patient's trachea and a working channel in the shaft; a delivery device movably positionable in the working channel; a flow control element releasably coupled to the delivery device and adapted for implanting in the lung passageway to restrict fluid flow in at least an inspiration direction therethrough, wherein the delivery device comprises a support shaft configured for coupling to the flow control element and a sheath slidably disposed over the support shaft and configured to cover at least a portion of the flow control element, the sheath having an opening at a distal end thereof for insertion and removal of the flow control element; and an actuator associated with the delivery device for moving the sheath relative to the shaft to release the flow control element through the distal opening in the sheath.