Airway implant and delivery tool

• US 20050154412A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Restore Medical, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Restore Medical, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Frigstad, John R., Sopp, John P., Erickson, Brian J., Krueger, Kurt D., Walter, Larry A.
• Application Number:
  US11/066,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154412A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/185
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/24 for use in the oral cavity, larynx, bronchial passages or nose for medical inspection of cavities or tubes in the body A61B1/00; Tongue scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/248 Operations for treatment of snoring, e.g. uvulopalatoplasty
• 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 2/0077 Special surfaces of prostheses, e.g. for improving ingrowth A61F2/30767 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/20 Epiglottis; Larynxes; Tracheae combined with larynxes or for use therewith tracheae, bronchi per se A61F2/04 ; tracheostomy tubes A61M16/0465
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/56 Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0069 Devices for implanting pellets, e.g. markers or solid medicaments for introducing of radioactive sources for interstitial radiation therapy, i.e. brachytherapy A61N5/1027

Abstract

An apparatus for treating an airway condition of a patient includes a handle sized to be hand-grasped by an operator and having an actuator mechanism to be selectively actuated by said operator. A needle is fixedly connected to the handle. The needle has an axially extending bore and a distal tip for penetrating into the airway tissue. An implant is disposed within said bore at the distal tip. The implant is formed of biocompatible material and is sized to be embedded within a tissue of said airway. The implant is ejected from the distal tip upon actuation of the actuator. The actuator has an indicator for indicating a position of the actuator and a lock for preventing movement of the actuator opposite a deployment direction.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in treating an airway condition of a patient, said apparatus comprising:

a handle sized to be hand-grasped by an operator;

a barrel connected to said handle and having a barrel cavity accessible through a barrel opening, said cavity extending axially from said opening to a distal end;

a needle retention portion positioned distal to said barrel;

a needle having a distal tip for penetrating into said tissue, said needle having an axially extending bore, said needle retained within said needle retention portion and with a proximal end of said needle opposing said distal end of said barrel;

an implant of biocompatible material sized to be embedded within a tissue of said airway, said implant disposed within said needle bore at said distal tip;

an actuator disposed within said barrel cavity and movable in a deployment direction from said barrel opening toward said distal end of said barrel cavity, said actuator adapted to urge said implant from said distal tip as said actuator is moved in said deployment direction;

an indicator indicating a relative positioning of said actuator within said barrel cavity.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a stop for inhibiting movement of said actuator in a direction opposite said deployment direction.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a lock for releasably locking said actuator in a first position within said barrel cavity.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

an obturator disposed for slideable movement within said bore of said needle;

said actuator including a driver positioned to move said obturator toward said implant upon movement of said actuator in said deployment direction.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said needle is bonded to said needle retention portion.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said implant is adapted to alter a dynamic response of said tissue following placement of said implant in said tissue.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said implant includes a material for promoting tissue in-growth into said implant following placement of said implant into said tissue.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said implant is sized slightly greater than said bore for said implant to expand upon ejection from said bore.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said implant is formed of multiple fibers including fibers of said material for promoting tissue in-growth.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the multiple fibers are twisted together along a length of the implant with the fibers having terminal ends at opposite ends of the implant.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the multiple fibers are braided together.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the handle includes a pistol grip having a textured gripping surface.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the textured gripping surface includes a plurality of generally parallel ribs.