| 摘要 |
<p>A device and a method for treating collapsed bronchial tubes found in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as asthma are provided. The device which has a balloon (12, 100) at a distal end delivers energy so that the tissue is indirectly, i.e., conductively, heated by contact with a heated surface of the balloon which has been in turn heated by a heated fluid (108). The method includes heating the bronchial tube to cause at least a portion of the tissue in the wall of the bronchial tube to undergo a structural transformation effective to render the wall capable of supporting a non-collapsed lumen. The procedure effectively reinforces the structural integrity of the wall and thereby prevents the lumen from collapsing.</p> |
