US 2018/0000631 A1Published application

Tongue retainer

OwnerJohn D. Summerinventor

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Abstract

A tongue grasping and restraining device holds the tongue securely during sleep in order to minimize the risk of the tongue slipping back and blocking the throat, a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea. Plural tongue gripping projections are coupled to upper and lower supports. The projections engage and hold the tongue. One or more of the upper and lower supports are biased together into a tongue engaging position. A tongue depressor can extend rearwardly and downwardly from the upper support to depress the user's tongue to further open the user's airway. The position of the tongue depressor can be adjustable. The upper support is coupled to the user's upper jaw, for example, to a denture, dental appliance or other form of an upper jaw coupler and can be pivoted thereto. The lower support can be hinged to, fixed to, or otherwise joined to a lower jaw coupler. A tube and rod mechanism in one embodiment couples the upper and lower jaw couplers together.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus for grasping and restraining the tongue of a user, the user having a mouth, a tongue with a tongue front portion and a tongue rear portion, a tongue upper surface, a tongue lower surface, an upper jaw with first and second jaw sides with upper teeth projecting downwardly from the first and second jaw sides, and a lower jaw;

the apparatus comprising:
a first upper support;
the first upper support comprising an upper support body portion comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, a front, a rear, and first and second sides, the first upper support also comprising a first tongue gripping surface, the first tongue gripping surface comprising a plurality of first tongue engaging projections that extend from the lower surface of the upper support body portion and that are adapted to extend toward and engage the tongue upper surface when the apparatus is worn by a user;
an upper jaw coupler comprising first and second side portions each with a buccal side and a lingual side, the first side portion being shaped and adapted to receive upper teeth of a user at the first jaw side when the apparatus is worn by a user, the second side portion being shaped and adapted to receive upper teeth of the user at the second jaw side when the apparatus is worn by a user;
a pivot coupling the upper support body portion to the upper jaw coupler such that the upper support body portion is pivotal toward and away from the upper jaw coupler and thereby toward and away from the upper jaw of a user wearing the apparatus;
a second lower support comprising an upper surface, and a second tongue gripping surface, the second tongue gripping surface comprising a plurality of second tongue engaging projections that extend from the upper surface of the lower support and that are adapted to extend toward and engage the tongue lower surface when the apparatus is worn by a user;
a lower jaw coupler adapted to couple the second lower support to the lower jaw of the user;
and
at least one biasing member coupled to the upper jaw coupler and to the first upper support and adapted to apply a biasing force to the first upper support to bias the movement of the first upper support and the first tongue gripping surface away from the upper jaw coupler and toward the second tongue gripping surface, the first tongue gripping surface in response to the biasing force moving toward the second tongue gripping surface and the first and second tongue gripping surfaces being adapted to grasp the tongue of a user wearing the apparatus with the tongue positioned between the first and second tongue gripping surfaces.

6 more elements

An apparatus for grasping and restraining the tongue of a user, the user having a mouth, a tongue with a tongue front portion and a tongue rear portion, a tongue upper surface, a tongue lower surface, an upper jaw and a lower jaw with first and second lower jaw sides, the apparatus comprising:

a first upper support;
the first upper support comprising a first tongue gripping surface, the first tongue gripping surface comprising a plurality of tongue engaging projections that extend downwardly from the first upper support and that are adapted to extend toward the tongue upper surface of a user wearing the apparatus;
an upper jaw coupler adapted to couple the first upper support to the upper jaw of a user wearing the apparatus;
a second lower support;
the second lower support comprising a second tongue gripping surface, the second tongue gripping surface comprising a plurality of tongue engaging projections that extend upwardly from the second lower support and that are adapted to extend toward the tongue lower surface of a user wearing the apparatus;
a lower jaw coupler adapted to couple the second lower support to the lower jaw of the user;
at least one biasing member coupled to the first upper support that applies a biasing force to the first upper support to bias the first tongue gripping surface toward the second tongue gripping surface, the first tongue gripping surface being adapted, in response to the biasing force to grasp a portion of the tongue of a user wearing the apparatus that is positioned between the first and second tongue gripping surfaces;
and
a tongue depressor comprising an arm comprising a first arm end portion coupled to the upper support body portion and a second distal arm end portion, the tongue depressor comprising a tongue engagement portion carried by the second distal arm end portion, the second distal arm end portion supporting the tongue engagement portion at a location positioned rearwardly of and downwardly from the upper support body portion.

6 more elements

An upper jaw assembly for an apparatus for grasping and restraining the tongue of a user, the user having a tongue with a tongue front portion, a tongue rear portion, a tongue upper surface, a tongue lower surface, an upper jaw with first and second jaw sides with upper teeth projecting downwardly from the first and second sides of the upper jaw, the assembly comprising:

a first upper support;
the first upper support comprising an upper support body portion comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, a front, a rear, and first and second sides, the first upper support also comprising a first tongue gripping surface, the first tongue gripping surface comprising a plurality of tongue engaging projections that extend from the lower surface of the upper support body portion and are adapted to extend toward and engage the tongue upper surface when the apparatus is worn by a user;
an upper jaw coupler comprising first and second side portions each with a buccal side and a lingual side, the first side portion comprising a first upper teeth receiving portion and the second side portion comprising a second upper teeth receiving portion;
and
a pivot that pivotally couples the upper support body portion to the upper jaw coupler such that the upper support body portion is movable relative to the upper jaw coupler.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.