Methods and devices for passive residual lung volume reduction and functional lung volume expansion

Abstract

The volume of a hyperinflated lung compartment is reduced by sealing a distal end of the catheter in an airway feeding the lung compartment. Air passes out of the lung compartment through a passage in the catheter while the patient exhales. A one-way flow element associated with the catheter prevents air from re-entering the lung compartment as the patient inhales. Over time, the pressure of regions surrounding the lung compartment cause it to collapse as the volume of air diminishes. Residual volume reduction effectively results in functional lung volume expansion. Optionally, the lung compartment may be sealed in order to permanently prevent air from re-entering the lung compartment.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to medical methods and apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for endobronchial residual lung volume reduction by passive deflation of hyperinflated segments with functional lung volume expansion as a result.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a significant medical problem affecting 16 million people or about 6% of the U.S. population. Specific diseases in this group include chronic bronchitis, asthmatic bronchitis, and emphysema. While a number of therapeutic interventions are used and have been proposed, none is completely effective, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remains the fourth most common cause of death in the United States. Thus, improved and alternative treatments and therapies would be of significant benefit.

Of particular interest to the present invention, lung function in patients suffering from some forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can be improved by reducing the effective lung volume, typically by resecting diseased portions of the lung. Resection of diseased portions of the lungs both promotes expansion of the non-diseased regions of the lung and decreases the portion of inhaled air that goes into the lungs but is unable to transfer oxygen to the blood. Lung volume reduction is conventionally performed in open chest or thoracoscopic procedures where the lung is resected, typically using stapling devices having integral cutting blades.

While effective in many cases, conventional lung volume reduction surgery is significantly traumatic to the patient, even when thoracoscopic procedures are employed. Such procedures often result in the unintentional removal of healthy lung tissue and frequently leave perforations or other discontinuities in the lung, which result in air leakage from the remaining lung. Even technically successful procedures can cause respiratory failure, pneumonia, and death. In addition, many older or compromised patients are not able to be candidates for these procedures.

As an improvement over open surgical and minimally invasive lung volume reduction procedures, endobronchial lung volume reduction procedures have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,258,100 and 6,679,264 describe placement of one-way valve structures in the airways leading to diseased lung regions. It is expected that the valve structures will allow air to be expelled from the diseased region of the lung while blocking reinflation of the diseased region. Thus, over time, the volume of the diseased region will be reduced and the patient condition will improve.

While promising, the use of implantable, one-way valve structures is problematic in at least several respects. The valves must be implanted prior to assessing whether they are functioning properly. Thus, if the valve fails to either allow expiratory flow from or inhibit inspiratory flow into the diseased region, that failure will only be determined after the valve structure has been implanted, requiring surgical removal. Additionally, even if the valve structure functions properly, many patients have diseased lung segments with collateral flow from adjacent, healthy lung segments. In those patients, the lung volume reduction of the diseased region will be significantly impaired, even after successfully occluding inspiration through the main airway leading to the diseased region, since air will enter collaterally from the adjacent healthy lung region. When implanting one-way valve structures, the existence of such collateral flow will only be evident after the lung region fails to deflate over time, requiring further treatment.

For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide improved and alternative methods and apparatus for effecting residual lung volume reduction in hyperinflated and other diseased lung regions. The methods and apparatus will preferably allow for passive deflation of an isolated lung region without the need to implant a one-way valve structure in the lung. The methods and apparatus will preferably be compatible with known protocols for occluding diseased lung segments and regions after deflation, such as placement of plugs and occluding members within the airways leading to such diseased segments and regions. Additionally, such methods and devices should be compatible with protocols for identifying and treating patients having diseased lung segments and regions which suffer from collateral flow with adjacent healthy lung regions. At least some of these objectives will be met by the inventions described hereinbelow.

Description of the Background Art

Methods for performing minimally invasive and endobronchial lung volume reduction are described in the following patents and publications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,972,026; 6,083,255; 6,258,100; 6,287,290; 6,398,775; 6,527,761; 6,585,639; 6,679,264; 6,709,401; 6,878,141; 6,997,918; 2001/0051899; and 2004/0016435.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for passively reducing the residual volume (the volume of air remaining after maximal exhalation) of a hyperinflated or otherwise diseased lung compartment or segment. By “passively reducing,” it is meant that air can be removed from the diseased lung region without the use of a vacuum aspiration to draw the air from the region. Typically, such passive reduction will rely on a non-implanted one-way flow structure, which permits air to be exhaled or exhausted from the lung region while preventing or inhibiting the inspiration of air back into the lung region. Thus, the methods of the present invention will not require the permanent implantation of valves or other structures prior to actually achieving the desired residual lung volume reduction, as with the one-way implantable valve structures of the prior art.

The methods and apparatus of the present invention can be terminated and all apparatus removed should it appear for any reason that the desired residual lung volume reduction is not being achieved. Commonly, such failure can be the result of collateral flow into the diseased lung region from adjacent healthy lung region(s). In such cases, steps can be taken to limit or stop the collateral flow and allow resumption of the passive lung volume reduction protocols. In other cases, it might be desirable or necessary to employ open surgical, thoracoscopic, or other surgical procedures for lung resection.

Patients who successfully achieve residual volume reduction of hyperinflated or other diseased lung regions in accordance with the principles of the present invention will typically have those regions sealed permanently to prevent reinflation. Such sealing can be achieved by a variety of known techniques, including the application of radiofrequency or other energy for shrinking or sealing the walls of the airways feeding the lung region. Alternatively, synthetic or biological glues could be used for achieving sealing of the airway walls. Most commonly, however, expandable plugs will be implanted in the airways leading to the deflated lung region to achieve the sealing.

In a first aspect of the present invention, methods for reducing the residual volume of a hyperinflated lung compartment comprise sealingly engaging a distal end of a catheter in an airway feeding the lung compartment. Air is allowed to be expelled from the lung compartment through a passage in the catheter while the patient is exhaling, and air is blocked from re-entering the lung compartment through the catheter passage while the patient is inhaling. As the residual volume diminishes, the hyperinflated lung compartment reduces in size freeing up the previously occupied space in the thoracic cavity. Consequently, a greater fraction of the Total Lung Capacity (TLC), which is the volumetric space contained in the thoracic cavity that is occupied by lung tissue after a full inhalation, becomes available for the healthier lung compartments to expand, and the volume of the lung available for gas exchange commonly referred to in clinical practice as the lung's Functional Vital Capacity (FVC) or Vital Capacity (VC) increases, the result of which is effectively a functional lung volume expansion.

