Systems, assemblies, and methods for treating a bronchial tree

摘要

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.

主权项

1. A method for treating a subject, comprising:
positioning an intraluminal device at a treatment location in a trachea or bronchus of the subject; and delivering energy from an electrode of the intraluminal device to a nerve trunk extending along the trachea or bronchus so as to damage the nerve trunk while cooling airway tissue disposed radially between the electrode and the nerve trunk to inhibit permanent injury to the airway tissue, wherein, before delivering energy, the nerve trunk is capable of transmitting nervous system signals to or from a portion of a lung distal to the treatment location, and delivering the energy damages the nerve trunk sufficiently to impede transmission of the nervous system signals through the nerve trunk such that airway resistance in the portion of the lung is reduced.