The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 22, 2000
Filed:
Jan. 22, 1998
Kathleen McMillan, Concord, MA (US);
James C Hsia, Weston, MA (US);
Stanley M Shapshay, Boston, MA (US);
Anthony J Durkin, Watertown, MA (US);
Candela Corporation, Wayland, MA (US);
New England Medical Center Hospitals, Inc., Boston, MA (US);
Abstract
A method for treating sleep-disordered breathing syndromes, for example, snoring in a mammal. The method involves applying energy, for example, energy from laser light, to a preselected region of soft palate tissue in the mammal in an amount and duration sufficient to induce thermal injury to subepithelial tissue in the preselected region of soft palate tissue while minimizing thermal injury to epithelial tissue in the preselected region of soft palate tissue. Thermal injury of the subepithelial tissue results in stiffening of the preselected region of soft palate tissue thereby ameliorating the symptoms of the sleep-disordered breathing syndrome.