Patent ID: 8088142

Claim:
An internal procedure for closing a perforation in a patient's sinus membrane, comprising: creating an upward channel in bone leading to a floor of the patient's sinus with an upper open end of the channel exposing a portion of the patient's sinus membrane including the perforation; selecting a patching material insertion instrument sized to extend upward into the channel and having an upwardly extending central support surface and upwardly extending outer support surfaces laterally spaced and moveable toward and away from the central support surface; moving the outer support surfaces laterally toward the central support surface to a compressed position; applying a sinus membrane patching material to the central support surface and to the outer support surfaces in their compressed position; inserting the instrument upward into the channel until the patching material on the central and outer support surfaces engages the sinus membrane over the perforation; and releasing the outer support surfaces from their compressed position allowing lateral movement and extension of the patching material covering and a sealing of the perforation.