Aerin Medical Inc.

Scott J Wolf

Andrew Frazier

Jerome Hester

Fred Dinger

Gregory Ng

Charlton Yih

Andrew Franzier

Disclosed embodiments relate to devices, systems, and methods of shaping, shrinking, opening, dilating, stiffening, or otherwise modifying a Eustachian tube and its surrounding tissue in order to improve the Eustachian tube's function. For example, patients with blocked, closed, or hypertrophic Eustachian tubes may be able to achieve improved function including easier equalization of pressure between the inner ear and environment.

Eustachian tube modification

Methods and devices for treating nasal airways are provided. Such devices and methods may improve airflow through an internal and/or external nasal valve, and comprise the use of mechanical re-shaping, energy application and other treatments to modify the shape, structure, and/or air flow characteristics of an internal nasal valve, an external nasal valve or other nasal airways.

Methods and devices to treat nasal airways

Methods for reducing mucus production

A method for treating nerves in a nasal cavity starts with identifying a patient having a condition occurring outside the nasal cavity. The method then involves activating a console attached to a radiofrequency stylus, advancing a distal tip of the radiofrequency stylus into a nostril of the patient, contacting nasal mucosa lining the nasal cavity with a treatment surface of the distal tip, and delivering radiofrequency energy from one set of bipolar electrodes on the treatment surface of the distal tip to a second set of bipolar electrodes on the treatment surface, to treat at least one nerve underlying the nasal mucosa. Treating the nerve (or nerves) involves modulating activity of the nerve to ameliorate the condition occurring outside the nasal cavity.

Nasal neuromodulation devices and methods

Systems and methods for treating a patient's mucus hypersecretion condition are disclosed herein. Certain implementations may involve a method for reducing mucus secretion in an upper airway of a patient to treat at least one of post nasal drip or chronic cough. The method may include advancing a treatment delivery portion of an energy-based treatment device into a nostril of the patient. The treatment delivery portion may contact mucosal tissue of the upper airway without piercing the mucosal tissue. The treatment delivery portion may deliver treatment to at least one tissue selected from the group of the mucosal tissue and another tissue underlying the mucosal tissue to modify a property of the at least one tissue and thus treat at least one of post nasal drip or chronic cough in the patient.

Treating upper airway nerve tissue

A method of treating a soft palate in a patient may involve advancing a tissue treatment portion of a soft palate treatment device through the patient's mouth, contacting a treatment surface of the tissue treatment portion with mucosal tissue of the soft palate, and delivering energy from the tissue treatment portion through the mucosal tissue to a target tissue in the soft palate beneath to the mucosal tissue, to change at least one property of the target tissue. The method may further involve cooling the mucosal tissue with a cooling member on the treatment surface of the tissue treatment portion and removing the tissue treatment portion from the mouth.

Soft palate treatment

A device is described for treating a nasal airway by modifying a property of a nasal tissue of or near a nasal valve of the airway, without using a surgical incision or an implant, to decrease airflow resistance or perceived airflow resistance in the nasal airway. Various embodiments include an elongate shaft, a bipolar radiofrequency delivery member extending from one end of the shaft, and a handle attached to the elongate shaft at an opposite end from the radiofrequency delivery member. The radiofrequency delivery member is sized to be inserted into a nose and configured to at least temporarily deform the nasal tissue and deliver radiofrequency energy. The radiofrequency delivery member includes two rows of protruding electrodes disposed on a tissue contact surface, and the device is configured to deliver radiofrequency energy from one row of electrodes to the other row of electrodes.

Methods of treating nasal airways

A method for reshaping a nasal airway in a patient involves advancing an inflatable balloon of a reshaping device in an uninflated configuration into a nostril of the patient and between a nasal septum and a lateral wall of the nasal airway. The method then involves inflating the inflatable balloon to an inflated configuration to cause the inflatable balloon to contact nasal mucosa covering the nasal septum and the lateral wall, delivering energy from an energy delivery member attached to or inside of the inflatable balloon, and removing the reshaping device from the nasal airway.

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Scott J Wolf