Cheek path airway and cheek pouch anchor

• US 20050103331A1
• Filed: 11/17/2003
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lowell R. Wedemeyer
• Original Assignee: Lowell R. Wedemeyer
• Inventors: Wedemeyer, Lowell R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,464,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/200.240
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/02 for holding wounds open; Tractors specula A61B1/32 ; drainage appliances for wounds A61M27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/00 Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges protective face masks A41D13/11; surgeon's or patient's gowns or dresses A41D13/12; devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body liquids A61M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/02 Devices for expanding tissue, e.g. skin tissue implements for holding wounds open, surgical tractors A61B17/02; implantable mammary prosthesis A61F2/12; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 3/00 Dental tools or instruments implanting tools A61C8/00; tools for fastening artificial teeth A61C13/12; visual inspection devices, e.g. dental mirrors, A61B1/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 3/04 Supports for holding tooth drills in order of use
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/00 Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by correcting malocclusions
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/10 Devices having means to apply outwardly directed force, e.g. expanders
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/36 Devices acting between upper and lower teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/37 Restraining devices for the body or for body parts , e.g. slings; Restraining shirts handcuffs E05B75/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/3707 for the head cervical supports A61F5/055; splints A61F5/05883
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/00 Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes stimulating the respiratory movement by mechanical, pneumatic or electrical means, iron lungs combined with gas breathing means A61H31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0493 with means for protecting the tube from damage caused by the patient's teeth, e.g. bite block
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/10 Preparation of respiratory gases or vapours
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0631 Gums
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0637 Teeth

Abstract

An airway is adapted to lie in a cheek pathway in a user'"'"'s mouth, traversing a path from a position outside a user'"'"'s lips, between a user'"'"'s otherwise closed lips, along a user'"'"'s inner cheek wall outside a user'"'"'s dental arches, curving dorsally of a user'"'"'s rear-most teeth through a user'"'"'s rear-jaw space, and reaching into airspace over a user'"'"'s tongue in a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity. The airway provides supplemental air to a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity independently of a user'"'"'s restricted nasal airways while a user'"'"'s lips remain closed. The airway is adapted to be manufactured in-line and folded by a user to fit a particular user'"'"'s cheek pathway. There are single-cheek and dual-cheek versions. Extensions of the airway can anchor it about a user'"'"'s lips or ears. A cheek pocket anchor, formed of a resilient filament, is adapted for placement adjacent to a user'"'"'s inner cheek wall within a user'"'"'s cheek pocket and is user-adjustable to fit a particular user'"'"'s cheek pocket. Spring-like action of the cheek pocket anchor dynamically maintains a bridge spanning across a user'"'"'s inter occlusal space and lip opening as a user'"'"'s jaws open and close. The cheek pocket anchor can be formed of a series of connected loops, the spans of which can be mutually adjusted to enable adjustment of the span of the whole cheek pocket anchor. The cheek pocket anchor is adapted to be joined to a work piece, such as a cheek path airway, to stabilize that work piece in a user'"'"'s mouth. The cheek path airway, with or without the cheek pocket anchor, is adapted for use in combination with mandibular jaw-control and tongue-control devices which restrain a user'"'"'s mandible and tongue from sagging into a user'"'"'s throat airway, whereby the combination of airway and such jaw and tongue control devices simultaneously mitigates restrictions in a user'"'"'s nasal and throat airways.

Claims

1. A conduit for a fluid, for placement in a mouth of a user, such user'"'"'s mouth having lips;

an inner cheek wall;

dental arches;

rear-most teeth with a cheek side, a dorsal side, and a rear corner there between;

a rear-jaw gap; and

a rear-mouth cavity, said conduit comprising;

a first open end and a second open end,

a conduit wall forming an open passageway between said first and second open ends, enabling passage of a fluid through said conduit,

said conduit having a longitudinal axis and having the following connected portions disposed along said longitudinal axis between said first and second open ends;

a first conduit portion adapted to dispose said first open end in a position outside a user'"'"'s lips;

a second conduit portion adapted to be disposed between a user'"'"'s lips;

a third conduit portion adapted to be disposed along a user'"'"'s inner cheek wall outside a user'"'"'s dental arches;

a fourth conduit portion adapted to curve around a rear corner of at least one of a user'"'"'s rear-most teeth from cheek side to dorsal side thereof; and

a fifth conduit portion adapted to be disposed in a user'"'"'s rear-jaw gap and connected to said second open end,

thereby enabling a user to draw or expel a fluid through said conduit between a user'"'"'s rear-jaw gap and a position outside a user'"'"'s lips.

