Nasal valve implants and methods of implanting the same
A nasal valve implant delivery system includes a delivery tool having a handle and a needle extending distally therefrom and configured to hold an implant therein. When loaded in the needle, the implant proximally abuts or is disposed adjacent to a pusher member disposed partially within the needle. A light source disposed within the delivery tool is coupled to an optical fiber carried within a lumen of the pusher member. The delivery tool includes a moveable needle shuttle disposed in the handle that is coupled to the needle. An actuator disposed in the handle is configured to releasably engage with the moveable needle shuttle, wherein the needle shuttle is coupled to one or more springs configured to apply a proximal tensioning force on the needle shuttle, wherein actuation of the actuator retracts the needle proximally into the handle and releases the implant.
1 . A delivery system for delivering nasal implant into a nasal valve area of a subject, the delivery system comprising:
a nasal implant;
a delivery tool comprising:
a handle having a proximal end and a distal end,
a needle extending from the distal end of the handle, wherein the needle comprises a lumen that contains the nasal implant,
a pusher member disposed at least partially in the lumen of the needle, wherein the pusher member contacts a proximal end of the nasal implant in the lumen of the needle; and
a light source disposed within or connected to the delivery tool,
wherein the light source is configured to generate light and transmit the light, through a distal end of the pusher member, to the proximal end of the nasal implant, and
wherein the needle is configured to emit light that originates from the light source while the nasal implant is contained within the lumen of the needle.
2 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the needle is made from an optically transparent or translucent material.
3 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the needle comprises a plurality of apertures that emit the light from the needle.
4 . The delivery system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of apertures are oriented along one side of the needle.
5 . The delivery system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of apertures each have a respective size, and
wherein the respective sizes of the apertures increases in a distal direction.
6 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the needle is configured to emit the light through a stripe along a length of a distal region of the needle.
7 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery tool further comprises an optical fiber within a lumen of the pusher member, and
wherein the optical fiber is optically coupled to the light source.
8 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the needle is configured to emit the light from a distal tip of the needle.
9 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the nasal implant is formed from a material that is optically transparent or translucent.
10 . The delivery system of claim 9 , wherein the nasal implant is configured to emit the light through a stripe along an outer surface of the nasal implant to indicate a directional orientation of the nasal implant.
11 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the light source is disposed within the handle of the delivery tool.
12 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the light source is configured to generate the light with an intensity that is suitable for transdermal illumination.
13 . The delivery system of claim 12 , wherein the light source is configured to generate the light as red light.
14 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the needle is moveable relative to the handle along a longitudinal axis of the handle.
15 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the nasal implant comprises a boss that is configured to interface with an aperture in the needle to provide a snap-fit arrangement between the boss of the nasal implant and the aperture of the needle.
16 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the pusher member comprises a first locking member that is configured to engage with a second locking member on a proximal end of the nasal implant.
17 . The delivery system of claim 16 , wherein the first locking member and the second locking member are configured to rotationally and longitudinally lock the nasal implant in place relative to the pusher member.
18 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the light source is disposed in the pusher member.
19 . A method of delivering an implant into a nasal valve area of a subject, comprising:
inserting a needle of a delivery tool into nasal tissue; wherein the delivery tool comprises:
a handle having a proximal end and a distal end,
a needle extending from the distal end of the handle, wherein the needle comprises a lumen that contains an implant,
a pusher member disposed at least partially in the lumen of the needle, wherein the pusher member contacts a proximal end of the implant in the lumen of the needle, and
a light source disposed within or connected to the delivery tool,
wherein the light source is configured to generate light and transmit the light, through a distal end of the pusher member, to the proximal end of the implant, and
wherein the needle is configured to emit light that originates from the light source while the implant is contained within the lumen of the needle;
generating light by the light source disposed within or connected to the delivery tool,
passing the light from the light source through the handle to the needle, and
emitting the light from the needle into the nasal tissue while the implant is contained within the lumen of the needle.