Nasal valve treatment method and apparatus
AssigneeMedtronic Xomed, Inc.
InventorsCharles Vassallo, Susan L. Critzer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for treating a nasal valve condition including surgically forming an access path to create a pocket on a side of the patient's nose. The pocket is positioned between a soft tissue layer and opposing surfaces of upper and lower cartilages of the nose. The pocket spans a junction between the upper and lower cartilages. An implant is placed through the access path into the pocket with a length oriented to span the junction. A delivery system for placement of the implant includes a surgical tool for forming the access path and for delivering the implant into the access path.
Claims4
An apparatus for use in a treatment of a nasal valve condition of a patient's nose where said treatment includes surgically forming an access path to create a pocket on a side of said nose with said pocket positioned between a soft tissue layer and opposing upper and lower cartilages of said nose, and with said pocket spanning a junction between upper and lower cartilages on said side of said nose;
- said apparatus comprising:
- a. an implant having a curvature, said implant having a length, width and thickness sized for said implant to reside within said pocket with:
- i. said length sized to span said junction,
- ii. said width sized to be less than a width of said upper and lower cartilages on said side,
- iii. said thickness separating first and second surfaces of said implant and said thickness sized to be smaller than either of said length and width, said first surface defining a concave surface with an open volume underneath the concave surface, said second surface defining a convex surface,
- iv. said implant is a disk with an annular flange having a diameter defined by the length and width, the length and width being equal, wherein the annular flange is flat and extends from the concave surface;
- b. said implant is non-collapsible in response to pressures and suctions within a nostril to prevent a collapse of said nasal valve and is configured to provide a tactile feel of the convex surface through the soft tissue layer to assist in locating the implant after implantation;
- and
- c. said implant includes a tissue in-growth surface, wherein said implant is made of a material selected from a group of:
- steel, titanium, PTFE, and hydroxyl apitite, and wherein the material is solid.
An apparatus for use in a treatment of a nasal valve condition of a patient's nose where said treatment includes surgically forming an access path to create a pocket on a side of said nose with said pocket positioned between a soft tissue layer and opposing upper and lower cartilages of said nose, and with said pocket spanning a junction between upper and lower cartilages on said side of said nose;
- said apparatus comprising:
- a. an implant having a domed body that includes an annular flange, said implant having a length, width and thickness sized for said implant to reside within said pocket with:
- i. said length sized to span said junction,
- ii. said width sized to be less than a width of said upper and lower cartilages on said side;
- iii. said thickness separating first and second surfaces of said implant and said thickness sized to be smaller than either of said length and width, said first surface defining a concave surface with an open volume underneath the concave surface, said second surface defining a convex surface,
- iv. said implant is a disk having a diameter defined by the length and width, the length and width being equal, wherein the concave surface has a radius of curvature of 6.0 millimeters, wherein the annular flange is flat with a diameter of 0.5 millimeters and extends from the concave surface;
- and
- b. said implant is further selected to prevent collapse of the nasal valve in response to inhalation pressures at said nasal valve and configured to provide a tactile feel of the domed body through the soft tissue layer to assist in locating the implant after implantation, and wherein said implant is made of a material selected from a group of:
- steel, titanium, PTFE, and hydroxyl apitite, wherein the material is solid.
An apparatus for use in a treatment of a nasal valve condition of a patient's nose where said treatment includes surgically forming an access path to create a pocket on a side of said nose with said pocket positioned between a soft tissue layer and opposing upper and lower cartilages of said nose, and with said pocket spanning a junction between upper and lower cartilages on said side of said nose;
- said apparatus comprising:
- a. an implant having a curvature with raised surface deformations located on the curvature, wherein the raised surface deformations are ribs that are configured to provide a tactile feel through the soft tissue layer to assist in locating the implant after implantation, said implant having a length, width and thickness sized for said implant to reside within said pocket with:
- i. said length sized to span said junction,
- ii. said width sized to be less than a width of said upper and lower cartilages on said side,
- iii. said thickness separating first and second surfaces of said implant and said thickness sized to be smaller than either of said length and width, said first surface defining a concave surface with an open volume underneath the concave surface, said second surface defining a convex surface,
- iv. said implant is a disk having a diameter defined by the length and width, the length and width being equal, wherein the curvature and a wall thickness of the implant define the height of the disk;
- and
- b. said implant is non-collapsible in response to pressures and suctions within a nostril to prevent a collapse of said nasal valve and wherein said implant is made of a material selected from a group of:
- steel, titanium, PTFE, and hydroxyl apitite, and wherein the material is solid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.