769 results about "Nasal passages" patented technology

A method for dilating a Eustachian tube of a patient is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method may involve advancing a dilation device through a nasal passage of the patient to position a dilator of the device at least partially in a Eustachian tube of the patient, expanding the dilator to an expanded configuration to dilate a portion of the Eustachian tube, collapsing the dilator, and removing the dilation device from the patient. The dilated portion of the Eustachian tube remains at least partially dilated after removal of the device.

A breathing arrangement includes a patient interface, at least one inlet conduit, and a headgear assembly. The patient interface includes a mouth covering assembly including a cushion structured to sealingly engage around exterior of a patient's mouth in use, a nozzle assembly including a pair of nozzles structured to sealingly engage within nasal passages of a patient's nose in use, and a flexible element connecting the mouth covering assembly and the nozzle assembly. The at least one inlet conduit is structured to deliver breathable gas into at least one of the mouth covering assembly and the nozzle assembly for breathing by the patient. The headgear assembly is removably connected to at least one of the mouth covering assembly and the nozzle assembly so as to maintain the mouth covering assembly and the nozzle assembly in a desired position on the patient's face.

A breathing arrangement includes a patient interface, at least one inlet conduit, and a headgear assembly. The patient interface includes a mouth covering assembly including a cushion structured to sealingly engage around exterior of a patient's mouth in use, a nozzle assembly including a pair of nozzles structured to sealingly engage within nasal passages of a patient's nose in use, and an element connecting the mouth covering assembly and the nozzle assembly. The at least one inlet conduit is structured to deliver breathable gas into at least one of the mouth covering assembly and the nozzle assembly for breathing by the patient. The headgear assembly is removably connected to at least one of the mouth covering assembly and the nozzle assembly so as to maintain the mouth covering assembly and the nozzle assembly in a desired position on the patient's face.

Methods and systems for accessing a Eustachian tube of a patient are disclosed. The system includes a guide configured for passing into a nasal passage of the patient to position a distal tip of the catheter at or near a Eustachian tube, the guide having a distal tip with a bend having an angle between 30 and 90 degrees; and a guidewire configured to pass through the guide into the Eustachian tube. A device for providing therapy to the Eustachian tube is passed through the guide.

Sinusitis, enlarged nasal turbinates, tumors, infections, hearing disorders, allergic conditions, facial fractures and other disorders of the ear, nose and throat are diagnosed and / or treated using minimally invasive approaches and, in many cases, flexible catheters as opposed to instruments having rigid shafts. Various diagnostic procedures and devices are used to perform imaging studies, mucus flow studies, air / gas flow studies, anatomic dimension studies, endoscopic studies and transillumination studies. Access and occluder devices may be used to establish fluid tight seals in the anterior or posterior nasal cavities / nasopharynx and to facilitate insertion of working devices (e.g., scopes, guidewires, catheters, tissue cutting or remodeling devices, electrosurgical devices, energy emitting devices, devices for injecting diagnostic or therapeutic agents, devices for implanting devices such as stents, substance eluting devices, substance delivery implants, etc.

Method and systems for accessing a Eustachian tube of a patient are disclosed. The system includes a guide configured for passing into a nasal passage of the patient to position a distal tip of the catheter at or near a Eustachian tube, the guide having distal tip with a bend having an angle between 30 and 90 degrees; and a guidewire configured to pass through the guide into the Eustachian tube.

A device and method for dilating a Eustachian tube of a patient is disclosed. The device includes a guide catheter and a balloon dilation catheter. The balloon dilation catheter has an actuator that prevents injury to the middle ear. The balloon dilation catheter is slidably coupled with the guide catheter through the guide catheter lumen and is fully inserted into the guide catheter lumen when the distal side of the actuator is adjacent to the proximal end of the guide catheter. The method involves advancing the guide catheter and balloon dilation catheter through a nasal passage of the patient to dilate a portion of the Eustachian tube.

