IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,478,396
Granted Patent B2
US 12,478,396 · App. 18/665,037 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Tongue retractor

Inventors: Ira Sanders (Oakland, NJ); Jon Buzzard (Palm City, FL); Asif Amirali (New York, NY); Cliff Dwyer (Weston, FL)
Assignee: Linguaflex, Inc.
A61B17/24A61F5/566A61B2017/00814A61B2017/00907A61B2017/0409A61B2017/0417A61B2017/0464A61B2017/248
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,478,396
App. No.
18/665,037
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tissue retractor including a head member, an anchor member, and a shaft extending between the head member and the anchor member. The shaft has an elastic portion and an adjustment portion. The elastic portion is made of a first material and the adjustment portion is made of a second different material. The adjustment portion has a first locking element and the anchor member has a second locking element. The first locking element and the second locking element are configured to adjust the length of the shaft that extends between the head member and the anchor member. Also, a tissue retractor including a head member having a window and an anchoring segment surrounding the perimeter of the window, an anchor member, and a shaft extending between the head member and the anchor member, the shaft having an elastic portion and an adjustment portion.

Claims (16)

1 . A method of treating a breathing disorder comprising:

providing a tissue retractor comprising a head member, an anchor member, and a shaft extending between the head member and the anchor member; and

inserting the shaft of the tissue retractor into the soft tissue of the tongue base of a patient,

wherein, after the insertion of the shaft, the shaft extends diagonally in a lateral direction at an angle with respect the centerline of the tongue.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, after insertion of the shaft, the tissue retractor compresses the soft tissue of the tongue base displacing the soft tissue lateral to the centerline of tongue.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the head member and the anchor member engage the soft tissue to displace the soft tissue.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the displacement of the soft tissue reduces restriction of the airway of the patient.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, after insertion of the shaft, one of the head member and the anchor member is located at the junction of the frenulum and the tongue blade.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the anchor member is separate from the shaft and is attached to the shaft after the insertion of the shaft into the soft tissue.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the shaft elongates when subjected to a tensile force applied in a longitudinal direction of the shaft.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the tensile force required to increase a length of the shaft by 1 mm is 1-100 grams.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein, after insertion of the shaft into the soft tissue, at least the portion of the shaft has an implantation length, at least the portion of the shaft stretches in response to forces placed on the tissue retractor during speech and swallowing, and at least the portion of the shaft returns to the implantation length when the forces from speech and swallowing are removed.

10 . The method of claim 7 , the tensile force necessary to lengthen at least the portion of the shaft increases as at least the portion of the shaft is lengthened with a first tensile force required to length at least the portion of the shaft to a first elongated length being less than a second tensile of force required to lengthen at least the portion of the shaft from the first elongated length to a second elongated length that is greater than the first elongated length.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is ribbon shaped having a width and a thickness where the width is greater than the thickness.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the anchor member is detachable from the shaft.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a length of the shaft is adjustable.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2024
From: SANDERS, IRA; BUZZARD, JON; AMIRALI, ASIF; DWYER, CLIFF
To: LINGUAFLEX, INC.
Reel/Frame 067424/0037 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16468817
Provisional Application 62433509 · Dec 13, 2016
Related Publication 20240299055A1 · Sep 12, 2024
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