Implant

• US 20100163056A1
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medartis AG (Medartis Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Medartis AG (Medartis Holding AG)
• Inventors: Breitenstein, Michael, Tschopp, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 10,441,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/848
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices

Abstract

The invention relates to an implant for a palate, in particular a human palate. The implant comprises a proximal portion, a distal portion and a middle portion. The proximal portion is dimensioned in such a way that it can be fixed to a hard palate. The distal portion is arranged at an angle in relation to the proximal portion and is dimensioned in such a way that it can be accommodated completely in a soft palate. The middle portion extends between the proximal portion and the distal portion. In a sectional plane extending through the proximal portion and the distal portion, the curvature of the middle portion at each of its points is greater than the curvature of the proximal portion at each of its points and greater than the curvature of the distal portion at each of its points.

Claims

1. An implant for a palate, in particular a human palate, comprising a distal portion, which is dimensioned in such a way that it can be completely accommodated in a soft palate, and comprising

a proximal portion, which is dimensioned in such a way that it can be fixed to a hard palate, and

a middle portion, which extends between the proximal portion and the distal portion.

2. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the implant is in an inserted form or can be brought into an inserted form, such that, in the inserted form,

the distal portion is arranged at an angle (a) in relation to the proximal portion and

in a sectional plane extending through the proximal portion and the distal portion, the curvature of the middle portion at each of the points of the middle portion is greater than

the curvature of the proximal portion at each of the points of the proximal portion and

the curvature of the distal portion at each of the points of the distal portion.

3. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the middle portion has an intended deformation region, at which the middle portion can be deformed.

4. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises a shape memory material or consists thereof, and at an inserted temperature of between 35°

C. and 40°

C. is in the inserted form.

5. The implant as claimed in claim 2, wherein, in the inserted form, the proximal portion is arranged at an angle (α

) of between 15° and

75°

in relation to the distal portion.

6. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein it is at least partially elastic in such a way that the distal portion is resilient in relation to the proximal portion.

7. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein it is substantially in the form of a strip.

8. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the proximal portion has a length (l₁) of 15 mm to 30 mm.

9. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distal portion has a length (l₂) of 15 mm to 25 mm.

10. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness (d) of the implant decreases at least in the distal portion in the direction of the distal end of the implant.

11. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least part of the implant has an ingrowth structure for the growing in of body tissue.

12. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the implant has means for connecting to the hard palate.

13. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises a metal.

14. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises a plastic or consists thereof.

15. The implant as claimed in claim 13, wherein it comprises

a core of a metal in the inner region and

a shell of a plastic in the outer region.

16. The implant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distal portion and/or the proximal portion comprise(s) at least one barb, which extends away from the distal end of the implant.

17. A set of implants, including at least a first implant and a second implant, each according to claim 1, the second implant being different from the first implant.

18. A set of implants, including at least one implant as claimed in claim 1 as well as at least one insertion device for inserting the implant.

19. A set of implants, including at least one implant as claimed in claim 1 as well as at least one sizer for estimating the size of an implant to be inserted.

20. A selection process for selecting an implant from a set of implants as claimed in claim 17, which comprises the following steps:

a) establishing the condition of the hard palate and the soft palate of a patient;

b) selecting an implant in dependence on the finding established in step a).

21. Method of inserting an implant according to claim 1 into a palate, comprising the steps of

a) fixing the proximal portion of the implant to the hard palate;

b) inserting the distal portion into the soft palate.

22. Method according to claim 21, wherein step a) is preceded by the steps of carrying out an incision in the soft palate and wherein the implant in introduced through the incision.