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US 12,636,058 B2Granted
Methods and devices to treat nasal airways
AssigneeAerin Medical Inc.
InventorsScott J. Wolf, Andrew Frazier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and devices for treating nasal airways are provided. Such devices and methods may improve airflow through an internal and/or external nasal valve, and comprise the use of mechanical re-shaping, energy application and other treatments to modify the shape, structure, and/or air flow characteristics of an internal nasal valve, an external nasal valve or other nasal airways.
Claims22
A method for treating a nasal cavity of a patient, the method comprising:
- advancing a treatment element of a treatment device into a nostril of the patient;
- contacting multiple electrodes on the treatment element with mucosa lining the nasal cavity;
- measuring tissue impedance in the mucosa and the submucosal tissue between a first electrode of the multiple electrodes and a second electrode of the multiple electrodes, using an impedance sensor in a control system coupled with the treatment device;
- determining, with the control system, at least one of an amount of time to deliver radiofrequency energy or an amount of the radiofrequency energy to deliver, based on the tissue impedance;
- and
- delivering radiofrequency energy from the first electrode of the multiple electrodes, through the mucosa, into a submucosal tissue, and then to the second electrode of the multiple electrodes, while leaving at least a third electrode of the multiple electrodes in an inactive state,
- wherein delivering the radiofrequency energy from the first electrode to the second electrode changes a property of the submucosal tissue.
4 more elements
A method for treating a nasal cavity of a patient, the method comprising:
- advancing a treatment element of a treatment device into a nostril of the patient;
- contacting multiple electrodes on the treatment element with mucosa lining the nasal cavity;
- delivering radiofrequency energy from a first electrode of the multiple electrodes, through the mucosa, into a submucosal tissue, and then to a second electrode of the multiple electrodes, while leaving at least a third electrode of the multiple electrodes in an inactive state,
- delivering radiofrequency energy from the third electrode to a fourth electrode of the multiple electrodes;
- measuring a first impedance in the mucosa and the submucosal tissue between the first electrode and the second electrode, using an impedance sensor in a control system coupled with the treatment device;
- measuring a second impedance between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, using the impedance sensor;
- and
- determining, with the control system, that at least one of the third electrode or the fourth electrode is not in contact with the mucosa, based on the second impedance,
- wherein delivering the radiofrequency energy from the first electrode to the second electrode changes a property of the submucosal tissue.
6 more elements
A method for treating a nasal cavity of a patient, the method comprising:
- advancing a treatment element of a treatment device into a nostril of the patient;
- contacting multiple electrodes on the treatment element with mucosa lining the nasal cavity;
- and
- delivering radiofrequency energy from a first electrode of the multiple electrodes, through the mucosa, into a submucosal tissue, and then to a second electrode of the multiple electrodes, while leaving at least a third electrode of the multiple electrodes in an inactive state,
- wherein the submucosal tissue comprises nerve tissue,
- wherein delivering the radiofrequency energy from the first electrode to the second electrode ablates the nerve tissue.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.