The hyperinflated lung compartment will usually be substantially free of collateral flow from adjacent lung compartments, and optionally the patient can be tested for the presence of such collateral flow, for example using techniques taught in copending, commonly assigned application Ser. No. 11/296,951, filed on Dec. 7, 2005; Ser. No. 11/550,660, filed on Oct. 18, 2006; and application Ser. No. 11/428,762, filed on Jul. 5, 2006, the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Alternatively, the methods of the present invention for reducing residual lung volume can be performed in patients having collateral flow channels leading into the hyperinflated or other diseased lung compartment. In such cases, the collateral flow channels may first be blocked, for example, by introducing glues, occlusive particles, hydrogels or other blocking substances, as taught for example in copending application Ser. No. 11/684,950, filed on Mar. 12, 2007, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In other cases, where the flow channels are relatively small, those channels will partially or fully collapse as the residual lung volume is reduced. In such cases, the patient may be treated as if the collateral flow channels did not exist. The effectiveness of reduction in hyperinflation, however, will depend on the collateral resistance between the hyperinflated compartment and the neighboring compartments, as illustrated in FIG. 7, where residual volume reduction is negligible when the resistance to collateral flow R_coll is very small (significant collateral flow channels) and maximally effective when R_.sub. coll is very high (no collateral flow channels).

In all of the above methods, it may be desirable to introduce an oxygen-rich gas into the lung compartment while or after the lung volume is reduced in order to induce or promote absorption atelectasis. Absorption atelectasis promotes absorption of the remaining or residual gas in the compartment into the blood to further reduce the volume, either before or after permanent sealing of the lung volume compartment or segment.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides catheters for isolating and deflating hyperinflated and other diseased lung compartments. The catheter comprises a catheter body, an expandable occluding member on the catheter body, and a one-way flow element associated with the catheter body. The catheter body usually has a distal end, a proximal end, and at least one lumen extending from a location at or near the distal end to a location at or near the proximal end. At least a distal portion of the catheter body is adapted to be advanced into and through the airways of a lung so that the distal end can reach an airway that feeds a target lung compartment or segment to be treated. The expandable occluding member is disposed near the distal end of the catheter body and is adapted to be expanded in the airway that feeds the target lung compartment or segment so that said compartment or segment can be isolated, with access provided only through the lumen or catheter body when the occluding member is expanded. The one-way flow element is adapted to be disposed within or in-line with the lumen of the catheter body in order to allow flow in a distal-to-proximal direction so that air will be expelled from the isolated lung compartment or segment as the patient exhales. The one-way flow element, however, inhibits or prevents flow through the lumen in a proximal-to-distal direction so that air cannot enter the isolated lung compartment or segment while the patient is inhaling.

For the intended endobronchial deployment, the catheter body will typically have a length in the range from 20 cm to 200 cm, preferably from 80 cm to 120 cm, and a diameter near the distal end in the range from 0.1 mm to 10 mm, preferably from 1 mm to 5 mm. The expandable occluding member will typically be an inflatable balloon or cuff, where the balloon or cuff has a width in the range from 1 mm to 30 mm, preferably from 5 mm to 20 mm, when inflated. The one-way flow element is typically a conventional one-way flow valve, such as a duck-bill valve, a flap valve, or the like, which is disposed in the lumen of the catheter body, either near the distal end or at any other point within the lumen. Alternatively, the one-way flow element could be provided as a separate component, for example provided in a hub which is detachably mounted at the proximal end of the catheter body. In other instances, it might be desirable to provide two or more one-way flow elements in series within the lumen or otherwise provided in-line with the lumen in order to enhance sealing in the inspiratory direction through the lumen.

In a third aspect of the present invention, a method for determining whether collateral ventilation of a hyperinflated lung compartment is present may involve: sealing a distal end of a catheter in an airway feeding the lung compartment; allowing air to be expelled from the lung compartment through a passage in the catheter while the patient is exhaling; blocking air from entering the lung compartment through the catheter passage while the patient is inhaling; comparing an image of the lung compartment with an earlier image of the lung compartment acquired before the sealing step; and determining whether collateral ventilation is present in the lung compartment, based on comparing the image and the earlier image. In one embodiment, the compared images are CT scans, although in other embodiments alternative imaging modalities may be used, such as MRI, conventional radiographs and/or the like. Typically, though not necessarily, the before and after images will be compared based on size, with a smaller size after catheter placement indicating a lack of significant collateral ventilation and little or no change in size indicating likely significant collateral ventilation.

Optionally, one embodiment may involve advancing the catheter through a bronchoscope to position the catheter distal end in the airway before sealing. In one such embodiment, the method may also involve: detaching a hub from a proximal end of the catheter; removing the bronchoscope from the airway by sliding it proximally over the catheter, thus leaving the catheter in the airway; and acquiring the image of the lung compartment. The catheter may be left in the airway for any suitable amount of time before acquiring the image—for example in one embodiment between about five minutes and about twenty-four hours. In some embodiments, where it is determined that there is minimal or no significant collateral ventilation of the lung compartment, the method may further include treating the airway to permanently limit airflow into the lung compartment.

These and other aspects and embodiments are described in further detail below, with reference to the attached drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an isolation and deflation catheter constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIGS. 2-4 illustrate alternative placements of one-way flow elements within a central lumen of the catheter of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates the trans-tracheal endobronchial placement of the catheter of FIG. 1 in an airway leading to a diseased lung region in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate use of the catheter as placed in FIG. 5 for isolating and reduction of the volume of the diseased lung region in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between collateral resistance R_coll and residual volume reduction in an isolated lung compartment.

FIGS. 8A-8D illustrate an embodiment of a minimally invasive method in which a catheter is advanced to the feeding bronchus of a target compartment.

