Pharyngeal tissue fixation
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A patient'"'"'s pharyngeal wall is treated by inserting an expander member into the airway and positioning an active portion of the expander member in opposition to portions of the pharyngeal wall to be treated. The expander member is activated to urge the wall portions outwardly to an outwardly displaced position. The expander member is then deactivated while leaving the wall portions in the outwardly placed position and the expander member is removed from said airway. A further aspect of the treatment includes stabilization of at least a portion of the pharyngeal wall after compression of portions of the wall.
87 Citations
58 Claims
-
1-24. -24. (canceled)
- 25. An apparatus comprising a structure sized and configured for implantation in tissue within a pharyngeal wall, the structure including a region sized and configured to accommodate fixation of the structure to at least one vertebra.
- 50. An apparatus to brace or fixate tissue in targeted pharyngeal structures and/or individual anatomic components within the pharyngeal conduit comprising a kinetic structure sized and configured with a desired shape by virtue of magnetic forces that provide magnetic field resistance to shape change.
- 55. An apparatus to brace or fixate tissue in targeted pharyngeal structures and/or individual anatomic components within the pharyngeal conduit comprising a kinetic structure including a shape memory ferromagnetic material that provides resistance to shape change.
Specification