Olympus Medical Systems has announced that a patient with severe emphysema has been treated using endobronchial valve treatment with FDA-approved Spiration Valve System (SVS).
Image: The FDA-approved Olympus Spiration Valve System is now market available for the therapeutic treatment of severe emphysema. Photo: Courtesy of Olympus Medical Systems Group.
The company said that professor and founding chair of the department of thoracic medicine and surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine of Temple University Gerard Criner has performed the minimally invasive procedure at Temple University Hospital.
Severe emphysema is a progressive form of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) that causes a loss of elasticity in lung tissue and enlargement of the alveoli.
The Spiration Valve is an umbrella-shaped device designed to be placed in the targeted airways of the lung during a short bronchoscopic procedure.
Once the SVS is placed in the airways, it redirects air from diseased parts of the lung to healthier parts and allows the healthier part of the lung tissue to expand and function more effectively. The procedure reduces the volume of the lung volume and facilitates the patient to breathe more easily.
Criner said: “Dyspnea, or shortness of breath, is the most significant limitation that affects an emphysematic patient’s quality of life. When we help alleviate dyspnea, we improve social function and work productivity, not only for patients, but also for their kids, their spouses, and all of those around them.”
US FDA has approved the SVS based on results from the clinical trial EMPROVE, which demonstrated that patients treated with the SVS have benefited with improvements in lung function and quality of life compared to standard of care medical management.
The company said that results from the previous clinical studies have shown that shorter procedure times may reduce the risk of adverse events. It claims that the SVS offers a favorable risk benefit profile, with a short procedure time.
Executive endotherapy and respiratory marketing director Lynn Ray said: “We are very pleased that doctors are now able to treat patients with the Spiration Valve System. Emphysema is a very debilitating disease that negatively affects quality of life.
“Although endobronchial valves are not right for every patient with severe emphysema, the treatment can be life-changing for those who are good candidates.”