FIGS. 9A-9D and FIG. 10 illustrate embodiments of a catheter connected with an accumulator.

FIGS. 11A-11B depict a graphical representation of a simplified collateral system of a target lung compartment.

FIGS. 12A-12C illustrate measurements taken from the system of FIGS. 11A-11B.

FIGS. 13A-13C illustrate a circuit model representing the system of FIGS. 11A-11B.

FIGS. 14A-14B illustrate measurements taken from the system of FIGS. 11A-11B.

FIGS. 15A-15D illustrate graphical comparisons yielded from the computational model of the collateral system illustrated in FIGS. 11A-11B and FIGS. 13A-13B.

FIG. 16A illustrates a two-compartment model which is used to generate a method quantifying the degree of collateral ventilation.

FIG. 16B illustrates an electrical circuit analog model.

FIGS. 16C-16E illustrate the resulting time changes in volumes, pressures and gas concentrations in the target compartment and the rest of the lobe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, an endobronchial lung volume reduction catheter 10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention includes an elongate catheter body 12 having a distal end 14, a proximal end 16, and an expandable occluding member 15, such as an inflatable balloon, mounted near the distal end 14. Catheter body 12 also includes at least one lumen or central passage 18 extending generally from the distal end 14 to the proximal end 16. Lumen 18 has a distal opening 19 at or near the distal end 14 in order to permit air or other lung gases to enter the lumen 18 and flow in a distal-to-proximal direction out through the proximal end of the lumen 18. Optionally, a hub 20 will be provided at the proximal end 16, but the hub 20 is not a necessary component of the catheter 10.

The catheter 10 is equipped to seal the area between the catheter body 12 and the bronchial wall such that only the lumen 18 is communicating with the airways distal to the seal. The seal, or isolation, is accomplished by the use of the occluding member 15, such as an inflatable member, attached to (or near) the distal tip 14 of the catheter 10. When there is an absence of collateral channels connecting the targeted isolated compartment to the rest of the lung, the isolated compartment will unsuccessfully attempt to draw air from the catheter lumen 18 during inspiration of normal respiration of the patient. Hence, during exhalation no air is returned to the catheter lumen. In the presence of collateral channels, an additional amount of air is available to the isolated compartment during the inspiratory phase of each breath, namely the air traveling from the neighboring compartment(s) through the collateral channels, which enables volumetric expansion of the isolated compartment during inspiration, resulting during expiration in air movement away from the isolated compartment to atmosphere through the catheter lumen and the collateral channels. If it is desired to perform Endobronchial Volume Reduction (EVR) on a lung compartment, the lung compartment may be analyzed for collateral ventilation prior to treatment to determine the likelihood of success of such treatment. Further, if undesired levels of collateral ventilation are measured, the collateral ventilation may be reduced to a desired level prior to treatment to ensure success of such treatment.

The present invention relies on placement of a one-way flow element within or in-line with the lumen 18 so that flow from an isolated lung compartment or segment (as described hereinbelow) may occur in a distal-to-proximal direction but flow back into the lung compartment or segment is inhibited or blocked in the proximal-to-distal direction. As shown in FIG. 2, in one embodiment a one-way flow element 22 may be provided in the lumen 18 near the distal end 14 of the catheter body 12, immediately proximal of the distal opening 19. In an alternative embodiment, as in FIG. 3, the same one-way flow element 22 may be provided in the lumen 18 more proximally (either still near the distal end 14 or even more proximally in some embodiments). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the one-way flow element 22 may be a duck-bill valve, which opens as shown in broken line as the patient exhales to increase the pressure on the upstream or distal side of the valve 22. As the patient inhales, the pressure on the upstream or distal side of the valve is reduced, drawing the valve leaflets closed as shown in solid line.

Alternatively or additionally, the one-way flow element 22 could be provided anywhere else in the lumen 18, and two, three, four, or more such valve structures could be included in order to provide redundancy. In some embodiments where the one-way flow element 22 (or elements) is located within the lumen 18 of the catheter body 12, the hub 20 may be removable, or alternatively the catheter 10 may not include a hub. As will be explained further below, this may facilitate leaving the catheter 10 in a patient for diagnostic and/or treatment purposes. For example, if the catheter 10 is advanced into a patient through a bronchoscope, the hub 20 may be detached to allow the bronchoscope to be removed proximally over the catheter 10, thus leaving the catheter body 12 with the one-way flow element 22 in the patient.

As a third option, a one-way valve structure 26 in the form of a flap valve could be provided within the hub 20. The hub 20 could be removable or permanently fixed to the catheter body 12. Other structures for providing in-line flow control could also be utilized.

In some embodiments, the catheter 10 may be coupled with a one-way valve, a flow-measuring device or/and a pressure sensor, all of which are external to the body of the patient and are placed in series so as to communicate with the catheter's inside lumen 18. The one-way valve prevents air from entering the target lung compartment from atmosphere but allows free air movement from the target lung compartment to atmosphere. The flow measuring device, the pressure sensor device and the one-way valve can be placed anywhere along the length of the catheter lumen 18. The seal provided by the catheter 10 results, during expiration, in air movement away from the isolated lung compartment to atmosphere through the catheter lumen 18 and the collateral channels. Thus, air is expelled through the catheter lumen 18 during each exhalation and will register as positive airflow on the flow-measuring device. Depending on the system dynamics, some air may be expelled through the catheter lumen 18 during exhalation in the absence of collateral channels, however at a different rate, volume and trend than that in the presence of collateral channels.

Use of the endobronchial lung volume reduction catheter 10 to reduce the residual volume of a diseased region DR of a lung L is illustrated beginning in FIG. 5. Catheter 10 is introduced through the patient's mouth, down past the trachea T and into a lung L. The distal end 14 of the catheter 10 is advanced to the main airway AW leading into the diseased region DR of the lung. Introduction and guidance of the catheter 10 may be achieved in conventional manners, such as described in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,287,290; 6,398,775; and 6,527,761, the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, the catheter may be introduced through a flexible bronchoscope (not shown in FIG. 5).

