Stiffening pharyngeal wall treatment
AssigneeRestore Medical, Inc.
InventorsAnja K. Metzger, Brian J. Erickson, John P. Sopp, Mark B. Knudson, Timothy R. Conrad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims15
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 within said pharyngeal airway;
- said implant having a mechanical characteristic of elasticity to be biased toward a rest position;
- and
- placing said implant into said airway with said implant biasing said airway to patency.
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 dimensioned so as to be implanted within said pharyngeal airway;
- said implant having a mechanical characteristic of elasticity to be biased toward a rest position selected to bias said airway to patency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.