Claims
- 1. An intra-bronchial device comprising:
a member arranged for placement in an air passageway; and a therapeutic agent associated with the member and arranged for provision to a patient.
- 2. The intra-bronchial device of claim 1, wherein the member is further arranged for inhibiting the therapeutic agent from moving proximal of the control member.
- 3. The intra-bronchial device of claim 1, further including at least one anchor that retains the intra-bronchial device within the air passageway when the anchor is deployed.
- 4. The intra-bronchial device of claim 3, wherein at least one anchor is releasable from the air passageway for removal of the intra-bronchial device.
- 5. A assembly comprising:
a therapeutic agent arranged for intra-bronchial delivery into an air passageway of a patient; and a flow control member arranged for placement in the air passageway and inhibiting the therapeutic agent from moving proximal of the control member.
- 6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the flow control member is arranged to allow the therapeutic agent to be associated with the flow control member after the flow control member is placed in the air passageway.
- 7. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the flow control member is arranged to allow the therapeutic agent to be placed into the air passageway distal of the flow control member after the flow control member is placed in the air passageway.
- 8. An intra-bronchial device for maintaining a therapeutic agent within an air passageway, the device comprising:
a flow control member arranged for placement in the air passageway and inhibiting the therapeutic agent from moving proximal of the control member; and the therapeutic agent.
- 9. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the control member inhibits movement of the therapeutic agent by limiting flow from the air passageway.
- 10. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the control member inhibits movement of the therapeutic agent by limiting flow into the air passageway.
- 11. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the control member inhibits the movement of the therapeutic agent by limiting mucociliary transport from the air passageway.
- 12. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the control member includes a one-way valve.
- 13. The intra-bronchial device of claim 12, wherein the one-way valve permits inhalation of air into the air passageway.
- 14. The intra-bronchial device of claim 12, wherein the one-way valve permits exhalation of air from the air passageway.
- 15. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the control member includes a flexible membrane impervious to air flow.
- 16. The intra-bronchial device of claim 15, wherein the flexible membrane is arranged in cooperation with a wall of the air passageway to form a one-way valve permitting airflow from the air passageway.
- 17. The intra-bronchial device of claim 15, wherein the flexible membrane is arranged in cooperation with a wall of the air passageway to form a one-way valve permitting airflow into the air passageway.
- 18. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the control member includes a separator arranged to inhibit the movement of the therapeutic agent while allowing movement of air.
- 19. The intra-bronchial device of claim 18, wherein molecules of the therapeutic agent are associated with molecules larger than air molecules, and the separator is arranged to inhibit movement of the associated molecules while allowing movement of air molecules.
- 20. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the control member includes a semi-permeable membrane arranged to retain the therapeutic agent distal of the control member while permitting air and water molecules to be exhaled.
- 21. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the control member limits airflow from the air passageway sufficiently to maintain inflation of a lung portion communicating with the air passageway.
- 22. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the control member allows airflow from the air passageway sufficiently to prevent over-inflation of the lung portion.
- 23. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the control member further includes at least one anchor that retains the intra-bronchial device within the air passageway when the anchor is deployed.
- 24. The intra-bronchial device of claim 23, wherein at least one anchor is releasable from the air passageway for removal of the intra-bronchial device.
- 25. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the control member is further arranged to automatically terminate the inhibiting of movement by the therapeutic agent.
- 26. The intra-bronchial device of claim 25, wherein the automatic termination is provided by a deterioration of the control member.
- 27. The intra-bronchial device of claim 25, wherein the automatic termination is provided by a dissolution of the control member.
- 28. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the control member is further arranged to permit mucociliary transport from the air passageway.
- 29. The intra-bronchial device of claim 8, wherein the therapeutic agent is associated with at least a portion of the control member.
- 30. The intra-bronchial device of claim 29, wherein the therapeutic agent overlies at least a portion of the airflow control member.
- 31. The device of claim 29, wherein the therapeutic agent is imbedded in at least a portion of the airflow control member.
- 32. The device of claim 29, wherein the therapeutic agent is absorbed in at least a portion of the airflow control member.
- 33. The device of claim 29, wherein the therapeutic agent is co-mixed with at least a portion of the airflow control member.
