Snoring treatment

• US 6,401,717 B1
• Filed: 11/05/1999
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snoring Center USA, LLC
• Original Assignee: Restore Medical, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Griffin, Jerry C., Knudson, Mark B., Conrad, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Application Number:
  US09/434,653
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 128/898, 128/897, 128/848, 600/12, 623/11, 623/9
• US Class Current: 128/897
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for treating snoring of a patient includes providing an implant for altering a dynamic response of a soft palate of the patient to airflow past the soft palate. The implant is embedded in the soft palate to alter the dynamic response. For example, the implant has a mass, stiffness or dampening sufficient to alter the dynamic response following the implantation without substantially impairing a function of the soft palate to close a nasal passage of the patient during swallowing.

Claims

1. A method for treating a soft palate of a patient, said method comprising:

placing an implant in the soft palate;

said implant formed, at least in part, from a fibrosis-inducing material to induce a fibrotic response of the soft palate following placement of said implant in said soft palate;

said material sized for said fibrotic response to alter a dynamic response of the soft palate to air flow past the soft palate.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said implant is selected to have a longitudinal dimension and a narrower transverse dimension with said implant sized to be imbedded within said soft palate, and implanting said implant within said soft palate with said longitudinal dimension extending in a path generally from a front of said patient toward a back of said patient.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said implant has a stiffness selected to stiffen said soft palate to alter said dynamic response following said implantation without substantially impairing a function of said soft palate to close a nasal passage of said patient from a pharynx of said patient during swallowing.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said material is polyester.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said implant is adapted to be collapsed in size for implantation and enlarged in size within the soft palate following implantation.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said implant includes a resilient member for urging said implant to said enlarged size.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said resilient member is a frame contained within said material.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said frame extends substantially around a perimeter of said material.

9. An apparatus for treating a soft palate of a patient, said apparatus comprising:

an implant of bio-compatible material sized to be inserted into the soft palate;

said implant formed, at least in part, from a fibrosis-inducing material to induce a fibrotic stiffening of the soft palate following placement of said implant in said soft palate;

said implant adapted to be collapsed in size to a collapsed state for implantation through a wound into said soft palate and enlarged in size within the soft palate following implantation.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said implant includes a resilient member for urging said implant to said enlarged size.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said resilient member is a frame contained within said material.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said frame extends substantially around a perimeter of said material.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said material is polyester.