1. A method of treating a natural ostium of the maxillary sinus of a patient comprising:
traversing the canine fossa region of the patient by piercing the canine fossa region with a sharpened tool so as to form a passageway to a the maxillary sinus cavity;
cannulating the passageway with a cannula;
inserting an elongate member through the cannula disposed in the passageway, the elongate member having an inflation member disposed thereon;
positioning the inflation member within the natural ostium of the maxillary sinus; and
expanding the inflation member so as to expand at least a portion of the natural ostium of the maxillary sinus.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a stop disposed on the sharpened tool configured to limit distal advancement of the tool within the maxillary sinus cavity.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inflation member is positioned within the natural ostium of the maxillary sinus by advancing the elongate member over a wire guide passing through the passageway.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the inflation member is positioned using one or more markers contained thereon.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the elongate member comprises a balloon catheter.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising advancing a visualization tool through the cannula and imaging the natural ostium of the maxillary sinus.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the visualization tool comprises an endoscope.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the inflation member is expanded while being visualized with the visualization tool.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the canine fossa region is traversed with the cannula disposed on sharpened tool.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sharpened tool is withdrawn prior to inserting an elongate member through the cannula.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An elongated length of string trimmer line including: a filament body having a longitudinal axis; and a plurality of protruding lobes extending from the filament body, wherein cross sections perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the filament body spaced along the length of the filament body are the same, and wherein the trimmer line is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the filament body by from about 0.25 to 2.0 rotations per inch.
2. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of lobes is between three and twelve.
3. An elongated string trimmer line according to claim 2 wherein the rotation of the trimmer line about the longitudinal axis causes the lobes to form between 0.75 to 24 nodes per inch.
4. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 3 wherein the rotation of the lobes about the longitudinal axis of the filament body is uniform throughout the length of the filament body.
5. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 4 wherein the filament body and the lobes are made of synthetic polymeric material.
6. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 5 wherein the protruding lobes are symmetrically placed around the periphery of the filament body.
7. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 6 wherein the protruding lobes are symmetrical in shape.
8. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 6 wherein the protruding lobes are asymmetrical in shape.
9. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 5 wherein the protruding lobes are asymmetrically located around the filament body.
10. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 9 wherein the protruding lobes are symmetrical in shape.
11. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 9 wherein the protruding lobes are asymmetrical in shape.
12. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 11 wherein the plurality of lobes is between three and twelve.
13. An elongated string trimmer line according to claim 1 wherein the rotation of the trimmer line about the longitudinal axis causes the lobes to form between 0.75 to 24 nodes per inch.
14. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 13 wherein the filament body and the lobes are made of synthetic polymeric material.
15. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 14 wherein the protruding lobes are symmetrically placed around the periphery of the filament body.
16. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 14 wherein the protruding lobes are asymmetrically located around the filament body.
17. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 1 wherein the filament body and the lobes are made of synthetic polymeric material.
18. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 17 wherein the protruding lobes are symmetrically placed around the periphery of the filament body.
19. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 17 wherein the protruding lobes are asymmetrically located around the filament body.
20. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 1 wherein the protruding lobes are symmetrical in shape.
21. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 1 wherein the protruding lobes are asymmetrical in shape.
22. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 1 wherein the protruding lobes are symmetrically placed around the periphery of the filament body.
23. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 1 wherein the protruding lobes are asymmetrically located around the filament body.
24. An elongated length of string trimmer line according to claim 1 wherein the rotation of the lobes about the longitudinal axis of the filament body is uniform throughout the length of the body.
25. A string trimmer line including: an elongated length of filament body having a longitudinal axis; a plurality of protruding lobes extending from the filament body in a uniform spiral configuration along the length of the filament body to form a continuous rotating spiral pattern which varies continuously by a constant amount along the longitudinal axis of the filament body, with the rotation of the protruding lobes being between 0.25 to 2.0 rotations per inch of the filament body.
26. A string trimmer line according to claim 25 wherein the number of protruding lobes is between three and twelve.
27. A string trimmer line according to claim 26 wherein the lobes are equi-angularly spaced about the axis of the filament body at each cross section thereof.
28. A string trimmer line according to claim 27 wherein the plurality of lobes all are of the same shape.
29. A string trimmer line according to claim 28 wherein the trimmer line is formed of extruded monofilament nylon.
30. A string trimmer line according to claim 29 wherein the filament body is symmetrical in cross section.
31. A string trimmer line according to claim 27 wherein the protruding lobes are of different shapes.
32. A string trimmer line according to claim 31 wherein the trimmer line is formed of extruded monofilament nylon.
33. A string trimmer line according to claim 32 wherein the filament body is symmetrical in cross section.
34. A string trimmer line according to claim 29 wherein the cross section of the filament body is asymmetrical.
35. A string trimmer line according to claim 25 wherein the protruding lobes are of different sizes.
36. A string trimmer line according to claim 35 wherein the protruding lobes are located symmetrically around the longitudinal axis of the filament body.
37. A string trimmer line according to claim 36 wherein the number of rotations of the lobes and the number of lobes is selected to form between 0.75 to 24 nodes per inch of length of the filament body.
38. A string trimmer line according to claim 25 wherein the plurality of lobes all are of the same shape.
39. A string trimmer line according to claim 38 wherein the number of rotations of the lobes and the number of lobes is selected to form between 0.75 to 24 nodes per inch of length of the filament body.
40. A string trimmer line according to claim 39 wherein the trimmer line is formed of extruded monofilament nylon.
41. A string trimmer line according to claim 25 wherein the protruding lobes are located symmetrically around the longitudinal axis of the filament body.
42. A string trimmer line according to claim 41 wherein the protruding lobes are symmetrical in shape.
43. A string trimmer line according to claim 41 wherein the protruding lobes are asymmetrical in shape.
44. A string trimmer line according to claim 25 wherein the lobes are equi-angularly spaced about the axis of the filament body at each cross section thereof.
45. A string trimmer line according to claim 25 wherein the protruding lobes are of different shapes.
46. A string trimmer line according to claim 25 wherein the number of rotations of the lobes and the number of lobes is selected to form between 0.75 to 24 nodes per inch of length of the filament body.
47. A string trimmer line according to claim 25 wherein the protruding lobes are of different cross-sectional shapes.
48. A string trimmer line according to claim 25 wherein the cross section of the filament body is asymmetrical.
49. A string trimmer line according to claim 25 wherein the protruding lobes are symmetrical in shape.
50. A string trimmer line-according to claim 25 wherein the protruding lobes are asymmetrical in shape.