Method and apparatus for treating obstructive sleep apnea by using negative oral pressure to a patient

• US 7,918,222 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Somnics inc.
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chen, Chung-Chu
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas; Steven O
• Application Number:
  US11/727,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20070277818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.26, 128/201.26, 128/204.11, 128/204.18, 128/205.24, 128/206.29, 128/207.14, 128/207.15, 128/848, 128/861, 128/862, 128/205.19
• US Class Current: 128/200.24
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for treating obstructive sleep apnea by using negative oral pressure to a patient. The present apparatus includes a vacuum unit for controlling and maintaining negative pressure of an oral cavity of the patient, a tube with one end thereof connecting to the vacuum unit to suck out air in the oral cavity to generate the negative pressure therein, and a mouthpiece connecting to the other end of the tube and fitting into and sealing the patient'"'"'s mouth to prevent the oral cavity from air leakage. By using negative pressure in the oral cavity, the patient'"'"'s soft palate is pulled toward the oral cavity and the patient'"'"'s tongue is pulled toward an upper palate so as to maintain the patient'"'"'s nasal air passageway open.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating obstructive sleep apnea by using negative oral pressure to a patient, comprising:

a vacuum unit for controlling and maintaining negative pressure of an oral cavity of the patient;

a tube with one end thereof connecting to said vacuum unit to suck out air in the oral cavity to generate the negative pressure therein; and

a mouthpiece connecting to the other end of said tube and having at least one concave portion conforming to a contour of at least one of an upper lip and a lower lip of the patient for attaching to at least one of the upper lip and the lower lip and sealing said patient'"'"'s mouth to prevent the oral cavity from air leakage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said vacuum unit is an automatic pump or a manual pump.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switching valve associated with said mouthpiece, wherein said switching valve connects the oral cavity to said tube and said vacuum unit in operation, said switching valve closes the oral cavity to maintain the negative pressure of the oral cavity while said tube and said vacuum unit can be disconnected with said mouthpiece, or said switching valve connects the oral cavity to the atmosphere for recovery of normal pressure in the oral cavity.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a teeth engaging part cooperated with said mouth piece to hold the patient'"'"'s mandibular position.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a teeth engaging part cooperated with said mouth piece to hold the patient'"'"'s mandibular position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tongue retaining part fastened at one end of said mouth piece opposite to said tube to hold the patient'"'"'s tongue position.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a tongue retaining part fastened at one end of said mouth piece opposite to said tube to hold the patient'"'"'s tongue position.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a tongue retaining part fastened at one end of said mouth piece opposite to said tube to hold the patient'"'"'s tongue position.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said tongue retaining part uses vacuum force, magnetic force or spring-loaded force to hold the patient'"'"'s tongue position.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said tongue retaining part uses vacuum force, magnetic force or spring-loaded force to hold the patient'"'"'s tongue position.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said tongue retaining part uses vacuum force, magnetic force or spring-loaded force to hold the patient'"'"'s tongue position.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a nasal tube associated with said tube, said nasal tube connecting to a constant positive airway pressure (CPAP) device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said nasal tube and said tube are integrally formed.

14. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a nasal tube associated with said tube, said nasal tube connecting to a constant positive airway pressure (CPAP) device.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a nasal tube associated with said tube, said nasal tube connecting to a constant positive airway pressure (CPAP) device.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flow sensor associated with said mouthpiece for sensing nasal flow patterns, said flow sensor connecting to a controller inside said vacuum unit.

17. A method for treating snoring or sleep apnea using the apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

applying negative pressure to an oral cavity of a user to pull the user'"'"'s soft palate toward the oral cavity and the user'"'"'s tongue toward an upper palate so as to maintain the user'"'"'s nasal air passageway open.