Customizable dental device for snoring and sleep apnea treatment

• US 5,829,441 A
• Filed: 06/24/1997
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airway Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: NELLCOR PURITAN BENNETT
• Inventors: Lane, Donald M., Kidd, Lisa A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US08/881,292
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 128/846, 128/848, 128/859-862, 602/902
• US Class Current: 128/848
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 602/902 Antisnoring or mouth closing devices

Abstract

A mandible extension dental device (10) is provided which includes adjustable upper and lower arch trays (12, 14) and coupling means (16) designed to pull the lower jaw of a user forwardly during sleep, so as to minimize snoring and mild apnea conditions. Each of the arch trays (12, 14) includes a substantially rigid synthetic body (18, 38) equipped with a pair of generally L-shaped, continuous adjustment slots (32, 34 and 46, 48). Thermoplastic molding material (36, 60) within each tray (12, 14) permits custom fitting of the trays (12, 14) to the upper and lower arches of a patient. During such fitting, the tray bodies (18, 38) are adjusted as necessary owing to the provision of the slots (32, 34 and 46, 48) to accommodate the arch configurations of the patient. Once the material (36, 60) hardens, the patient-specific arch configurations are permanently retained. The device (10) can be rapidly fitted in the field without the need for the services of a dentist. The coupling means (16) can be infinitely adjusted while the device (10) is in the patient'"'"'s mouth, to insure the most comfortable fit consistent with lower jaw extension.

Claims

1. An arch tray comprising:

a generally U-shaped body presenting a base panel and a pair of spaced, opposed, marginal sidewall segments each having a respective outer margin spaced from said base panel, said base panel and sidewall segments cooperatively defining a tray region;

a thermoplastic molding material within said tray region, said molding material being substantially rigid at room temperature but, upon heating thereof, becoming sufficiently soft and workable to allow molding of the material around a user'"'"'s teeth with resetting and hardening of the molded material after cooling thereof,

said body presenting an elongated adjustment slot therein oriented for permitting selective alteration of the arch configuration of said body when said molding material is heated, and subsequent setting of the body at an altered arch configuration upon said hardening of the molding material in order to allow use thereof with a variety of users having different arch dimensions, at least a portion of said slot being located in one of said sidewall segments.

2. The arch tray of claim 1, said adjustment slot being substantially L-shaped in configuration.

3. The arch tray of claim 1, including a pair of said adjustment slots.

4. The arch tray of claim 1, said body presenting an arcuate central bight having a pair of spaced, opposed ends and a leg member extending from each opposed end of said bight, said leg members diverging from each other, there being a pair of adjustment slots respectively located proximal to said bight ends.

5. The arch tray of claim 4, said adjustment slots each being generally L-shaped in configuration and extending from an outer margin of one of said sidewall segments through the entirety of the one sidewall segment and through a substantial portion of said base panel.

6. The arch tray of claim 5, each of said slots having a width of from about 0.03-0.10 inches.

7. The arch tray of claim 1, said synthetic resin material comprising a mixture of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and polycaprolactone.

8. A dental device comprising:

an upper arch tray including a generally U-shaped first tray body having a first thickness and a deformable material therein moldable about at least some of a user'"'"'s upper teeth, with subsequent setting and hardening of the molded material;

a lower arch tray including a generally U-shaped second tray body having a second thickness and a deformable material therein moldable about at least some of a user'"'"'s lower teeth, with subsequent setting and hardening of the molded material; and

means for selectively coupling said upper and lower arch trays when the latter are installed on the user'"'"'s upper and lower teeth respectively, said coupling means including adjustment structure for selective extension of the user'"'"'s lower jaw,

said first and second tray bodies each presenting an elongated adjustment slot therein oriented for permitting selective alteration of the arch configuration of the first and second bodies when said molding material therein is molded about a user'"'"'s upper and lower teeth, with said bodies retaining said altered arch configuration after said setting and hardening of said molding material, in order to allow use thereof with a variety of users having different arch dimensions, the adjustment slot of each of said first and second tray bodies extending through said first and second thicknesses respectively to form through openings.

