Mouthpiece, nasal seal, head appliance, apparatus, and methods of treating sleep apnea
OwnerWalter G. Klempererinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A CPAP device and a method for treating sleep apnea use a head appliance with an oral adaptor comprising a tube partially inserted in a person's mouth and a diaphragm applied over the tube against the mouth, such that the lips are formed into a tight seal with the tube. A nasal seal is described comprising two rollers to which a strap is attached, so that the nasal seal is easily put in place, adjusted and maintained by rolling the rollers on the nose sides or pulling the straps.
Claims65
An oral adaptor for a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device, comprising:
- an oral insert having a passage therein, comprising an insertion portion to be inserted into a person's mouth and a connection portion for connecting the oral insert to a CPAP respirator, and
- a sealing element to be placed on the person's mouth,
- wherein the sealing element comprises a flexible, elastic diaphragm such that the person's lips form a seal on the oral insert.
An oral adaptor to be applied to a person's mouth, comprising:
- a tubular portion having an insertion end to be inserted in a person's mouth and a connection end to be connected to a source of positive pressure, and
- a first surface which faces an inner side of a person's lips, and
- a second surface which faces an outer side of the person's lips, when the oral adaptor is applied to the person's mouth, wherein the second surface is made of a more flexible material than the first surface,
- such that the person's lips are conformed between the second surface and at least one of the tubular portion and the first surface when a positive pressure is created inside the mouth to form a seal around the oral adaptor.
A nasal seal comprising two curved pieces to be placed on respective exterior sides of a person's nose, the curved pieces being connected to each other so as to leave a space between them for the person's nose,
- wherein a holding strap is attached to the nasal seal for application on the person's nose;
- and
- wherein the curved pieces are connected to each other by an elastic connection member so that an adjustable space for the nose is defined between the curved pieces.
A head appliance for a CPAP device, comprising:
- a mouthpiece having an insertion portion to be inserted in a person's mouth and a connection portion to be connected to a CPAP respirator,
- a connection tube having an end connected to the connection portion of the mouthpiece,
- a head strap to be placed over a persons' head, and
- a hose support attached to the head strap for supporting the connection hose;
- and
- wherein the connection portion, the head strap, and the hose support are adapted such that, when applied to a person's head, project from the head by substantially no more than the length of a nose.
A method for treating symptoms of sleep apnea in a person, comprising:
- inserting an insertion portion of an oral insert in the person's mouth,
- applying a sealing element on the person's mouth so that the person's lips form a tight seal with the insertion portion of the oral insert, and
- connecting the oral insert to a source of positive pressure.
A method for treating symptoms of sleep apnea in a person, comprising:
- providing an oral insert comprising a tube;
- inserting an insertion portion of an oral insert in the person's mouth such that a first surface of the insertion portion faces an inner side of the person's lips, and a tube passes through the lips, and
- applying a sealing element on the person's mouth such that a second surface of the sealing element faces an outer side of the person's lips, and such that a relatively high shear force is applied to the lips toward the tube so that the lips form a tight seal with the tube, and
- connecting the oral insert to a source of positive pressure.
A nasal seal comprising two rollers to be placed on respective exterior sides of a person's nose, the rollers being connected to each other so as to leave a space between them for the person's nose, wherein a holding strap is attached to the nasal seal for application on the person's nose;
- wherein the rollers are rotatable around respective axes, the axes being connected to each other so as to leave a space between the rollers for the person's nose;
- and
- wherein ends of the holding strap are attached to the respective rollers at a distance from their respective rotation axes, so that a degree of rotation of the rollers can be adjusted by adjusting the strap.
A nasal seal comprising two rollers to be placed on respective exterior sides of a person's nose, the rollers being connected to each other so as to leave a space between them for the person's nose, wherein the each roller has an axis and the rollers are connected such that the axes are substantially parallel when placed on the respective exterior sides of a person's nose;
- and
- wherein a holding strap is attached to the nasal seal for application on the person's nose.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.