Referring now to FIGS. 6A-6D, functioning of the one-way valve element in achieving the desired lung volume reduction will be described. After the distal end 14 of the catheter 10 is advanced to the feeding airway AW, the expandable occluding element 15 is expanded to occlude the airway. The expandable occluding element may be a balloon, cuff, or a braided balloon as described in application Ser. No. 60/823,734, filed on Aug. 28, 2006, and 60/828,496 filed on Oct. 6, 2006, the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. At that point, the only path between the atmosphere and the diseased region DR of the lung is through the lumen 18 of the catheter 10. As the patient exhales, as shown in FIG. 6A, air from the diseased region DR flows outwardly through the lumen 18 and the one-way valve element 22, causing a reduction in residual air within the region and a consequent reduction in volume. Air from the remainder of the lung also passes outward in the annular region around the catheter 10 in a normal manner.

As shown in FIG. 6B, in contrast, when the patient inhales, no air enters the diseased regions DR of the lung L (as long as there are no significant collateral passageways), while the remainder of the lung is ventilated through the region around the catheter. As the patient continues to inhale and exhale, the air in the diseased region DR is incrementally exhausted, further reducing the lung volume as the external pressure from the surrounding regions of the lung is increased relative to the pressure within the diseased region.

As shown in FIG. 6C, after some time, typically seconds to minutes, air flow from the isolated lung segment will stop and a maximum or near-maximum level of residual lung volume reduction within the diseased region DR will have been achieved. At that time, treating the patient may comprise occluding the airway AW feeding the diseased region DR, by applying heat, radiofrequency energy, glues, or preferably by implanting an occluding element 30, as shown in FIG. 6D. Implantation of the occluding element may be achieved by any of the techniques described in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,287,290; and 6,527,761, the full disclosures of which have been previously incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, before more permanently occluding the airway, treating the patient may comprise aspirating the target lung compartment. When accessing a lung compartment through an occlusal stent, volume reduction therapy may be performed by aspirating through the catheter and stent. The catheter is then removed and the volume reduction maintained.

As described in greater detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/296,951, from which the present application claims priority and which has been previously incorporated by reference, a catheter 10 as described herein may also be used to determine whether collateral ventilation is present in a lung. The '951 application describes a number of methods and devices for use in determining such collateral ventilation. Additionally or alternatively to those methods/devices, in one embodiment a catheter 10 (as described above) may be advanced through a bronchoscope and deployed as described in relation to FIGS. 5 and 6A-6D of the present application. In this embodiment, the catheter 10 includes at least one one-way flow element 22 within the lumen 18 of the catheter body 12. The hub 20 of the catheter 10 may then be detached, and the bronchoscope may be removed proximally over the catheter body 12, leaving the catheter body 12 in place in the patient. After a desired amount of time (anywhere from several minutes to twenty-four hours or more), an imaging study such as a CT scan may be taken of the patient's lung to see if the residual volume of the diseased lung compartment has decreased. Typically, this CT scan or other imaging study will be compared to a similar study taken before placement of the catheter 10 to determine if placement of the catheter has caused a reduction in residual volume in the lung compartment. If a reduction is noted, this may indicate that collateral ventilation is absent or minimal. This type of assessment may be used to help decide whether to treat a lung compartment further, such as with an implantable valve or blocking element.

In an alternative embodiment, the hub 20 of the catheter 10 may be left on, and the catheter 10 and bronchoscope may be left in the patient for a short time while an imaging study is performed.

While the above is a complete description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents may be used. Therefore, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims.

Minimally invasive methods, systems and devices are provided for qualitatively and quantitatively assessing collateral ventilation in the lungs. FIGS. 8A-8D illustrate an embodiment of a minimally invasive method in which a catheter 10 is advanced through a tracheobronchial tree to the feeding bronchus B of the target area C_s, the compartment targeted for treatment or isolation. The catheter 10 comprises a shaft 12 having at least one lumen therethrough and an occlusion member 15 mounted near its distal end. The catheter 10 is equipped to seal the area between the catheter shaft 12 and the bronchial wall such that only a lumen inside the catheter which extends the entire length of the catheter is communicating with the airways distal to the seal. The seal, or isolation, is accomplished by the use of the occlusion member 15, such as an inflatable member, attached to the distal tip of the catheter 10.

On the opposite end of the catheter 10, external to the body of the patient, a one-way valve 16, a flow-measuring device 48 or/and a pressure sensor 40 are placed in series so as to communicate with the catheter's inside lumen. The one-way valve 16 prevents air from entering the target compartment C_s from atmosphere but allows free air movement from the target compartment C_s to atmosphere. When there is an absence of collateral channels connecting the targeted isolated compartment C_s to the rest of the lung, as illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8B, the isolated compartment C_s will unsuccessfully attempt to draw air from the catheter lumen during inspiration of normal respiration of the patient. Hence, during exhalation no air is returned to the catheter lumen. In the presence of collateral channels, as illustrated in FIGS. 8C-8D, an additional amount of air is available to the isolated compartment C_s during the inspiratory phase of each breath, namely the air traveling from the neighboring compartment(s) C_s through the collateral channels CH, which enables volumetric expansion of the isolated compartment C_s during inspiration, resulting during expiration in air movement away from the isolated compartment C_s to atmosphere through the catheter lumen and the collateral channels CH. Thus, air is expelled through the catheter lumen during each exhalation and will register as positive airflow on the flow-measuring device 48. This positive airflow through the catheter lumen provides an indication of whether or not there is collateral ventilation occurring in the targeted compartment C_s.

This technique of measuring collateral flow in a lung compartment is analogous to adding another lung compartment, or lobe with infinitely large compliance, to the person's lungs, the added compartment being added externally. Depending on the system dynamics, some air may be expelled through the catheter lumen during exhalation in the absence of collateral channels, however at a different rate, volume and trend than that in the presence of collateral channels.

