Therapeutic process and apparatus for nasal passages
First Claim
1. A nasal air flow control device comprising:
- an air flow control element for directing air flow in a desired direction or directions when disposed in the nasal cavity, wherein the air flow control element comprises means for deflecting air flow toward at least one of the nasal hair, mucous membranes or a selected nasal passage; and
means for attaching the air flow control element such that the control element is inside the nasal opening, wherein the means for attaching comprises means for adhesively adhering the control element to a portion of the nose.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An air flow control device for the nose has an air flow control element for directing air flow in a selected manner when disposed in a nasal cavity. The flow control element deflects air toward nasal hair for natural filtering, mucous membranes to enhance lubrication, mucous flow, and contaminant capture and processing, or a selected nasal passage, for example, to decrease flow of air to upper regions of the nose and therefore decrease flow to the sinuses. The device also includes an adhesive layer to directly adhere the device to the interior of the nose, or a strip such as a clear adhesive strip to adhere the device to the interior of the nose and the septum. The air flow control element may have any one of numerous shapes such as curved, straight, double-curved, ridged, mesh, oval, rectangular, semicircular, crescent or otherwise. The device may also have louvers positioned to open or close in response to air inspiration or expiration, as selected by the user, and may include chambers or open cell material for storing a medicinal or other substance to disperse within the nose in response to pressure, air flow, liquid flow or otherwise. The device is preferably smaller in cross-section than the cross-section of the user'"'"'s nasal passages to avoid total blockage in air flow and thus works by regulating or deflecting air to supplement and enhance the natural processes performed by the nose rather than substituting for them and overriding natural processes.
161 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A nasal air flow control device comprising:
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an air flow control element for directing air flow in a desired direction or directions when disposed in the nasal cavity, wherein the air flow control element comprises means for deflecting air flow toward at least one of the nasal hair, mucous membranes or a selected nasal passage; and means for attaching the air flow control element such that the control element is inside the nasal opening, wherein the means for attaching comprises means for adhesively adhering the control element to a portion of the nose. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A nasal air flow device comprising:
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an air flow control element for directing air flow in a desired direction or directions when disposed in a nasal cavity, wherein the air flow control element comprises a member for deflecting air flow with the member toward at least one of the nasal hair, mucosa, or a selected nasal passage; and means for adhesively attaching the air flow control element for positioning within the nasal opening such that the member deflects the air, wherein the member has a cross-sectional area and the nasal cavity where the device is disposed has an opening area, the cross-sectional area being substantially less than the opening area and the cross-sectional area and opening area being taken in a plane substantially normal to an axial direction of the nasal cavity. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for controlling air flow upon inspiration or expiration from a nasal cavity, the method comprising the steps of:
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adhesively holding and positioning an air flow control element having a member within a nasal cavity; and deflecting air by means of the member upon inspiration to enhance air flow in the direction of at least one of nasal hair, nasal mucous membranes, and selected nasal passages, wherein the device is positioned such that substantially less than the entire cross-sectional area of the nasal opening is blocked by the device.
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Specification