Methods and devices for treating sleep apnea and snoring

• US 10,195,010 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinguaFlex, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LinguaFlex, Inc.
• Inventors: Sanders, Ira
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Victoria J
• Application Number:
  US13/299,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20120227748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,636 Days
• Field of Search: 128848, 128846, 602902, 433140
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0419 H-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06052 Needle-suture combinations in which a suture is extending inside a hollow tubular needle, e.g. over the entire length of the needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/248 Operations for treatment of snoring, e.g. uvulopalatoplasty
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/308 with suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/00 Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents as cosmetic articles, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. wigs, hair pieces, A41G3/00, A41G5/00; artificial nails A45D31/00; dental prostheses A61C13/00; materials for prostheses A61L27/00; artificial hearts A61M60/00; artificial kidneys A61M1/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices

Abstract

Methods and devices to prevent and/or treat breathing disorders (e.g., upper airway disorders) in mammals related to impaired airflow are described. Methods and devices apply force to soft tissue that avoids obstruction of airflow in the mammel'"'"'s airway. Breathing disorders that are avoided by the methods and/or devices include apnea.

Claims

1. A method for treatment of a breathing disorder caused by a deformation of a tongue curve, the method comprising:

inserting a shaft of a tissue retractor through a mucosal covering of and into the tongue curve along a midline of a patient'"'"'s tongue;

positioning a retractor member of the tissue retractor on the mucosal covering of the tongue curve along the midline of the patient'"'"'s tongue, the retractor member located at or near a first end of the shaft; and

positioning an anchor member, connected to a second end of the shaft, on a mucosal covering that is the frenulum of the patient'"'"'s tongue, such that the anchor member is positioned along the midline of the patient'"'"'s tongue, the shaft between the retractor member and the anchor member such that the retractor member and the anchor member are on opposite sides of the patient'"'"'s tongue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the shaft, the retractor member, and the anchor member interact to establish a force along the midline of the patient'"'"'s tongue to displace the patient'"'"'s tongue and prevent the sleep breathing disorder caused by the deformation of the tongue curve.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the force along the midline of the patient'"'"'s tongue exerted to prevent the deformation of the tongue curve is between 10 grams to 100 grams.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an elasticity of the shaft generates a force to prevent the sleep breathing disorder caused by the deformation of the tongue curve.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the force along the midline of the patient'"'"'s tongue exerted to prevent the deformation of the tongue curve is between 10 grams to 100 grams.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the shaft or a portion of the shaft is distensible.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the amount of distensibility is between 0.01 cm and 10 cm.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the retractor member and the shaft are integrally formed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the shaft comprises one of a compressed elastic, a compressed spring element or a nitinol wire.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the shaft has a fixed length.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the shaft is flexible.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the shaft is rigid.

13. A method for treatment of a breathing disorder caused by a deformation of a tongue base, the method comprising:

inserting a shaft of a tissue retractor through a mucosal covering of and into the tongue base along a midline of a patient'"'"'s tongue;

positioning a retractor member of the tissue retractor on the mucosal covering of the tongue base along the midline of the patient'"'"'s tongue, the retractor member located at or near a first end of the shaft; and

positioning an anchor member, connected to a second end of the shaft, on a mucosal covering that is the frenulum of the patient'"'"'s tongue, such that the anchor member is positioned along the midline of the patient'"'"'s tongue, the shaft between the retractor member and the anchor member such that the retractor member and the anchor member are on opposite sides of the patient'"'"'s tongue.