In other embodiments, the catheter 10 is connected with an accumulator or special container 42 as illustrated in FIGS. 9A-9D, 6. The container 42 has a very low resistance to airflow, such as but not limited to e.g. a very compliant bag or slack collection bag. The container 42 is connected to the external end or distal end 14 of the catheter 10 and its internal lumen extending therethrough in a manner in which the inside of the special container 42 is communicating only with the internal lumen. During respiration, when collateral channels are not present as illustrated in FIGS. 9A-9B, the special container 42 does not expand. The target compartment Cs is sealed by the isolation balloon 14 so that air enters and exits the non-target compartment C. During respiration, in the presence of collateral channels as illustrated in FIGS. 9C-9D, the special container 42 will initially increase in volume because during the first exhalation some portion of the airflow received by the sealed compartment C_s via the collateral channels CH will be exhaled through the catheter lumen into the external special container 42. The properties of the special container 42 are selected in order for the special container 42 to minimally influence the dynamics of the collateral channels CH, in particular a highly inelastic special container 42 so that it does not resist inflation. Under the assumption that the resistance to collateral ventilation is smaller during inspiration than during expiration, the volume in the special container 42 will continue to increase during each subsequent respiratory cycle because the volume of air traveling via collateral channels CH to the sealed compartment C_s will be greater during inspiration than during expiration, resulting in an additional volume of air being forced through the catheter lumen into the special container 42 during exhalation.

Optionally, a flow-measuring device 48 or/and a pressure sensor 40 may be included, as illustrated in FIG. 10. The flow-measuring device 48 and/or the pressure sensor 40 may be disposed at any location along the catheter shaft 12 (as indicated by arrows) so as to communicate with the catheter's internal lumen. When used together, the flow-measuring device 48 and the pressure sensor 40 may be placed in series. A one-way valve 16 may also be placed in series with the flow-measuring device 48 or/and pressure sensor 40. It may be appreciated that the flow-measuring device 48 can be placed instead of the special container 42 or between the special container 42 and the isolated lung compartment, typically at but not limited to the catheter-special container junction, to measure the air flow rate in and out of the special container and hence by integration of the flow rate provide a measure of the volume of air flowing through the catheter lumen from/to the sealed compartment C_s.

It can be appreciated that measuring flow can take a variety of forms, such as but not limited to measuring flow directly with the flow-measuring device 48, and/or indirectly by measuring pressure with the pressure sensor 40, and can be measured anywhere along the catheter shaft 12 with or without a one-way valve 16 in conjunction with the flow sensor 48 and with or without an external special container 42.

Furthermore, a constant bias flow rate can be introduced into the sealed compartment C_s with amplitude significantly lower than the flow rate expected to be measured due to collateral flow via the separate lumen in the catheter 10. For example, if collateral flow measured at the flow meter 48 is expected to be in the range of 1 ml/min, the bias flow rate can be, but not limited to one tenth (0.1) or one one-hundredth (0.01) of that amount of equal or opposite amplitude. The purpose of the bias flow is to continuously detect for interruptions in the detection circuit (i.e., the working channel of the bronchoscope and any other tubing between the flow meter and catheter) such as kinks or clogs, and also to increase response time in the circuit (due to e.g. inertia). Still, a quick flush of gas at a high flow rate (which is distinguished from the collateral ventilation measurement flow rate) can periodically be introduced to assure an unclogged line.

In addition to determining the presence of collateral ventilation of a target lung compartment, the degree of collateral ventilation may be quantified by methods of the present invention. In one embodiment, the degree of collateral ventilation is quantified based on the resistance through the collateral system R_coll. R_coll can be determined based on the following equation:

$\begin{array}{cc}❘\frac{\stackrel{\_}{P_b}}{\stackrel{\_}{Q_{\mathrm{fm}}}}❘=R_{\mathrm{coll}}+R_{\mathrm{saw}}& \left(1\right)\end{array}$ where R_coll constitutes the resistance of the collateral channels, R_saw characterizes the resistance of the small airways, and P_b and Q_fm represent the mean pressure and the mean flow measured by a catheter isolating a target lung compartment in a manner similar to the depictions of FIGS. 8A-8D.

For the sake of simplicity, and as a means to carry out a proof of principle, FIGS. 11A-11B depict a graphical representation of a simplified collateral system of a target lung compartment C_s. A single elastic compartment 31 represents the target lung compartment C_s and is securely positioned inside a chamber 32 to prevent any passage of air between the compartment 31 and the chamber 32. The chamber 32 can be pressurized to a varying negative pressure relative to atmosphere, representing the intrathoracic pressure P_p1. The elastic compartment 31, which represents the target compartment in the lung C_s, communicates with the atmospheric environment through passageway 88. In addition, the elastic compartment 31 also communicates with the atmospheric environment through collateral pathway 41, representing collateral channels CH of the target compartment of the lung C_s.

A catheter 34 is advanceable through the passageway 88, as illustrated in FIGS. 11A-11B. The catheter 34 comprises a shaft 36, an inner lumen 37 therethrough and an occlusion member 38 mounted near its distal end. The catheter 34 is specially equipped to seal the area between the catheter shaft 36 and the passageway 88 such that only the lumen 37 inside the catheter 34, which extends the length of the catheter 34, allows for direct communication between the compartment 31 and atmosphere. On the opposite end of the catheter 34, a flow-measuring device 42 and a pressure sensor 40 are placed in series to detect pressure and flow in the catheter's inside lumen 37. A one-way valve 16 positioned next to the flow measuring device 42 allows for the passage of air in only one direction, namely from the compartment 31 to atmosphere. The flow measuring device 42, the pressure sensor device 40 and the one-way valve 16 can be placed anywhere along the length of the catheter lumen, typically at but not limited to the proximal end of the catheter shaft 36. It should be appreciated that measuring pressure inside the compartment 31 can be accomplished in a variety of forms, such as but not limited to connecting the pressure sensor 40 to the catheter's inside lumen 37. For instance, it can also be accomplished by connecting the pressure sensor 40 to a separate lumen inside the catheter 34, which extends the entire length of the catheter 34 communication with the airways distal to the seal.

At any given time, the compartment 31 may only communicate to atmosphere either via the catheter's inside lumen 37 representing R_saw and/or the collateral pathway 41 representing R_coll. Accordingly, during inspiration, as illustrated in FIG. 11A, P_p1 becomes increasingly negative and air must enter the compartment 31 solely via collateral channels 41. Whereas during expiration, illustrated in FIG. 11B, air may leave via collateral channels 41 and via the catheter's inside lumen 37.

