Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090120446 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVING AIRWAY PATENCY - An oral device for improving airway patency comprises a tongue constraint and a negative pressure source. The tongue constraint engages the patient's tongue to maintain a clear region below the palate in an oral cavity. By applying a negative pressure in the clear region, an airway behind the soft palate or tongue of the patient can be maintained. The tongue constraint is usually connected to an anchor. The anchor may be held between the patient's teeth or may engage the inferior surface of the palate. Another oral device for improving airway patency comprises a lateral tongue structure and a negative pressure source. | 05-14-2009 |
20090120447 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CREATING PRESSURE GRADIENTS TO IMPROVE AIRWAY PATENCY - An oral device for improving airway patency comprises a tongue constraint and a negative pressure source. The tongue constraint engages the patient's tongue to maintain a clear region below the palate in an oral cavity. By applying a negative pressure in the clear region, an airway behind the soft palate or tongue of the patient can be maintained. The tongue constraint is usually connected to an anchor. The anchor may be held between the patient's teeth or may engage the inferior surface of the palate. Another oral device for improving airway patency comprises a lateral tongue structure and a negative pressure source. | 05-14-2009 |
20110220124 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVING AIRWAY PATENCY - An oral device for improving airway patency comprises a tongue constraint and a negative pressure source. The tongue constraint engages the patient's tongue to maintain a clear region below the palate in an oral cavity and allow an anterior portion of the tongue to rise. By applying a negative pressure in the clear region, an airway behind the soft palate or tongue of the patient can be maintained. The tongue constraint is usually connected to an anchor. The anchor may be held between the patient's teeth or may engage the inferior surface of the palate. Another oral device for improving airway patency comprises a lateral tongue structure and a negative pressure source. | 09-15-2011 |
20120132215 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVING AIRWAY PATENCY - An oral device for improving airway patency comprises a tongue constraint and a negative pressure source. The tongue constraint engages the patient's tongue to maintain a clear region below the palate in an oral cavity. By applying a negative pressure in the clear region, an airway behind the soft palate or tongue of the patient can be maintained. The tongue constraint is usually connected to an anchor. The anchor may be held between the patient's teeth or may engage the inferior surface of the palate. Another oral device for improving airway patency comprises a lateral tongue structure and a negative pressure source. | 05-31-2012 |
20120199135 | SALIVA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH CONTINUOUS FLOW THROUGH ORAL DEVICE - Systems for maintaining a vacuum in a patient's oral cavity comprises an oral device, a vacuum control system, and an assembly including first and second tubes for connecting the vacuum control system to the oral device. The oral device has an internal plenum, and a vacuum is drawn in the plenum by a vacuum pump connected by a first tube of the tubular assembly. The vacuum is maintained by an air source which is connected to the plenum by the second tube of the tubular assembly. By maintaining a constant circulating air bleed through the oral device and the connecting tubes, saliva may be removed from the system and collected in a saliva trap located before the vacuum pump. | 08-09-2012 |
20130263866 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVING AIRWAY PATENCY - An oral device for improving airway patency comprises a tongue constraint and a negative pressure source. The tongue constraint engages the patient's tongue to maintain a clear region below the palate in an oral cavity and allow an anterior portion of the tongue to rise. By applying a negative pressure in the clear region, an airway behind the soft palate or tongue of the patient can be maintained. The tongue constraint is usually connected to an anchor. The anchor may be held between the patient's teeth or may engage the inferior surface of the palate. Another oral device for improving airway patency comprises a lateral tongue structure and a negative pressure source. | 10-10-2013 |
