Patent ID: 8074654

Claim:
An implant system comprising: at least one elongated body sized and configured for surgical implantation in a desired orientation, including a state of tension, in a tissue region in an airway, the elongated body having an insertion end and an opposite trailing end, an array of projections extending from the elongated body and being resiliently coupled to the elongated body in a normally biased outward extending condition sized and configured to penetrate into and engage tissue and resist a reorientation of the elongated body within the tissue region out of the desired orientation after surgical implantation of the elongated body in the tissue region, the array of projections being sized and configured to resiliently yield by flexing inward against the elongated body during surgical implantation of the elongated body in the tissue region, and an adjustment component adjustably coupled to the trailing end, the component being adapted to adjust the state of tension in the elongated body when implanted, wherein the adjustment component comprises: a first component adapted to be rigidly coupled in or near the tissue region, and a second component adjustably coupled to the elongated body, the second component being selectively adjustable with respect to the first component in a manner that adjusts positioning of the elongated body with respect to the first component.