9. The dental device of claim 8, each of said adjustment slots being substantially L-shaped in configuration.

10. The dental device of claim 8, each of said first and second bodies including a pair of said adjustment slots.

11. The dental device of claim 8, each of said first and second bodies presenting an arcuate central bight having a pair of spaced, opposed ends and a leg member extending from each opposed end of said bight, said leg members diverging from each other, there being a pair of adjustment slots respectively located proximal to said bight ends.

12. The dental device of claim 8, said adjustment slots each being generally L-shaped in configuration and extending from an outer margin of one of said sidewall segments through the entirety of the one sidewall segment and through a substantial portion of said base panel.

13. The dental device of claim 12, each of said slots having a width of from about 0.03-0.10 inches.

14. The dental device of claim 8, said synthetic resin material comprising a mixture of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and polycaprolactone.

15. A dental device comprising:

an upper arch tray fitting at least some of a user'"'"'s upper teeth and presenting a lower surface;

a lower arch tray fitting at least some of a user'"'"'s lower teeth and presenting an upper surface; and

means for selectively coupling said upper and lower arch trays when the latter are installed on the user'"'"'s upper and lower teeth respectively, said coupling means including adjustment structure for selective extension of the user'"'"'s lower jaw and comprising

elongated guide operatively secured to said lower surface of said upper tray;

a shiftable element slidably supported on said guide and including a depending coupler,

said guide and element cooperatively presenting a dovetail joint therebetween;

an elongated thrust screw operatively coupled with said slidable element for selective fore and aft adjustment of said element upon rotation of the thrust screw; and

means carried by said lower tray for interfitting with said coupler.

16. A dental device comprising:

an upper arch tray including thermoplastic molding material adapted for molding about at least some of a user'"'"'s upper teeth, with subsequent setting and hardening of the molded material;

a lower arch tray including thermoplastic molding material adapted for molding about at least some of a user'"'"'s lower teeth, with subsequent setting and hardening of the molded material; and

means for selectively coupling said upper and lower arch trays when the latter are installed on the user'"'"'s upper and lower teeth respectively, said coupling means including adjustment structure for selective extension of the user'"'"'s lower jaw,

said upper and lower trays each presenting an elongated adjustment slot therein which extends through the entire thickness of the respective tray to define a through opening, each adjustment slot oriented for permitting selective alteration of the arch configuration of the upper and lower arch trays when said molding material of the upper and lower arch trays is molded about said upper and lower teeth respectively, with setting of the upper and lower arch trays at respectively altered arch configurations upon setting and hardening of the molded material therein, in order to allow use of the upper and lower arch trays with a variety of users having different arch dimensions.

17. An arch tray comprising:

a generally U-shaped body presenting a base panel and a pair of spaced, opposed, marginal sidewall segments each having a respective outer margin spaced from said base panel, said base panel and sidewall segments cooperatively defining a tray region; and

a thermoplastic molding material within said tray region, said molding material being substantially rigid at room temperature but, upon heating thereof, becoming sufficiently soft and workable to allow molding of the material around a user'"'"'s teeth with resetting and hardening of the molded material after cooling thereof,

said body presenting an elongated adjustment slot of substantially L-shaped configuration therein oriented for permitting selective alteration of the arch configuration of said body when said molding material is heated, and subsequent setting of the body at an altered arch configuration upon said hardening of the molding material in order to allow use thereof with a variety of users having different arch dimensions.

18. An arch tray comprising:

a generally U-shaped body presenting a base panel and a pair of spaced, opposed, marginal sidewall segments each having a respective outer margin spaced from said base panel, said base panel and sidewall segments cooperatively defining a tray region,

said body further presenting an arcuate central bight, having a pair of spaced, opposed ends and a leg member extending from each opposed end of said bight, said leg members diverging from each other; and

a thermoplastic molding material within said tray region, said molding material being substantially rigid at room temperature but, upon heating thereof, becoming sufficiently soft and workable to allow molding of the material around a user'"'"'s teeth with resetting and hardening of the molded material after cooling thereof,

said body presenting a pair of elongated adjustment slots therein respectively located proximal to said bight ends and oriented for permitting selective alteration of the arch configuration of said body when said molding material is heated, and subsequent setting of the body at an altered arch configuration upon said hardening of the molding material in order to allow use thereof with a variety of users having different arch dimensions.

