Rewriting Life

Zapping Asthma

Jun 22, 2010

Patients who have asthma that is not controlled by drugs may benefit from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the Alair medical device. It uses a catheter with an expanding tip made of four electrodes. Inserted in a lung passageway by a medical professional, these electrodes deliver radio-frequency energy, destroying some of the smooth muscle tissue responsible for restricting the flow of air during an asthma attack.