A nasal
dilator comprises a laminate of vertical
layers each consisting of one or more members or components. The laminated
layers form a unitary, or single body, truss featuring horizontal regions adapted to engage outer wall tissues of first and second
nasal passages and to
traverse the bridge of a
nose therebetween. When in use the
dilator acts to stabilize and / or expand the nasal outer wall tissues and prevent said tissues from drawing inward during
breathing. The
dilator includes means to direct its resilient properties comprising one or more interior or exterior material separations, or discontinuity of shape of material, formed in at least one region of the truss and extending through at least one layer of the dilator. Said
material separation or discontinuity of shape may comprise an opening, relief
cut, slit or notch, and which may be configured to separate or vertically protrude, in part, from the truss when the dilator is in use on the
nose of a wearer. Said separation or vertical protrusion changes the angle of focused delaminating spring biasing forces generated by the resilient layer, transforming said forces, at least in part, from primarily peel forces into primarily shear forces, and further redistributing or imparting said transformed forces to tissue engaging surface areas extending outward and beyond said
material separation.