US 12,246,175 B2
Methods for positioning signal delivery devices to treat sleep apnea, and associated devices and treatments
David Herron, Los Angeles, CA (US); Guillaume Raux, El Paso, TX (US); Timothy A. Fayram, Gilroy, CA (US); and Richard W. O'Connor, Atherton, CA (US)
Assigned to Invicta Medical, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Invicta Medical, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 15, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/607,289.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/622,867, filed on Jan. 19, 2024.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/452,918, filed on Mar. 17, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0307684 A1, Sep. 19, 2024
Int. Cl. A61N 1/36 (2006.01); A61N 1/05 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 1/36003 (2013.01) [A61N 1/0551 (2013.01); A61N 1/36192 (2013.01); A61N 1/36139 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for addressing sleep apnea in a patient, the method comprising:
percutaneously inserting an implantable signal delivery device at an insertion point on the patient's neck;
moving the signal delivery device in a lateral-to-medial direction toward a branch of an ansa cervicalis nerve of the patient that bifurcates to innervate both an inferior belly of a sternohyoid muscle of the patient and a sternothyroid muscle of the patient; and
implanting the signal delivery device at a target location at least proximate to the branch of the ansa cervicalis nerve, wherein the signal delivery device includes at least one electrode positioned to deliver a modulation signal to tissue at least proximate to the target location and thereby cause a motor response in the sternohyoid muscle and the sternothyroid muscle to address the patient's sleep apnea.