Back to results
US 10,117,773 B2Granted
Oral device for anterior advancement of the tongue
AssigneeSomnics, Inc.
InventorJonathan L. Podmore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oral device for temporary placement in a patient's oral cavity includes a base and a tongue pocket. Partial vacuums are separately drawn through vertically oriented, tooth facing ports on the base and the tongue pocket in order to advance and control the position of the tongue in order to clear the patient's airway to reduce sleep apnea or treat other conditions.
Claims20
An oral device for temporary placement in a patient's oral cavity, said device comprising:
- a base adapted to be held between the patient's upper and lower teeth, the base defining an anterior opening which is adapted to allow the patient's tongue to pass therethrough;
- a tongue-engaging member coupled to the base and disposed to engage a medial region of the tongue when the base is positioned between the patient's teeth;
- a tongue pocket coupled to the base and having an interior disposed to receive an anterior region of the patient's tongue when the tongue passes through the anterior opening;
- at least one tongue pocket vacuum port positioned in the tongue pocket and adapted to be connected to a vacuum source to apply a partial vacuum within the oral cavity through the tongue pocket;
- and
- at least one base vacuum port positioned on the base and adapted to be connected to the vacuum source to apply the partial vacuum within the oral cavity, and
- wherein the at least one base vacuum port is oriented toward the chewing surfaces of one or more of the patient's upper or lower teeth to direct the partial vacuum such that risk of soft tissue occluding the at least one base vacuum port is reduced.
4 more elements
A method for stabilizing a soft palate in a patient's oral cavity, the patient's oral cavity having a tongue and a palate, said method comprising:
- providing a base to be held between the patient's upper and lower teeth;
- engaging a member against a medial region of the tongue to provide an oral cavity between the medial region and the palate;
- applying a vacuum in the oral cavity to draw together the soft palate and a posterior region of the tongue;
- applying the vacuum in the tongue pocket to draw an anterior region of the tongue forward,
- wherein the vacuum is applied through at least one tongue pocket vacuum port positioned in the tongue pocket to draw the anterior region of the tongue forward,
- wherein the vacuum is applied through at least one base vacuum port to draw the together the soft palate and the posterior region of the tongue, and
- wherein the at least one base vacuum port are oriented toward the chewing surfaces of one or more of the patient's upper or lower teeth to direct the vacuum such that risk of soft tissue occluding the one or more tooth facing ports is reduced.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.