2. The conduit of claim 1 further comprising:

said conduit has a sixth conduit portion

connected between said fifth conduit portion and said second open end, and

adapted to extend said conduit from a user'"'"'s rear-jaw gap to dispose said second open end within a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity,

whereby said conduit forms a continuous passageway enabling a user to draw or expel fluid between a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity and a position outside of a user'"'"'s lips.

3. The conduit of claim 1 wherein at least one of said fourth and fifth conduit portions is flexible.

4. The conduit of claim 2 wherein at least one of said fourth, fifth and sixth conduit portions is flexible.

5. The conduit of claim 1, for positioning adjacent to a user'"'"'s mouth tissues along a user'"'"'s cheek pathway, wherein

at least one of said fourth and fifth conduit portions is adapted to flex under pressure from a user'"'"'s adjacent mouth tissues so as to conform approximately to such user'"'"'s adjacent mouth tissues, and

at least said third conduit portion is sufficiently rigid along said longitudinal axis of said conduit to substantially resist bending under pressure from a user'"'"'s adjacent mouth tissues,

whereby structural interaction between said flexible portion(s), in conforming to a user'"'"'s mouth tissues, and said rigid portion(s), in resisting bending pressure from a user'"'"'s mouth tissues, tends to stabilize positioning of said conduit in a user'"'"'s cheek pathway.

6. The conduit of claim 2, for positioning adjacent to a user'"'"'s mouth tissues along a user'"'"'s cheek pathway, wherein

at least one of said fourth, fifth and sixth conduit portions is adapted to flex under pressure from a user'"'"'s adjacent mouth tissues along a user'"'"'s cheek pathway so as to conform approximately to such user'"'"'s adjacent mouth tissues, and

at least said third conduit portion is sufficiently rigid along said longitudinal axis of said conduit to substantially resist bending under pressure from a user'"'"'s adjacent mouth tissues in a user'"'"'s cheek pathway,

whereby structural interaction between said flexible portion(s), in conforming to a user'"'"'s mouth tissues, and said rigid portion(s), in resisting bending pressure from a user'"'"'s mouth tissues, tends to stabilize positioning of said conduit in a user'"'"'s cheek pathway.

7. The conduit of claim 1, for placement in a user'"'"'s mouth at least partially within a user'"'"'s cheek pouch, further comprising:

a spring element, configured for placement in a user'"'"'s cheek pouch, is joined to said conduit,

whereby positioning of said conduit in a user'"'"'s mouth is stabilized.

8. The conduit of claim 1 wherein the spring element includes a resilient filament joined transversely to said third conduit portion.

9. The conduit of claim 7 comprising:

said conduit has one or more lacing holes in one or both of said third and fourth conduit portions, and

said spring element is formed of a resilient filament, and

said resilient filament is joined to said conduit by lacing said filament through said lacing holes.

10. The conduit of claim 1, improved to enable said conduit to more nearly conform to tissues of a user'"'"'s mouth, comprising:

said conduit wall and said open passageway form a radial conduit cross-section transverse to said longitudinal axis, and

said conduit has a plurality of connected parts along said longitudinal axis, at least one of which connected parts is flexible about said radial conduit cross-section,

thereby enabling adjustment of said radial conduit cross-section to more nearly conform to tissues of a user'"'"'s mouth without collapse of said open passageway.

11. The conduit of claim 1, improved to enable said conduit to more nearly conform to tissues of a user'"'"'s mouth, comprising:

said conduit wall and said open passageway form a radial conduit cross-section transverse to said longitudinal axis, and

said conduit has a plurality of connected parts along said longitudinal axis, at least one of which connected parts which is resilient about said radial conduit cross-section,

thereby enabling adjustment of said radial conduit cross-section to more nearly conform to tissues of a user'"'"'s mouth without collapse of said open passageway.

12. The conduit of claim 1 wherein said first open end of said conduit includes a plurality of openings through each of which openings a fluid can pass into and out of said conduit passageway independently of other openings in said first open end.

13. The conduit of claim 1, further comprising:

said second open end of said conduit includes a plurality of openings through each of which openings a fluid can pass into and out of said conduit passageway independently of other openings in said second open end.

14. A conduit of claim 1 further comprising:

said second conduit portion is adapted to permit a user'"'"'s lips to close and nearly seal about said second conduit portion.

15. A conduit of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one retainer element is connected to said first or second conduit portions and adapted to be disposed about a user'"'"'s lips.

17. A conduit of claim 1, further comprising:

an ear piece connected to said first conduit portion and adapted to anchor said conduit about a user'"'"'s ear.