A multi-chamber mask includes a shell and a partition. The shell is adapted to cover portions of a user's face including the mouth and at least portions of the nose including the nostrils, the shell adapted to contact the face surrounding the covered portions of the face to substantially prevent gas from escaping between the shell and the contacted portions of the user's face, and the shell is adapted to couple to a gas supply source. The partition is coupled to the shell and cooperates with the shell to define a first chamber and a second chamber, the first chamber adapted to be positioned proximate the user's nose to direct inflow of gas from the gas supply source to the user's nasal passages, the second chamber adapted to be positioned proximate the user's mouth, the partition adapted to restrict flow of gas between the first and the second chamber.

Mouthpiece (1) having vestibular shield (21) overlapping a user's teeth and gums, gases passageway means extending through said vestibular shield allowing for the passage of said gases through mouthpiece and extra oral sealing (25) means associated with gases passageway, said passageway in use causes gases to be diffused (outlets 23, 24) when exiting from gases passageway. Mouth piece may have a noseflap to seal the user's nose or provide a passageway for use'r s nasal passages. Mouthpiece may have adjustment means to alter distance between said vestibular shield and said extra-oral sealing means.

A nasal mask assembly is configured to provide a direct flow of a fluid, e.g., breathable air, oxygen or anesthesia, directly into the patient's nasal cavity by combining the nasal prongs of a nasal cannula with a nasal cup. The nasal cup is made of clear plastic and has a general shape of a human nose such that it easily and comfortably fits over a patient's nose. An input port extends through the nasal cup into the internal cavity of the nasal cup and a fluid source is connected to the input port via a source tube system. The nasal cup can be molded to approximate the surface of a patient's face surrounding the patient's nose. The nasal prongs are extended in length. The source tube is rotatably connected to the external end of the input port of the nasal cup.

The invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for inducing hypothermia in an animal. Known methods for inducing hypothermia all involve cooling the outside or inside of an animal, sometimes in conjuction with drugs that disable the animal's homeostatic responses. The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for applying heat to the hypothalamus of a warm-blooded animal in order to utilize the physiological mechanisms that regulate body temperature to effect a compensatory cooling response, thereby lowering body temperature. It is new and unsuggested in the art to apply heat in an effort to reduce body temperature. The invention effects the desired lowering of body temperature by the method od raising the temperature of the hypothalamus, a brain structure situated in humans just above the pituitary gland responsible for temperature regulation, by warming a nasal passage, or a sinus, such as the sphenoid sinus that is nearest to the hypothalamus, or by direct warming of the hypothalamus, or a combination of these.

A method for the administration of nicotine, THC, tobacco, cannabidiol or a base alkaloid includes administering in the oral or nasal cavity an absorption conditioning unit having at least two agents selected from the group consisting of (a) a buffer agent, (b) a capturing agent, (c) a penetration agent, and (d) a thermal agent, to the mammal, and then administering by inhalation a bioactive agent selected from the group consisting of nicotine, THC, cannabidiol and a base alkaloid. The absorption conditioning unit may be in a dosage form not containing a drug. The absorption conditioning unit may create a pH in the oral cavity or nasal cavity of 7.8-10 for a period of ten minutes or more after administration, the dosage form not containing an acid and not containing a drug.

Disclosed is an introducer apparatus comprising an sleeve fixation mechanism or introducer member, such as a catheter, introducer, or ring-like structure, which is attached to a protective sleeve comprising a thin flexible material such a polymeric film. The sleeve is inverted into the passageway of a second member, such as a catheter, feeding tube, introducer, etc., that is advanced through the passageway of the introducer member and is introduced into a bodily passage of a patient, such as the bile duct, nasal passages, colon, etc. The sleeve everts from the passageway of the second member during its advancement to lay down a friction-reducing surface. The sleeve prevents frictional contact between the second member and delicate or sensitive tissues.