20140188215 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CATHETER-BASED ANNULOPLASTY USING LOCAL PLICATIONS - The present invention relates to a minimally invasive method of performing annuloplasty. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for performing annuloplasty includes accessing a left ventricle of a heart to provide a discrete plication element to the left ventricle, and engaging the plication element to tissue near a mitral valve of the heart. Engaging the plication element includes causing the plication element to gather a portion of the tissue to create a plication. In one embodiment, accessing the left ventricle of the heart to provide the plication element includes accessing the left ventricle of the heart using a catheter arrangement. | 07-03-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090192506 | Methods and devices for ablation - An ablating device has a cover which holds an interface material such as a gel. The cover contains the interface material during initial placement of the device. The ablating device may also have a removable tip or a membrane filled with fluid. In still another aspect, the ablating device may be submerged in liquid during operation. | 07-30-2009 |
20100324669 | CATHETER-BASED ANNULOPLASTY USING VENTRICULARLY POSITIONED CATHETER - The present invention relates to a minimally invasive method of performing annuloplasty. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for performing annuloplasty includes accessing a left ventricle of a heart to provide a discrete plication element to the left ventricle, and engaging the plication element to tissue near a mitral valve of the heart. Engaging the plication element includes causing the plication element to gather a portion of the tissue to create a plication. In one embodiment, accessing the left ventricle of the heart to provide the plication element includes accessing the left ventricle of the heart using a catheter arrangement. | 12-23-2010 |
20120271334 | Apparatus and Method for Ablating Tissue - A control system alters one or more characteristics of an ablating element to ablate tissue. In one aspect, the control system delivers energy nearer to the surface of the tissue by changing the frequency or power. In another aspect, the ablating element delivers focused ultrasound which is focused in at least one dimension. The ablating device may also have a number of ablating elements with different characteristics such as focal length. | 10-25-2012 |
20130131791 | CATHETER-BASED ANNULOPLASTY USING VENTRICULARLY POSITIONED CATHETER - The present invention relates to a minimally invasive method of performing annuloplasty. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for performing annuloplasty includes accessing a left ventricle of a heart to provide a discrete plication element to the left ventricle, and engaging the plication element to tissue near a mitral valve of the heart. Engaging the plication element includes causing the plication element to gather a portion of the tissue to create a plication. In one embodiment, accessing the left ventricle of the heart to provide the plication element includes accessing the left ventricle of the heart using a catheter arrangement. | 05-23-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120017917 | AIRWAY DEVICE WITH TONGUE-ENGAGING MEMBER - An oral device for improving airway patency comprises a base adapted to be held between a patient's upper and lower teeth and a tongue-engaging member. The tongue-engaging member engages the tongue and displaces the tongue anteriorly when the base is held between the patient's teeth. A vacuum is applied through the base and the tongue-engaging member in order to draw the soft palate against a posterior region of the tongue in order to stabilize the soft palate and open or clear the patient's airway. | 01-26-2012 |
20120037166 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIZING AN ORAL DEVICE - Systems for sizing oral appliances comprise both a width measuring template or tool for determining the distance between opposed molars and an arch sizing tool for determining the size and shape of the patient's dental arch. Based on this information, individual appliances can be selected from an inventory of such appliances, where the selected appliance would best fit the patient. | 02-16-2012 |
20130186411 | ORAL DEVICE FOR MANDIBULAR ADVANCEMENT AND MEDIAL TONGUE CONSTRAINT - An oral device for temporary placement in a patient's oral cavity includes upper and lower jaw braces and a tongue-engaging member. The upper and lower jaw braces are connected so that the lower jaw brace is advanced in an anterior direction relative to the upper jaw brace when the upper and lower jaw braces are closed together. A partial vacuum is drawn in the oral cavity and the vacuum and lower jaw displacement together control the position of the tongue in order to clear the patient's airway to reduce sleep apnea or treat other conditions. | 07-25-2013 |
20130213409 | AIRWAY DEVICE WITH TONGUE-ENGAGING MEMBER - An oral device for improving airway patency comprises a base adapted to be held between a patient's upper and lower teeth and a tongue-engaging member. The tongue-engaging member engages the tongue and displaces the tongue anteriorly when the base is held between the patient's teeth. A vacuum is applied through the base and the tongue-engaging member in order to draw the soft palate against a posterior region of the tongue in order to stabilize the soft palate and open or clear the patient's airway. | 08-22-2013 |