22. The conduit of claim 1, for positioning in a user'"'"'s mouth when a dental device also is emplaced in a user'"'"'s mouth, further comprising:

said conduit of claim 1 is configured to be positioned in a user'"'"'s cheek pathway disposed about a dental device that is engaging at least one of a user'"'"'s maxillary teeth, mandibular teeth, and palate.

23. A combination airway and dental device, for simultaneously supplementing a user'"'"'s nasal airway and mitigating a user'"'"'s throat airway restrictions, comprising:

the conduit of claim 22, combined with a dental device which is adapted to urge a user'"'"'s mandible ventrally relative to a user'"'"'s maxilla.

24. The conduit of claim 1, for positioning in a user'"'"'s mouth when a tongue-control device also is emplaced in such user'"'"'s mouth to restrict a user'"'"'s tongue from sagging into a user'"'"'s throat airway, further comprising:

said conduit of claim 1 is configured to be positioned in a user'"'"'s cheek pathway disposed about a tongue-control device which is adapted to restrict a user'"'"'s tongue from sagging into a user'"'"'s throat airway.

25. A combination airway and tongue-control device, for simultaneously supplementing a user'"'"'s nasal airway and a mitigating a user'"'"'s throat airway restrictions, comprising:

the conduit of claim 24 is combined with a tongue-control device which is adapted to restrain a user'"'"'s tongue from sagging into a user'"'"'s throat whereby said conduit and said tongue-control device operate cooperatively in a user'"'"'s mouth.

26. A method of manufacturing a conduit of claim 1, for in-line manufacturing enabling post-manufacturing adjustment to fit a user'"'"'s cheek pathway, comprising the following steps:

Selecting a metal or plastic material,

Forming said material into a conduit in an in-line configuration and during said forming including flexible portions within said in-line configuration adapting said conduit to be flexed after its formation into a configuration which will fit along a user'"'"'s cheek pathway.

27. A conduit of claim 1 wherein an opening or hole is formed in said conduit wall by the following method:

Forming said opening in said conduit wall by localized application of heat.

28. A conduit of claim 27 wherein said opening is formed in said conduit wall, said method of forming said opening further comprising:

Localized application of heat by at least one of the following;

Contacting said conduit wall with a heated instrument

Contacting said conduit wall with a flame

Focusing laser energy on said conduit wall.

29. The conduit of claim 1 wherein at least one of said fourth and fifth conduit portions is rendered flexible by corrugations formed in the conduit wall of said conduit portion(s).

30. The conduit of claim 2 wherein at least one of said fourth, fifth and sixth conduit portions is rendered flexible by corrugations formed in the conduit wall of said conduit portion(s).

16. A dual conduit, for placement along dual cheek pathways located on opposing sides of a user'"'"'s mouth relative to a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity, rear-jaw spaces, rear-most teeth, dental arches, inner cheek walls, lips, and positions exterior to a user'"'"'s mouth, comprising:

A conduit;

having a rear-mouth-cavity portion

adapted to be disposed across a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity, and

having a rear-mouth flow opening disposed to allow fluid to flow between said conduit and a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity; and

having two opposing rear-mouth ends; and

having two opposing cheek-path portions

oppositely connected to said two opposing rear-mouth ends of said rear-mouth cavity portion, and

adapted to oppositely traverse along opposing sides of a user'"'"'s mouth, through a user'"'"'s opposing rear-jaw spaces dorsally of a user'"'"'s rear-most teeth, outside a user'"'"'s dental arches along inner walls of a user'"'"'s opposing cheeks, and between a user'"'"'s lips, and

each of said two opposing cheek-path portions is adapted to dispose an open end outside a user'"'"'s mouth to allow fluid to flow between said conduit and a position outside of a user'"'"'s mouth;

whereby said conduit forms dual passageways located on opposing sides of a user'"'"'s mouth for fluid flow between a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity and positions exterior to such user'"'"'s mouth.

18. A dual conduit of claim 16, further comprising:

ear pieces connected to the two opposing cheek-path sections of said conduit and adapted to anchor said conduit about a user'"'"'s ears.

19. A conduit, for passage of a fluid along a user'"'"'s cheek pathway, from a position outside a user'"'"'s lips, along a user'"'"'s inner cheek wall, from the cheek-adjacent side to the dorsal side of at least one of a user'"'"'s rear-most teeth, and through a user'"'"'s rear-jaw gap, comprising:

First conduit means for providing an open passageway between a position outside a user'"'"'s lips and the cheek-adjacent side of at least one of user'"'"'s rear-most teeth, and

Second conduit means, connected to said first conduit means, for providing a continuing open passageway dorsally of at least one of a user'"'"'s rear-most teeth and through a user'"'"'s rear-jaw gap,

whereby said first and second conduit means form a continuous passageway for fluids between a position outside a user'"'"'s lips and a user'"'"'s rear-jaw gap.