A nasal dilator comprises a laminate of vertically stacked layers forming a unitary, or single body, truss where each layer includes at least one member. The truss features horizontal regions adapted to engage outer wall tissues of first and second nasal passages and to traverse the bridge of a nose therebetween. When in use the dilator acts to stabilize and / or expand the nasal outer wall tissues and prevent said tissues from drawing inward during breathing. Manufacturing methods produce dilator layers and / or finished nasal dilator devices efficiently at the same or lower cost as traditional methods by fabricating dilator elements in whole or part along common lines or edges. Said common lines define peripheral dimensions and form spaced apart relationships between dilator layers, members and finished dilator devices without sacrificing usable material to do so. Manufacturing steps include cutting through a fabrication laminate along lines defining at least portions of one or more layers, members, and the truss's peripheral edges. Manufacturing methods further maximize material usage by incorporating waste material into a subsequent fabrication process. Dilator embodiments further include means for providing disparate dilating force to opposing nasal passages, and means for incorporating promotional printing into the dilator fabrication process.

A device, method and system for facilitating treatment of a sinusitis condition, including a heat source configured to deliver an output of heated air to the nasal passages of an individual, and a delivery component having a space through which the heated air output of the heat source may pass, the delivery component being configured for placement in the individual's nostrils. The system provides a heated air output source and one or more delivery components configured and sized to fit within the nostril of an individual, which may be used to deliver one or more courses of heated air to a user's sinuses through a nostril.

A system for supplying ventilatory support may include a nasal interface configured to communicate with a patient's nose while allowing the patient to breathe ambient air directly without flowing through the nasal interface. A nozzle may be associated with the nasal interface at a distance from a nose. The nozzle may be connectable to the gas delivery circuit and the gas delivery source. The nozzle may be capable of delivering gas into the nasal passage by creating negative pressure area near the nozzle and a positive pressure area near the entrance to the nose. A combination of gas from the gas delivery source and air entrained from the gas exiting the nozzle may provide ventilatory support.

A nasal dilator includes a contact pad attachable to a user's facial region below the user's eye and outboard from the user's nose. A tugging device is coupled with the contact pad and urges the contact pad in a direction away from the user's nose. With this structure, effective dilation of the nasal passages can be achieved in a comfortable manner. The dilator may also be incorporated into a CPAP mask and / or form part of an automated control system.

A nasal dilator comprises a laminate of vertical layers each consisting of one or more members or components. The laminated layers form a unitary, or single body, truss featuring horizontal regions adapted to engage outer wall tissues of first and second nasal passages and to traverse the bridge of a nose therebetween. When in use the dilator acts to stabilize and / or expand the nasal outer wall tissues and prevent said tissues from drawing inward during breathing. The dilator includes means to direct its resilient properties comprising one or more interior or exterior material separations, or discontinuity of shape of material, formed in at least one region of the truss and extending through at least one layer of the dilator. Said material separation or discontinuity of shape may comprise an opening, relief cut, slit or notch, and which may be configured to separate or vertically protrude, in part, from the truss when the dilator is in use on the nose of a wearer. Said separation or vertical protrusion changes the angle of focused delaminating spring biasing forces generated by the resilient layer, transforming said forces, at least in part, from primarily peel forces into primarily shear forces, and further redistributing or imparting said transformed forces to tissue engaging surface areas extending outward and beyond said material separation.

The apparatus includes a cylinder for containing a pressurized therapeutic oxygen gas, a nasal cannula, adapted to be introduced into a nasal passage of a patient, and a conduit extending between the cylinder and the nasal cannula for directing the therapeutic oxygen gas to the nasal cannula from the cylinder. A pressure sensor is provided on the conduit for detecting the pressure in the conduit. A valve is provided, in the conduit, which allows and blocks the fluid communication between the cylinder and the nasal cannula. A controller controls the operation of the valve in synchronization with the respiration of a patient, based on the changes in the pressure detected by the pressure sensor. The volume of the oxygen therapeutic gas passing through the valve for each respiration is increased, compared with a normal respiration condition, when the respiratory frequency increases.

