Implantable artificial bronchus and use of an implantable artificial bronchus

Abstract

An implantable artificial bronchus (IAB) is provided that is used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, such as pulmonary emphysema. The implantable artificial bronchus can be made with silicone or nitinol, and has a tapered cylindrical shape. Additional embodiments of this apparatus may be further associated with a one-way valve, on the nozzle of the IAB.

Claims

1. An implantable artificial bronchus, comprising: a proximal upper opening; a distal lower opening in fluid communication with the proximal upper opening; a nozzle being cylindrical in shape and extending distally from the proximal upper opening, the nozzle having a proximal end having a first diameter and a distal end having a second diameter, the first diameter being generally equal in size to the second diameter, the nozzle also having a length equal in size to at least half of the first diameter of the nozzle; and a body extending between a distal end of the nozzle and the distal lower opening, the body tapering along a majority of the body from the nozzle toward the distal lower opening and having a plurality of side openings configured to allow air to enter into and exit the implantable artificial bronchus through the body, wherein a diameter of the proximal upper opening is larger than a diameter of the distal lower opening, and wherein a length of the implantable artificial bronchus is greater than 5 times a size of a largest diameter of the implantable artificial bronchus.

2. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle is comprised of silicon.

3. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle includes a closed cylindrical sidewall.

4. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 1, wherein the body is a web comprised of nitinol.

5. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 1, wherein the body tapers from the nozzle to the distal lower opening.

6. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 1, wherein the body is configured to curve in a first radial direction along a first length of the body and in a second radial direction opposite the first radial direction along a second length of the body.

7. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of side wings extending from the proximal upper opening.

8. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the proximal upper opening is greater than twice the diameter of the distal lower opening.

9. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 1, wherein the body includes silicone rods and one of silicone rings or fluoropolymer rings.

10. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 1, wherein the body tapers from the distal end of the nozzle to a portion proximate the distal lower opening.

11. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 1, wherein the body tapers from the distal end of the nozzle to a distal end of the distal lower opening.

12. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 1, wherein the body includes a length extending from the distal end of the nozzle to the distal lower opening and the body tapers at a generally constant rate along the length of the body.

13. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 1, wherein the length of the nozzle is generally equal in size to the first diameter.

14. An implantable artificial bronchus, comprising: a proximal upper opening; a distal lower opening in fluid communication with the proximal upper opening; a nozzle extending distally from the proximal upper opening, the nozzle including a closed cylindrical sidewall comprised of silicon; a body comprised of a nitinol web, the body extending between a distal end of the nozzle and the distal lower opening, the body tapering along a majority of the body from the nozzle to the distal lower opening and having a plurality of side openings configured to allow air to enter into and exit the implantable artificial bronchus through the body, the body configured to curve in a first radial direction along a first length of the body and in a second radial direction opposite the first radial direction along a second length of the body; and a plurality of side wings extending from the proximal upper opening, wherein a diameter of the proximal upper opening is larger than a diameter of the distal lower opening, and wherein a length of the implantable artificial bronchus is greater than 5 times the size of a largest diameter of the implantable artificial bronchus.

15. An implantable artificial bronchus, comprising: a proximal upper opening; a distal lower opening in fluid communication with the proximal upper opening; a nozzle being cylindrical in shape and extending distally from the proximal upper opening, the nozzle having a proximal end having a first diameter and a distal end having a second diameter, the first diameter being generally equal in size to the second diameter, the nozzle also having a length equal in size to at least half of the first diameter of the nozzle; and a body extending between a distal end of the nozzle and the distal lower opening, the body tapering generally constantly from the distal end of the nozzle to a portion proximate the distal lower opening and having a plurality of side openings configured to allow air to enter into and exit the implantable artificial bronchus through the body, wherein a diameter of the proximal upper opening is larger than the diameter of the distal lower opening, and wherein a length of the implantable artificial bronchus is greater than 5 times a size of a largest diameter of the implantable artificial bronchus.

16. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 15, wherein the body tapers from the nozzle to the distal lower opening.

17. The implantable artificial bronchus according to claim 15 further comprising: a plurality of wings extending longitudinally and radially inwardly from the proximal upper opening toward one another.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively represent the side views of an embodiment of the implantable artificial bronchus (IAB-SB)(1), according to this invention.

