The one-way<unk>  is typically implanted such that on exhalation air is able to flow through the valve and out of the lung compartment that is fed by that airway, but on inhalation, the valve closes and blocks air from entering that lung compartment. Thus, an implanted<unk>  typically helps a lung compartment to empty itself of air. This has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of emphysema, where lungs lose their elasticity and thus cannot contract sufficiently to exhale air, leading to air trapping and hyperinflation. When one or more diseased portions of an emphysematous lung are made to deflate and collapse, other healthier portions of the lung have more room in the chest cavity to inhale and exhale, pressure is removed from the diaphragm, and even the heart may function better as the hyperinflated lung becomes smaller. The amount of residual volume reduction achieved, correlates with the effects on FEV1, quality of life and exercise capacity.<unk> s have also been shown to be beneficial in treatment of persistent air leaks in the lungs. Their use in the treatment of tuberculosis and its complications has been studied resulting in promising outcomes but further studies are needed.<unk> s may be the first successful medical device treatment of emphysema, a disease that affects millions of people worldwide and has no known cure, being managed traditionally by lung transplantation and/or lung volume reduction surgery (though some people do not meet the eligibility requirements for one or both of these invasive procedures).
Endobronchial valve
Oropharyngeal airway
Heart valve
Lung cavity
Nasopharyngeal airway
Salve
Nasal cavity
Epigastrium