Revent Medical, Inc.

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Durect Corporation

Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC

Endotex Interventional Systems, Inc.

Edward M Gillis

Ryan Boucher

Joe Paraschac

Scott Anthony McGill

John H Shadduck

Lionel M Nelson

Csaba Truckai

Andrew I Poutiatine

Craig A Purdy

Octavian Iancea

Felix T Theeuwes

Paul J Buscemi

Eric N Doelling

Andres D Tomas

James A Filice

Andrew W Kramer

Peter Wickman

John Culwell

John S Dinka

Ronald G Lax

Yi Yang

Christine J Beltran

Jonathan M Rourke

Charles Rampersaud

Brian K McCollum

James E Brown

Rainier Betelia

Michael H Arenberg

Joseph Francis Paraschac

Gary L Boseck

Barbara F Laidlaw

Randolph Mellus Johnson

Timothy Scott Nelson

Dana Litmanovitz

Charles R Rampersaud

David H Cole

Andrew L Poutiatine

Su-Il Yum

Scott A McGILL

Ryan P Boucher

A method of treating an airway disorder includes placing an implant in a patient's tongue, wherein the implant has first and second end portions that attach to tissue, and a tensioned medial portion between the first and second ends. The medial portion is configured to apply a pressure of less than a predetermined amount. Device systems associated with such methods are also provided.

Systems and methods for treatment of sleep apnea

An implant for treating an obstructive airway disorder includes an elongate implant body configured for implanting in airway-interface tissue. At least a portion of the elongate body carries a light transmission material for permitting light transmission therein. Systems and methods of treating an airway disorder including implanting an implant in an airway-interface tissue are also provided.

A carrier is sized and configured for placement in or on a tissue region. The carrier includes at least one interior compartment. At least one ferromagnetic material is carried within the compartment. The compartment and the ferromagnetic material are mutually sized and configured to allow movement of the ferromagnetic material within the compartment in response to magnetic interaction with a magnetic material located outside the carrier. The magnetic interaction can include either a magnetic attracting force or a magnetic repelling force. The carrier can be used in association with a source of magnetism sized and configured for placement in or on a tissue region outside the carrier for magnetic interaction with the ferromagnetic material carried within the compartment, e.g., to stabilize the orientation of a tissue region within an airway.

Device, systems and methods having mobile ferromagnetic structures

Methods of maintaining airway patency in an airway of a patient. A method includes the steps of wrapping a bioerodable material at least partway around an axis to create a wound bioerodable implant, and coupling two points on the bioerodable material to each other. The invention also provides systems for maintaining airway patency in an airway of a patient that may be used with the methods.

A system for revisably treating an airway disorder is provided with an implant body configured to conform to an airway-interface tissue site in a manner compatible with normal physiological function of the site. In some embodiments, first and second openings extend through first and second implant ends, respectively, for permitting a tissue plug to grow through each opening. Methods of using and revising such systems are also provided.

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.

Partially erodable systems for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea

A catheter assembly for use in an anatomy can include an elongated body, which can have a proximal end and a distal end. The body can also define a lumen from the proximal end to the distal end. The assembly can include at least one electrode, which can be coupled to the distal end to sense an electrical activity within the anatomy. The assembly can include a core wire, which can be received within the lumen from the proximal end to the distal end. The core wire can be configured to move the distal end from a first configuration to a second configuration. The assembly can also include a necked portion, which can be formed between the proximal end and the distal end to provide increased stiffness to the distal end of the body.

Catheter assembly and associated method

A magnetic force system uses a magnetic implant sized and configured to be inserted in the pharynx and another magnetic implant sized and configured to be inserted in the tongue, palate, or pharynx. The system establishes different regions of magnetic interaction between the two implants across the airway, attracting and repelling, such that attractive interaction in one region of the implants combines with repelling interaction in another region of the implants, to provide a 'hinge' structure. Alternatively, a magnetic force system that uses three magnetic implants sized and configured to be inserted in the tongue, pharynx, and palate, respectively. The tongue implant is attracted to the palatal implant, and repels the pharyngeal implant, forming a modified 'hinge' structure. Forces of magnetic attracting bring tissue together to form a magnetic hinge joint, providing an anchor to stabilize the regions where repelling forces work to separate tissue to keep the airway open.

Self-anchoring magnetic force implant devices, systems, and methods

The invention relates to devices and methods for reforming tissue surrounding the airway of a subject suffering from obstructive sleep apnea so as to open the airway and alleviate the occurrence of apneic events. Devices comprise a combination of resiliently deformable material and bioerodible material. The deformable portion of the device has a preferred shape that corresponds to the desired final shape of the device once placed in an airway. In making a transplant-ready device, however, the deformable portion is placed into a deformed shape and constrained in that shape by the bioerodible material. After implantation, the device gradually assumes the preferred shape as the constraining bioerodible material erodes. As the device gradually reforms toward the preferred shape, it reforms the tissue into the therapeutically desirable configuration. The gradual nature of the shape change generally stabilizes the device in the tissue, and supports tissue reforming into a stable configuration.

A system for treating an airway disorder is provided with an implant body configured to conform to an airway-interface tissue site in a manner compatible with normal physiological function of the site. In some embodiments, the implant body includes an adjustment element configured to allow in-situ adjustment of the implant body between first and second tensioning forces applied to the site. Methods of using such systems are also provided.

A method of maintaining airway patency in an airway of a patient. The method includes the steps of implanting a device into airway-forming tissue without affixing the device to the tissue and permitting a bioerodable portion of the device to bioerode to apply a force to the airway-forming tissue to maintain airway patency. The invention also provides devices for practicing the method.

Magnetic structures develop a magnetic force between a tongue and a posterior pharyngeal wall to stabilize an orientation of the tongue.

Devices, systems and methods using magnetic force systems in the tongue

Systems and methods resist posterior movement of both the tongue and the soft palate/uvula during sleep, thereby keeping an airway open. The systems and methods employ first, second, and third structures. The first structure is sized and configured for placement in or on a tongue. The second structure is sized and configured for placement in or on a region of a soft palate or uvula. The third structure is sized and configured for placement in or on tissue in a desired relationship. anterior of the first and second structures. The first and second structures each includes a ferromagnetic material. The third structure includes a magnetic material that magnetically interacts with both the first and second ferromagnetic materials by attracting both the first and second ferromagnetic materials, thereby resisting posterior movement of both the tongue and the soft palate/uvula.

Devices, systems and methods using magnetic force systems affecting both the tongue and the soft palate/uvula in the upper airway

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Edward M Gillis