Intraoral apparatus for enhancing airway patency
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for enhancing patency of a user'"'"'s airway comprising:
- a first member adapted to contact a portion of a user;
a flexible sleeve adapted to be received at least partially within such a user'"'"'s oral cavity and adapted to receive a portion of such a user'"'"'s tongue therein, wherein the flexible sleeve is of sufficient flexibility that, during use, the flexible sleeve readily collapses about the portion of such a user'"'"'s tongue received therein upon application of a vacuum within the sleeve to retain the portion of such a user'"'"'s tongue in a fixed position relative to such a user'"'"'s upper or lower dentition; and
a first connecting assembly cooperable with the first member and the flexible sleeve to maintain the fixed position of the first member relative to the flexible sleeve during use of the apparatus.
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Abstract
An apparatus for selectively positioning intraoral anatomic features of a human patient to enhance upper airway stability for use alone or in combination with positive airway pressure as therapeutic treatment for obstructive sleep apnea and other conditions, such as snoring, which are symptomatic of upper airway instability.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. An apparatus for enhancing patency of a user'"'"'s airway comprising:
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a first member adapted to contact a portion of a user;
a flexible sleeve adapted to be received at least partially within such a user'"'"'s oral cavity and adapted to receive a portion of such a user'"'"'s tongue therein, wherein the flexible sleeve is of sufficient flexibility that, during use, the flexible sleeve readily collapses about the portion of such a user'"'"'s tongue received therein upon application of a vacuum within the sleeve to retain the portion of such a user'"'"'s tongue in a fixed position relative to such a user'"'"'s upper or lower dentition; and
a first connecting assembly cooperable with the first member and the flexible sleeve to maintain the fixed position of the first member relative to the flexible sleeve during use of the apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for enhancing patency of a user'"'"'s airway comprising:
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a first member adapted tocontact a portion of a user;
a second member adapted to be received at least partially within such a user'"'"'s oral cavity in engagement with such a user'"'"'s soft palate for retaining a portion thereof in a fixed relative to such a user'"'"'s upper or lower dentition; and
a first connecting assembly cooperable with the first member and the second member to maintain the fixed position of the first member relative to the second member during use of the apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A system for enhancing patency of a user'"'"'s airway comprising:
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an oral appliance adapted to retain a user'"'"'s lower jaw in a selected position displaced generally in the forward direction from the normal position thereof;
a passageway defined in the oral appliance to communicate an interior of the oral appliance with an exterior thereof;
a pressure generating device adapted to provide a flow of breathing gas at a positive pressure; and
a patient circuit coupled to the pressure generating device and the oral appliance to communicate the flow of breathing gas with the an airway of a user via the passageway in the oral appliance. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An apparatus for enhancing patency of a user'"'"'s airway comprising:
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a first member adapted to engage a user'"'"'s upper dentition;
a second member adapted to engage a user'"'"'s lower dentition; and
a connecting assembly cooperable with the first member and the second member to provide both (1) selective adjustment of a position of a user'"'"'s lower dentition relative to such a user'"'"'s upper dentition and (2) a continuous bias force urging the second member in an anterior direction relative to the first member. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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Specification