Apparatus and methods for treating sleep apnea
First Claim
1. A method for treating at least one of sleep apnea and snoring in a human or an animal having an oropharyngeal region with lateral and posterior walls, the method comprising:
- providing an appliance comprising at least one element having a length extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the at least one element is substantially bow shaped with the appliance at rest, the appliance comprising a central body portion between end portions adjacent the first and second ends;
inserting the appliance into an oropharyngeal region in a constrained configuration; and
releasing the appliance within the oropharyngeal region, thereby allowing the appliance to expand radially within the oropharyngeal region so that the central body portion extends generally laterally across the posterior wall and the end portions support the lateral walls of the oropharyngeal region.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for treating sleep apnea and/or snoring is provided. The apparatus includes an appliance sized and structured to be placed in the pharyngeal region of a human or animal and being effective in treating sleep apnea and/or snoring, for example in maintaining openness of an oropharyngeal region of a human or animal during natural sleep, advantageously while not interfering with normal functioning of the epiglottis. The appliance may be made of a super elastic material, for example, Nitinol, and may be submucossally implanted in the pharyngeal walls.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A method for treating at least one of sleep apnea and snoring in a human or an animal having an oropharyngeal region with lateral and posterior walls, the method comprising:
-
providing an appliance comprising at least one element having a length extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the at least one element is substantially bow shaped with the appliance at rest, the appliance comprising a central body portion between end portions adjacent the first and second ends; inserting the appliance into an oropharyngeal region in a constrained configuration; and releasing the appliance within the oropharyngeal region, thereby allowing the appliance to expand radially within the oropharyngeal region so that the central body portion extends generally laterally across the posterior wall and the end portions support the lateral walls of the oropharyngeal region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method for treating at least one of sleep apnea and snoring, comprising:
- introducing an appliance into an oropharyngeal region of a patient, the appliance comprising a transverse portion between end portions, the transverse portion being substantially bow shaped with the appliance at rest; and
securing the appliance within the oropharyngeal region such that the transverse portion extends along a posterior wall and at least partially around opposite lateral walls of the oropharyngeal region and the end portions support the tongue;
wherein introducing the appliance into the oropharyngeal region comprises;
inserting the appliance into the oropharyngeal region in a constrained configuration; and
expanding the appliance to a deployed configuration within the oropharyngeal region. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- introducing an appliance into an oropharyngeal region of a patient, the appliance comprising a transverse portion between end portions, the transverse portion being substantially bow shaped with the appliance at rest; and
-
20. A method for treating at least one of sleep apnea and snoring in a human or an animal having an oropharyngeal region with lateral and posterior walls, comprising:
-
providing an appliance comprising an element having a length extending along a transverse portion from a first end portion to a second end portion, the element being substantially bow shaped with the appliance at rest; inserting the appliance into an oropharyngeal region in a constrained configuration; and releasing the appliance within the oropharyngeal region, thereby allowing the appliance to expand radially within the oropharyngeal region so that the transverse portion extends generally laterally across the posterior wall and supports the lateral walls of the oropharyngeal region. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. A method for maintaining the patency of an airway of a patient, comprising:
- introducing an appliance into an oropharyngeal region of the patient, the appliance comprising a transverse portion between spaced apart end portions, the transverse portion being substantially bow shaped with the appliance at rest, the appliance having a length between the spaced apart end portions and a height transverse to the length, the length greater than the height; and
securing the appliance within the oropharyngeal region such that the transverse portion extends at least partially around the oropharyngeal region and the end portions push the tongue forward to hold the airway patent;
wherein introducing the appliance into the oropharyngeal region comprises;
inserting the appliance into the oropharyngeal region in a constrained configuration; and
expanding the appliance to a deployed configuration within the oropharyngeal region. - View Dependent Claims (29)
- introducing an appliance into an oropharyngeal region of the patient, the appliance comprising a transverse portion between spaced apart end portions, the transverse portion being substantially bow shaped with the appliance at rest, the appliance having a length between the spaced apart end portions and a height transverse to the length, the length greater than the height; and
Specification