Patent ID: 8480737

Claim:
A bioabsorbable columellar strut device, comprising: a pair of opposed lateral wall members, said wall members having free outer lateral edges, inner ends, outer surfaces and inner surfaces, and opposed side ends, wherein the wall members have a length, a width, and a thickness, said length is measured along the inner ends between said opposed side ends, said width is transverse to the inner ends and is measured from said free outer lateral edge to said inner end, and said thickness is measured between said outer and inner surfaces, and wherein the length is greater than the width and the width is greater than the thickness; a spine member, having a length, connecting the lateral members along their inner ends along the length of the spine member such that the lateral wall members are at least partially angulated with respect to each other, and such that the wall members are moveable with respect to each other from a first resting position to a second position, the spine member having an inner surface, an outer surface and a pair of opposed ends, wherein the spine member has at least a partially curved cross-section; a longitudinal opening between the free edges of the lateral wall members, and opposed side openings between the opposed side ends; a channel formed between the inner surfaces of the wall members and the inner surface of the spine member, wherein the channel is in communication with the longitudinal opening and the opposed side openings; and, a plurality of openings extending through the lateral wall members in communication with the channel, wherein the strut device comprises a bioabsorbable polymer, and wherein wall members exert a force into said channel when in the second position.