Intranasal delivery devices include dosage forms containing medical compositions for use in the intranasal devices, and methods of delivering medical compositions to the nasal mucosa of users. The devices dispense a predetermined quantity of fluid into the nasal passage of a user, in which the predetermined quantity of fluid is contained in, or produced in a dosage form or blister that is crushed by a plunger with sufficient force to drive the dosage form against a piercing mechanism, piercing the dosage form and forcing the liquid contents from the dosage form and through a delivery channel into a spray to be directed into the nasal passage of a user. The plunger is connected to a trigger device by a linkage that confers a mechanical advantage to the trigger mechanism.

A system for manipulating a guide catheter within a patient's nasal passages or sinus cavities includes a guide catheter formed from an elongate flexible member having a lumen passing there through. A wire guide is slidably disposed within the lumen of the guide catheter. The system further includes a steering member fixedly secured to a proximal end of the wire guide and a proximal hub secured to a proximal end of the guide catheter. The system further includes a recessed handle having a first recess for fixedly receiving the proximal hub of the guide catheter and a second recess for receiving the steering member, the second recess being dimensioned to permit axial and rotational movement of the steering member while disposed in the second recess.

A novel telehealth video conferencing system (process) that is designed to enable the patient user to have a real-time or near real-time 2 way tele-conference / consult including the transfer of patient specific biometric information with a health care provider team (one or more health care providers simultaneously, i.e. a team consisting of a pharmacist, physician, mental health provider, clinical lab, mental health provider, orthopedist, podiatrist, dentist, clinical specialist, etc. . . . ) located remotely from the telehealth digital / video patient user portal. The present invention, the IPWP is an interactive-digital health care provider network to patient portal designed to provide patients with the same level of quality care that they would expect to receive if they were physically in a multispecialty doctor or health care providers' (nurse practitioner, physician assistant, dentist, ophthalmologist, orthopedist, podiatrist, medical specialty clinic, hospital, etc. . . . ) office. However, the patients that utilize the IPWP will interact with their health care provider / s on a computer / notebook / smart device screen / monitor via existing secure digital web or cellular camera technology in a mobile or stationary, enclosed / private HIPP compliant environment at a retail pharmacy or a pharmacy supported location (workplace, educational facilities, retail stores, etc. . . . that have an in-house, adjacent or an electronic dispensing pharmacy). Current statistics demonstrate that 80% of primary care provider visits result in the health care provider writing a script for medication. Medication management is critical to safe, effective quality care and has been an issue of health care reforms Accountable Care Organization concept since 2009. In order for the patient to receive comparable care to what they would receive in a multispecialty provider / doctor's office with an onsite pharmacy, the IMP will combine the use of existing biometric sensor technologies (i.e. Strain Gauge Tech, IR Thermometer, etc.) in order for the system to take patient real time biometric information such as height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, EKG, blood glucose, body temperature, etc. . . . as well as identify the patient positively by both video capture and biometric scanning (fingerprint, iris scan, driver's license photo, etc. . . . ). It also has the capability to upload information from certain glucose readers in order for the physician to better assess a patient's blood sugar levels and may incorporate the use of magnified micro camera technology and lighting to look at a patient's microanatomy (ear canals, nasal passages, skin conditions, color and eye examination, etc. . . . ). In addition to the use of sensor technology the IPWP can incorporate the use of antimicrobial materials or technologies (copper ions, silver ions, UV light, HEPA filters, etc. . . . ) to reduce the communication of disease from patient to patient. The monitor, web camera, and other vital components will be designed to be permanently or temporarily (mobile system) located within a secure / private enclosure at a pharmacy or pharmacy supported location (private kiosk, room, booth, enclosure, space, etc. . . . ). All patient information and electronic forms will be transmitted via a secure encrypted web based digital or cellular portal to multiple providers as needed simultaneously for a seamless 3-way (or more) consultation / communication. The IPWP will be linked to a smartphone / computer / Internet / web app that will allow the patient to view availability and schedule appointments at their local pharmacies IPWP or alternatively on a walk-in, as needed basis. Lastly, the unit will be equipped with electronic payment technologies such as card (swipe) readers, etc. . . . to capture / collect payment from credit cards, PayPal and debit cards for all health care services provided including, but limited to co-pays, payments, prescriptions, lab test, etc. . . . .In summary the ability of the patient portal system to provide real time, multiple simultaneously communicating health care providers with real time biometric information (including the onsite or tele pharmacist) is a novel process not limited to the single provider video / audio access currently patented. This new dimension to telehealth promises a telehealth experience that at a minimum matches the diagnostics ability and access of a multispecialty clinic or traditional hospital setting while exceeding the clinical / diagnostic ability of a single health care provider's office or clinic that is more accessible at a 50% reduced cost and resulting in better health outcomes.

