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
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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.
Claims29
A method for treating obstructive sleep apnea of a patient by treating a pharyngeal airway having a pharyngeal wall at least partially surrounding and defining said airway, said method comprising:
- selecting an implant dimensioned so as to be implanted at a mucosal layer of said pharyngeal wall, said implant having a longitudinal dimension;
- said implant having mechanical characteristics for said implant to stiffen said pharyngeal wall to resist radial collapse;
- and
- implanting said implant into said pharyngeal wall with said longitudinal dimension extending at least partially around said pharyngeal wall, transverse to a longitudinal axis of said pharyngeal airway.
An apparatus for treating obstructive sleep apnea of a patient by treating a pharyngeal airway having a pharyngeal wall at least partially surrounding and defining said airway, said apparatus comprising:
- an implant of bio-compatible material dimensioned so as to be embedded within said pharyngeal wall airway at a muscosal layer of said pharyngeal wall;
- said implant including an array of support members;
- said support members selected to stiffen said pharyngeal wall after implantation in said pharyngeal wall, to resist radial collapse of said wall.
A method for treating obstructive sleep apnea of a patient by treating a pharyngeal airway having a pharyngeal wall at least partially surrounding and defining said airway, said method comprising:
- selecting an implant dimensioned so as to be implanted at a mucosal layer of said pharyngeal wall, said implant having a longitudinal dimension;
- said implant having mechanical characteristics for said implant to stiffen said pharyngeal wall to resist radial collapse;
- selecting a site in the pharyngeal wall susceptible to collapse;
- and
- implanting said implant into said pharyngeal wall with said longitudinal dimension extending substantially parallel to an axis of said pharyngeal airway.
A method for treating obstructive sleep apnea of a patient by treating a pharyngeal airway having a pharyngeal wall at least partially surrounding and defining said airway, said method comprising:
- selecting an implant dimensioned so as to be implanted at a mucosal layer of said pharyngeal wall and with said implant having a surface area;
- said implant having mechanical characteristics for said implant to stiffen said pharyngeal wall to resist radial collapse;
- and
- implanting said implant into said pharyngeal wall with said surface area extending both longitudinally and transversely at least partially around an axis of said pharyngeal airway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.