Method and apparatus for treating sleep apnea

Inactive Publication Date: 2010-12-02
AIRWAY METRICS
View PDF9 Cites 19 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]With the above-noted prior art and inadequacies in mind, it is the goal of the present invention to provide a simple, straightforward diagnostic tool for obstructive sleep apnea, as well as a simple, accurate tool for determining the optimal position of the mandibular to max

Problems solved by technology

Although sleep apnea has been recognized as a critical life-endangering problem, there are still a limited number of doctors or dentists trained to treat this disorder and a limited number of treatments.
Some of the common design features in the first generation (OADs) airway dilator resulted in m

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Method and apparatus for treating sleep apnea
  • Method and apparatus for treating sleep apnea
  • Method and apparatus for treating sleep apnea

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

Embodiment Construction

[0017]As seen in FIG. 1, the snoring / airway screener which empirically utilizes the snoring sound generated by the patient and is relatively low tech, but empirically shows a high correlation with the airway size in the airway segment that obstructive sleep apnea airway dilators falter. Therefore, it is an effective screening tool. The screener serves as a quick way to narrow the more definitive analysis zone for optimum airway flow. The system enables repeatability in any position.

[0018]Historically, after the standard muscle joint and range of motion screening, there were no devices or accepted techniques for predicting success with an oral airway dilator. Sonar technology has been adapted to measure the upper airway by sending an echo through the mouth and into the airway while the patient holds a snorkel-like mouthpiece between their teeth and breathes naturally. This process is actually comfortable, cost-effective and also produces data and graphical output for analysis. This m...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to view more

PUM

No PUM Login to view more

Abstract

A method and apparatus for diagnosing sleep apnea and for comfortably fitting an oral device to treat the condition. The patient is screened to reduce snoring using a device which changes the airway, and then using an airway dilation simulator having sequentially sized elements to determine the mandibular position maximizing the upper airway dimension. An oral device is then fabricated to retain the maximum position during sleep.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]This invention relates to sleep apnea, and more particularly, to an apparatus for diagnosing and treating sleep apnea, including the method of measuring the airway with the mandible in precisely displaced positions until the airway allows a maximum airflow within the comfort zone of the patient, and then fabricating an appliance to maintain the mandibular position during sleep.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Although sleep apnea has been recognized as a critical life-endangering problem, there are still a limited number of doctors or dentists trained to treat this disorder and a limited number of treatments. The traditional options for treating obstructive sleep apnea, which is a medical condition where there is a blockage of the airway usually caused by the soft tissue in the rear of the throat, which collapses and closes during sleep, are with the nasal continuous positive air pressure (nCPAP), an oral airway dilator or with surgery. The treatments using posi...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to view more

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to view more
IPC IPC(8): A61F5/56
CPCA61F5/56
Inventor HORCHOVER, ROBERT L.
Owner AIRWAY METRICS
Who we serve
  • R&D Engineer
  • R&D Manager
  • IP Professional
Why Eureka
  • Industry Leading Data Capabilities
  • Powerful AI technology
  • Patent DNA Extraction
Social media
Try Eureka
PatSnap group products

Browse by: Latest US Patents, China's latest patents, Technical Efficacy Thesaurus, Application Domain, Technology Topic.

© 2024 PatSnap. All rights reserved.Legal|Privacy policy|Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement|Sitemap