Method and apparatus for treatment of snoring and sleep apnea

Abstract

An anti-snoring device that attaches to a specific area of the neck. The attachment means can be an adhesive, a clip or an implant. The device exerts a predetermined pulling force on this area of the neck, causing this area of the neck to expand outward from its normal position. This expansion opens a blockage in the throat of a sleeping person, thereby eliminating snoring and helping some people with obstructive sleep apnea.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 10 / 866,058, filed Jun. 10, 2004 (Jun. 10, 2004).STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] Not applicable. REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX [0003] Not applicable. TECHNICAL FIELD [0004] The present invention relates generally to health and medical devices, and more particularly to an improved method and apparatus for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea. BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART [0005] The fundamental cause of snoring is a restriction or blockage of the air passage in the throat. This occurs when muscles relax during sleep allowing soft tissue in the back of the throat to sag. This soft tissue then blocks the flow of air needed for breathing. Most people that snore overcome this blockage by breathing harder, and the increased air pressure partially opens up the air passag...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016] The method and apparatus for treatment of snoring and sleep apnea of this invention provides a mechanical means to exert a predetermined force on a predetermined area of the neck, causing this area of the neck to expand outward from its normal position. This expansion opens a blockage in the throat of a sleeping person, thereby eliminating snoring and helping some people with obstructive sleep apnea. The mechanical means includes adhesive patches, mechanical clips and magnetic implants which receive a pulling force from an external means.

[0017] The present invention describes how humans have multiple responsive points within a specific area of the neck (hereafter called the “throat stimulation area”) that exhibit the ability to stimulate the throat in such a way as to open the blockage in the air passage of a sleeping person. This eliminates snoring and sleep apnea in some people. To achieve this result, the surface of the skin in at least a portion of the throat stimulation area must be pulled so that the surface of the skin is extended by at least 2.5 mm beyond the normal position. The invention provides an attachment device, such as an adhesive coated patch, that attaches to the skin within the throat stimulation area and preferably over a responsive point. Pulling on this patch (or other attachment device) expands the skin and maintains an open-air passage in a sleeping person. The snoring sound is reduced or eliminated and even some people with obstructive sleep apnea can have their breathing passage opened by this invention.

[0021] A further object or feature of the present invention is a new and improved anti-snoring device, which is comfortable in use.

[0022] An even further object of the present invention is to provide a novel anti-snoring device that expands a portion of the user's neck to facilitate breathing.

Problems solved by technology

The fundamental cause of snoring is a restriction or blockage of the air passage in the throat.

Besides the obvious noise, the snoring person also has laborious breathing that decreases the quality of sleep.

Almost all the mechanical devices that have been developed simply do not treat the fundamental cause of snoring because they do not open up the blocked air passage in the throat.

However, these devices that force the lower jaw forward are very uncomfortable and can cause alignment problems with the teeth.

These machines are expensive, uncomfortable and restrictive.

About half of the people that start using CPAP machines to treat sleep apnea cannot tolerate them and discontinue their use.

None of these prior art adhesive devices stop snoring by expanding a portion of the neck to open up the blocked air passage in the throat.

No prior art anti-snoring patents use an implant to expand an external part of the neck.

Also, movement of a sleeping person can break the vacuum seal and cause a major leak.

There will also be a strong pushing force exerted on the seals and this will tend to nullify any possible beneficial effect obtained from the vacuum expansion of other tissue.

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