Non-surgical method and system for reducing snoring

• US 8,701,671 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2012
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seed Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Joseph E. Kovarik
• Inventors: Kovarik, Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US13/367,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20120222685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 128/848, 128897-898, 128/846, 128859-862, 602/902, 245/5
• US Class Current: 128/848
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices

Abstract

A method, system and device for addressing the reduction of snoring includes a removable or dissolvable strip of material that adhere to mucosal tissue of a person'"'"'s soft palate to provide stiffening support therefore, thus reducing the occurrence of vibration of such tissue during sleep. Preferred embodiments include of a specially textured surface, either one both or at least the outer side of an adhesive strip (the side facing away from the mucosal tissue to which it is attached) that has anti-microbial characteristics, bioluminescent expressions, etc. and a surface topography that resists bioadhesion of undesired bacteria that are typically present in a human'"'"'s mouth.

Claims

1. A buccal bioadhesive strip having no active drugs, that when applied to the tissue of the soft palate, stiffens the tissue to reduce vibration, comprising:

at least one coating layer having a surface topography for resisting bioadhesion, said at least one layer comprising a polymer, said coating layer having a pattern defined by a plurality of spaced apart features attached to or projected into a base surface, said plurality of features each having at least one microscale dimension and having at least one neighboring feature having a substantially different geometry, wherein an average spacing between adjacent ones of said features is between 0.5 and 5 .mu.m in at least a portion of said coating layer, said coating layer resisting bioadhesion as compared to said base surface.

2. The strip as set forth in claim 1, wherein said strip has a first and second side, the first side having a bioadhesive that is adapted to binds to a mucosal membrane for at least 3 hours while inside a person'"'"'s mouth, the second side having a specially textured surface that has anti-microbial characteristic derived from its surface topography, said topography such that it resists bioadhesion of undesired bacteria that are typically present in a human'"'"'s mouth.

3. The strip of claim 1 wherein said strip is adapted to extend over a majority of the soft palate.

4. The strip of claim 1 wherein said strip further includes a toxic substance associated with the strip that is effective to kill undesired bacteria in the mouth.

5. The strip of claim 1 wherein said strip comprises bioluminescent material, said bioluminescent material comprising one of luciferin, luciferase and aequorin.

6. The strip of claim 1 wherein said strip comprises a non-fast drying adhesive.

7. The strip of claim 1 wherein said strip is devoid of paper, rice or hemp products.

8. The strip of claim 1 wherein said strip includes phase change materials that increase the stiffness of the strip.

9. The strip of claim 1 wherein said strip comprises materials that cause the strip to stiffen when exposed to one of:

1) vibration of underlying tissue during the snoring of an individual; and

     2) slight changes in temperature.

10. The strip of claim 1 wherein said strip comprises structural features that direct airflow in a manner that further reduces the occasion of throat tissue vibration, such features selected from the group consisting of grooves, hollow structures and curved, elevated surfaces.

11. The strip as set forth in claim 1, wherein the strip has first and second sides and the first side has adhesive material associated therewith and the second side does not.

12. The film strip as set forth in claim 1, wherein the strip has a first side and a second side and the second side has a lubricant associated therewith.

13. The strip of claim 1 wherein said strip has at least one perforated tear line to facilitate smaller sizes to be fashioned.

14. The strip of claim 1, wherein said strip is adapted to adhere to the soft palate region of a person and includes at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of pullulan, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, sodium alginate, polyethylene glycol, tragacanth gum, guar gum, acacia gum, arabic gum, polyacrylic acid, methylmethacrylate copolymer, carboxyvinyl polymer, amylose, high amylose starch, hydroxypropylated high amylose starch, dextrin, pectin, chitin, chitosan, levan, elsinan, collagen, gelatin, zein, gluten, soy protein isolate, whey protein isolate, casein and mixtures thereof.

15. The strip of claim 1, wherein said strip has compounds residing thereon to facilitate the growth of desired bacteria beneficial to a person'"'"'s health.

16. The strip of claim 1, wherein said strip is adapted to stiffen the soft palate tissue to reduce vibrations of the soft palate.

17. The strip of claim 1, wherein said strip further comprises breath freshening components.

18. The strip of claim 1, wherein said strip is non-dissolvable.

19. The strip of claim 1, wherein said strip is dissolvable and comprises a material that is adapted to persist in the mouth of a user for at least one hour.

20. The strip of claim 1, wherein said strip is dissolvable and is adapted to reduce the proliferation of bacteria in a user'"'"'s mouth.