Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080208265 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERCUTANEOUS PALATE REMODELING - Methods and devices are disclosed for manipulating the palatal tissue. An implant is positioned within at least a portion of the soft palate and may be secured to other surrounding, less mobile structures such as the hard palate or the mucosa overlying the hard palate. The implant may be manipulated to displace at least a portion of the soft palate in an anterior or lateral direction, or to alter the tissue tension or compliance of the soft palate. | 08-28-2008 |
20100292732 | SUTURE ANCHORS WITH ONE-WAY CINCHING MECHANISMS - Various devices, systems and methods for knotless anchoring of sutures to repair bodily tissue are disclosed. These devices allow sutures to be anchored to bone or other tissues, and more specifically provide a suture anchor which eliminates the need for the operator to knot the suture to secure the suture under tension. Thus, damaged tissue may be re-attached to a substrate tissue. The anchors have a minimum of moving parts and find particular utility in hip and shoulder arthroscopy, e.g. labral re-attachment, rotator cuff repair, and similar procedures. | 11-18-2010 |
20100292733 | KNOTLESS SUTURE ANCHOR AND METHODS OF USE - Various devices, systems and methods for knotless suturing of tissue are disclosed. These devices allow sutures to be anchored to bone, and more specifically provide a suture anchor which eliminates the need for knotting the suture. Thus, damaged tissue may be re-attached to a substrate tissue. The anchors have a minimum of moving parts may be suited to being a single molded polymer construction. The anchors will find particular utility in hip and shoulder arthroscopy, e.g. labral re-attachment and similar procedures. | 11-18-2010 |
20110166579 | DEVICES AND METHODS FOR MINIMALLY INVASIVE ACCESS INTO A JOINT - Devices and methods are disclosed for providing access to a central compartment of a hip joint. The devices can access the central compartment by distracting all or a portion of the labrum. The labrum can be distracted by advancing a device underneath the bottom edge of the labrum, and using the device to further distract the labrum. Some devices can move underneath the labrum to provide a gap for other devices to access the central compartment. | 07-07-2011 |
20110245850 | SUTURE PASSER SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TONGUE OR OTHER TISSUE SUSPENSION AND COMPRESSION - Suture passer systems for tissue suspension and tissue compression, and more particularly for tongue suspension, are described. The system can include at least a first elongate tubular body or shaft, a needle having a lateral bias carried by the elongate body, and a retrieval element operably connected to the elongate tubular body. The needle can have a substantially straight configuration when located within the elongate tubular body, and be configured to exit an opening at or near a distal end of the elongate tubular body and assume a laterally biased or curved shape to form a path through tissue. The needle is configured to carry a suture. The retrieval element can be configured to retrieve the suture carried by the needle after the needle has formed a curved or otherwise angled path through tissue. The system can also include one or more bone anchors to secure the suture loops. Methods of placing one or more suture loops into tissue, such as the base of the tongue, are also described. | 10-06-2011 |
20120041556 | METHODS AND DEVICES FOR RHINOPLASTY AND TREATING INTERNAL VALVE STENOSIS - Methods and devices for rhinoplasty and treating nasal valve stenosis are disclosed herein. The nasal valve acts as a flow-limiter and can contribute to airway obstruction if resistance within the nasal valve is excessive. In one embodiment, a system for treating nasal valve stenosis includes a first elongate implant and a second elongate implant configured to support the nasal valves when implanted. The implants can be coupled together by connecting elements, such as eyelets, tethers, complementary socket joints, and button-rivet supports. | 02-16-2012 |
20120111341 | AIRWAY IMPLANTS AND METHODS AND DEVICES FOR INSERTION AND RETRIEVAL - Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and devices for the treatment of airway obstruction, such as obstructive sleep apnea, and devices and methods that facilitate insertion and retrieval of the same. In one embodiment, disclosed is a tissue tensioner that includes an elongate flexible tether having a first end and a second end, a bone anchor configured to be connected to a patient's mandible, a tissue ingrowth implant configured to be implanted in a patient's tongue and connected to the second end of the tether, and an adjustment mechanism configured to be held by the bone anchor adjacent the patient's mandible and configured to receive the first end of the tether and configured to adjust tension in the flexible tether between the patient's mandible and tongue. Various anchors, tethers, securement mechanisms, and adjustment mechanisms that can be used with glossal and palatal remodeling systems are also disclosed. | 05-10-2012 |
