Methods and devices to treat nasal airways

Abstract

A method for reshaping a nasal airway in a patient involves advancing an inflatable balloon of a reshaping device in an uninflated configuration into a nostril of the patient and between a nasal septum and a lateral wall of the nasal airway. The method then involves inflating the inflatable balloon to an inflated configuration to cause the inflatable balloon to contact nasal mucosa covering the nasal septum and the lateral wall, delivering energy from an energy delivery member attached to or inside of the inflatable balloon, and removing the reshaping device from the nasal airway.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for treating rhinitis in a patient, without forming an incision or leaving behind an implant, the method comprising:
 advancing a treatment element of a nasal airway treatment device through a nostril of the patient and into a nasal airway, wherein the treatment element comprises:
 a balloon; and 
 multiple bipolar radiofrequency electrodes coupled with the balloon; 
   inflating the balloon to contact the bipolar radiofrequency electrodes with nasal mucosa lining the nasal airway;   delivering radiofrequency energy with the bipolar radiofrequency electrodes to nerve tissue underlying the nasal mucosa, to ablate the nerve tissue;   deflating the balloon; and   removing the nasal airway treatment device from the nasal airway, without leaving any of the implant behind in the nasal airway,   wherein ablating the nerve tissue reduces one or more symptoms of rhinitis.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein inflating the balloon applies sufficient force to a nasal turbinate in the nasal airway to deform and break bone in the nasal turbinate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bipolar radiofrequency electrodes are attached to an outer surface of the balloon. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the bipolar radiofrequency electrodes comprise multiple linear bipolar electrode pairs that expand when the balloon expands. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the bipolar radiofrequency electrodes are coupled with a wire mesh substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nerve tissue is part of at least one nerve selected from the group consisting of a posterior nasal nerve, an ethmoidal nerve, and a sphenopalatine ganglion. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining that the patient suffers from poor nasal airflow, wherein the method improves the poor nasal airflow or a perception of the poor nasal airflow. 
     
     
         8 . A method for improving nasal airflow or perceived nasal airflow through a nasal airway in a patient, without forming an incision or leaving behind an implant, the method comprising:
 advancing a treatment element of a nasal airway treatment device through a nostril of the patient and into the nasal airway, wherein the treatment element comprises:
 a balloon; and 
 multiple bipolar radiofrequency electrodes coupled with the balloon; 
   inflating the balloon to contact the bipolar radiofrequency electrodes with nasal mucosa lining the nasal airway;   delivering radiofrequency energy with the bipolar radiofrequency electrodes to nerve tissue underlying the nasal mucosa, to ablate the nerve tissue;   deflating the balloon; and   removing the nasal airway treatment device from the nasal airway, without leaving any of the implant behind in the nasal airway,   wherein ablating the nerve tissue improves the nasal airflow or the perceived nasal airflow through the nasal airway.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein delivering the radiofrequency energy changes a property of an additional tissue underlying the nasal mucosa, and wherein the property is selected from the group consisting of size, shape, and stiffness. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the property comprises the shape, and wherein the method reshapes the additional tissue to a concave shape. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the property comprises the stiffness, and wherein the method stiffens the additional tissue. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the additional tissue is selected from the group consisting of cartilage and submucosal tissue. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising determining that the patient suffers from chronic or allergic rhinitis, wherein the method ameliorates the chronic or allergic rhinitis.