Reusable customizable breathing apparatus mouthpiece with bitewings

• US 20060207611A1
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mauna Kea Divers
• Original Assignee: Mauna Kea Divers
• Inventors: Anonsen, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/859
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/186 Mouthpieces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 602/902 Antisnoring or mouth closing devices

Abstract

A customizable and reusable mouthpiece for diving use having a passageway-forming front member extending from a proximal in-mouth end to a distal outside end and a U-shaped formable back member is described. The back member provides a hollow cavity portion located in the bitewing section that may be partially filled with a gel-like or other suitable substance configured to provide custom moldability at substantially all points of contact between the mouthpiece and the teeth such that the mouthpiece is securely gripped by the teeth. The mouthpiece requires pressure relief channels so that air or fluids may enter into and be forced out of the hollow cavity providing a bellows-like action that provides a means for the bitewing and materials of composition to return to essentially its original shape. Reusability of the mouthpiece, more specifically the bitewings is directly related to the choice and combination of materials, dimensioning and processing.

Claims

1. A reusable customizable mouthpiece wherein a core member comprises:

a substantially rigid non-formable core that provides a rigid shape to said mouthpiece extending from a proximal in-mouth end toward a position short of a distal outside end and forming part of a horizontal passageway with a U-shaped member that forms said complete mouthpiece of a type with a front portion forming a breathing hole and at least one rear customizable bitewing portion;

wherein said rear customizable bitewing portion initially provides a formable hollow cavity, wherein said formable cavity may be empty, partially, or completely filled, and wherein said bitewing portion extends beyond said hollow cavity and may form open or closed distal flaps along a horizontal bite plane;

and wherein a channel or channels are provided that extend from said front portion toward and into said cavity such that said channel allows for a fluid such as a gas or a liquid to flow into and out of said cavity;

said formable portion comprising an integral set of bitewings with formable upper and lower surfaces and flanges having upwardly-extending and downwardly-extending flange portions with upper and lower edges, respectively, and providing inside surfaces spaced for formable engagement with opposite side surfaces of said user'"'"'s teeth, and

wherein said formable hollow cavity portion may or may not contain a filling material that allows for complete or partial return to an original position and dimension of said bitewing after said mouthpiece has been used for engagement with said user'"'"'s teeth by one or more users.

2. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein set of bitewings are provided and wherein each bitewing includes said hollow cavity and said channel allowing for fluids to flow into and out of said cavity, thereby causing a bellows-like effect in that said fluid boosts or accelerates recovery of said bitewings to an original shape prior to compression by being allowed to flow back into said hollow cavity.

3. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1 wherein said set of bitewings of said mouthpiece including said core and said bitewings together are included in a complete mouthpiece, and said core and said bitewings are optionally all of one formable material composition and said formable material composition may optionally be a film or combination of a film and a substrate and is at least 0.1 millimeter thick.

4. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1 wherein said set of bitewings of said complete mouthpiece are of a formable material composition wherein said formable material composition includes a filling material such as a gel or gel-like material such as a silicone gel and optionally includes nanoparticles that provide nanocomposites.

5. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1 wherein said channels are designed to ensure that said channels will retard blockage of said filling material during compression and release of pressure upon said hollow cavity of said set of bitewings and wherein openings of an end of said channels exists at a front portion of said mouthpiece and an opposite end of said channel exists at an interface between said cavity and said channel.

6. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1 wherein said set of bitewings of said complete mouthpiece are of a formable material composition wherein said formable material composition includes nanocomposites that include SiC and optionally other inorganic particles with an average diameter of 700 nm or less or more depending on the ability of said inorganic particle to provide rebound to improve elastic memory of said bitewings.

7. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1 wherein optionally said mouthpiece core and said bitewings are included in a complete mouthpiece, and said core and said bitewings are optionally all of one formable material composition and said formable material composition may optionally be a film or combination of a film and a substrate and is at least 0.1 millimeter thick.

8. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1 wherein optionally said mouthpiece core and set of bitewings of said complete mouthpiece are of a formable material composition wherein said formable material composition optionally includes nanoparticles that provide nanocomposites.

9. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1 wherein optionally said mouthpiece core and said set of bitewings of said complete mouthpiece are of a formable material composition wherein said formable material composition includes nanocomposites that include SiC particles and optionally other inorganic particles with an average diameter of 700 nm.

10. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein optionally said mouthpiece core and said set of bitewings of said complete mouthpiece are of a formable material composition wherein said formable material composition includes composites that include organic or inorganic or a combination of organic and inorganic materials and the like including cellular or foamed versions as well as co-polymers, blends, and composites as well as nanocomposites that include inorganics such as clays as well as fullerenes and nanotubes of fullerene based derivatives and essentially any composition with or without nanoparticles that allows complete memory recovery or at least full plastic recovery so that reusability can be achieved.

11. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein said formable portion comprising said mouthpiece with or without said set of bitewings and with or without said hollow cavity or cavities of said bitewings returns to its original position upon removal from said user'"'"'s mouth.

12. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein said formable portion comprising said mouthpiece with or without said set of bitewings and hollow cavity or cavities returns to its original position when a recovery temperature, T_r, that represents a temperature at which a material recovers its original shape during heating, is reached.

13. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein said formable portion is comprised of a material composition that may be initially formed by pressure, by heat and/or by vacuum molding and wherein said formable portion and said composition of said formable portion is reformable or wherein a filling material used within said hollow cavity of said set of biteplates is reformable.

14. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein said horizontal bite plane includes a reduction in material requirements for said formable material composition along an upper and lower portion of said horizontal bite plane that includes a complimenting customizable insert wherein said formable material composition may optionally be a film or combination of a film and a substrate, and wherein said film optionally provides an outer surface of said bitewings over a cellular or foamed formable material composition and said hollow cavity or cavities may be filled with a formable material composition such as a silicone gel.

33. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein said mouthpiece also comprises pressure relief channels that includes a disc groove for placement of a customizable disc capable of providing a barrier to air, gel or fluids and also allowing for displacement of said air, gel or fluids.

34. The reusable customized mouthpiece as in claim 33, wherein said disc comprises an essentially rigid outer portion and a flexible inner portion so that said disc may act as a diaphragm.

35. The reusable customized mouthpiece as in claim 33, wherein pressure relief channels can be connected to an outer walled section of said mouthpiece that includes “

balloon-like”

pouches and wherein said pouches exist in an area that is toward said distal end of said mouthpiece such that said pouches can never be placed within a mouth portion of a mouthpiece user.

38. A method for making a reusable customized mouthpiece as in claim 33, wherein said disc may be placed in said disc groove during manufacture of said mouthpiece or provided to a user as a kit.

39. A method for making a reusable customized mouthpiece of claim 35, forming a substantially rigid front member which extends from a proximal in-mouth end forwardly toward a distal outside end and forming horizontal pressure relief channels wherein said pressure relief channels are connected to an outer walled section of said mouthpiece that includes “

balloon-like”

pouches and wherein said pouches exist in an area that is toward said distal end of said mouthpiece such that said pouches can never be placed within said mouth portion of said mouthpiece user.

15. A reusable customizable mouthpiece comprising a front portion forming a breathing hole and at least one mount portion extending rearwardly therefrom for positions between a user'"'"'s teeth, said mount portion having upper and lower surfaces and defining at least one opening therethrough extending between said upper and lower surfaces, said mount portion opening for mounting upper and lower bitewings to such mount portion, each of said mount portions being dimensioned to extend rearwardly between molars of said user to a rear portion of a user'"'"'s mouth, thereby to support said bitewings in extended intimate customized tooth engagement along substantially a full extent of said user'"'"'s at least one tooth, on each side of said user'"'"'s mouth, extending from said rear of said mouth and terminating near one or more front molars, providing intimate contact between said at least one tooth and said bitewings while said diver'"'"'s mouth is in a relaxed, partially-opened position, thereby eliminating fatigue of a jaw or mouth region of said user.

16. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 15, wherein said bitewings with said hollow cavities are optionally removable, insertable, and adjustable and may be inserted into at least one opening or an insert cavity along said horizontal bite plane that allows for customizable bitewing inserts and thereby for customizable bitewings.

17. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 16, wherein said at least one opening extends to a lateral edge and is opened thereto, thereby facilitating removal of bitewings therefrom so that a core member can be reused with new bitewings or so that said bitewings themselves may be properly conditioned for reusability.

18. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 15, wherein each mount portion has a slot therein extending in a fore-and aft direction.

19. The reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 15, wherein no openings are required and no mounting is required to secure said bitewings to a core member of said mouthpiece and wherein said bitewings are secured by chemical and/or mechanical adhesion means.

20. A method for making a reusable customizable mouthpiece assembly by;

providing a preformed rigid core member comprising a substantially rigid non-formable core that provides a rigid shape to said mouthpiece extending from a proximal in-mouth end toward a position short of a distal outside end and forming part of a horizontal passageway with a U-shaped member that forms said complete mouthpiece of a type with a front portion forming a breathing hole and at least one rear customizable portion;

providing upper and lower bitewings, wherein said bitewings comprise hollow cavity portions formed during mold injection or other suitable means and wherein said bitewings are formable and reusable and may be attached to mount portions.

21. A method for using reusable customizable mouthpiece of claim 20 comprising;

placing said mouthpiece in a mouth of a user with said mount portions and bitewings thereon positioned between said user'"'"'s at least one tooth;

biting on said bitewings providing custom molded bitewings with said at least one tooth imprint by pressing said user'"'"'s at least one tooth together;

removing said assembly from said user'"'"'s mouth; and

allowing said custom molded bitewings to attain an original shape with or without an application of energy after each user has completed using said mouthpiece.

22. A method for making a reusable customizable mouthpiece assembly as in claim 20, wherein said rigid core member is not required, and wherein fabricating said mouthpiece assembly with a formable material composition including a formable core member is accomplished.

23. A method for making a reusable customizable mouthpiece assembly as in claim 20, wherein no mount portions for said bitewings are required thereby allowing for use of an adhesive bonding material prior to positioning said bitewing between said user'"'"'s at least one tooth providing said at least one tooth imprint.

24. A method for making a reusable customized mouthpiece comprising:

forming a substantially rigid front member which extends from a proximal in-mouth end forwardly toward a distal outside end and forms a horizontal passageway;

thereafter molding a formable U-shaped back member onto said front member to form a complete mouthpiece, providing said back member with a forward middle portion secured to said front member proximal end in position for a formable custom moldable engagement with a user'"'"'s forward teeth and a pair of bitewings with hollow cavities and pressure relief channels connected to said hollow cavities, wherein said bitewings extend from a middle portion of said mouthpiece rearwardly to pass between said user'"'"'s molars and terminate at a rear of a mouth providing each bitewing with an inner and an outer upstanding flange and a substantially horizontal bite portion extending therebetween, providing said bite portion with formable custom moldable upper and lower surfaces and said flanges having upwardly-extending and downwardly-extending flange portions with upper and lower edges, respectively, and providing inside surfaces spaced for formable custom moldable engagement with opposite side surfaces of said user'"'"'s teeth, said outer flanges extending forward to merge with said middle portion.

25. The method of making a reusable customized mouthpiece as in claim 24, wherein at least a portion of said front member is not formable during subsequent customizing of said back member to said user'"'"'s teeth and wherein said channels connected to said hollow cavities of said bitewings are formed by use of an insert that is removed after molding of said mouthpiece and said bitewings is complete.