FIGS. 12A-12C illustrate measurements taken from the system of FIGS. 11A-11B during inspiration and expiration phases. FIG. 12A illustrates a collateral flow curve 50 reflecting the flow Q_coll through the collateral pathway 41. FIG. 12B illustrates a catheter flow curve 52 reflecting the flow Q_fm through the flow-measuring device 42. During inspiration, air flows through the collateral pathway 41 only; no air flows through the flow-measuring device 42 since the one-way valve 16 prevents such flow. Thus, FIG. 12A illustrates a negative collateral flow curve 50 and FIG. 12B illustrates a flat, zero-valued catheter flow curve 52. During expiration, a smaller amount of air, as compared to the amount of air entering the target compartment C_s during inspiration, flows back to atmosphere through the collateral pathway 41, as illustrated by the positive collateral flow curve 50 of FIG. 12A, while the remaining amount of air flows through the catheter lumen 37 back to atmosphere, as illustrated by the positive catheter flow curve 52 of FIG. 12B.

The volume of air flowing during inspiration and expiration can be quantified by the areas under the flow curves 50, 52. The total volume of air V₀ entering the target compartment 31 via collateral channels 41 during inspiration can be represented by the colored area under the collateral flow curve 50 of FIG. 12A. The total volume of air V₀ may be denoted as V₀=V₁+V₂, whereby V₁ is equal to the volume of air expelled via the collateral channels 41 during expiration (indicated by the grey-colored area under the collateral flow curve 50 labeled V₃), and V₂ is equal to the volume of air expelled via the catheter's inside lumen 37 during expiration (indicated by the colored area under the catheter flow curve 52 of FIG. 12B labeled V₄).

The following rigorous mathematical derivation demonstrates the validity of these statements and the relation stated in Eq. 1:

Conservation of mass states that in the short-term steady state, the volume of air entering the target compartment 31 during inspiration must equal the volume of air leaving the same target compartment 31 during expiration, henceV₀=−(V₃+V₄)  (2)Furthermore, the mean rate of air entering and leaving the target compartment solely via collateral channels during a complete respiratory cycle (T_resp) can be determined as

$\begin{array}{cc}\stackrel{\_}{Q_{\mathrm{coll}}}=\frac{V_0+V_3}{T_{\mathrm{resp}}}=\frac{V_2}{T_{\mathrm{resp}}}& \left(3\right)\end{array}$ where V₂ over T_resp represents the net flow rate of air entering the target compartment 31 via the collateral channels 41 and returning to atmosphere through a different pathway during T_resp. Accordingly, V₂ accounts for a fraction of V₀, the total volume of air entering the target compartment 31 via collateral channels 41 during T_resp, hence V₀ can be equally defined in terms of V₁ and V₂ asV₀=V₁+V₂  (4)where V₁ represents the amount of air entering the target compartment 31 via the collateral channels 41 and returning to atmosphere through the same pathway. Consequently, substitution of V₀ from Eq. 4 into Eq. 3 yieldsV₁=−V₃  (5)and substitution of V₀ from Eq. 2 into the left side of Eq. 4 following substitution of V₁ from Eq. 5 into the right side of Eq. 4 results in−V₄=V₂  (6)Furthermore, the mean flow rate of air measured at the flowmeter 42 during T_resp can be represented as

$\begin{array}{cc}\stackrel{\_}{Q_{\mathrm{fm}}}=\frac{V_4}{T_{\mathrm{resp}}}& \left(7\right)\end{array}$ where substitution of V₄ from Eq. 6 into Eq. 7 yields

$\begin{array}{cc}\stackrel{\_}{Q_{\mathrm{fm}}}=-\frac{V_2}{T_{\mathrm{resp}}}=-\stackrel{\_}{Q_{\mathrm{coll}}}& \left(8\right)\end{array}$

Ohms's law states that in the steady stateP_s=Q_coll·R_coll  (9)where P_s represents the mean inflation pressure in the target compartment required to sustain the continuous passage of Q_coll through the resistive collateral channels represented by R_coll. Visual inspection of the flow and pressure signals (FIG. 12C) within a single T_resp shows that during the inspiratory time, P_b corresponds to P_s since no air can enter or leave the isolated compartment 31 via the catheter's inside lumen 37 during the inspiratory phase. During expiration, however, P_b=0 since it is measured at the valve opening where pressure is atmospheric, while P_s must still overcome the resistive pressure losses produced by the passage of Q_fm, through the long catheter's inside lumen 37 represented by R_saw during the expiratory phase effectively making P_s less negative than P_b by Q_fm*R_saw. AccordinglyP_s=P_b+Q_fm·R_saw  (10)and substitution of P_s from Eq. 9 into Eq. 10 results inP_b=Q_coll·R_coll−Q_fm·R_saw  (11)after subsequently solving for P_b. Furthermore, substitution of Q_coll from Eq. 8 into Eq. 11 yieldsP_b=−Q_fm·(R_coll+R_saw)  (12)and division of Eq. 12 by Q_fm finally results in

$\begin{array}{cc}\frac{\stackrel{\_}{P_b}}{\stackrel{\_}{Q_{\mathrm{fm}}}}=-\left(R_{\mathrm{coll}}+R_{\mathrm{saw}}\right)& \left(13\right)\end{array}$

where the absolute value of Eq. 13 leads back to the aforementioned relation originally stated in Eq. 1.

The system illustrated in FIGS. 11A-11B can be represented by a simple circuit model as illustrated in FIGS. 13A-13C. The air storage capacity of the alveoli confined to the isolated compartment 31 representing C_s is designated as a capacitance element 60. The pressure gradient (P_s−P_b) from the alveoli to atmosphere via the catheter's inside lumen 37 is caused by the small airways resistance, R_saw, and is represented by resistor 64. The pressure gradient from the alveoli to atmosphere through the collateral channels is generated by the resistance to collateral flow, R_coll, and is represented by resistor 62.

