Congestive obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD)
Inventors
Pearson, Robert • Ortiz, Mark • Callas, Peter
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12201349-B2
Publication Date
2025-01-21
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method for treating Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis to alleviate the discomforts of breathing by using non-thermal electroporation energy to ablate diseased portions of the lung including the bronchus, airways and alveoli which, in effect, opens the restrictive diseased portions thereby maximizing the overall surface area thereof causing improved airflow and uninhibited breathing.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to treating a lung disease by non-thermally ablate tissue in a lung using irreversible electroporation (IRE) and delivering ablation in a focal or localized manner. The treated regions include bronchus or bronchial airways and alveoli, with the intent of ablation of diseased lung regions while avoiding thermal-ablation damage.
A delivery concept is disclosed in which an expandable electrode and a second electrode are coupled to a generator, with the expandable electrode having a deployed state and a collapsed state. The expandable electrode is expanded at a first treatment zone to deliver a first set of bipolar electrical pulses configured for non-thermal ablation, then collapsed and withdrawn, advanced to a second treatment zone, and expanded again for a second set of bipolar electrical pulses for non-thermal ablation.
The approach is contrasted with thermal modalities and with LVRS, and it is described as sparing surrounding tissue by using focal ablation. The document further discloses endotracheal catheter or endobronchial device concepts including a flexible electrode balloon, and percutaneous approaches for treating bronchial inflammation, using bipolar IRE probe or opposite-polarity electrode configurations that create an ablation zone.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims (three total) cover non-thermal ablation of lung tissue in sequentially treated first and second treatment zones using bipolar electrical pulses delivered via an expandable/deployable electrode in deployed and collapsed states.
Sequential deployment of expandable electrode across first and second treatment zones
Advancing a guide sheath (or guide device or endobronchial device) to a first treatment zone; expanding an electrode from a collapsed state to a deployed state at the first treatment zone; collapsing the deployed electrode back to the collapsed state; withdrawing/retracting the collapsed electrode back into the guide sheath or guide device or endobronchial device; advancing the guide sheath (or guide device or endobronchial device) and the collapsed electrode to a second treatment zone; and expanding the electrode to the deployed state at the second treatment zone.
Bipolar electrical pulses for non-thermal ablation delivered through a deployed electrode
Activating a generator programmed to generate a first set of bipolar electrical pulses configured to be delivered through the deployed electrode to the first treatment zone, wherein the bipolar electrical pulses are configured to result in non-thermal ablation of tissue (or non-thermal ablation of cells) in the first treatment zone, and reactivating the generator programmed to generate a second set of bipolar electrical pulses configured to be delivered through the deployed electrode to the second treatment zone, wherein the bipolar electrical pulses are configured to result in non-thermal ablation of tissue (or non-thermal ablation of cells) in the second treatment zone.
Expandable electrode and second electrode coupled to generator
Operatively coupling an expandable electrode to a generator and operatively coupling a second electrode to the generator, wherein the expandable electrode comprises a deployed state and a collapsed state, and wherein the deployed electrode is used to deliver the bipolar electrical pulses into the first and second treatment zones.
Expandable electrode is balloon in non-thermal irreversible electroporation
Expanding the electrode from the compressed or collapsed state to the deployed state at the treatment zone, wherein the expandable electrode includes a balloon, and the non-thermal ablation is irreversible electroporation.
Bronchitis-focused non-thermal ablation in sequential treatment zones
Advancing an endobronchial device to a first treatment zone; operatively coupling a deployable electrode and a non-deployable electrode to a generator; expanding the deployable electrode from a collapsed state to a deployed state at the first treatment zone; activating the generator programmed to generate a first set of bipolar electrical pulses configured to result in non-thermal ablation of tissue affected by bronchitis in the first treatment zone; collapsing and retracting the electrode into the endobronchial device; advancing to a second treatment zone; expanding the electrode at the second treatment zone; and reactivating the generator programmed to generate a second set of bipolar electrical pulses configured to result in non-thermal ablation of tissue affected by bronchitis in the second treatment zone.
Across the independent claims, the inventive subject matter centers on non-thermally ablate lung tissue in a first and a second treatment zone by sequentially deploying and collapsing an expandable/deployable electrode, coupling a generator to the expandable and second electrode(s), and delivering generator-programmed bipolar electrical pulses configured for non-thermal ablation, including a bronchitis-affected lung-tissue variant.
Stated Advantages
Avoiding thermal-ablation damage while performing non-thermal ablation using irreversible electroporation.
Focal/localized treatment that spares surrounding tissue.
Restoring airway diameter and improving airflow.
Documented Applications
Treating congestive obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, by non-thermal ablation of diseased lung regions in bronchus/bronchial airways and alveoli.
Treating tissue affected by bronchitis using non-thermal ablation delivered in first and second treatment zones.
Percutaneous approaches for bronchial inflammation.
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