20120216818 | GLASSOPLASTY USING TISSUE ANCHOR GLOSSOPEXY WITH VOLUMETRIC TONGUE REDUCTION - Methods and devices are disclosed for remodeling the tongue. One or more spaces or cavities are formed in the tongue using, for example, surgical or RF ablative techniques. The cavities can be closed or collapsed by inserting a tethered soft tissue anchor into the tongue and attaching the tethered portion of the soft tissue anchor to a bony structure such as the mandible or hyoid bone in order to exert a collapsing force on the one or more spaces or cavities. The insertion pathway of the tethered soft tissue anchor may pass adjacent to or even through one or more cavities. Also disclosed herein is a tongue remodeling system that includes means for creating a space in the tongue, and a tissue anchor configured to close the space. The tissue anchor may be tethered or expandable. | 08-30-2012 |
20120266895 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERCUTANEOUS PALATE REMODELING - Methods and devices are disclosed for manipulating the palatal tissue. An implant is positioned within at least a portion of the soft palate and may be secured to other surrounding, less mobile structures such as the hard palate or the mucosa overlying the hard palate. The implant may be manipulated to displace at least a portion of the soft palate in an anterior or lateral direction, or to alter the tissue tension or compliance of the soft palate. | 10-25-2012 |
20120296340 | System and method for hyoidplasty - Methods and devices are disclosed for manipulating the hyoid bone, such as to treat obstructive sleep apnea. A conformable implant is positioned adjacent a hyoid bone. The spatial orientation of the hyoid bone is manipulated, to affect the configuration of the airway. The implant restrains the hyoid bone in the manipulated configuration. The implant is positioned adjacent to pharyngeal structures to dilate the pharyngeal airway and/or to support the pharyngeal wall against collapse. The implant may be attached to the hyoid bone using a clamp delivery tool that is adapted to releasably engage the implant. | 11-22-2012 |
20130345724 | SUTURE PASSER SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TONGUE OR OTHER TISSUE SUSPENSION AND COMPRESSION - Suture passer systems for tissue suspension and tissue compression, and more particularly for palate or tongue suspension, are described. The system can include at least a first elongate tubular body or shaft, a needle having a lateral bias carried by the elongate body, and a retrieval element operably connected to the elongate tubular body. The needle can have a substantially straight configuration when located within the elongate tubular body, and be configured to exit an opening at or near a distal end of the elongate tubular body and assume a laterally biased or curved shape to form a path through tissue. The needle is configured to carry a suture. The retrieval element can be configured to retrieve the suture carried by the needle after the needle has formed a curved or otherwise angled path through tissue. The system can also include one or more bone anchors to secure the suture loops. Methods of placing one or more suture loops into tissue, such as the base of the palate or tongue, are also described. | 12-26-2013 |
20140005720 | SUTURE ANCHORS WITH ONE-WAY CINCHING MECHANISMS | 01-02-2014 |
20140142627 | KNOTLESS SUTURE ANCHOR AND METHODS OF USE - Various devices, systems and methods for knotless suturing of tissue are disclosed. These devices allow sutures to be anchored to bone, and more specifically provide a suture anchor which eliminates the need for knotting the suture. Thus, damaged tissue may be re-attached to a substrate tissue. The anchors have a minimum of moving parts may be suited to being a single molded polymer construction. The anchors will find particular utility in hip and shoulder arthroscopy, e.g. labral re-attachment and similar procedures. | 05-22-2014 |
20150075541 | AIRWAY IMPLANTS AND METHODS AND DEVICES FOR INSERTION AND RETRIEVAL - Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and devices for the treatment of airway obstruction, such as obstructive sleep apnea, and devices and methods that facilitate insertion and retrieval of the same. In one embodiment, disclosed is a tissue tensioner that includes an elongate flexible tether having a first end and a second end, a bone anchor configured to be connected to a patient's mandible, a tissue ingrowth implant configured to be implanted in a patient's tongue and connected to the second end of the tether, and an adjustment mechanism configured to be held by the bone anchor adjacent the patient's mandible and configured to receive the first end of the tether and configured to adjust tension in the flexible tether between the patient's mandible and tongue. Various anchors, tethers, securement mechanisms, and adjustment mechanisms that can be used with glossal and palatal remodeling systems are also disclosed. | 03-19-2015 |