University of California

Dillon A Kwiat

Michael Richard Harrison

Richard J Fechter

Kathryn H Rosenbluth

Eric James Kezirian

Darrell Christensen

Matthew Lin

Neil Ray

Stanley Rogers

An orthotic obstructive sleep apnea treatment device is provided that includes a hyoid bone attachment element disposed to attach a ferric element to a hyoid bone whereby the ferric element force can be adjusted by a force delivery element.

Device and method for correcting obstructive sleep apnea

Methods and apparatus for safely forming anastomoses comprise magnetic members configured to accommodate different tissue types and patients of differing size and weight. The magnetic members may comprise first and second magnetic members configured to engage each other with a force sufficient to form anastomosis while taking a sufficiently long time to allow the intestinal walls to fuse together. The first and second magnetic members can be configured to form anastomoses between both similar and different types of intestinal tissue. An elongate surgical placement instrument can be configured to engage and manipulate the first and second magnet members through the intestinal wall from outside the intestinal wall in order to place each of the magnetic members at desired locations.

Magnetic devices, systems, and methods

In one embodiment, an articulable endoscopic instrument including an articulable retractor configured to pass through a working channel of an endoscope, the articulable retractor including an end effector mounted to a distal end of the articulable retractor, and a handle to which the articulable retractor is mounted, the handle comprising controls that enable a user of the instrument to both articulate the retractor and actuate the end effector, wherein the retractor can be articulated using the controls to form two independent bends lying within one plane, the bends together forming a complex curve.

Articulable endoscopic instruments

An orthotic obstructive sleep apnea treatment device is provided that includes a hyoid bone attachment element disposed to attach a ferric element to a hyoid bone, where the ferric element is disposed to face along a treatment vector from the hyoid bone, and the treatment vector is oriented relative to a sagittal plane of a human. The orthotic obstructive sleep apnea treatment device further includes an external orthotic neck device having a contoured housing with a shape disposed to conform about a neck of the human subject, where the housing includes a force delivery element disposed at an exterior-front neck region of the human subject and is disposed to provide an attractive force to the ferric element along the treatment vector. A force sensor is disposed to measure a force exerted on the hyoid bone, a skin contact pressure, tissue compression between the ferric element and the force delivery element.

An orthotic obstructive sleep apnea treatment device is provided that includes a hyoid bone attachment element disposed to attach a ferric element to a hyoid bone, where the ferric element is disposed to face along a treatment vector from the hyoid bone, and the treatment vector is oriented relative to a sagittal plane of a human. The orthotic obstructive sleep apnea treatment device further includes an external orthotic neck device having a contoured housing with a shape disposed to conform about a neck of the human subject, where the housing includes a force delivery element disposed at an exterior-front neck region of the human subject and is disposed to provide an attractive force to the ferric element along the treatment vector. An accelerometer is disposed to measure kinematic variables or movement.

Systems and methods are disclosed for manipulating an anatomical feature within the body of the patient.

Apparatus and methods for magnetic alteration of anatomical features

A magnamosis system for auto-anastomosing a region of the body using implants with magnetic members that may be individually delivered to different locations in the body. The implants with their magnetic members have a mating surface and polar alignment that generates an attractive force to compress tissue in the region between them. The tissue in the region necroses as a result of the compressive force such that tissue surrounding the necrosed tissue heals together to form an anastomosis.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Dillon A Kwiat