Needle with pre-loaded implant for snoring treatment

• US 6,578,580 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2002
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• 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: Knudson, Mark B., Conrad, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Application Number:
  US10/121,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20020108618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 128/897-898, 128/848, 600/12, 623/11, 623/9
• US Class Current: 128/897
• 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 2/0059 Cosmetic or alloplastic implants A61F2/10 - A61F2/16, A61F2/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices

Abstract

An apparatus for use in treating snoring of a patient suffering from snoring includes an implant of bio-compatible material sized to be embedded within the soft palate. The implant is disposed within a bore of a distal tip of a needle for penetration into the soft palate. The bore is sized to receive a rod from a proximal end of the needle with the rod opposing the implant to eject the implant from the distal tip upon relative sliding movement of said needle and said rod. The needle at the distal tip is perforated for fluid to flow through a wall of the needle into engagement with the implant. The implant is selected to altering a dynamic response of the soft palate to airflow past the soft palate.

Claims

1. A kit for use in treating snoring of a patient suffering from snoring attributable, at in least in part, to a snoring sound generated by oscillation of a soft palate of said patient in response to airflow past said soft palate, said kit comprising the following in combination:

an implant of bio-compatible material sized to be embedded within said soft palate and induce a stiffening of the soft palate to resist said oscillation;

a needle having a distal tip for penetrating into the soft palate, said needle having an axially extending bore;

said implant pre-loaded within said bore at said distal tip;

said bore sized to receive a rod from a proximal end of said needle with said rod opposing said implant to eject said implant from said distal tip upon relative sliding movement of said needle and said rod.

2. A kit according to claim 1 wherein said implant is provided with a stiffness to alter a dynamic response of said palate following placement of said implant in said soft palate.

4. A kit according to claim 1 wherein said implant is sized slightly greater than said bore for said implant to expand upon ejection from said bore.

3. A kit for use in treating snoring of a patient suffering from snoring attributable, at in least in part, to a snoring sound generated by oscillation of a soft palate of said patient in response to airflow past said soft palate, said kit comprising the following in combination:

an implant of bio-compatible material sized to be embedded within said soft palate and induce a stiffening of the soft palate to resist said oscillation;

a needle having a distal tip for penetrating into the soft palate, said needle having an axially extending bore;

said implant disposed within said bore at said distal tip;

said bore sized to receive a rod from a proximal end of said needle with said rod opposing said implant to eject said implant from said distal tip upon relative sliding movement of said needle and said rod; and

wherein said implant includes a material for promoting tissue in-growth into said implant following placement of said implant into said soft palate.

5. A kit for use in treating snoring of a patient suffering from snoring attributable, at in least in part, to a snoring sound generated by oscillation of a soft palate of said patient in response to airflow past said soft palate, said kit comprising the following in combination:

an implant of bio-compatible material sized to be embedded within said soft palate and induce a stiffening of the soft palate to resist said oscillation;

a needle having a distal tip for penetrating into the soft palate, said needle having an axially extending bore;

said implant disposed within said bore at said distal tip;

said bore sized to receive a rod from a proximal end of said needle with said rod opposing said implant to eject said implant from said distal tip upon relative sliding movement of said needle and said rod;

wherein said implant is provided with a stiffness to alter a dynamic response of said palate following placement of said implant in said soft palate; and

wherein said implant is formed of multiple fibers including fibers of a material for promoting tissue in-growth.

7. A kit according to claim 5, wherein the multiple fibers are braided together.

6. A kit for use in treating snoring of a patient suffering from snoring attributable, at in least in part, to a snoring sound generated by oscillation of a soft palate of said patient in response to airflow past said soft palate, said kit comprising the following in combination:

an implant of bio-compatible material sized to be embedded within said soft palate and induce a stiffening of the soft palate to resist said oscillation;

a needle having a distal tip for penetrating into the soft palate, said needle having an axially extending bore;

said implant disposed within said bore at said distal tip;

said bore sized to receive a rod from a proximal end of said needle with said rod opposing said implant to eject said implant from said distal tip upon relative sliding movement of said needle and said rod;

wherein said implant is sized slightly greater than said bore for said implant to expand upon ejection from said bore; and

wherein the implant is formed of multiple fibers that are twisted together along a length of the implant with the fibers having terminal ends at opposite ends of the implant.