(2) FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively represent upper and lower profile views of the implantable artificial bronchus (IAB-SB)(1),

(3) FIG. 5 shows the frontal view of the implantable artificial bronchus (IAB-SB)(1).

(4) FIG. 6 represents a lung showing the branches of the airway. The arrows represent compression that the air exerted on the same.

(5) FIG. 7 shows the use of an implanted embodiment of implantable artificial bronchus, according to the present invention.

(6) FIG. 8 represents another embodiment of the implantable artificial bronchus, made with a nitinol web.

(7) FIG. 9 represents the use of another embodiment of the implantable artificial bronchus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) In order to meet the need for an effective form of treatment, which is not an aggressive or an invasive procedure for the body, an implantable artificial bronchus (IAB) was developed.

(9) The IAB, according to the present invention, consists of a tapered cylindrical body, where the upper nozzle is greater than the lower opening, comprising openings along its length and side wings.

(10) In this invention, openings are any kind of side perforation or leakage from a network assembly.

(11) The IAB (1) can be built in two alternative forms, with a silicone body (SB) or a nitinol web body (NWB), wherein both comprise in the body (2) a nozzle (3) and side wings (4), with side openings (5), upper (6) and lower (7) which enable the peripheral range for promoting lung deflation, which may have various longitudinal lengths.

(12) In the SB assembly, the side wings are used for fixing the same in the air way/lung parenchyma, and in the NWB assembly, they enable a better handling, in case of IAB withdrawal.

(13) The NWB embodiment further has silicone or fluoropolymer like polytetrafluoroethylene rings (8) and longitudinal rods (9), of silicone or fluoropolymer like polytetrafluoroethylene, and these structures prevent the incorporation of the nitinol web by the lung wall, and also preserves the possibility of IAB withdrawal in case of rejection or need to reimplant.

(14) Another embodiment of this invention is the association of IAB with a one-way valve, as described in EP1524942of H. Michael to Emphasys Medical Inc., published on Apr. 27, 2005, incorporated herein by reference. This association prevents lung parenchyma against injuries caused by dry air and moisture reduction, thus avoiding tissue reaction and closure by healing of those openings.

(15) The IAB (1) features a (proximal) upper opening (6) which allows the association with the one-way valve, and also its maintenance, since it allows the removal of the valve, device cleaning with broncoscope and valve reimplantation.

(16) The use of this device is made by bronchoscopy. Initially, it is necessary to identify the locations where it is desired to carry out the application, through an image study obtained by computed tomography of the thorax, associated or not to a three-dimensional reconstruction program.

(17) After identifying the positions, the application can be performed in two ways, one for IAB with SB, which begins with the passage of the needle for piercing the bronchial wall and introducing the guide wire in the lung parenchyma, and optionally, the balloon dilator can be passed.

(18) The implanting of IAB with NWB does not require perforations into the lung wall. The implant path is initially identified with a malleable metal guide. A subsequent catheter passage can be done to guide the compressed IAB or the compressed IAB can be introduced directly by guidewire. After withdrawing the catheter, the IAB naturally expands and remain on the airway, promoting the enlargement of this path and providing causing lung deflation.

(19) The present invention avoids the state of the art problems, since its cylindrical body allows the implantation without the need for extensive cuts or openings that trigger healing processes, or along the airways. Moreover, in the second embodiment according to the present invention, there is no need for any perforation except eventually for very distal airway. Additionally, its conformation with decreasing radius along the body, with side openings, promotes swirling of the air which enters the IAB. Thus, there is no sudden entry and the air is dispersed more evenly, thus ensuring an efficient and safe distribution, without causing tissue healing.

(20) The use of IAB provides more safety and effectiveness in the treatment of lung emphysema, since it allows the air exit, does not trigger the healing mechanisms and does not destroy or annul the normal lung tissue.

(21) It shall be understood that the embodiments described above are merely illustrative and any modification to them may occur for a person skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention should not be considered as being limited to the embodiments described in this document.

(22) The person skilled in the art will be able to readily evaluate, by means of the teachings contained in the text and in the presented examples, advantages of the invention, and to propose modifications and equivalent alternatives to the embodiments, without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the attached claims.