US 12,232,719 B2
Implantable device
Mogamat Rushdie Hendricks, Cape Town (ZA); and Deon Bezuidenhout, Cape Town (ZA)
Assigned to University Of Cape Town, Cape Town (ZA)
Filed by University Of Cape Town, Cape Town (ZA)
Filed on May 28, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/676,156.
Application 18/676,156 is a continuation of application No. 17/356,381, filed on Jun. 23, 2021, granted, now 12,016,547.
Application 17/356,381 is a continuation of application No. 16/308,429, abandoned, previously published as PCT/IB2017/053421, filed on Jun. 9, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 1610177 (GB), filed on Jun. 10, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2024/0307051 A1, Sep. 19, 2024
Int. Cl. A61B 17/04 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/06 (2006.01); A61B 17/24 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/0401 (2013.01) [A61B 17/06066 (2013.01); A61B 17/06166 (2013.01); A61B 17/24 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00004 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00814 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0414 (2013.01); A61B 2017/044 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0464 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0619 (2013.01); A61B 2017/248 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
12. A method of treating sleep apnoea comprising:
securing between a base of a tongue and a chin an elongate, flexible tether carrying an elongate scaffold which is porous so as to promote tissue ingrowth and collagen deposition along a length of the scaffold;
advancing the base of the tongue towards the chin a distance using the tether; and
permitting a tendon to be formed between the chin and the tongue in and on the scaffold, wherein the tether is absorbed and replaced by orderly connective tissue, wherein the orderly connective tissue comprises a plurality of collagen bands formed as the scaffold degrades over a period of time.