Bronchoscopic RElease of Air Trapped in Hyperinflated Emphysematous Lung - Study 3

Inclusion criteria

• Subject is at least 40, but not older than 84, years of age.
• Subject has body mass index (BMI) of between 18 and 32, inclusive.
• Subject has completed a documented pulmonary rehabilitation program within 12 months prior to Baseline.
• Subject has mMRC score ≥ 2.
• Subject can walk ≥100 meters in 6 minutes.
• Subject has ≥25% emphysema destruction score in each lung as quantified on baseline HRCT scan (low attenuation area less than -950HU) as determined by the CT core lab.
• Subject has homogeneous or heterogeneous emphysema, and at least one lung has a 15% difference between upper and lower lobes in emphysema destruction score (-910HU) as determined by the CT core lab.
• Subject has bilateral heterogenous emphysema and pre-procedure post-bronchodilator RV ≥ 180% predicted, or one lung with homogenous emphysema and pre-procedure postbronchodilator RV ≥ 200% predicted.
• Subject has pre-procedure post-bronchodilator FEV1/ FVC \< 0.70.
• Subject has a pre-procedure post-bronchodilator FEV1 percent predicted of ≥15% and ≤45%.
• Subject has pre-procedure post-bronchodilator RV/TLC ≥ 0.55.
• Subject has pre-procedure DLCO ≥ 20%.
• Subject has been receiving optimal medical management tailored to subject needs for 2 months prior to enrollment.
• Subject has not actively smoked (including tobacco, marijuana, e-cigarettes, vaping, etc.) within the last 4 months, and agrees to smoking cessation during the study.
• Subject has received preventative vaccinations (or documented clinical intolerance) against potential respiratory infections, including pneumococcus, influenza, RSV (subjects \>60 yrs. old) and Covid-19, consistent with local recommendations or policy.
• In the opinion of the Primary investigator, subject can undergo bronchoscopy under general anesthesia and is able to adhere to the study follow-up schedule.
• Subject has provided written informed consent. *

Exclusion criteria

• Subject has known unresolved lower respiratory tract infection (e.g., pneumonia, mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection (MAI), fungus, tuberculosis).
• Subject has a steroid-dependent condition requiring (e.g. ≥10 mg oral corticosteroid per day).
• Subject has bilateral lobar emphysematous destruction scores of \>70% percent of voxels with \<-950 Hounsfield units on thin slice inspiratory CT, as determined by the CT core lab.
• Subject has arterial or capillary blood on room air: PaCO2 \> 50 mmHg (8 kPa) or PaO2 ≤ 45 mmHg (6 kPa).
• Subject has had ≥2 hospitalization for acute exacerbations of COPD or ≥3 moderate exacerbations/respiratory infections in the year prior to enrollment.
• Subject has had previous lung volume reduction surgery, lobectomy, pneumonectomy, segmentectomy, bullectomy, lung transplantation, vapor, glue, or other pulmonary device implant (unless the device has been removed at least 3 months prior to consent).
• Subject has known or suspected history of pulmonary arterial hypertension (e.g. PASP \> 50mmHg on echocardiogram in absence of confirmation on a right heart catheterization or mPAP \> 25mmHg on a right heart catheterization).
• Subject has presence of a giant bulla (≥ 30% of hemithorax).
• Subject has significant symptom burden due to currently active adult asthma based on GINA criteria and/or chronic bronchitis as their primary diagnosis.
• Subject has presence of suspicious radiological abnormalities on HRCT scan such as pulmonary nodule/infiltrate that in judgement of the PI, may require intervention during course of the study.
• Subject has clinically significant bronchiectasis (\>4 TBS / 45mL mucus production/day, per subject estimate) influencing subject's COPD symptoms.
• Subject has unresolved lung cancer.
• Subject has a serious medical condition that, in the Primary investigator's opinion, could compromise patient safety or confound the interpretation of the patient's response to therapy (e.g., congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy (documented LVEF ≤40%), or myocardial infarction in the past year, renal failure, liver disease cerebrovascular accident within the past 6 months, uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1c \>8%), uncontrolled hypertension (diastolic BP \>110 mmHg or systolic \>200 mmHg) or autoimmune disease requiring treatment with immunosuppressant medications or a disease requiring chemotherapy.
• Subject is on anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy for cardiovascular indications and, at the discretion of the Primary investigator, is unable to have anticoagulants withheld for a bronchoscopy procedure per institution's standard of care.
• Subject has invasive mechanical ventilator dependency.
• Subject is pregnant, lactating, or of childbearing potential and plans to become pregnant during study duration.
• Subject has known hypersensitivity to Nitinol (nickel-titanium alloy) or its constituent metals (nickel or titanium).
• Subject is significantly immunocompromised, such as organ transplant recipients, those with congenital immune deficiencies, AIDS, or severe rheumatoid arthritis.
• Subject has sensitivity or allergy to medications necessary for bronchoscopy under general anesthesia.
• Subject is currently participating in another study involving an investigational product that could confound the study results or affect the subject's COPD symptoms.
• Subject has within the 2 years prior to consent, had a severe respiratory infection with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) that required ICU support with non-invasive and/or invasive mechanical ventilation.