SINUS TUBE

• US 20110152875A1
• Filed: 02/09/2011
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: ENTrigue Surgical, Inc. (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Gonzales, Donald Albert
• Application Number:
  US13/024,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20110152875A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/202 Surgical middle-ear ventilation or drainage, e.g. permanent; Implants therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/002 Implant devices for drainage of body fluids from one part of the body to another intraocular A61F9/00781; middle ear A61F11/202
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50

Abstract

The inventive sinus tube provide a non-surgical approach to sinus disease. The tube once inserted in the ostia of a paranasal sinus provides the proper aeration and drainage of the sinus cavity. The tube stops the cycle of inflammation, stasis, infection, and continued inflammation associated with sinus disease. The tubes are inserted into the natural ostia of a patient or are inserted after a surgical procedure to enlarge the ostia. The invention also provides an instrument for inserting the inventive tube, methods of using the tube, and kits including the tubes.

Claims

1-46. -46. (canceled)

47. A method of maintaining a sinus ostium open for aeration and drainage, the method comprising:

providing a bioabsorbable tube having a first end, a second end, and a lumen extending between the first end and the second end;

providing an insertion device configured to insert the bioabsorbable tube into the sinus ostium, wherein the insertion device comprises a handle and an elongated tip;

engaging the bioabsorbable tube with the elongated tip of the insertion device;

inserting the bioabsorbable tube into the sinus ostium of a patient; and

disengaging the bioabsorbable tube from the elongated tip of the insertion device.

48. The method of claim 47 further comprising allowing the bioabsorbable tube to be absorbed by the patient.

49. The method of claim 47 further comprising waiting for an inflammation of the sinus ostium to subside and allowing the bioabsorbable tube to fall out of the sinus ostium.

50. The method of claim 49 further comprising allowing the bioabsorbable tube to enter the digestive tract of the patient.

51. The method of claim 47 wherein the ostium is a natural ostium.

52. The method of claim 47 further comprising visualizing the sinus ostium prior to inserting the bioabsorbable tube into the sinus ostium.

53. The method of claim 47 further comprising:

releasing a pharmaceutical agent from the bioabsorbable stent.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the pharmaceutical agent is configured to prevent adhesion of the bioabsorbable tube to the sinus ostium.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein the pharmaceutical agent is configured to prevent cell growth.

56. The method of claim 47 wherein the bioabsorbable tube comprises a coating.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein the coating comprises an antibiotic.

58. The method of claim 57 further comprising releasing the antibiotic into an area surrounding the sinus ostium.

59. The method of claim 56 wherein the coating comprises a steroid.

60. The method of claim 59 further comprising releasing the steroid into an area surrounding the sinus ostium to reduce the likelihood of adhesions or scarring.

61. The method of claim 56 wherein the coating comprises a cytotoxic agent.

62. The method of claim 56 wherein the coating comprises paclitaxel.

63. The method of claim 56 wherein the coating comprises a therapeutic agent.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein the therapeutic agent comprises a nucleic acid.

65. The method of claim 64 wherein the nucleic acid is deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

66. The method of claim 64 wherein the nucleic acid is ribonucleic acid (RNA).

67. The method of claim 64 wherein the nucleic acid is a protein.

68. The method of claim 64 wherein the nucleic acid is a peptide.

69. The method of claim 47 wherein the bioabsorbable tube comprises a polymer.

70. The method of claim 47 further comprising selecting a bioabsorbable tube based on a degradation profile of the material of construction.

71. The method of claim 47 wherein an outside surface of the bioabsorbable tube comprises a screw-like ridge.

72. The method of claim 47 wherein the bioabsorbable tube comprises a mesh material.

73. The method of claim 72 further comprising draining a sinus cavity through the mesh material.

74. The method of claim 47 wherein the bioabsorbable tube comprises a flange proximal to a first end of the bioabsorbable tube.

75. The method of claim 47 wherein the ostium is a natural ostium.

76. The method of claim 47, wherein the bioabsorbable tube comprises a plurality of openings in the wall and wherein the plurality of openings provide drainage from a sinus cavity proximal to the sinus ostium.

77. A method of maintaining a sinus ostium open for aeration and drainage, the method comprising:

providing a bioabsorbable tube having a first end, a second end, and a lumen extending between the first end and the second end;

providing an insertion device configured to insert the bioabsorbable tube into the sinus ostium, wherein the insertion device comprises a handle and an elongated tip;

engaging the bioabsorbable tube with the elongated tip of the insertion device;

inserting the bioabsorbable tube into the sinus ostium of a patient, wherein the sinus bioabsorbable tube is held in the sinus ostium as a result of inflammation of the sinus ostium;

disengaging the bioabsorbable tube from the elongated tip of the insertion device; and

allowing the bioabsorbable tube to fall from the sinus ostium after the inflammation of the sinus ostium has subsided.

78. The method of claim 77 wherein the bioabsorbable tube releases a pharmaceutical agent