Stent for maintaining patency of a body region
AssigneeQuiescence Medical, Inc.
InventorsD. Russell Pflueger, Christopher Paul Thompson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for maintaining patency of a vessel or other body region is provided. The apparatus includes an appliance having a non-circumferential form and being effective in maintaining patency or openness, or causing to become patent or open, a body region in which the appliance is located. The appliance may be formed of a flexible metallic struts structured to be submucossally implanted into a wall of the vessel or other body region.
Claims20
An apparatus for maintaining patency of a vessel or other region of a human or animal body, the apparatus comprising:
- an appliance comprising a body portion and end portions spaced apart by the body portion,
- the appliance being structured to take on a deployed configuration when located within the vessel or other body region, such that the end portions are spaced apart from each other by other than the body portion, the end portions overlap each other, or the end portions directly contact each other, and
- the appliance being further structured to exert a force on the vessel or other body region, when the appliance is in the deployed configuration within the vessel or other body region, in order to maintain the region substantially open or unobstructed, or to cause the region to be maintained substantially open or unobstructed.
A method for maintaining patency or causing to become patent, open or unobstructed, a body region of a human or an animal, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a flat or pre-curved member having a body portion and end portions spaced apart by the body portion;
- pulling end portions of the flat or pre-curved member together to form a folded configuration;
- holding or temporarily securing the end portions together;
- placing the member in the folded configuration, into a body region to be treated;
- and
- releasing the end portions from being held or secured together, thereby allowing the member to expand within the body region.
A method for maintaining patency or causing to become patent, open or unobstructed, a vessel of a human or animal, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one elongated member having a desired stiffness and resiliency,
- implanting the elongated member submucosally into walls of the vessel in alignment with a longitudinal axis.
An apparatus for treating at least one of sleep apnea and snoring, comprising:
- an appliance comprising a single continuous loop comprising first and second end portions and two spaced apart elongated elements extending between the first and second end portions such that the loop defines an open interior space between the spaced apart elongated elements, the appliance being sized for introduction into an oropharyngeal region of a human or animal and deployable in a C-shaped deployed configuration in which the elongated elements extending generally laterally across the posterior wall and the first and second end portions bearing against and providing an opening force against the lateral walls of the oropharyngeal region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.