Implant systems and methods for treating obstructive sleep apnea
First Claim
1. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising:
- providing an elongated element including a central area having first and second ends, a first arm extending from the first end of the central area, and a second arm extending from the second end of the central area, said first and second arms having integral anchoring elements provided at distal, free ends of said first and second arms;
implanting the central area of said elongated element in a tongue;
advancing said first and second arms through said tongue until said distal, free ends of said first and second arms engage inframandibular musculature;
applying tension to said first and second arms for moving a posterior surface of said tongue away from an opposing surface of a pharyngeal wall;
directly engaging soft tissue in the inframandibular musculature with said integral anchoring elements provided at said distal, free ends of said first and second arms for anchoring said first and second arms to the inframandibular musculature.
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Abstract
A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea includes providing an elongated element having a central buttress area and first and second arms extending from opposite ends of the central buttress area. The method includes implanting the central buttress area in a tongue so that a longitudinal axis of the central buttress area intersects an anterior-posterior axis of the tongue. The first and second arms are advanced through the tongue until the first and second arms engage inframandibular musculature. Tension is applied to the first and second arms for pulling the central buttress area toward the inframandibular musculature for moving a posterior surface of the tongue away from an opposing surface of a pharyngeal wall. The first and second arms are anchored to the inframandibular musculature for maintaining a space between the posterior surface of the tongue and the opposing surface of the pharyngeal wall.
945 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising:
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providing an elongated element including a central area having first and second ends, a first arm extending from the first end of the central area, and a second arm extending from the second end of the central area, said first and second arms having integral anchoring elements provided at distal, free ends of said first and second arms; implanting the central area of said elongated element in a tongue; advancing said first and second arms through said tongue until said distal, free ends of said first and second arms engage inframandibular musculature; applying tension to said first and second arms for moving a posterior surface of said tongue away from an opposing surface of a pharyngeal wall; directly engaging soft tissue in the inframandibular musculature with said integral anchoring elements provided at said distal, free ends of said first and second arms for anchoring said first and second arms to the inframandibular musculature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising:
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providing an elongated element including a central buttress area having a first end and a second end, a first arm extending from the first end of said central buttress area, and a second arm extending from the second end of said central buttress area, said first and second arms having integral anchoring elements provided at distal, free ends thereof, wherein said central buttress area has a larger cross-sectional width than said first and second arms; implanting said central buttress area of said elongated element in a tongue so that a longitudinal axis of said central buttress area intersects an anterior-posterior axis of said tongue; advancing said first and second arms through said tongue until said distal, free ends of said first and second arms engage the inframandibular musculature; applying tension to said first and second arms for pulling said central buttress area toward the inframandibular musculature so as to move a posterior surface of said tongue away from an opposing surface of a pharyngeal wall; anchoring said first and second arms to the inframandibular musculature, wherein said tissue anchoring elements provided at said distal, free ends of said first and second arms directly engage soft tissue in the inframandibular musculature for providing a soft tissue anchor for said implant. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification