Patent ID: 8715169

Claim:
A method for dilating, in a human or animal subject, an opening of a paranasal sinus, wherein the opening comprises comprising a natural ostium, man-made hole or outflow tract which leads into the interior of a paranasal sinus cavity and which is surrounded by bone covered by mucosa, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a dilation device that comprises an elongate shaft and a dilator; the elongate shaft having at least one deformable region proximal to the dilator and at least one substantially stiff region that is proximal to the deformable region, said at least one deformable region being deformable to a deformed configuration that facilitates subsequent insertion of the elongate shaft through the subject's nose to a position where the dilator is within the paranasal sinus opening to be dilated; b) deforming the deformable region to said deformed configuration; c) after deformation of the deformable region to said deformed configuration, inserting the elongate shaft through the subject's nose to a position where the dilator is within the paranasal sinus opening to be dilated; d) causing the dilator of the dilation device to dilate the paranasal sinus opening within which it is positioned causing breakage of bone, and e) removing the dilation device.