Mandibular advancement splint
OwnerGeorges Magnininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Mandibular advancement splint against snoring and sleep apnea. The splint is made of two thermoformable trays (1, 2) designed to envelop the upper and lower arch. In order to be able to adapt to individual variations in conformation, the advancement splint includes an articulated frame having rigid and flexible elements, immersed in the thermoformable flexible material or molded around it. The frame's articulations (12, 13, 23) allow the splint to fit the curve of the dental arch and to adapt to irregularities in the teeth's position. The inventive splint is equivalent in terms of comfort and efficiency to a personalized splint made by an orthodontist or dental technician, but its cost is 6 to 10 times lower.
Claims6
1-6. (canceled)
Mandibular advancement splint, having a first tray for enveloping the upper dental arch and a second tray for enveloping the lower dental arch of the mouth cavity, the splint including advancement means connecting said first and second trays, capable of exerting an advancement force onto said second tray in the postero-anterior direction, wherein at least one of said first and second trays includes an articulated frame, wherein said articulated frame is made of a single injected piece having relatively rigid elements to exert a holding force against the labial and lingual sides of the teeth, and flexible elements to allow said frame to articulate and/or deform along three dimensions to adapt to the wearer's dental conformation, wherein said frame includes a plurality of prehension elements open towards the dental arch and capable of exerting a holding action on the dental and lingual sides of the teeth, said prehension elements being connected by flexible articulations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.