Patent ID: 11925530
Assignee: ACCLARENT, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method of using an apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
(a) a guide catheter comprising a rigid portion configured to access a pharyngeal ostium of a patient;
(b) a hollow sheath slidably disposed within the guide catheter;
(c) a push rod slidably disposed within the hollow sheath; and
(d) a plug disposed within the hollow sheath, wherein the push rod is configured to drive the plug out of the hollow sheath into a Eustachian tube (ET), the plug comprising:
(i) a body, wherein the body is resiliently biased to radially expand from an elongated state to a widened state, wherein a longitudinal length of the body is configured to shorten when in the widened state such that the longitudinal length of the body is longer in the elongated state relative to the widened state, wherein the body is sized and configured to be inserted in the ET when the body is in the elongated state, wherein the body is sized and configured to bear against a sidewall of the ET when the body is in the widened state to thereby secure the body to the ET; and
(ii) a plurality of passageways formed through the body;

wherein the body in the elongated state is sized and configured to be received within an interior of the hollow sheath; and
wherein the body in the widened state is operable to provide restricted fluid communication through the ET via the passageways;
the method comprising:
(a) positioning the rigid portion of the guide catheter in a nasopharynx of the patient;
(b) orienting a distal end of the rigid portion toward the pharyngeal ostium of the patient;
(c) positioning the hollow sheath in or near the ET of the patient via the guide catheter, the ET being in a patulous state;
(d) providing relative movement between the hollow sheath and the push rod, thereby driving the plug out of the hollow sheath into the patulous ET; and
(e) allowing the body to resiliently expand radially outwardly within the patulous ET to thereby secure the body to the patulous ET, the expanded body restricting fluid communication through the patulous ET via the passageways to thereby treat the patulous ET.