Lung Coils for Emphysema

A new way to help people with emphysema

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is the first center in North America to enroll patients into an FDA approved clinical trial that will test whether the insertion of small coils can collapse the diseased lung areas and improve lung function, along with exercise tolerance among patients with advanced emphysema. The study aims to recruit 315 patients in 30 different U.S. and European centers. The RENEW Lung Volume Reduction Coils provide a minimally invasive alternative to lung volume reduction surgery. European pulmonologists have been investigating the device for four years, but researchers at UPMC believe that only a large, randomized trial can medically prove the device's effectiveness. The coils are small, elastic, shape-memory coils that are made of a metal that is commonly used in medical implants. Researchers implanted up to 10 coils in wire form into the lung of one patient. After deployment the wires recoil, pulling in the damaged lung area so that the remaining, healthy lung can inflate and deflate more effectively while improving airway function and breathing both at rest and during exercise.
(Source: http://www.upmc.com/media/NewsReleases/2013/Pages/Patients-Trial-Coils-Emphysema-Lungs.aspx)
For study information contact: Christine Ledezma, UPMC Clinical Research Coordinator (412) 864-3368.