26. The method of making a reusable customized mouthpiece as in claim 24 wherein:

a front member is provided by including a forming step that forms a substantially rigid non-formable front core member which extends from a proximal in-mouth end forwardly to a position short of a distal outside end and defines part of a horizontal passageway; and

a subsequent molding step including molding a remainder of said mouthpiece onto said front core member, said remainder being of formable material and including said back member and a formable front portion which covers said core member and extends forward beyond said core member to form a distal outside end and another part of said horizontal passageway, said formable remainder being integrally formed together with said mouthpiece and wherein said channels connected to said hollow cavities of said bitewings are formed by use of an insert that is removed after molding of said mouthpiece and said bitewings is complete.

36. The method of making a reusable customized mouthpiece of claim 24 further comprising:

forming a substantially rigid front member which extends from a proximal in-mouth end forwardly toward a distal outside end and forming horizontal pressure relief channels having a disc groove provided for placement of a customizable disc capable of providing a barrier to air, gel or fluids and also allowing for displacement of said air, gel or fluids.

37. The method for making a mouthpiece as in claim 36, wherein said disc comprises an essentially rigid outer portion and a flexible inner portion so that said disc may act as a diaphragm.

27. A system for making a reusable customizable mouthpiece assembly by;

providing a preformed rigid core member comprising a substantially rigid non-formable core that provides a rigid shape to said mouthpiece extending from a proximal in-mouth end toward a position short of a distal outside end and forming part of a horizontal passageway with a U-shaped member that forms said complete mouthpiece of a type with a front portion forming a breathing hole and at least one rear customizable portion;

providing upper and lower bitewings, wherein said bitewings comprise hollow cavity portions formed during mold injection or other suitable means and wherein said bitewings are formable and reusable and may be attached to mount portions.

28. A system for making a reusable customizable mouthpiece assembly as in claim 27, wherein said rigid core member is not required, and wherein fabricating said mouthpiece assembly with a formable material composition including a formable core member is accomplished.

29. A system for making a reusable customizable mouthpiece assembly as in claim 27, wherein no mount portions for said bitewings are required thereby allowing for use of an adhesive bonding material prior to positioning said bitewing between said user'"'"'s at least one tooth providing said at least one tooth imprint.

30. A system for making a reusable customized mouthpiece comprising:

forming a substantially rigid front member which extends from a proximal in-mouth end forwardly toward a distal outside end and forms a horizontal passageway;

thereafter molding a formable U-shaped back member onto said front member to form a complete mouthpiece, providing said back member with a forward middle portion secured to said front member proximal end in position for a formable custom moldable engagement with a user'"'"'s forward teeth and a pair of bitewings with hollow cavities and pressure relief channels connected to said hollow cavities, wherein said bitewings extend from a middle portion of said mouthpiece rearwardly to pass between said user'"'"'s molars and terminate at a rear of a mouth providing each bitewing with an inner and an outer upstanding flange and a substantially horizontal bite portion extending therebetween, providing said bite portion with formable custom moldable upper and lower surfaces and said flanges having upwardly-extending and downwardly-extending flange portions with upper and lower edges, respectively, and providing inside surfaces spaced for formable custom moldable engagement with opposite side surfaces of said user'"'"'s teeth, said outer flanges extending forward to merge with said middle portion.

31. The method of making a reusable customized mouthpiece as in claim 30, wherein at least a portion of said front member is not formable during subsequent customizing of said back member to said user'"'"'s teeth and wherein said channels connected to said hollow cavities of said bitewings are formed by use of an insert that is removed after molding of said mouthpiece and said bitewings is complete.

32. The method of making a reusable customized mouthpiece as in claim 30 wherein:

a front member is provided by including a forming step that forms a substantially rigid non-formable front core member which extends from a proximal in-mouth end forwardly to a position short of a distal outside end and defines part of a horizontal passageway; and

a subsequent molding step including molding a remainder of said mouthpiece onto said front core member, said remainder being of formable material and including said back member and a formable front portion which covers said core member and extends forward beyond said core member to form a distal outside end and another part of said horizontal passageway, said formable remainder being integrally formed together with said mouthpiece and wherein said channels connected to said hollow cavities of said bitewings are formed by use of an insert that is removed after molding of said mouthpiece and said bitewings is complete.