Systems, assemblies, and methods for treating a bronchial tree
Inventors
Mayse, Martin L. • Dimmer, Steven C.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11937868-B2
Publication Date
2024-03-26
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems, assemblies, and methods to treat pulmonary diseases are used to decrease nervous system input to distal regions of the bronchial tree within the lungs. Treatment systems damage nerve tissue to temporarily or permanently decrease nervous system input. The treatment systems are capable of heating nerve tissue, cooling the nerve tissue, delivering a flowable substance that cause trauma to the nerve tissue, puncturing the nerve tissue, tearing the nerve tissue, cutting the nerve tissue, applying pressure to the nerve tissue, applying ultrasound to the nerve tissue, applying ionizing radiation to the nerve tissue, disrupting cell membranes of nerve tissue with electrical energy, or delivering long acting nerve blocking chemicals to the nerve tissue.
Core Innovation
The document describes treating at least partial obstruction of an airway caused by excessive intraluminal mucus and/or mucous glands hypertrophy by damaging nerve tissue via ablation at a first location along an airway. The damaging of nerve tissue attenuates transmission of signals to and/or from mucous producing cells at a second location along the airway, thereby reducing a production of mucous from the mucous producing cells.
The document further ties the ablation to nerve transmission pathways, including attenuating transmission of signals related to vagus nerves. In this arrangement, ablation at a first location along the airway attenuates signals to and/or from mucous producing cells at a second location, thereby reducing mucous production. The described nerve targeting can include damaging nerve tissue of a nerve trunk along a right main bronchus, a left main bronchus, or both.
The document also describes assessment and use of mucous secretion to support efficacy determination. A baseline level of mucous secretion is determined in a subject, an airway treatment is provided by damaging nerve tissue via ablation, and then a level of mucous secretion is assessed after damaging nerve tissue to determine treatment efficacy.
Claims Coverage
The provided material includes three independent claims covering an ablation-based treatment to reduce mucous production, a treatment variant specifying airway-wall and signaling attenuation to mucous producing cells, and an efficacy-determination workflow based on baseline and post-treatment mucous secretion.
Ablation-based nerve damage to reduce mucous production
Damaging nerve tissue via ablation at a first location along the airway to attenuate transmission of signals to and/or from mucous producing cells at a second location along the airway so as to reduce a production of mucous from the mucous producing cells.
Signal attenuation from mucous producing cells via airway-wall nerve ablation
Damaging nerve tissue via ablation at a first location along an airway wall of the airway lumen so as to attenuate transmission of signals to and/or from mucous producing cells so as to reduce a production of mucous from the mucous producing cells.
Baseline and post-ablation mucous secretion assessment for treatment efficacy
Determining, in a subject, a baseline level of mucous secretion; providing an airway treatment by damaging nerve tissue via ablation at a first location along the airway so as to attenuate transmission of signals to and/or from mucous producing cells at a second location along the airway so as to reduce a production of mucous from the mucous producing cells; and after damaging nerve tissue, assessing, in the subject, a level of mucous secretion to determine the treatment efficacy.
Across the independent claims, the document’s claim coverage centers on damaging nerve tissue via ablation at a first airway location to attenuate transmission of signals to and/or from mucous producing cells at a second airway location, reducing mucous production, and on determining treatment efficacy by comparing baseline and post-treatment mucous secretion.
Stated Advantages
Reduces a production of mucous from mucous producing cells.
Documented Applications
Treating at least partial obstruction of an airway caused by excessive intraluminal mucus, mucous glands hypertrophy, or both.
Determining treatment efficacy by assessing mucous secretion levels before and after an ablation-based nerve tissue treatment.
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