Tongue implant

Abstract

A patient's obstructive sleep apnea is treated by identifying a patient with sleep apnea attributable at least in part to movement of a base of a tongue of the patient toward a pharyngeal wall of the patient. The tongue is stiffened by an implant sized to be placed within the tongue. A distal portion of the implant is sized to extend within the tongue from a first end near a mandibular-geniohyoid interface to a second end near a base of the tongue. A proximal portion is attached to the first end and adapted to be secured to a jaw bone of the patient following a period of healing after placement of the implant in the tongue.

1 . A method for treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising:
 identifying a patient with sleep apnea attributable at least in part to movement of a base of a tongue of said patient toward a pharyngeal wall of said patient;   identifying a region in the tongue extending from a mandibular-geniohyoid interface to the base of the tongue;   stiffening a tissue of the tongue throughout the identified region;   wherein said stiffening includes placing an implant of fibrosis-inducing material within the tongue with the implant extending within said region with the material selected to induce formation of fibrosis along said region; and   attaching a proximal end of the implant to a jaw bone of the patient.   
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the identified region includes an area of the base of the tongue opposing the pharyngeal wall between an epiglottis and a trailing end of a soft palate. 
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the identified region includes an area of the base of the tongue between lateral extremities of the base of the tongue. 
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein said implant is sized for said region to extend substantially between an epiglottis and a soft palate of the patient at the base of the tongue. 
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 4  wherein said implant is a substantially planar sheet placed in the tongue with a narrow dimension extending transverse to the tongue and having a proximal end within said region at said mandibular-geniohyoid interface and with a distal end within the tongue at the base and extending between the epiglottis and the soft palate. 
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein said implant is a tubular material selected to induce fibrosis formation and with a proximal end at said mandibular-geniohyoid interface and with a distal end at said base of the tongue. 
   
   
       7 . A method according to  claim 6  wherein said region includes an area of the base of the tongue between lateral extremities of the base of the tongue and said method includes placing multiples of said implants in a volume of said tongue within said region. 
   
   
       8 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein a material of said implant is selected for said implant to contract and expand with the tongue as the tongue heals. 
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the proximal portion is attached to the jaw bone following a period of healing after placement of the implant in the tongue. 
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the proximal portion is attached to the distal portion by an elastic connection. 
   
   
       11 . An apparatus treating obstructive sleep apnea of a patient, said apparatus comprising:
 an implant sized to be placed within a tongue of the patient;   the implant having a proximal portion and a distal portion;   the distal portion sized to be implanted in the tongue near a base of the tongue;   the distal portion selected of a material for creating a fibrotic response following implantation in the tongue;   the proximal portion attached to the first end and adapted to be secured to a jaw bone of the patient.   
   
   
       12 . An apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein at least a portion of the proximal portion is elastomeric. 
   
   
       13 . An apparatus according to  claim 11  wherein the elastomeric portion is selected to expand and contract with movement of the tongue in response to speech and swallowing. 
   
   
       14 . An apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein the distal portion is a material with interstitial spaces for tissue in-growth. 
   
   
       15 . An apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein the material is a mesh.