- 34. The device of claim 29, wherein the control member further includes an absorptive member and the therapeutic agent is absorbed by the absorptive member.
- 35. The device of claim 8, wherein control member includes a cavity, and the therapeutic agent is carried in the cavity.
- 36. The device of claim 35, wherein the cavity includes an absorptive member, and the therapeutic agent is absorbed by the absorptive member.
- 37. The device of claim 35, wherein the cavity includes a cover having an orifice.
- 38. The device of claim 8, wherein the therapeutic agent is one of antimicrobial agents such as adrenergic agents, antibiotic agents or antibacterial agents, antiviral agents, anthelmintic agents, anti-inflammatory agents, antineoplastic agents, antioxidant agents, biological reaction inhibitors, botulinum toxin agents, chemotherapy agents, diagnostic agents, gene therapy agents, hormonal agents, mucolytic agents, radioprotective agents, radioactive agents including brachytherapy materials, tissue growth inhibitors, tissue growth enhancers, and vasoactive agents.
- 39. A system for intra-bronchially providing a therapeutic agent to a patient, the system comprising:
an intra-bronchial device including a flow control device arranged for placement in an air passageway, and when deployed, limits flow from the air passageway sufficiently to inhibit a therapeutic agent distal of the control member from moving proximal; and an introducer that introduces the therapeutic agent in the lung portion distal of the airflow control member.
- 40. A method for providing a therapeutic agent to a patient, the method including the steps of:
delivering a therapeutic agent to a lung portion; and inhibiting movement of the therapeutic agent from the lung portion.
- 41. The method of claim 40, wherein the inhibiting step includes the further step of limiting airflow from the lung portion to inhibit therapeutic agent distal of the control member from moving proximal.
- 42. The method of claim 40, including the further step of maintaining an inflation of the lung portion.
- 43. The method of claim 40, including the further step of maintaining a collapse of the lung portion.
- 44. The method of claim 40, wherein the delivering step is performed with one intra-bronchial device and the inhibiting step is performed with another intra-bronchial device.
- 45. The method of claim 40, including the further step of performing the delivering step again.
- 46. The method of claim 40, wherein the inhibiting step includes the further step of implanting an intra-bronchial device in an air passageway in communication with the lung portion.
- 47. The method of claim 46, wherein the delivery step includes providing the therapeutic agent to the intra-bronchial device.
- 48. The method of claim 40, including the further step of terminating the inhibition of movement.
- 49. The method of claim 40, wherein the therapeutic agent is one of antimicrobial agents such as adrenergic agents, antibiotic agents or antibacterial agents, antiviral agents, anthelmintic agents, anti-inflammatory agents, antineoplastic agents, antioxidant agents, biological reaction inhibitors, botulinum toxin agents, chemotherapy agents, diagnostic agents, gene therapy agents, hormonal agents, mucolytic agents, radioprotective agents, radioactive agents including brachytherapy materials, tissue growth inhibitors, tissue growth enhancers, and vasoactive agents.
- 50. An intra-bronchial device for providing a therapeutic agent to a patient, the device comprising:
means for delivering a therapeutic agent into an air passageway of the patient; and means for intra-bronchially inhibiting movement of the therapeutic agent from the air passageway.
- 51. The intra-bronchial device of claim 50, wherein the movement is inhibited by limiting exhalation from the air passageway.
- 52. The intra-bronchial device of claim 50, wherein the movement is inhibited by limiting inhalation into the air passageway.
- 53. The intra-bronchial device of claim 50, wherein the movement is inhibited by limiting movement of mucus from the air passageway.
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority based on United States applications entitled INTRA-BRONCHIAL AIRFLOW CONTROL DEVICE THAT CONTROLS BIOLOGICAL INTERACTION WITH THE PATIENT filed Feb. 21, 2002, application Ser. No. 10/081,712; and INTRA-BRONCHIAL AIRFLOW CONTROL DEVICE THAT CONTROLS BIOLOGICAL INTERACTION WITH THE PATIENT filed Jun. 21, 2002, application Ser. No. 10/178,073.
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10081712 |
Feb 2002 |
US |
Child |
10317667 |
Dec 2002 |
US |
Parent |
10178073 |
Jun 2002 |
US |
Child |
10317667 |
Dec 2002 |
US |