Lung reduction apparatus and method

Abstract

An apparatus and method reduces the size of a lung. The apparatus includes a jacket of flexible fabric configured to cover at least a portion of the lung. A lace, carried by the jacket, collapses the jacket about the lung portion. The jacket may further include a drawstring circumscribing the jacket at the base for closing the open base of the jacket about the lung portion. The collapsing of the jacket may be employed for both reducing the size of the lung and maintaining the lung in a reduced size condition or the lung portion may be deflated prior to the placement of the jacket over the lung portion, in which case, the jacket serves to prevent re-expansion of the lung portion.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An implantable apparatus for reducing the size of a lung comprising: 
 a jacket of flexible fabric configured to cover at least a portion of a lung; and    collapsing means for collapsing the jacket about the lung portion.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the flexible fabric is an open mesh material.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the jacket includes an opening for applying the jacket to the lung portion, and a closed end.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the jacket includes a base defining the opening.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the collapsing means is carried by the jacket and comprises at least one lace extending from the closed end towards the base, the at least one lace including a cord having a pair of free ends which, when drawn, collapse the jacket about the lung portion.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  further including a guide tube having a distal end and a proximal end and wherein the free ends of the cord are threaded from the distal end of the guide tube to and through the proximal end of the guide tube.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the distal end of the guide tube is closely adjacent the base of the jacket.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the collapsing means includes a draw string circumscribing the jacket at the base, the draw string having a pair of free ends which, when drawn, close the open base of the jacket about the lung portion.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the flexible fabric is formed of polyester.  
     
     
         10 . A method of reducing the size of a lung, the method including the steps of: 
 disposing a jacket of flexible fabric over at least a portion of a lung; and    collapsing the jacket about the lung portion.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the open flexible fabric is an open mesh material.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the open mesh material is a polyester mesh.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  including the step of providing the jacket with a closed end and an opening to permit disposing the jacket over the lung portion.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the collapsing step includes lacing a cord on the jacket from the closed end towards the opening, the cord when laced having a pair of free ends, and pulling on the free ends of the cord to cause the jacket to collapse about the lung portion.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the collapsing step further includes tying the free ends of the cord together after the jacket is collapsed about the lung portion.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the collapsing step includes circumscribing the opening with a cord, the cord having a pair of free ends, and pulling on the free ends of the cord to collapse the opening of the jacket about the lung portion.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the collapsing step further includes typing the free ends of the cord together after the opening of the jacket is collapsed about the lung portion.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10  including the further step of deflating the lung portion prior to disposing the jacket over the lung portion.