Airway valve apparatus
An airway valve apparatus 10 for at least partially sealing an airway 30 of a subject 40 comprising: a hub 50 ; a plurality of anchor struts 60 disposed about and in communication with the hub; a plurality of support struts 70 disposed about and in communication with the hub; one or more membranes that are in communication with the plurality of anchor struts, the plurality of support struts, or both; and wherein the anchor struts include one or more anchor elements 62 disposed at a distal end of the anchor struts, the one or more anchor elements configured to engage a wall 32 of the airway.
1 . An airway valve apparatus for at least partially sealing an airway of a subject comprising:
a hub;
a plurality of anchor struts disposed about a periphery of the hub and extending from a proximal anchor end that is directly affixed to the hub to a distal anchor end that is distal from the hub, each anchor strut of the plurality of anchor struts including a first stiffness;
a plurality of support struts disposed about the periphery of the hub and extending from a proximal support end that is directly affixed to the hub to a distal support end that is distal from the hub, each support strut of the plurality of support struts including a second stiffness value, wherein the second stiffness value is less than the first stiffness value;
one or more membranes extending distally away from the hub and covering the plurality of anchor struts and the plurality of support struts; and
wherein individual distal anchor ends of the plurality of anchor struts include a free terminal end covered by the one or more membranes and each free terminal end includes one or more anchor elements extending through the one or more membranes, the one or more anchor elements configured to engage a wall of the airway.
2 . The airway valve apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of anchor struts and the plurality of support struts maintain the one or more membranes with a convex surface facing outward toward the airway.
3 . The airway valve apparatus of claim 1 :
wherein the first stiffness value is twenty percent higher than the second stiffness value.
4 . The airway valve apparatus of according to claim 1 :
wherein the plurality of support struts are configured to partially and temporarily collapse towards a rod assembly when subjected to and during a high-pressure event on the one or more membranes.
5 . The airway valve apparatus according to claim 1 :
wherein the plurality of support struts is configured to collapse towards a rod assembly and the one or more anchor elements are configured to disengage the wall of the airway by engaging and pulling on a proximal end of the rod assembly.
6 . The airway valve apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the airway valve apparatus comprises the plurality of anchor struts including three or more anchor struts and the plurality of support struts including two or more support struts disposed in-between each of the three or more anchor struts.
7 . The airway valve apparatus according to claim 1 :
wherein the plurality of support struts have a base width and an end width, and the base width is greater than the end width.
8 . The airway valve apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein a first anchor portion of the plurality of anchor struts has at least the first stiffness value, a first support portion of the plurality of support struts has at least the second stiffness value, and the first stiffness value is greater than the second stiffness value; and
wherein each support strut of the plurality of support struts has a base width in the first support portion and an end width in a second support portion, the base width being larger than the end width, and the first support portion exerting a greater radial force than the second support portion.
9 . The airway valve apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein a first anchor portion of the plurality of anchor struts has at least the first stiffness value, a first support portion of the plurality of support struts has at least the second stiffness value, and the first stiffness value is greater than the second stiffness value; and
wherein the first anchor portion exerts a greater radial force than in a second anchor portion of the plurality of anchor struts.
10 . An airway valve apparatus comprising:
a hub;
a plurality of support struts distributed radially around a periphery of a distal end of the hub and each support strut of the plurality of support struts extending from a proximal anchor end that is directly affixed to the hub distally in a semi-circular shape;
a plurality of anchor struts distributed radially around the periphery of the distal end of the hub, each anchor strut of the plurality of anchor struts extending distally from a first end coupled to the hub in a semi-circular arc to a distal end including an arrow-shaped anchor element and each anchor strut is separated from an adjacent anchor strut by two support struts of the plurality of support struts; and
a membrane extending distally away from the hub and covering the plurality of anchor struts and the plurality of support struts,
wherein upon deployment the plurality of support struts, the plurality of anchor struts and the membrane combine to form a semi-circular shape extending from the hub, and wherein the membrane is affixed to an outer surface of an entire length of the plurality of support struts and the plurality of anchor struts with the arrow-shaped anchor element on the distal end of each anchor strut extending through the membrane.
11 . The airway valve apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each anchor strut of the plurality of anchor struts includes the anchor element extending radially outward from the distal end of the anchor strut, the anchor element configured to engage a wall of the airway.
12 . The airway valve apparatus according to claim 11 :
wherein the plurality of support struts is configured to collapse towards a rod assembly and the anchor elements are configured to disengage the wall of the airway by engaging and pulling on a proximal end of the rod assembly.
13 . The airway valve apparatus of claim 10 , wherein a first anchor portion of the plurality of anchor struts has at least a first stiffness value, a first support portion of the plurality of support struts has at least a second stiffness value, and wherein the first stiffness value is greater than the second stiffness value.
14 . The airway valve apparatus of claim 13 :
wherein the first stiffness value is twenty percent higher than the second stiffness value.
15 . The airway valve apparatus of according to claim 13 :
wherein the first support portion, a second support portion of the plurality of support struts, or both are configured to partially and temporarily collapse towards a rod assembly when subjected to and during a high-pressure event on the membrane.
16 . The airway valve apparatus according to claim 10 :
wherein the airway valve apparatus comprises the plurality of anchor struts including three or more anchor struts and the plurality of support struts including two or more support struts disposed in-between each of the three or more anchor struts.
17 . The airway valve apparatus according to claim 10 :
wherein the plurality of support struts have a base width and an end width, and the base width is greater than the end width.
18 . The airway valve apparatus of claim 10 :
wherein a first anchor portion of the plurality of anchor struts has at least a first stiffness value, a first support portion of the plurality of support struts has at least a second stiffness value, and the first stiffness value is greater than the second stiffness value; and
wherein each support strut of the plurality of support struts has a base width in the first support portion and an end width in a second support portion, the base width being larger than the end width, and the first support portion exerting a greater radial force than the second support portion.
19 . The airway valve apparatus of claim 10 :
wherein a first anchor portion of the plurality of anchor struts has at least a first stiffness value, a first support portion of the plurality of support struts has at least second stiffness value, and the first stiffness value is greater than the second stiffness value; and
wherein the first anchor portion exerts a greater radial force than in a second anchor portion in the plurality of anchor struts.