The invention relates to a turbine blade which has a nose cavity in the region of a trailing edge, it being possible for the trailing edge to be cooled by impingement cooling, which has an inner cavity at least partly of meander-shaped design, and which has a crown pocket as cavity in the region of the blade tip, which crown pocket is connected to the nose cavity, so that the cooling of the turbine blade is improved.

A nasal delivery device for and method of delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising: a nosepiece for fitting to a nostril of a subject, wherein the nosepiece comprises a tip element which includes a delivery aperture from which substance is in use delivered into the nasal cavity, and the tip element is at least in part tapered such as to be inclined to a longitudinal axis of the nosepiece, with the delivery aperture extending both laterally across the tip element and along a longitudinal extent of the tip element; a nozzle through which substance is in use delivered, preferably substantially axially to a longitudinal axis of the nosepiece, to the respective nasal cavity; and a delivery unit for delivering substance through the nozzle of the nosepiece.

One embodiment of a nasal dilator comprises a pair of pads (100), supported by arms (110, 112) surrounding an air passage (115). Each arm has a bend portion (120) and a pad (121) that grips a wearer's septum (615). Leg portions (125, 125′) extend down from the arms and are connected by a bight that surrounds the wearer's columella (620). The dilator is installed by gripping an optional handle (130) or the bight and inserting the pads and the arms into both nostrils. The dilator is urged upward and inward until the inner side of the bight touches the wearer's columella. To remove the dilator, the user grips the handle or bight and gently pulls downward until the dilator is removed. In an alternative embodiment, optional cushions (102, 122) soften the contact points between the dilator and the user's nasal structures and can supply medications through the user's nasal membranes.

A method for delivering medicament such as for ameliorating pain in a patient includes introducing an injector through a nasal passage of the patient into a region substantially medial and / or posterior and / or inferior to a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) of the patient; and delivering a medicament from the injector superiorly and / or laterally and / or anteriorly towards the SPG. A device for delivering a medicament to a patient in need thereof includes (a) an injector containing a first end configured to remain outside a nasal passage of the patient and a second end configured for entry into the nasal passage of the patient; and (b) an introducer configured for engagement with a nostril of the patient and containing a passageway configured for slidably receiving the injector. The injector is moveable between a storage position preceding the engagement and an engaging position pursuant to the engagement.

A nose hair trimmer with dual cutting edges which comprises a stationary blade with a plurality of teeth disposed on two opposite longitudinal sides thereof; a movable blade with a plurality of teeth disposed on two opposite longitudinal sides thereof, and the movable blade is driven by a driving unit to move in a linear reciprocating manner against the stationary blade so that the teeth on one side of the stationary blade and the teeth on one side of the movable blade cooperate with each other to define a first cutting edge, and the teeth on the other side of the stationary blade and the teeth on the other side of the movable blade cooperate with each other to define a second cutting edge; and a casing having a head portion in shape and size adapted to be inserted into a human nose, and the head portion is provided with two longitudinal openings disposed opposite to each other for exposing the first cutting edge and the second cutting edge respectively, so that the first cutting edge and the second cutting edge are positioned substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of a nasal passage of a human nose when the head portion is inserted into the nose.