19. An arch tray comprising:

a generally U-shaped body presenting a base panel and a pair of spaced, opposed, marginal sidewall segments each having a respective outer margin spaced from said base panel, said base panel and sidewall segments cooperatively defining a tray region; and

a thermoplastic molding material within said tray region, said molding material being substantially rigid at room temperature but, upon heating thereof, becoming sufficiently soft and workable to allow molding of the material around a user'"'"'s teeth with resetting and hardening of the molded material after cooling thereof,

said body presenting an elongated adjustment slot therein oriented for permitting selective alteration of the arch configuration of said body when said molding material is heated, and subsequent setting of the body at an altered arch configuration upon said hardening of the molding material in order to allow use thereof with a variety of users having different arch dimensions,

said adjustment slot being generally L-shaped in configuration and extending from an outer margin of one of said sidewall segments through the entirety of the one sidewall segment and through a substantial portion of said base panel.

20. A dental device comprising:

an upper arch tray including a generally U-shaped first tray body having a deformable material therein moldable about at least some of a user'"'"'s upper teeth, with subsequent setting and hardening of the molded material;

a lower arch tray including a generally U-shaped second tray body having a deformable material therein moldable about at least some of a user'"'"'s lower teeth, with subsequent setting and hardening of the molded material; and

means for selectively coupling said upper and lower arch trays when the latter are installed on the user'"'"'s upper and lower teeth respectively, said coupling means including adjustment structure for selective extension of the user'"'"'s lower jaw,

said first and second tray bodies each presenting an elongated adjustment slot of substantially L-shaped configuration therein oriented for permitting selective alteration of the arch configuration of the first and second bodies when said molding material therein is molded about a user'"'"'s upper and lower teeth, with said bodies retaining said altered arch configuration after said setting and hardening of said molding material, in order to allow use thereof with a variety of users having different arch dimensions.

21. A dental device comprising:

an upper arch tray including a generally U-shaped first tray body having a deformable material therein moldable about at least some of a user'"'"'s upper teeth, with subsequent setting and hardening of the molded material;

a lower arch tray including a generally U-shaped second tray body having a deformable material therein moldable about at least some of a user'"'"'s lower teeth, with subsequent setting and hardening of the molded material,

each of said first and second bodies further presenting an arcuate central bight having a pair of spaced, opposed ends and a leg member extending from each opposed end of said bight, said leg members diverging from each other; and

means for selectively coupling said upper and lower arch trays when the latter are installed on the user'"'"'s upper and lower teeth respectively, said coupling means including adjustment structure for selective extension of the user'"'"'s lower jaw,

said first and second tray bodies each presenting an elongated adjustment slot therein respectively located proximal to the corresponding bight ends and oriented for permitting selective alteration of the arch configuration of the first and second bodies when said molding material therein is molded about a user'"'"'s upper and lower teeth, with said bodies retaining said altered arch configuration after said setting and hardening of said molding material, in order to allow use thereof with a variety of users having different arch dimensions.

22. A dental device comprising:

an upper arch tray including a generally U-shaped first tray body having a deformable material therein moldable about at least some of a user'"'"'s upper teeth, with subsequent setting and hardening of the molded material;

a lower arch tray including a generally U-shaped second tray body having a deformable material therein moldable about at least some of a user'"'"'s lower teeth, with subsequent setting and hardening of the molded material; and

means for selectively coupling said upper and lower arch trays when the latter are installed on the user'"'"'s upper and lower teeth respectively, said coupling means including adjustment structure for selective extension of the user'"'"'s lower jaw,

said first and second tray bodies each presenting an elongated adjustment slot therein oriented for permitting selective alteration of the arch configuration of the first and second bodies when said molding material therein is molded about a user'"'"'s upper and lower teeth, with said bodies retaining said altered arch configuration after said setting and hardening of said molding material, in order to allow use thereof with a variety of users having different arch dimensions,

each of said adjustment slots being generally L-shaped in configuration and extending from an outer margin of one of the sidewall segments of the corresponding body and through the entirety of the one sidewall segment, and through a substantial portion of the corresponding base panel.