Accordingly, the elasticity of the isolated compartment 31 is responsible for the volume of air obtainable solely across R_coll during the inspiratory effort and subsequently delivered back to atmosphere through R_saw and R_coll during expiration. Pressure changes during respiration are induced by the variable pressure source, P_p1 representing the varying negative pleural pressure within the thoracic cavity during the respiratory cycle. An ideal diode 66 represents the one-way valve 16, which closes during inspiration and opens during expiration. Consequently, as shown in FIGS. 14A-14B, the flow measured by the flow meter (Q_fm) is positive during expiration and zero during inspiration, whereas the pressure recorded on the pressure sensor (P_b) is negative during inspiration and zero during expiration.

Evaluation of Eqs. 1 & 8 by implementation of a computational model of the collateral system illustrated in FIGS. 11A-11B and FIGS. 13A-13C yields the graphical comparisons presented in FIGS. 15A-15D. FIG. 15A displays the absolute values of mean Q_fm(|Q_fm|) and mean Q_coll(|Q_coll|) while the FIG. 15B shows the model parameters R_coll+R_saw plotted together with |P_b/Q_coll| as a function of R_coll. The values denote independent realizations of computer-generated data produced with different values of R_coll while R_saw is kept constant at 1 cmH₂O/(ml/s). FIG. 15A displays the absolute values of |Q_fm| and |Q_coll| while FIG. 15C shows the model parameters R_coll+R_saw plotted together with |P_b/Q_coll| as a function of R_saw. The values denote independent realizations of computer-generated data produced with different values of R_saw while R_coll is kept constant at 1 cmH₂O/(ml/s). It becomes quite apparent from FIGS. 15A-15B that the flow is maximal when R_coll≈R_saw and diminishes to zero as R_coll approaches the limits of either “overt collaterals” or “no collaterals”. Accordingly, small measured flow Q_fm can mean both, very small and very large collateral channels and hence no clear-cut decision can be made regarding the existence of collateral ventilation unless R_coll+R_saw is determined as |P_b/Q_fm|. The reason for this is that when R_coll is very small compared to R_saw, all gas volume entering the target compartment via the collateral channels leaves via the same pathway and very little gas volume is left to travel to atmosphere via the small airways as the isolated compartment empties. The measured pressure P_b, however, changes accordingly and effectively normalizes the flow measurement resulting in an accurate representation of R_coll+R_saw, which is uniquely associated with the size of the collateral channels and the correct degree of collateral ventilation.

Similarly, FIGS. 15C-15D supplement FIGS. 15A-15B as it shows how the measured flow Q_fm continuously diminishes to zero as R_saw becomes increasingly greater than R_coll and furthermore increases to a maximum, as R_saw turns negligible when compared to R_coll. When R_saw is very small compared to R_coll, practically all gas volume entering the target compartment via the collateral channels travels back to atmosphere through the small airways and very little gas volume is left to return to atmosphere via the collateral channels as the isolated compartment empties. Thus, determination of |P_b/Q_fm| results in an accurate representation of R_coll+R_saw regardless of the underlying relation amongst R_coll and R_saw. In a healthy human, resistance through collateral communications, hence R_coll, supplying a sublobar portion of the lung is many times (10-100 times) as great as the resistance through the airways supplying that portion, R_saw (Inners 1979, Smith 1979, Hantos 1997, Suki 2000). Thus in the normal individual, R_coll far exceeds R_saw and little tendency for collateral flow is expected. In disease, however, this may not be the case (Hogg 1969, Terry 1978). In emphysema, R_saw could exceed R_coll causing air to flow preferentially through collateral pathways.

Therefore, the above described models and mathematical relationships can be used to provide a method which indicates the degree of collateral ventilation of the target lung compartment of a patient, such as generating an assessment of low, medium or high degree of collateral ventilation or a determination of collateral ventilation above or below a clinical threshold. In some embodiments, the method also quantifies the degree of collateral ventilation, such generating a value which represents R_coll. Such a resistance value indicates the geometric size of the collateral channels in total for the lung compartment. Based on Poiseuille's Law with the assumption of laminar flow,R∝(η×L)/r⁴  (14)wherein η represents the viscosity of air, L represents the length of the collateral channels and r represents the radius of the collateral channels. The fourth power dependence upon radius allows an indication of the geometric space subject to collateral ventilation regardless of the length of the collateral channels.

FIG. 16A illustrates a two-compartment model which is used to generate a method quantifying the degree of collateral ventilation, including a) determining the resistance to segmental collateral flow R_coll, b) determining the state of segmental compliance C_s, and c) determining the degree of segmental hyperinflation q_s. Again, C_s characterizes the compliance of the target compartment or segment. C_L represents the compliance of the rest of the lobe. R_coll describes the resistance to the collateral airflow. FIG. 16B provides an electrical circuit analog model. In this example, at time t=t₁, approximately 5-10 ml of 100% inert gas such as He (q_he) is infused. After a period of time, such as one minute, the pressure (P_s) & the fraction of He (F_hes) are measured.

The dynamic behavior of the system depicted in FIGS. 16A-16B can be described by the time constant τ_coll

$\begin{array}{cc}{\tau }_{\mathrm{coll}}=R_{\mathrm{coll}}·\frac{C_S{C}_L}{\underset{C_{\mathrm{et}}}{\underbrace{C_S+C_L}}}& \left(15\right)\end{array}$

At time t₁=30 s, a known fixed amount of inert gas (q_he: 5-10 ml of 100% He) is rapidly injected into the target compartment C_s, while the rest of the lobe remains occluded; and the pressure (P_s) and the fraction of He (F_hes) are measured in the target segment for approximately one minute (T=60 s). FIGS. 16C-16E illustrate the resulting time changes in volumes, pressures and gas concentrations in the target compartment C_s and the rest of the lobe C_L. Eqs. 16-21 state the mathematical representation of the lung volumes, pressures and gas concentrations at two discrete points in time, t₁ and t₂.