20. A conduit of claim 19, for providing a continuous passageway between a position outside a user'"'"'s mouth and a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity, further comprising:

Third conduit means, connected to said second conduit means, for providing a open passageway between a user'"'"'s rear-jaw gap and a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity,

whereby said first, second and third conduit means combine to provide a continuous open passageway between a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity and a position outside a user'"'"'s mouth.

21. A dual conduit, for placement along both of a user'"'"'s opposing first and second cheek pathways, comprising,

a first conduit of claim 19, for positioning along a user'"'"'s first cheek pathway, and

a second conduit of claim 19 for positioning along a user'"'"'s second cheek pathway, and

rear-mouth cavity conduit means, for spanning across a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity to connect said first conduit of claim 19 and said second conduit of claim 19,

whereby dual passageways for a fluid are formed, along a user'"'"'s first and second cheek pathways, between a user'"'"'s rear-mouth cavity and positions outside a user'"'"'s mouth.

31. A self-stabilizing cheek path airway, for positioning in a user'"'"'s mouth, at least partially in a user'"'"'s cheek pouch, comprising:

conduit means for providing a passageway for a fluid traversing at least partially through a user'"'"'s cheek pouch, and

cheek pouch anchor means, joined to said conduit means, for stabilizing said conduit means in a user'"'"'s mouth.

32. The self-stabilizing cheek path airway of claim 31 wherein said cheek pouch anchor means further comprises:

a resilient filament

which is configured into a plurality of connected loops, each loop having a loop span size, and

said plurality of loops are combined to form a whole spring element with a whole spring element span size, and

each one of said plurality of loop span sizes is mutually adjustable relative to at least one other of said loop span sizes, such that an increase or decrease in the loop span size of any one of said plurality of loops results in a converse decrease or increase in the loop span size of at least one other of said plurality of loops,

thereby enabling adjustment of said whole spring element span size by said mutual adjustment within said plurality of loop span sizes.

33. A cheek pouch anchor, for placement within a user'"'"'s cheek pouch to maintain positioning of a work piece in a user'"'"'s mouth while a user'"'"'s jaws, inter occlusal space, and lips open and close, comprising:

A spring element adapted

to be placed within a user'"'"'s cheek pouch, and

to compress as a user'"'"'s jaws close, and

to resiliently expand so as to form and maintain a span bridging across a user'"'"'s inter occlusal space and a user'"'"'s lip opening formed as a user'"'"'s jaws and lips open and close, and

to receive joinder to a work piece, and having structural strength sufficient, when joined to a work piece, to maintain placement within a user'"'"'s cheek pouch while a user'"'"'s lips and jaws open and close.

34. The cheek pouch anchor of claim 33 wherein said spring element is formed of at least one of the following:

metal,

plastic,

resilient monofilament plastic line.

35. The cheek pouch anchor of claim 33 further comprising:

said cheek pouch anchor is joined with a conduit for a fluid, which conduit is adapted for placement at least partially in a user'"'"'s cheek pouch.

36. The cheek pouch anchor of claim 33 wherein said spring element comprises:

a resilient filament

which is configured into a plurality of connected loops, each loop having a loop span size, and

said plurality of loops are combined to form a whole spring element with a whole spring element span size, and

each one of said plurality of loop span sizes is mutually adjustable relative to at least one other of said loop span sizes, such that an increase or decrease in the loop span size of any one of said plurality of loops results in a converse decrease or increase in the loop span size of at least one other of said plurality of loops,

thereby enabling adjustment of said whole spring element span size by said mutual adjustment within said plurality of loop span sizes.

37. The cheek pouch anchor of claim 33, improved to dispense a substance within a user'"'"'s mouth, wherein said spring element is adapted to receive impregnation or coating with a substance which is to be released in a user'"'"'s mouth.

38. A cheek pouch anchor, for placement within a user'"'"'s cheek pouch, comprising:

A spring element adapted

to be placed within a user'"'"'s cheek pouch, and

to compress as a user'"'"'s jaws close, and

to resiliently expand so as to form and maintain a span

bridging across such user'"'"'s inter occlusal space as such user'"'"'s jaws open, and

bridging across such user'"'"'s lip opening formed as such user'"'"'s lips open, and

to receive impregnation or coating with a substance which is to be released within such user'"'"'s mouth,

whereby said spring element is enabled to maintain its placement within a user'"'"'s cheek pouch and to release such substance while such user'"'"'s lips and jaws remain free to open and close.