Devices, systems, and methods to fixate tissue within the regions of body, such as the pharyngeal conduit

• US 7,360,542 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Apneon, Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Jinfang, Nelson, Lionel M., Boucher, Ryan P., Lax, Ronald G., Doelling, Eric N., Will, Allan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bianco; Patricia
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, KIANDRA CHARLE
• Application Number:
  US10/718,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20040149290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 128/848, 128/899
• US Class Current: 128/848
• 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 5/56 Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 11/16 Central respiratory analeptics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/20 Hypnotics; Sedatives

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods develop static and/or kinetic and/or pressure forces to fixate or brace tissue in targeted pharyngeal structures and individual anatomic components within the pharyngeal conduit.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a structure sized and configured for implantation in tissue within a tongue along an airway, the structure comprising a shape memory material dynamically changeable, when activated by external stimulus, from a first kinetic phase state having mechanical properties not significantly affecting native tongue tissue conditions to a second kinetic phase state different than the first kinetic phase state and comprising an elastically loaded condition having mechanical properties that fixate native tongue tissue conditions to resist collapse of the tongue in the airway.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shape memory material comprises a plastic material, and/or a fabric material, and/or a ceramic material, or a combination thereof.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shape memory material comprises a shape memory ferromagnetic material.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shape memory material comprises a thermal shape memory material.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external stimulus includes a magnetic field, or temperature condition, or electromagnetic energy, or a combination thereof.

6. A system comprising at least two apparatuses, at least one of the apparatuses comprising an apparatus as defined in claim 1.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein at least two of the apparatuses comprise an apparatus as defined in claim 1.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shape memory material comprises a metal material.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external stimulus includes electrical energy.

10. A method comprising

providing at least one structure sized and configured for implantation in tissue within a tongue along an airway, the structure comprising a shape memory material dynamically changeable, when activated by external stimulus, from a first kinetic phase state having mechanical properties not significantly affecting native tongue tissue conditions to a second kinetic phase state different than the first kinetic phase state and comprising an elastically loaded condition having mechanical properties that fixate native tongue tissue conditions to resist collapse of the tongue in the airway,

implanting the structure in a tongue when in the first kinetic phase state, and

resisting collapse of the tongue in the airway by applying the external stimulus to change the first kinetic phase state to the second kinetic phase state.