Stiffening pharyngeal wall treatment

• US 8,413,662 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Xomed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Xomed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Metzger, Anja K., Erickson, Brian J., Sopp, John P., Knudson, Mark B., Conrad, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh, Loan
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAMTU TRAN
• Application Number:
  US13/276,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20120031412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 128/848, 128/897, 128/898, 600/12, 606/191, 606/196, 623/9
• US Class Current: 128/848
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/20 Epiglottis; Larynxes; Tracheae combined with larynxes or for use therewith tracheae, bronchi per se A61F2/04 ; tracheostomy tubes A61M16/0465
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/046 Tracheae
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/56 Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04

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.

Claims

1. A method for treating obstructive sleep apnea of a patient by treating a pharyngeal airway having a pharyngeal wall at least partially surrounding and defining an airway, said method comprising:

selecting an implant dimensioned so as to be implanted at a mucosal layer of said pharyngeal wall, said implant having a longitudinal dimension;

said implant having mechanical characteristics for said implant to stiffen said pharyngeal wall to resist radial collapse;

implanting said implant into said pharyngeal wall with said longitudinal dimension extending at least partially around said pharyngeal wall, transverse to a longitudinal axis of said pharyngeal airway;

selecting a particulate material selected for limited migration within a tissue area and for encouraging a fibrotic response of tissue to said particulate material; and

injecting a bolus of said particulate material into said tissue area adjacent to the implanted implant to stiffen said tissue.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said particulate material is carried in a fluid carrier.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said particulate material has a multi-modal particle size distribution.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said tissue area is a soft palate of said patient.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said tissue area is a nasal mucosal surface of said patient.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said nasal mucosal surface is a nasal concha of said patient.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said tissue area is said pharyngeal wall of said patient.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein said tissue area is an epiglottis of said patient.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of said implant are implanted transverse to said longitudinal axis with said multiple ones spaced along said longitudinal axis.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein said implant is selected, to resist an upper airway suction closing pressure after implantation.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein said implant is selected to resist a pressure of about 4.4 cm H₂O.

12. A method for treating obstructive sleep apnea of a patient by treating a pharyngeal airway having a pharyngeal wall at least partially surrounding and defining an airway, said method comprising:

selecting an implant dimensioned so as to be implanted at a mucosal layer of said pharyngeal wall,

said implant having a longitudinal dimension;

said implant having mechanical characteristics for said implant to stiffen said pharyngeal wall to resist radial collapse;

selecting a site in the pharyngeal wall susceptible to collapse;

implanting said implant into said pharyngeal wall with said longitudinal dimension extending substantially parallel to an axis of said pharyngeal airway;

selecting a particulate material selected for limited migration within a tissue area and for encouraging a fibrotic response of tissue to said particulate material; and

injecting a bolus of said particulate material into said tissue area adjacent to the implanted implant to stiffen said tissue.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein said tissue area is a soft palate of said patient.

14. A method for treating obstructive sleep apnea of a patient by treating a pharyngeal airway having a pharyngeal wall at least partially surrounding and defining an airway, said method comprising:

selecting an implant dimensioned so as to be implanted at a mucosal layer of said pharyngeal wall and with said implant having a surface area;

said implant having mechanical characteristics for said implant to stiffen said pharyngeal wall to resist radial collapse;

implanting said implant into said pharyngeal wall with said surface area extending both longitudinally and transversely at least partially around an axis of said pharyngeal airway;

selecting a particulate material selected for limited migration within a tissue area and for encouraging a fibrotic response of tissue to said particulate material; and

injecting a bolus of said particulate material into said tissue area adjacent to the implanted implant to stiffen said tissue.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein said tissue area is a soft palate of said patient.