Oral bite block for endotracheal tube
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsJoshua Medow, Matthew Roggensack
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bite block provides a pair of bilateral jaw spacers positioned between the patient's posterior teeth to separate an interincisal distance between the jaw. A connecting bridge behind the patient's incisors joins the bilateral spacers at opposite sides of the jaw. The bilateral jaw spacers are positioned between the patient's upper and lower posterior teeth to transfer the forces against the bite block when the patient bites down to the stronger and wider posterior teeth that can withstand larger stresses. The posterior teeth have large, flat surfaces which can stably receive the bilateral jaw spacers without unwanted displacement.
Claims18
A bite block device for inhibiting a biting force on an endotracheal tube extending through a human patient's mouth, the bite block device comprising:
- a first molar spacer configured to contact left maxillary posterior teeth on a top surface and left mandibular posterior teeth on a bottom surface;
- a second molar spacer configured to contact right maxillary posterior teeth on a top surface and right mandibular posterior teeth on a bottom surface;
- a bridge connecting a front portion of the first molar spacer at a first end to a front portion of the second molar spacer at a second end, the bridge being positioned fully behind a lingual surface of maxillary incisors;
- and
- a tab extending forwardly from the bridge to avoid maxillary incisors and out of the patient's mouth beyond lips of the patient for attachment to an endotracheal tube.
A method of inhibiting a biting force on an endotracheal tube extending through a human patient's mouth, comprising:
- providing a bite block having
- a first molar spacer configured to contact left maxillary posterior teeth on a top surface and left mandibular posterior teeth on a bottom surface;
- a second molar spacer configured to contact right maxillary posterior teeth on a top surface and right mandibular posterior teeth on a bottom surface;
- and
- a bridge connecting a front portion of the first molar spacer at a first end to a front portion of the second molar spacer at a second end the bridge being positioned fully behind a lingual surface of maxillary incisors;
- a tab extending forwardly from the bridge to avoid maxillary incisors and out of the patient's mouth beyond lips of the patient for attachment to an endotracheal tube;
- and
- positioning the first molar spacer between the left maxillary posterior teeth and the left mandibular posterior teeth;
- positioning the second molar spacer between the right maxillary posterior teeth and right mandibular posterior teeth;
- and
- positioning the bridge along the lingual surface of the maxillary incisors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.