20130238005 | Steerable Ablation Device - The invention relates to a flexible assembly for use in a region of a medical or surgical device. In preferred embodiments, the flexible region comprises a set of pull wires for controllably moving a treatment end of the device, and elements to separate the pull wires and maintain the integrity of the shaft of the flexible region in order to improve the operating aspects of the device. The devices and methods can be especially useful in ablation treatments, such as ablation at cardiac or epicardial tissues. | 09-12-2013 |
20130306080 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIZING AN ORAL APPLIANCE USING OVERLAYS - A system for sizing an oral appliance comprises a right overlay, a left overlay, and a wax bite plate. A dental arch impression of a patient is taken on the wax bite plate, and indicia on the right and left overlays are aligned with the dental arch impression to provide information on both the arcuate shape and width of an oral appliance which can best fit the patient. | 11-21-2013 |
20140014112 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING FOAMING DURING SALIVA COLLECTION - A saliva collector comprises a reservoir, a bubble barrier, and a membrane, where the bubble barrier and membrane are arranged in tandem on a flow path from an inlet to an outlet on the reservoir. Air aspirated from a patient's oral cavity enters the reservoir through the inlet, passes through the bubble barrier to remove foam and bubbles, passes through the membrane to remove entrained liquid saliva, and passes out through the outlet. | 01-16-2014 |
20140053849 | ORAL DEVICE FOR ANTERIOR ADVANCEMENT AND MEDIAL CONSTRAINT OF THE TONGUE - An oral device for temporary placement in a patient's oral cavity includes a base, a tongue-engaging member and a tongue pocket. Partial vacuums are separately drawn through the tongue-engaging member and the tongue pocket in order to advance and control the position of the tongue in order to clear the patient's airway to reduce sleep apnea or treat other conditions. | 02-27-2014 |
20140053850 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIZING AN ORAL DEVICE - Systems for sizing oral appliances comprise both a width measuring template or tool for determining the distance between opposed molars and an arch sizing tool for determining the size and shape of the patient's dental arch. Based on this information, individual appliances can be selected from an inventory of such appliances, where the selected appliance would best fit the patient. | 02-27-2014 |
20140053851 | ORAL DEVICE FOR ANTERIOR ADVANCEMENT OF THE TONGUE - An oral device for temporary placement in a patient's oral cavity includes a base and a tongue pocket. Partial vacuums are separately drawn through vertically oriented, tooth facing ports on the base and the tongue pocket in order to advance and control the position of the tongue in order to clear the patient's airway to reduce sleep apnea or treat other conditions. | 02-27-2014 |
20140088437 | SCREEN-BASED METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIZING AN ORAL APPLIANCE - An oral appliance is sized by obtaining a scaled image of a patient's dental arch. Dimensions of the arch are marked on a screen image, and the processor chooses an oral appliance having a best fit for a particular patient. | 03-27-2014 |
20140135664 | AIRWAY DEVICE WITH TONGUE-ENGAGING MEMBER - An oral device for improving airway patency comprises a base adapted to be held between a patient's upper and lower teeth and a tongue-engaging member. The tongue-engaging member engages the tongue and displaces the tongue anteriorly when the base is held between the patient's teeth. A vacuum is applied through the base and the tongue-engaging member in order to draw the soft palate against a posterior region of the tongue in order to stabilize the soft palate and open or clear the patient's airway. | 05-15-2014 |
20140336685 | Steerable ablation device - The invention relates to a flexible assembly for use in a region of a medical or surgical device. In preferred embodiments, the flexible region comprises a set of pull wires for controllably moving a treatment end of the device, and elements to separate the pull wires and maintain the integrity of the shaft of the flexible region in order to improve the operating aspects of the device. The devices and methods can be especially useful in ablation treatments, such as ablation at cardiac or epicardial tissues. | 11-13-2014 |
20140360509 | Heating Element for Reducing Foaming During Saliva Collection - A saliva collector comprises a reservoir and a flow path from an inlet to an outlet on the reservoir. A heating element is disposed along the flow path. The heating element applies heat to force bubbles and foam present in the air aspirated from a patient's oral cavity to collapse. The collapsed bubbles and foam evaporate or drain into the reservoir bottom as liquid saliva. | 12-11-2014 |