Partially erodable systems for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea
First Claim
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1. A method of maintaining airway patency in an airway of a patient, the method comprising:
- implanting a device into tissue adjacent an airway, the device having at least one bioerodable fiber wound around a resiliently deformable body to temporarily maintain the deformable body in a stretched, deformed state, the device further having at least one tissue anchor configured to affix to the tissue adjacent the airway, wherein the at least one bioerodable fiber comprises a plurality of coil sections that each run generally transverse to a longitudinal direction of the resiliently deformable body, the coil sections abutting one another in the longitudinal direction to provide a column force to overcome a contracting force of the body until the at least one bioerodable fiber is permitted to bioerode; and
permitting the at least one bioerodable fiber of the device to bioerode to release the deformable body from its stretched, deformed state, thereby allowing the deformable body to contract to apply the contracting force from the at least one tissue anchor to affixed tissue adjacent the airway to maintain airway patency.
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Abstract
A method of maintaining airway patency in an airway of a patient which includes the steps of implanting a device into tissue adjacent an airway, the device having a bioerodable material wound around a resiliently deformable body to temporarily maintain the deformable body in a stretched, deformed state, and permitting the bioerodable material of the device to bioerode to apply a force to maintain airway patency. The invention also provides devices for practicing the method.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of maintaining airway patency in an airway of a patient, the method comprising:
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implanting a device into tissue adjacent an airway, the device having at least one bioerodable fiber wound around a resiliently deformable body to temporarily maintain the deformable body in a stretched, deformed state, the device further having at least one tissue anchor configured to affix to the tissue adjacent the airway, wherein the at least one bioerodable fiber comprises a plurality of coil sections that each run generally transverse to a longitudinal direction of the resiliently deformable body, the coil sections abutting one another in the longitudinal direction to provide a column force to overcome a contracting force of the body until the at least one bioerodable fiber is permitted to bioerode; and permitting the at least one bioerodable fiber of the device to bioerode to release the deformable body from its stretched, deformed state, thereby allowing the deformable body to contract to apply the contracting force from the at least one tissue anchor to affixed tissue adjacent the airway to maintain airway patency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of maintaining airway patency in an airway of a patient, the method comprising:
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implanting a device into tissue adjacent an airway, the device having at least one bioerodable fiber wound around a resiliently deformable body to temporarily maintain the deformable body in a stretched, deformed state, wherein the at least one bioerodable fiber is wound within a first section of a resiliently deformable body between a second section and a third section of the body, the second and third sections having a greater width than the first section, the device having at least one tissue anchor configured to affix to the tissue adjacent the airway; and permitting the bioerodable fiber of the device to bioerode to release the deformable body from its stretched, deformed state, thereby allowing the deformable body to contract to apply a contracting force from the at least one tissue anchor to the affixed tissue adjacent the airway to maintain airway patency. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A device for maintaining patency of an airway of a patient comprising:
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a resiliently deformable body having an at-rest shape and a deformed shape, the body being adapted to be implanted into tissue adjacent an airway of the patient; proximal and distal anchors adapted to be implanted into the tissue and adapted to affix to the tissue; and at least one bioerodable fiber portion wound around a portion of the body, the bioerodable fiber portion maintaining the body in the deformed shape against a return force;
the body being configured to return toward the at-rest shape upon erosion of the bioerodable fiber portion such that the return force is applied to the proximal and distal anchors in opposite directions, wherein the at least one bioerodable fiber portion comprises a plurality of coil sections that each run generally transverse to a longitudinal direction of the resiliently deformable body, the coil sections abutting one another in the longitudinal direction, the bioerodable fiber portion thereby maintaining the body in the deformed shape with a column force that acts against the return force of the body until the bioerodible fiber portion erodes. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A device for maintaining patency of an airway of a patient comprising:
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a resiliently deformable body having an at-rest shape and a deformed shape, the body being adapted to be implanted into tissue adjacent an airway of the patient; proximal and distal anchors adapted to be implanted into the tissue and adapted to affix to the tissue; and at least one bioerodable fiber portion wound around a portion of the body, the bioerodable fiber portion maintaining the body in the deformed shape against a return force;
the body being configured to return toward the at-rest shape upon erosion of the bioerodable fiber portion such that the return force is applied to the proximal and distal anchors in opposite directions,wherein the at least one bioerodable fiber portion is wound within a first section of the body between a second section and a third section of the body, the second and third sections having a greater width than the first section. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A device for maintaining patency of an airway of a patient comprising:
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a resiliently deformable body having an at-rest shape and a deformed shape, the body being adapted to be implanted into tissue adjacent an airway of the patient; proximal and distal anchors adapted to be implanted into the tissue and adapted to affix to the tissue; and a plurality of bioerodable fiber portions wound around a portion of the body, the bioerodable fiber portion maintaining the body in the deformed shape against a return force;
the body being configured to return toward the at-rest shape upon erosion of the bioerodable fiber portion such that the return force is applied to the proximal and distal anchors in opposite directions,wherein the body comprises a plurality of narrow sections and a plurality of wide sections, each of the plurality of bioerodible fiber portions being wound within one of the narrow sections of the body between two of the wide sections of the body.
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30. A method of maintaining airway patency in an airway of a patient, the method comprising:
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implanting a device into tissue adjacent an airway, the device having a plurality of bioerodable fiber portions wound around a resiliently deformable body to temporarily maintain the deformable body in a stretched, deformed state, wherein each of the plurality of bioerodable fibers wound within one of a plurality of narrow sections of a resiliently deformable body between two of a plurality of wide sections of the body, the device having at least one tissue anchor configured to affix to the tissue adjacent the airway; and permitting the bioerodable fiber of the device to bioerode to release the deformable body from its stretched, deformed state, thereby allowing the deformable body to contract to apply a force from the at least one tissue anchor to the affixed tissue adjacent the airway to maintain airway patency.
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Specification