US 11,832,877 B2
Electrosurgical access sheath
Eric Gwerder, San Jose, CA (US); Thomas M Keast, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and Henky Wibowo, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to BRONCUS MEDICAL INC., San Jose, CA (US)
Appl. No. 16/496,425
Filed by BRONCUS MEDICAL INC., San Jose, CA (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 2, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/025756
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 21, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/187244, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 11, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/480,539, filed on Apr. 3, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0106381 A1, Apr. 15, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 18/14 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/1492 (2013.01) [A61B 90/37 (2016.02); A61B 2018/00077 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00541 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00601 (2013.01); A61B 2018/141 (2013.01); A61B 2090/376 (2016.02)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A minimally invasive surgical method for assisting a physician perform an ancillary surgical procedure on a region of interest (ROI) in a lung of a patient, the method comprising:
providing an access catheter comprising a flexible proximal section and a distal end comprising an active electrode, the access catheter further comprising a passageway extending from the proximal section to the distal end;
advancing the distal end of the access catheter through the airways of the patient and to a target site along an airway wall;
activating the active electrode while advancing the distal end of the access catheter into the airway wall at the target site, thereby creating an opening and capturing a cylindrical-shaped tissue plug;
advancing the distal end of the access catheter through the opening an estimated distance beyond the airway wall, through the lung parenchyma and to the ROI;
ejecting the tissue plug into the parenchyma of the lung; and
performing the ancillary surgical procedure on the ROI with an ancillary instrument through the passageway of the access catheter.