A tongue position maintaining device based on mouthpiece installation

Abstract

The application discloses a tongue position keeping device based on a mouthpiece installation, which comprises a mouthpiece body, a connecting piece and a pressing plate, the mouthpiece body is installed at lower teeth in a mouth, the connecting piece is installed at a side of the mouthpiece body through a first end, the pressing plate is installed at a second end of the connecting piece, the pressing plate is suitable for abutting against a rear side position of a tongue root in the mouth, thereby preventing the tongue from falling backward; the connecting piece is an elastic body, thereby the pressing plate abuts against the mouth under the elastic force of the connecting piece. The application has the beneficial effects that the pressing plate based on the mouthpiece installation abuts against the rear side position of the tongue root in the mouth, so that the patient can prevent the tongue from falling backward to block the airway after sleeping, thereby effectively relieving or avoiding the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of medical assistive device technology, and in particular to a tongue position holding device based on braces installation. Background Technology

[0002] Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a sleep-disordered breathing disease characterized by snoring, apnea, and hypopnea, caused by the collapse and obstruction of the soft tissues of the upper airway during sleep. Current treatments primarily involve medication and surgery, which can be quite invasive for patients. Therefore, a less invasive and easier-to-use tongue position-maintaining device is proposed to address these technical challenges. Utility Model Content

[0003] One objective of this application is to provide a tongue position holding device based on braces.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: a tongue position holding device based on braces, comprising a brace body, a connector, and a pressure plate. The brace body is installed at the lower teeth in the oral cavity. The connector is installed on the side of the brace body through a first end. The pressure plate is installed on the second end of the connector. The pressure plate is adapted to abut against the posterior side of the tongue root in the oral cavity, thereby preventing the tongue from falling backward.

[0005] Preferably, the connector is an elastic body, and the pressure plate is pressed against the oral cavity under the elastic force of the connector.

[0006] Preferably, the brace body and the connector are a pair and symmetrically arranged in the oral cavity; the pressure plate has a "U" shaped structure, the two ends of the pressure plate are connected to the second end of the corresponding connector, and the middle position of the pressure plate cooperates with the tongue.

[0007] Preferably, the pressure plate is rotatably mounted on the connector and cooperates with the connector through a limiting member; after the pressure plate has been rotated and adjusted, the limiting member is adapted to lock the pressure plate.

[0008] Preferably, the limiting member is a limiting bolt, and the pressure plate is adapted to be rotatably mounted on the second end of the connector via the limiting bolt; the limiting bolt is adapted to rotate helically so that the pressure plate abuts against the connector, thereby locking the pressure plate.

[0009] Preferably, the pressure plate includes a plate body and a pair of cylinders, the cylinders being installed correspondingly on the connector, and the two ends of the plate body being slidably disposed within the cylinders.

[0010] Preferably, a spring is provided inside the cylinder, and the two ends of the spring are respectively connected to the inner side of the cylinder and the plate.

[0011] Preferably, a conduit is installed at the rear middle part of the pressure plate, the conduit being adapted to keep the airway connected to the nasal cavity unobstructed.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0013] When in use, this invention uses a pressure plate installed on invisible braces. The pressure plate rests against the back of the tongue in the mouth, preventing the tongue from falling back and blocking the airway after the patient falls asleep, thus effectively relieving or preventing the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the device of this utility model when it is installed on the lower teeth of the oral cavity.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the device of this utility model when the lower teeth are being disassembled in the oral cavity.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the connector and the pressure plate of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the specific structure of the pressure plate of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of the device of this utility model located inside the oral cavity.

[0019] In the diagram: 1. Dental brace body; 2. Connector; 3. Pressure plate; 301. Plate; 302. Cylinder; 4. Guide tube; 5. Limiting bolt; 6. Spring. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present application will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

[0021] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the directional terms such as "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", and "counterclockwise" indicate the orientation and positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of this application.

[0022] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0023] One preferred embodiment of this application, such as Figures 1 to 5 As shown, a tongue position holding device based on braces includes a brace body 1, a connector 2, and a pressure plate 3. The brace body 1 is installed in the lower teeth position in the oral cavity, the connector 2 is installed on the side of the brace body 1 through a first end, and the pressure plate 3 is installed on the second end of the connector 2.

[0024] It should be noted that the brace body 1 needs to be customized according to the patient's tooth shape to ensure that it can be stably installed in the lower teeth position; and the brace body 1 can be an invisible brace. During use, after the patient installs the device in their mouth according to the steps described above, the pressure plate 3 will abut against the back of the tongue (i.e., the back of the tongue root). This prevents the tongue from falling back and blocking the airway after the patient falls asleep, thus effectively relieving or preventing the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. Furthermore, because this device has a simple structure, is easy to install, and requires no medication or surgery, it greatly reduces the patient's pain and discomfort.

[0025] Furthermore, the connector 2 can be made of an elastomer, such as elastic plastic or metal. This serves two purposes: firstly, it ensures that the pressure plate 3 elastically rests against the back of the tongue, improving wearing comfort and stability; secondly, when the patient swallows or makes oral movements, the pressure plate 3 can deform to a certain extent under the elastic force of the connector 2, avoiding excessive pressure or discomfort on the tongue. For example, after the pressure plate 3 undergoes slight forward or backward movement or rotational movement, it can return to its original position under the elastic force.

[0026] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown, a pair of braces 1 are preferably used, and a pair of connecting pieces 2 are also used to mate with them. Specifically, the braces 1 are symmetrically installed on the posterior teeth in the oral cavity, and the pressure plate 3 is preferably U-shaped. In this case, the two ends of the pressure plate 3 are connected to the corresponding connecting pieces 2, and the middle part (i.e., the curved part) of the pressure plate 3 mates with the tongue in the oral cavity. Of course, the braces 1 can also be a one-piece structure, that is, installed as a whole on the lower teeth in the oral cavity.

[0027] Understandably, the U-shaped pressure plate 3 has two mounting points, located on both sides of the oral cavity, which allows the pressure plate 3 to more stably press against the back of the tongue, preventing the tongue from falling back. At the same time, this U-shaped pressure plate 3 design also minimizes its size, thereby improving wearing comfort and applicability.

[0028] As a further description of the above embodiment: the pressure plate 3 can be rotatably mounted on the connector 2, and the pressure plate 3 and the connector 2 are engaged by a limiting member. It can be understood that the pressure plate 3 can be rotated and adjusted according to the oral structure of different people; and when the pressure plate 3 has been rotated and adjusted, the limiting member can lock the pressure plate 3 to prevent the pressure plate 3 from loosening or shifting.

[0029] Specifically, the limiting component can be a limiting bolt 5. Both ends of the pressure plate 3 can be provided with threaded holes that mate with the limiting bolt 5, and a corresponding threaded hole is also provided at the second end of the connecting piece 2. During installation, the limiting bolt 5 is passed through the pressure plate 3 and mates with the threaded hole of the connecting piece 2. When the limiting bolt 5 is loosened, the pressure plate 3 can be rotated for adjustment. After the pressure plate 3 has been rotated and adjusted, the limiting bolt 5 is screwed on to tighten it, causing the pressure plate 3 to abut against the connecting piece 2, thus locking the pressure plate 3.

[0030] Based on the above embodiments, although the elastic setting of the connector 2 can provide a certain floating space for the pressure plate 3, when the patient performs actions such as swallowing or coughing, the range of backward movement of the tongue may be greater, and thus this floating space cannot meet the above actions, which will cause discomfort to the patient.

[0031] Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, in this embodiment, as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the pressure plate 3 includes a plate body 301 and a pair of cylindrical bodies 302. The two cylindrical bodies 302 are correspondingly installed at the connector 2, and the two ends of the plate body 301 are slidably disposed within the cylindrical bodies 302. It can be understood that the plate body 301 can slide along the cylindrical bodies 302, thereby achieving length extension and contraction to meet the range of tongue movement when the patient performs actions such as swallowing or coughing, thus improving the comfort and applicability of wearing it.

[0032] Furthermore, a spring 6 can be installed inside the cylinder 302, with its two ends connected to the inner side of the cylinder 302 and the plate 301, respectively. Under normal conditions, the plate 301 retracts into the cylinder 302 under the elastic force of the spring 6; when the tongue moves backward, the plate 301 extends out of the cylinder 302, and at this time, the spring 6 is in a deformation-stored energy state; when the tongue's movement ends, the plate 301, in conjunction with the elastic force, can better return to its original position.

[0033] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, a catheter 4 is installed at the rear center of the pressure plate 3. It is understood that, assuming the patient's tongue has fallen back and is obstructing the airway, the catheter 4 allows for the opening of the upper and lower spaces (i.e., the nasal cavity and airway), thus maintaining patency between the nasal cavity and airway. Figure 5 As shown, this ensures the patient can still breathe, avoiding the risk of suffocation due to the tongue falling back. Furthermore, the design of catheter 4 also considers patient comfort; its material is soft and elastic (e.g., soft rubber) to reduce discomfort. Catheter 4 also provides some restraint at the back of the tongue base.

[0034] The working principle of this utility model:

[0035] ① (Invisible) Braces Body 1: Custom-made and worn on the lower teeth. The pressure plate 3 is adjusted and fixed via connector 2. ② Connector 2: Connects braces body 1 and pressure plate 3 at both ends. It has a certain degree of elastic deformation, meaning the pressure plate 3 can maintain its original position after slight forward / backward or rotational movement. ③ Pressure Plate 3: U-shaped structure. Its two ends are fixed to the two ends of the integral braces body 1, with its middle section abutting and limiting the position at the back of the tongue root. The pressure plate 3 can also be slightly extended and retracted to adjust its length, allowing the tongue to move backward during coughing or swallowing, increasing comfort. ④ Tube 4: Enables communication between the upper and lower spaces (i.e., the nasal cavity and airway) to prevent suffocation.

[0036] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of this application have been described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely the principles of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made to this application without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims. The scope of protection claimed by this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A tongue position holding device based on braces, characterized in that, include: A dental brace body, which is installed on the lower teeth inside the oral cavity; A connector, wherein the connector is mounted to the side of the brace body via a first end; as well as A pressure plate is installed at the second end of the connector and is adapted to abut against the back of the tongue root in the oral cavity, thereby preventing the tongue from falling back. A conduit is installed at the rear middle part of the pressure plate, the conduit being adapted to keep the airway connected to the nasal cavity open.

2. The tongue position holding device based on braces as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The connector is an elastic body, and the pressure plate is pressed against the inside of the oral cavity under the elastic force of the connector.

3. The tongue position holding device based on braces as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The brace body and the connector are both in a pair and symmetrically arranged in the oral cavity; the pressure plate has a "U" shaped structure, the two ends of the pressure plate are connected to the second end of the corresponding connector, and the middle position of the pressure plate cooperates with the tongue.

4. The tongue position holding device based on braces as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The pressure plate is rotatably mounted on the connector and cooperates with the connector through a limiting member; after the pressure plate has been rotated and adjusted, the limiting member is adapted to lock the pressure plate.

5. The tongue position holding device based on braces as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The limiting member is a limiting bolt, and the pressure plate is adapted to be rotatably installed on the second end of the connector via the limiting bolt; the limiting bolt is adapted to rotate helically so that the pressure plate abuts against the connector, thereby locking the pressure plate.

6. The tongue position holding device based on braces as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The pressure plate includes a plate body and a pair of cylinders. The cylinders are installed on the connector, and the two ends of the plate body are slidably disposed in the cylinders.

7. The tongue position holding device based on braces as described in claim 6, characterized in that: A spring is installed inside the cylinder, and the two ends of the spring are respectively connected to the inner side of the cylinder and the plate.

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