A method and apparatus for treating snoring of a patient includes providing an implant for altering a dynamic response of a soft palate of the patient to airflow past the soft palate. The implant is embedded in the soft palate to alter the dynamic response. The implant has multiple fibers braided along a length of the implant.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/036,915 filed on Jan. 3, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,362, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/513,432 filed on Feb. 25, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,169 B1), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/434,653 filed on Nov. 5, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,717 B1), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/398,991 filed Sep. 17, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,307), all incorporated herein by reference.
A method and apparatus for treating snoring of a patient includes providing an implant for altering a dynamic response of a soft palate of the patient to airflow past the soft palate. The implant is embedded in the soft palate to alter the dynamic response. The implant has multiple fibers braided along a length of the implant.
A method and apparatus for treating snoring of a patient includes providing an implant for altering a dynamic response of a soft palate of the patient to airflow past the soft palate. The implant is embedded in the soft palate to alter the dynamic response. The implant has multiple fibers braided along a length of the implant.
A method and apparatus for treating snoring of a patient includes providing an implant for altering a dynamic response of a soft palate of the patient to airflow past the soft palate. The implant is embedded in the soft palate to alter the dynamic response. The implant has multiple fibers braided along a length of the implant.
A method and apparatus for treating snoring of a patient includes providing an implant for altering a dynamic response of a soft palate of the patient to airflow past the soft palate. The implant is embedded in the soft palate to alter the dynamic response. For example, the implant has a mass, stiffness or dampening sufficient to alter the dynamic response following the implantation without substantially impairing a function of the soft palate to close a nasal passage of the patient during swallowing.
A patient's upper airway condition such as snoring and sleep apnea is treated by selecting a particulate material selected for limited migration within tissue and for encouraging a fibrotic response of tissue to the material. A bolus of the particulate material is injected into the tissue area to structurally stiffen the tissue.
