This new minimally invasive treatment is suitable for both acute and chronic conditions of the lung and is a promising new approach for treating diseased lung in emphysematous patients or damaged lung resulting in air leaks by limiting airflow to selected areas of the lung.

The IBV Valve is a device placed in the lung airway, that is designed to limit airflow to the portions of the lungs distal to the valve, while still allowing mucus and air movement in the proximal direction.

For emphysema and air leak treatment
For the treatment of diseased lung in emphysematous patients, the valve redirects air from the diseased portions of the lung to healthier areas and allows atelectasis if intended. Selected case studies have shown improvement of disease-related quality of life and lung function.

For the treatment of damaged lung resulting in air leaks, the valve limits airflow to injured tissue, which may enable healing. In selected cases prolonged post surgical air leaks as well as persistent and spontaneous secondary air leaks have been treated.

Patients with emphysema or prolonged air leak often have poor quality of life and functional status despite therapies. For emphysema, medications alone do not modify the long-term decline in lung function. Patients with prolonged air leak also suffer from reduced quality of life due to the need to stay in hospital, potentially for months. In either case, surgical options may have substantial risks with long recovery periods and are available to very few selected patients. The use of intra bronchial valves therefore offers less invasive and cost effective options for the most severe patients.

Valve deployment
The IBV Valve is implanted into the lung by using a catheter. The patented one-way valve self-expands and limits the airflow to the occluded airway while still allowing mucus and trapped air to pass by outside of the valve.

The novel mechanism of action of the IBV Valve System has already been examined during studies in the US and EU. The system has received the CE mark for treating diseased and damaged lungs and received FDA-HDE approval for management of prolonged air leaks. Find out more about IBV on www.olympus-europa.com/IBV .