Device for treatment of snoring, bruxism or for avoidance of sleep apnea

• US 4,304,227 A
• Filed: 08/27/1979
• Issued: 12/08/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles F. Samelson
• Original Assignee: Charles F. Samelson
• Inventors: Samelson, Charles F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Application Number:
  US06/069,890
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 128/136, 128/137, 128/138, 128/132 R, 128/15, 128/206.21
• US Class Current: 128/848
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2005/563 Anti-bruxisme
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices

Abstract

A device is provided for positioning within the mouth of a user for preventing snoring and nocturnal tooth grinding. The device is an integrally molded body. The device provides dental engaging portions and a rearwardly-opening central socket for cooperating with the forward portion of the user'"'"'s tongue in a manner to draw the tongue forwardly so as to increase the unobstructed dimension of the nasal breathing passage. When operatively positioned within the mouth, some of the user'"'"'s upper and lower teeth will enter into recesses provided by the device. The device substantially eliminates oral breathing. The tongue will be held in the socket by a negative pressure developed in the socket. When the tongue is held, it draws the body of the tongue forwardly of its usual restive position behind the lower teeth and adjacent the soft palate, the uvula and the posterior pharyngeal wall, thereby increasing the dimension of the air flow passage through the naso-pharynx to facilitate nasal breathing. The device'"'"'s engagement with at least portions of one of the user'"'"'s dental arches operates to eliminate nocturnal tooth-grinding.

Claims

1. A device for treatment of a condition of snoring, or bruxism, or for avoidance of sleep apnea comprising, in combination:

imperforate air flow preventing means of a size and shape to be removably positioned in the user'"'"'s mouth, to be held therein by the user'"'"'s lips when normally biased toward their closed attitude, for preventing the flow of air through the mouth of a user, said air flow preventing means being shaped to provide a portion that fits between the user'"'"'s upper and lower dental arches, and being formed to provide at least one trough thereon that is adapted to closely conform to the configuration of one of said dental arches to receive therein either the user'"'"'s gum or natural teeth, with said trough providing a wall that is adapted to be located between said dental arch and the inner surface of at least one of the user'"'"'s upper and lower lips, and a tongue engageable means that is shaped to define a rearwardly opening, elongated socket means, the socket means having a forward closed end and a rearward open end that is of a size, shape and location for receiving a portion of the tongue of a user thereinto to effect an airtight seal therewith when air has been sucked from the forward portion of said socket means past the tongue, such that negative pressure, created by the suction, will serve to hold the portion of the tongue in the socket, whereby the tongue is then held forwardly of its usual resting position behind the lower teeth, thereby bringing the remainder of the body of the tongue forward from its normal proximity to the soft palate, the uvula and the posterior pharyngeal wall, to form and maintain an airway of increased size through the nasopharynx and the oropharynx.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein the exterior of the air flow preventing means is shaped to provide upper and lower troughs adapted for receiving thereinto front portions of the upper and lower dental arches to engage same and to limit rearward movement of the device into the mouth of the user.

4. A device as in claim 1 or claim 3 wherein the elongated socket means includes a constriction therein spaced axially between the front and rear ends of the socket means and closer to the front end of the socket means.

5. A device as in claim 1 or claim 3 wherein the device is integrally molded of a synthetic plastic resin material that has the property that renders the plastic material more pliable when warmed to a temperature above body temperature, but which solidifies when cooled to body temperature.

6. A device as in claim 5 wherein the synthetic plastic resin material is ethylene vinyl acetate.

3. A device for treatment of a condition of snoring, or bruxism, or for avoidance of sleep apnea comprising, in combination:

imperforate air flow preventing means of a size and shape to be removably positioned in the user'"'"'s mouth, to be held therein by the user'"'"'s lips when normally biased toward their closed attitude, for preventing the flow of air through the mouth of a user, said air flow preventing means being shaped to provide a tongue engageable means that is shaped to define a rearwardly opening, elongated socket means, the socket means having a forward closed end and a rearward open end that is of a size, shape and location for receiving a portion of the tongue of a user thereinto to effect an airtight seal therewith when air has been sucked from the forward portion of said socket means past the tongue, such that negative pressure, created by the suction, will serve to hold the portion of the tongue in the socket, whereby the tongue is then held forwardly of its usual resting position behind the lower teeth, thereby bringing the remainder of the body of the tongue forward from its normal proximity to the soft palate, the uvula and the posterior pharyngeal wall, to form and maintain an airway of increased size through the nasopharynx and the oropharynx;

the exterior of said air flow preventing means being shaped to provide upper and lower recess means adapted for receiving thereinto front portions of the upper and lower dental arches to engage same and to limit rearward movement of the device into the mouth of the user; and

the portions of the respective upper and lower recess means extending rearwardly of said upper and lower dental arches providing spaced upper and lower shelves of different lengths with the upper shelf extending rearwardly into the mouth of a user a greater distance than the corresponding lower shelf that extends rearwardly of the lower recess means, and said upper shelf being adapted to lie closely adjacent to, or even directly abutting, the upper palate of a user'"'"'s mouth.