Treatment for sleep apnea or snoring
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for treating sleep apnea, comprising:
- a curved implant made of a biocompatible material, the curved implant having an open concave configuration, the curved implant having a curved length from a first end to a second end that extends 180 degrees around a circumference of a pharyngeal airway of a human;
the curved implant being sized and structured to be placed in or radially outwardly from lateral and posterior walls of the pharyngeal airway with the length of the curved implant extending generally laterally across the posterior wall and, when so placed, being effective in treating sleep apnea.
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Abstract
A pharyngeal airway having a pharyngeal wall of a patient at least partially surrounding and defining the airway is treated by selecting an implant dimensioned so as to be implanted at or beneath a mucosal layer of the pharyngeal wall and extending transverse to said wall. The implant has mechanical characteristics for the implant, at least in combination with a fibrotic tissue response induced by the implant, to stiffen said pharyngeal wall to resist radial collapse. The implant is implanted into the pharyngeal wall transverse to a longitudinal axis of the airway.
76 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for treating sleep apnea, comprising:
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a curved implant made of a biocompatible material, the curved implant having an open concave configuration, the curved implant having a curved length from a first end to a second end that extends 180 degrees around a circumference of a pharyngeal airway of a human; the curved implant being sized and structured to be placed in or radially outwardly from lateral and posterior walls of the pharyngeal airway with the length of the curved implant extending generally laterally across the posterior wall and, when so placed, being effective in treating sleep apnea. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for treating at least one of sleep apnea and snoring, comprising:
an appliance having only a single elongated element extending between first and second end portions, the appliance being sized for introduction into an oropharyngeal region of a human and deployable in a C-shaped deployed configuration in which the elongated element extends generally laterally across the posterior wall and the first and second end portions bear against and provide an opening force against lateral walls of the oropharyngeal region. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method for treating sleep apnea, the method comprising the step of:
providing an appliance made of a biocompatible material below a soft palate of a human in or radially outwardly from lateral and posterior walls of an oropharyngeal region of the human, the appliance having a laterally positioned element providing an opening force against the lateral walls of the oropharyngeal region. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification