Lung Volume Reduction Devices, Methods, and Systems

Abstract

The invention provides improved medical devices, therapeutic treatment systems, and treatment methods for treatment of the lung. A lung volume reduction system includes an implantable device having an elongate body that is sized and shaped for delivery via the airway system to a lung airway of a patient. The implant is inserted and positioned while the implant is in a delivery configuration, and is reconfigured to a deployed configuration so as to locally compress adjacent tissue of the lung, with portions of the elongate body generally moving laterally within the airway so as to laterally compress lung tissue. A plurality of such implants will often be used to treat a lung of a patient.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drug eluting implant for deployment within an airway of a lung of a patient for treating the lung of the patient, the implant comprising:
 an elongate spring element having a proximal end and a distal end, the elongate spring element configured to transition between a constrained delivery configuration and an unconstrained deployed configuration, wherein the elongate spring element in the unconstrained deployed configuration is biased to bend the airway of the lung so as to laterally compress a portion of the lung;   a drug eluting polymer or solvent coating on at least a portion of the elongate spring element; and   a drug configured to provide a therapeutic effect in combination with lateral compression of the lung portion by the elongate spring element, wherein the coating is configured to regulate a slow release of the drug.   
     
     
         2 . The drug eluting implant of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate spring element comprises a metal coil. 
     
     
         3 . The drug eluting implant of  claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic effect comprises controlled tissue scarring. 
     
     
         4 . The drug eluting implant of  claim 1 , wherein the drug comprises a small molecule drug, peptide, or protein. 
     
     
         5 . The drug eluting implant of  claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises a drug eluting polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The drug eluting implant of  claim 5 , wherein the drug eluting polymer coating comprises polyetheretherketone (PEEK). 
     
     
         7 . The drug eluting implant of  claim 6 , wherein the PEEK drug eluting polymer coating is glass filled or carbon filled. 
     
     
         8 . The drug eluting implant of  claim 5 , wherein the drug eluting polymer coating comprises polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), polyetherketone (PEK), polyetherketoneetherketoneketone (PEKEKK), polyetheretherketoneketone (PEEKK), polyaryletheretherketone, or polyketones. 
     
     
         9 . The drug eluting implant of  claim 5 , wherein at least one end of the coating is sealed. 
     
     
         10 . The drug eluting implant of  claim 5 , wherein at least one end of the coating is open to allow a user to flush the drug into or out of the coating. 
     
     
         11 . A method of reducing lung volume of a patient having a lung with an airway, the method comprising:
 deploying an elongate spring element from a constrained delivery configuration to an unconstrained deployed configuration in the airway of the lung, wherein the elongate spring element in the unconstrained deployed configuration is biased to bend the airway of the lung so as to laterally compress a portion of the lung;   wherein a drug eluting polymer coating on at least a portion of the elongate spring element regulates a slow release of a drug;   wherein the drug provides a therapeutic effect in combination with lateral compression of the lung portion by the elongate spring element.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the elongate spring element comprises a metal coil. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the therapeutic effect comprises controlled tissue scarring. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the drug comprises a small molecule drug, peptide, or protein. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the drug eluting polymer coating comprises polyetheretherketone (PEEK). 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the PEEK drug eluting polymer coating is glass filled or carbon filled. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the drug eluting polymer coating comprises polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), polyetherketone (PEK), polyetherketoneetherketoneketone (PEKEKK), polyetheretherketoneketone (PEEKK), polyaryletheretherketone, or a polyketone. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising flushing the drug into or out of the coating via at least one open end of the coating.