Devices, systems, and methods to fixate tissue within the regions of body, such as the pharyngeal conduit
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsLionel M. Nelson, Jinfang Liu, Ryan P. Boucher, Eric N. Doelling, J. Greg Stine, Lawrence R. Jones
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Abstract
Systems and methods incorporate implant structures, and/or implantation devices, and/or surgical implantation techniques, to make possible the treatment of physiologic conditions, such as sleep disordered breathing, with enhanced effectiveness.
Claims18
An implant comprising a biocompatible flexible polymer matrix, and a plurality of magnetic particles bound within the biocompatible flexible polymer matrix in a desired ratio of magnetic particles to a biocompatible polymer and being magnetized to possess a desired polarity, the desired ratio providing flexure of the polymer matrix between the magnetic particles, the biocompatible flexible polymer matrix being sized and configured for implanting in a tissue region along a pharyngeal conduit to magnetically interact with a source of magnetic force.
A magnetic force system comprising
- an implant comprising a biocompatible flexible polymer matrix, and a plurality of magnetic particles bound within the biocompatible flexible polymer matrix in a desired ratio of magnetic particles to a biocompatible polymer and being magnetized to possess a desired polarity, the desired ratio providing flexure of the polymer matrix between the magnetic particles, the biocompatible flexible polymer matrix being sized and configured for implanting in a tissue region along a pharyngeal conduit to magnetically interact with a source of magnetic force, and
- a source of magnetic force sized and configured for placement to magnetically interact with the implant to resist collapse of the tissue region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.