A method for treating obstructive sleep disorders includes accessing the interior of the tongue through an incision made in the skin in the vicinity of the jaw of a patient; advancing an instrument through the incision into the interior of the tongue; and removing an amount of tissue from the interior of the base of the tongue with the instrument. The frames are connected to one another by parallel springs. The shell is further equipped as a submersible vehicle so that it can be propelled through the water once it has reached its water destination.