US 7,547,323 B2
Stent for irrigation and delivery of medication
François Lavigne, Mont-Royal (Canada)
Assigned to Sinexus, Inc., Palo Alto, Calif. (US)
Filed on Aug. 29, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/511,876.
Prior Publication US 2008/0097354 A1, Apr. 24, 2008
Int. Cl. A61F 2/18 (2006.01); A61F 2/04 (2006.01); A61M 1/00 (2006.01); A61M 31/00 (2006.01); A61M 37/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 623—10  [623/23.7; 604/27] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An irrigation and long term medication delivery stent for a nasal cavity, said stent comprising:
a flexible tube having a proximal end, a distal end, and a passageway extending from said proximal end to said distal end, said flexible tube configured for insertion into a maxillary sinus cavity;
a first generally straight tube segment extending from said proximal end;
a first generally curved segment extending from an end region of said first generally straight tube segment, said end region disposed away from said proximal end of said stent;
a second generally straight tube segment extending from an end region of said first curved segment away from said first generally straight tube segment, said second generally straight tube segment arranged at an acute angle relative to said first generally straight tube segment; and
a second generally curved tube segment extending from one end of said second generally straight tube segment, said second generally curved tube segment including a channel disposed on an exterior surface of said second generally curved tube segment, said channel fluidly coupled to said passageway in said second generally curved tube segment, said channel beginning at a channel starting region on said second generally curved tube segment and terminating at a channel ending region proximate said distal end of said stent, said channel sized to serve as a reservoir to contain a predetermined amount of at least one form of medication for delivery, over a period of time, of said at least one form of medication to a cavity region in which said stent has been inserted.