Stiffening pharyngeal wall treatment
AssigneeRestore Medical, Inc.
InventorsAnja K. Metzger, Brian J. Erickson, John P. Sopp, Mark B. Knudson, Timothy R. Conrad
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Abstract
A pharyngeal airway having a pharyngeal wall of a patient at least partially surrounding and defining the airway is treated by selecting an implant dimensioned so as to be implanted at or beneath a mucosal layer of the pharyngeal wall and extending transverse to said wall. The implant has mechanical characteristics for the implant, at least in combination with a fibrotic tissue response induced by the implant, to stiffen said pharyngeal wall to resist radial collapse. The implant is implanted into the pharyngeal wall transverse to a longitudinal axis of the airway.
Claims13
A method for treating a pharyngeal airway having a pharyngeal wall of a patient at least partially surrounding and defining said airway, said method comprising:
- selecting an implant dimensioned so as to be implanted beneath a mucosal layer of said pharyngeal wall and extending transverse to said wall;
- said implant having mechanical characteristics for said implant, at least in combination with a fibrotic tissue response induced by said implant, to stiffen aid pharyngeal wall to resist radial collapse;
- and
- implanting said implant into said pharyngeal wall.
An apparatus for treating a pharyngeal airway having a pharyngeal wall of a patient at least partially surrounding and defining said airway, said apparatus comprising:
- an implant of bio-compatible material sized to be embedded within said pharyngeal wall;
- and
- said implant selected to have a stiffness to stiffen said pharyngeal wall after implantation in said pharyngeal wall, to resist radial collapse of said wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.