$\begin{array}{cc}{q}_s\left(t_1\right)=q_s\left(0\right)+q_{\mathrm{he}}& \left(16\right)\end{array}$ $\begin{array}{cc}{q}_s\left(t_2\right)+q_L\left(t_2\right)=q_s\left(0\right)+q_L\left(0\right)+q_{\mathrm{he}}& \left(17\right)\end{array}$ $\begin{array}{cc}{P}_s\left(t_1\right)=\frac{q_{\mathrm{he}}}{C_s}& \left(18\right)\end{array}$ $\begin{array}{cc}{P}_s\left(t_2\right)=\frac{q_{\mathrm{he}}}{\left(C_s+C_L\right)}& \left(19\right)\end{array}$ $\begin{array}{cc}{F}_{{\mathrm{he}}_3}\left(t_1\right)=\frac{q_{\mathrm{he}}}{q_s\left(t_1\right)}& \left(20\right)\end{array}$ $\begin{array}{cc}{F}_{{\mathrm{he}}_3}\left(t_2\right)=\frac{q_{\mathrm{he}}}{q_s\left(t_1\right)+q_L\left(t_2\right)}& \left(21\right)\end{array}$

As a result, the following methods may be performed for each compartment or segment independently: 1) Assess the degree of segmental hyperinflation, 2) Determine the state of segmental compliance, 3) Evaluate the extent of segmental collateral communications.

Segmental Hyperinflation

The degree of hyperinflation in the target segment, qs(0), can be determined by solving Eq. 16 for qs(0) and subsequently substituting qs(t₁) from Eq. 20 into Eq. 16 after appropriate solution of Eq. 20 for qs(t₁) as

$\begin{array}{cc}{q}_S\left(0\right)=q_{\mathrm{he}}\left(\frac{1-F_{{\mathrm{he}}_s}\left(t_1\right)}{F_{{\mathrm{he}}_s}\left(t_1\right)}\right)& \left(22\right)\end{array}$

Segmental Compliance

The state of compliance in the target segment, C_s, can be determined simply by solving Eq. 18 for C_s as

$\begin{array}{cc}{C}_S=\frac{q_{\mathrm{he}}}{P_s\left(t_1\right)}& \left(23\right)\end{array}$

Segmental Collateral Resistance

A direct method for the quantitative determination of collateral system resistance in lungs, has been described above. Whereas, the calculation below offers an indirect way of determining segmental collateral resistance.

The compliance of the rest of the lobe, C_L, can be determined by solving Eq. 19 for C_L and subsequently substituting C_s with Eq. 23. Accordingly

$\begin{array}{cc}{C}_L=q_{he}·\frac{P_s\left(t_1\right)-P_s\left(t_2\right)}{P_s\left(t_1\right)P_s\left(t_2\right)}& \left(24\right)\end{array}$

As a result, the resistance to collateral flow/ventilation can alternatively be found by solving Eq. 15 for R_coll and subsequent substitution into Eq. 15 of C_s from Eq. 24 and C_L from Eq. 25 as

$\begin{array}{cc}{R}_{\mathrm{coll}}=\frac{{\tau }_{\mathrm{coll}}}{C_{\mathrm{eff}}}& \left(25\right)\end{array}$

where C_eff is the effective compliance as defined in Eq. 15.

Additional Useful Calculation for Check and Balances of all Volumes

The degree of hyperinflation in the rest of the lobe, hence q_L(0), can be determined by solving Eq. 17 for q_L(0) and subsequently substituting qs(t₂)+q_L(t₂) from Eq. 21 into Eq. 17 after appropriate solution of Eq. 21 for qs(t₂)+q_L(t₂). Thus

$\begin{array}{cc}{q}_L\left(0\right)=q_{\mathrm{he}}·\left(\frac{F_{{\mathrm{he}}_s}\left(t_1\right)-F_{{\mathrm{he}}_s}\left(t_2\right)}{F_{{\mathrm{he}}_s}\left(t_1\right)F_{{\mathrm{he}}_s}\left(t_2\right)}\right)& \left(26\right)\end{array}$

Equation 26 provides an additional measurement for check and balances of all volumes at the end of the clinical procedure.

Claims

1. A method for detecting collateral ventilation into a lung compartment in a patient, said method comprising: sealing a distal end of a catheter in an airway feeding the lung compartment such that access to the compartment is provided only through a passage of the catheter;blocking air from entering the lung compartment through the catheter passage while the patient is inhaling by using a one-way flow element so that flow in a distal-to-proximal direction is allowed and flow in a proximal-to-distal direction is inhibited or prevented;measuring air flow or accumulation from the catheter over time using a flow-measurement device connectable to the catheter; anddetecting collateral ventilation based on the measured air flow or accumulation from the catheter over time.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the flow-measurement device comprises a slack collection bag.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein detecting collateral ventilation comprises calculating a degree of hyperinflation of the target lung compartment.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising injecting a compound into the lung compartment to block collateral flow channels.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the compound comprises a synthetic or biological glue.

6. The method as in claim 4, wherein the compound comprises a hydrogel.

7. The method as in claim 1, further comprising implanting a plug into the lung compartment to block collateral flow channels.

8. A method for evaluating a lung compartment comprising: sealing a distal end of a catheter in an airway feeding the lung compartment such that access to the compartment is provided only through a passage of the catheter;blocking air from entering the lung compartment through the catheter passage while the patient is inhaling by using a one-way flow element so that flow in a distal-to-proximal direction is allowed and flow in a proximal-to-distal direction is inhibited or prevented;measuring pressure within the lung compartment; anddetecting collateral ventilation based upon the measured pressure.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein detecting collateral ventilation comprises calculating a degree of hyperinflation of the target lung compartment.

10. The method as in claim 8, wherein detecting collateral ventilation comprises calculating a state of compliance of the target lung compartment.

11. The method as in claim 8, wherein detecting collateral ventilation comprises calculating collateral resistance of the target lung compartment.

12. The method as in claim 8, wherein a plurality of measurements of pressure are generated over a predetermined time period.

13. The method as in claim 8, further comprising injecting a compound into the lung compartment to block collateral flow channels.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein the compound comprises a synthetic or biological glue.

15. The method as in claim 13, wherein the compound comprises a hydrogel.

16. The method as in claim 8, further comprising implanting a plug into the lung compartment to block collateral flow channels.