Method for treating obstructed paranasal ethmoid sinuses

• US 20080208243A1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acclarent Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Acclarent Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Becker, Bruce B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,854,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/199
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0618 Nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0681 Sinus (maxillaris)
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1002 characterised by balloon shape A61M25/1006, A61M25/1009 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10181 Means for forcing inflation fluid into the balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 29/02 Dilators made of swellable material balloon catheters for angioplasty A61M25/104

Abstract

A set of sinus balloon catheters are provided for treating a patient'"'"'s paranasal ethmoid sinus system, including dilating prepared openings, and natural ostia and ducts and excising sinus cavities. These include a balloon catheter with a bend placing a distal segment at 90 degrees to a proximal segment and a balloon catheter which is substantially straight. The catheters have sufficient stiffness and column strength that the balloon carrying distal segment of the catheter can be pushed into the prepared opening, natural ostium or duct, or sinus to be excised. The catheters have appropriate inflated working diameters and appropriate outer diameters with the balloon deflated that will enable the catheter to be pushed into the respective prepared opening, natural ostium or duct, or sinus cavity to be excised. The methods use the balloon catheters to dilate prepared openings to selected parts of the sinus system, to dilate natural ostia and ducts of the sinus system, and/or to dilate sinus cavities to remove them.

Claims

1. A method of treating a space in a patient'"'"'s ethmoid sinus, comprising:

providing a catheter device comprising an expandable and contractable member which is expandable from a first smaller contracted profile to a second larger expanded profile;

pushing said member while in said contracted profile into the space associated with the ethmoid sinus of said patient; and

,

expanding said member to said expanded profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said space is formed in the patient'"'"'s ethmoid bulla.

3. The method of claim 2, which further comprises:

removing the anterior wall of the ethmoid bulla.

4. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

medially retracting the patient'"'"'s middle turbinate; and

removing a part of the patient'"'"'s uncinate process.

5. The method of claim 2, which further comprises:

contracting said member after said expanding; and

withdrawing said member and completing removal of the ethmoid bulla.

6. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

pushing said contracted member into the patient'"'"'s anterior ethmoid air cells;

expanding said member to dilate said anterior ethmoid air cells; and

withdrawing said member from the space formerly occupied by said anterior ethmoid air cells.

7. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

creating an opening in the patient'"'"'s basal lamella of the patient'"'"'s middle turbinate;

pushing said contracted member through said opening into said posterior ethmoid air cells;

expanding said member to dilate said posterior ethmoid cells; and

withdrawing said member from the space formerly occupied by said posterior ethmoid air cells.

8. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

inserting said contracted member through an anterior wall of the patient'"'"'s sphenoid sinus;

expanding said member to dilate the anterior wall of the patient'"'"'s sphenoid sinus; and

removing said member.

9. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

pushing said contracted member into a patient'"'"'s nasofrontal duct;

expanding said contracted member to dilate said nasofrontal duct; and

removing said member.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the catheter has sufficient stiffness and column strength that the contracted member can be pushed into the space.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said member is located on a distal segment of the catheter, and wherein said distal segment is at an angle of between about one hundred thirty degrees and about one hundred eighty degrees to a proximal segment of the catheter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the angle is about one hundred eighty degrees.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inflating the member to about nine atmospheres.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

contracting the member;

repositioning the member after the contracting; and

expanding the member after the repositioning.

15. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

selecting the catheter device such that the member when in a contracted profile will fit snugly with the space.

16. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

removing the patient'"'"'s middle turbinate.