Devices and methods for treating sleep disorders
First Claim
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1. A medical device, comprising:
- an elongate member having a first end, a second end, and a length in between the first and second ends, wherein the elongate member further includes a housing having first and second magnets movably disposed therein, a first flexible member extending from the first magnet in a direction away from the second magnet, and a second flexible member extending from the second magnet in a direction away from the first magnet, and wherein the first end includes a first anchoring structure and the second end includes a second anchoring structure, and wherein a longitudinal tensile force in the elongate member is configured to increase as the length of the elongate member decreases.
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Abstract
Devices and methods for maintaining an open airway are described. Systems and methods are described for maintaining an opening of an airway by application of force to a patient'"'"'s tissues in one of inferior, anterior, and lateral directions.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. A medical device, comprising:
an elongate member having a first end, a second end, and a length in between the first and second ends, wherein the elongate member further includes a housing having first and second magnets movably disposed therein, a first flexible member extending from the first magnet in a direction away from the second magnet, and a second flexible member extending from the second magnet in a direction away from the first magnet, and wherein the first end includes a first anchoring structure and the second end includes a second anchoring structure, and wherein a longitudinal tensile force in the elongate member is configured to increase as the length of the elongate member decreases. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for altering a patient'"'"'s upper airway, comprising:
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providing an elongate member having a first end, a second end and a length therebetween, wherein the elongate member further includes a housing having first and second magnets movably disposed therein, a first flexible member extending from the first magnet in a direction away from the second magnet, and a second flexible member extending from the second magnet in a direction away from the first magnet; securing the first end of the elongate member to a first anatomical structure of the patient'"'"'s upper airway; and
securing the second end of the elongate member to a second anatomical structure of the patient'"'"'s upper airway, wherein the second anatomical structure is spaced from the first anatomical structure by a first distance, and wherein a tension in the elongate member is configured to increase as the length of the elongate member decreases. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 37)
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26. A Mthod of maintaining an open airway comprising:
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providing a first tension member and a second tension member, each tension member including a first end, a second end, and a length therebetween, wherein each tension member further includes a housing having a first and second magnets movably diposed therein, a first elongate member extending from the first magnet in a direction away from the second magnet, and a second elongate member extending from the second magnet ina direction away from the first magnet; securing a first end of each tension member to a patient'"'"'s hyoid bone; and securing a second end of each tension member to surrounding anatomical structure such that the tension members pull the hyoid bone in anterior and inferior directions, thereby increasing a luminal size of the airway, wherein the tension in the first tension member is configured to increase as the length of the first tension member decreases, and tension in the second tension member is configured to increase as the length of the second tension member decreases. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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38. A method for treating a sleep disorder, comprising:
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providing a tension member having a first end, a second end, and a length in between the first and second ends, wherein the tension member further includes a housing having first and second magnets movably disposed therein, a first elongate member extending from the first magnet in a direction away from the second magnet, and a second elongate member extending from the second magnet in a direction away from the first magnet, and wherein the first end includes a first anchoring structure and the second end includes a second anchoring structure; securing the first anchoring structure to a first anatomical structure of a patient'"'"'s upper airway; and securing the second anchoring structure to a second anatomical structure of the patient'"'"'s upper airway, wherein securing the second anchoring structure to the second anatomical structure causes the tension member to bias one of the first and second anatomical structures towards the other of the first and second anatomical structures to dilate the patient'"'"'s upper airway, and wherein tension in the tension member is configured to increase as the length of the tension member decreases. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of altering a patient'"'"'s upper airway, comprising:
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providing a device including an elongate member having a first end, a second end, and a length in between the first and second ends, wherein the elongate member further includes a housing having first and second magnets movably disposed therein, a first flexible member extending from the first magnet in a direction away from the second magnet, and a second flexible member extending from the second magnet in a direction away from the first magnet, and wherein a longitudinal tensile force in the elongate member is configured to increase as the length of the elongate member decreases; securing the first end to a first anatomical structure of the patient'"'"'s upper airway; and securing the second end to a second anatomical structure of the patient'"'"'s upper airway, wherein the second anatomical structure is spaced from the first anatomical structure by a first distance. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification