Novel oral cooling device

Abstract

The present invention discloses an oral cooling device (1000) for a user to control local cooling within the oral cavity. The oral cooling device comprises a distal region (100) placed in the oral cavity, a heat-transfer permeable outer layer (110), a proximal region (200) grasped by the user, a heat-transfer limiting outer layer (220), an internal heat transfer element (300), and an internal heat buffer (250). During use, heat is transferred from the oral cavity to the internal heat buffer (250) via the heat-collecting region (310) and heat-dissipating region (311) of the internal heat transfer element (300).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the cooling of tissues, and particularly to an apparatus for locally cooling soft tissues in the oral cavity.

Background Art

[0002] The medical needs for relieving throat dryness in patients immediately after surgery, patients receiving intensive care or palliative care, and elderly patients are extremely large.

[0003] A vast number of physiological processes are strongly correlated with temperature. For example, fever is a common body reaction to infections and the like, characterized by a temperature rise above normal body temperature, and is believed to be beneficial for the associated immune response. Another example is the local cooling of body parts often performed to reduce related inflammation and / or pain. Peripheral nerve signaling is one of the pathways by which specific physiological responses are inhibited or activated by temperature changes.

[0004] Throat dryness is a reaction that internally senses that the blood osmotic pressure has exceeded the limit of the optimal hydrating agent. However, throat dryness is not mainly resolved by the osmotic pressure returning within the limit value, but rather as a result of sensory signals associated with continuous water intake from the oral pharynx and the like. Temperature is considered to be one of the specific mechanisms in the oral pharynx that senses ongoing water intake, because cold liquids more strongly suppress the thirst neurons in the subfornical organ compared to hot liquids (D.E. Leib et al., Curr Biol., 2016, 26(24), 1260 - 1265). The recognition of the physiological "thirst circuit" and its property of relying on low temperature itself to relieve thirst has come to be widely recognized by general media reporting on research progress (e.g., J. Webb, BBC News, August 4, 2016; https: / / www.bbc.com / news / science-environment-36966275).

[0005] Therefore, the most common methods currently used to alleviate thirst in patients are based entirely on providing liquids that stimulate cold-sensing neurons, either by being cold, containing pharmacologically active compounds that activate such nerves, or a combination of both. The latter includes, for example, the use of menthol-containing ice pops (MF Conchon et al., J. Perianesth Nurs., 2021, 36(3)). Disadvantages of providing oral liquids include, for example, the associated medical risks in cases where the patient has cognitive impairment, difficulty swallowing, or where mild dehydration of the patient is required for medical reasons. Disadvantages of oral administration of pharmacologically active compounds that activate cold-sensing neurons include, for example, potential adverse effects, such as systemic effects in patients who are already medically challenged and debilitated.

[0006] US 2021 / 0177705 A1 discloses a pacifier for cooling oral tissue, comprising an outer shell forming an outer chamber for holding a first cooling medium and an inner shell positioned inside it and forming an inner chamber for holding a second cooling medium. A drawback of this technical solution is, for example, the volumetric limitations of the composite cooling medium, i.e., the first and second cooling mediums, contained within a portion of a baby bottle intended to be placed in the oral cavity during use. Consequently, the effective usage time is also limited accordingly. Furthermore, the minimum size of the effective cooling area correlates with its effective time, and the shortest acceptable effective time determines the possible minimum size of the cooling area.

[0007] JP2008018199(A) discloses a dental cooling device for intraoral cooling. It has a structure in which a cylindrical contact portion and a bag-shaped coolant storage portion are integrated. When used after the initial freezing process, heat is transferred from the oral cavity to the coolant storage portion via the contact portion and liquid coolant. A drawback of this cooling device is that, for example, if the contact portion is perforated due to a combination of material fatigue and bite, there is a risk of the liquid coolant leaking into the oral cavity.

[0008] US 2020 / 0069459 A1 discloses a mouthpiece for cooling oral tissue, comprising an external chamber for storing a cooling medium having a freezing temperature below 0 degrees Celsius, and a bladder located inside the chamber containing a solution having a freezing point higher than the freezing point of the cooling medium. A drawback of this device is, for example, the need to allow for a continuous or intermittent flow of the cooling medium to achieve optimal heat transfer from the oral cavity to the solution in the bag.

[0009] Furthermore, there is a risk of potential danger if the cooling medium leaks into the oral cavity, for example, if the mouthpiece is perforated due to a combination of material fatigue and biting in the mouth.

[0010] It is desirable to provide an improved oral cooling device that can avoid at least some of the above-mentioned drawbacks and related problems. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] The present invention aims to provide an oral cooling device that, in consideration of the above-mentioned drawbacks, enables cooling within the oral cavity while preventing leakage of any liquid or pharmacologically active compound.

[0012] Another objective of the present invention, taking the above-mentioned drawbacks into consideration, is to provide an oral cooling device that allows the patient to control the cooling within the oral cavity.

[0013] Furthermore, another objective of the present invention, taking the above-mentioned drawbacks into consideration, is to provide an oral cooling device that maximizes the effective usage time.

[0014] Furthermore, another objective of the present invention, taking the above-mentioned drawbacks into consideration, is to provide an oral cooling device with improved controllability of the effective cooling temperature.

[0015] Therefore, embodiments of the present invention preferably aim to mitigate, alleviate, or eliminate one or more defects, drawbacks, or problems in the art, either individually or in any combination, as specified above, by providing an oral cooling device according to the appended claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] According to the first aspect, an oral cooling device for a user to control local cooling of the oral cavity, comprising a distal region configured to be placed in the oral cavity and a proximal region configured to be grasped by the user's hand or at least two fingers, wherein the distal region is mechanically positioned in a spatially restricted relationship with respect to the proximal region, and is configured such that user movement of the proximal region results in corresponding movement of the distal region; the outer surface of the distal region is at least partly composed of a heat-transfer permeable outer layer, which is in direct or indirect contact with the heat-collecting region of an internal heat-transfer element located in the internal space of the distal region, enabling heat transfer from the oral cavity to the heat-collecting region; the outer surface of the proximal region is connected to an internal heat buffer and the proximal region The internal heat transfer element, positioned within the internal volume, is completely or partially covered by a heat transfer limiting outer layer surrounding its heat dissipation region, thereby preventing heat transfer from the surroundings to the internal heat buffer and heat dissipation region; the heat dissipation region and the internal heat buffer are in direct contact with each other, and the heat dissipation region is configured to maximize heat transfer between them by being in the shape of a heat sink; the heat collecting region and the heat dissipation region are coupled to each other to jointly form the internal heat transfer element, and are configured to maximize heat transfer between them, and the internal heat transfer element selectively contains 1% by weight or more of metal or metal oxide for heat transfer from the oral cavity to the internal heat buffer; and the internal heat buffer is a water-soluble salt solution with a melting point in the range of -20°C to -1°C.

[0017] According to the second embodiment, the oral cooling device of the first embodiment can be used to prevent, reduce, or alleviate thirst.

[0018] A third embodiment provides a method for cooling a region of a person's oral cavity or for reducing or alleviating thirst. This method includes the following steps: (i) cooling the oral cooling device of the first embodiment to provide a cold oral cooling device of the first embodiment; and (ii) using the cold oral cooling device to cool a region of a person's oral cavity.

[0019] Further embodiments of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.

[0020] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide the ability to autonomously cool one's own oral cavity without assistance from others.

[0021] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide supplemental or self-regulating relief of thirst without oral administration of water or pharmacologically active compounds.

[0022] The term “equipped with / possessing” as used herein is to be interpreted as identifying the presence of a described feature, element, step, or component, but not as excluding the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps, components, or groups thereof. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0023] These embodiments, features, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will become apparent and will be explained in the following description of embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 is a front / side perspective view of the oral cooling device 1000, showing the distal region 100 protruding from the proximal region 200. In one embodiment of the present invention, the proximal region 200 is grasped by the user, such as a patient or caregiver.

[0025] Figures 2A and 2B are side and rear views of the oral cooling device 1000 of Figure 1, and according to one embodiment of the present invention, they show a proximal region 200 having an outer shape with a notched form suitable for gripping.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken from the side of the oral cavity cooling device 1000 of FIG. 1, showing the heat transfer permeable outer layer 110 of the distal region 100, which is in direct contact with the heat collecting region 310 underlying the internal heat transfer element 300. The internal heat transfer element 300 extends into the proximal region 200 as a heat sink-shaped heat dissipation region 311. In one embodiment of the present invention, the heat dissipation region 311 is in direct contact with an internal heat buffer 250 disposed within the inner void of the surrounding heat transfer limiting outer layer 220.

[0027] FIG. 4A shows an oral cavity cooling device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention, having a proximal region 200 with a deformed cylindrical shape that bulges and is rounded on the proximal side and can be held with one hand, and a distal region 100 consisting of two separate protrusion extensions capable of simultaneously cooling two opposing regions within the oral cavity.

[0028] FIG. 4B shows an oral cavity cooling device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention, having a donut-shaped proximal region 200 suitable for holding with one hand and a tablet-shaped distal region 100. And,

[0029] FIG. 4C shows an oral cavity cooling device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention, having a donut-shaped proximal region 200 that can be held with one hand and an ice candy-shaped distal region 100.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a perspective view taken from the front / side of an internal heat transfer element 300 adapted to an oral cavity cooling device 1000 having a proximal region 200 (not shown) with a spherical or pseudo-spherical shape. In one embodiment of the present invention, it has a pseudo-spherical outer shape and extends radially in a tree-like manner in the radial direction, showing a heat collecting region 310 that extends towards a heat dissipation sink-shaped heat dissipation region 311 having fin-shaped protrusions in the proximal-distal direction.

[0031] Figure 6 shows the heat transfer operation of the internal heat transfer element 300 in Figure 5 under a sustained constant temperature gradient, i.e., in a temperature gradient equilibrium state. In this state, heat, indicated by the type and direction of the arrows, is transferred from the surroundings, for example, from inside the mouth, through the heat transfer permeable outer layer 110 (not shown), via the heat collection region 310 and the heat dissipation region 311, to the internal heat buffer 250. According to one embodiment of the present invention, at its melting point, the internal heat buffer 250 becomes a mixture of solid and liquid regions, i.e., a multi-state mixture indicated by "X" and "O", respectively. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0032] Specific examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention can be embodied in various forms and is not limited to the examples described herein; rather, these examples are provided to make the disclosure thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The terms used in the detailed description of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are not intended to limit the present invention. In the drawings, the same numbers indicate the same component.

[0033] The oral cooling device 1000 of the present invention can be advantageously used to cool one or more separate / contiguous areas in the oral cavity, for example, to alleviate thirst. The present invention essentially consists of a distal region 100 and a proximal region 200 (Figures 1-4). The distal region 100 has a heat-transfer permeable outer layer 110 on at least a portion of its outer surface and comprises a heat-collecting region 310 of an internal heat transfer element 300 in its internal space, and is configured to contact and cool one or more internal parts of the oral cavity (Figure 3). The proximal region 200 has a heat-transfer limiting outer layer 220 that covers almost the entire outer surface and has a heat-dissipating region 311 of an internal heat transfer element 300 and an internal heat buffer 250 within its internal volume, and is suitable for the user to hold or grasp (Figures 1 and 3). During use, heat in the oral cavity is transferred to the internal heat buffer 250 via the heat-collecting region 310 and heat-dissipating region 311 of the internal heat transfer element 300 (Figure 6). The proximal region 200 and the distal region 100 are spatially compressed from each other, for example, via an internal heat transfer element 300, so that a user, such as a patient or caregiver, can control the placement of an effective cooling area of ​​the distal region 100 in the oral cavity by holding and manipulating the proximal region 200. The internal heat transfer element 300 can be a single solid unit, a single semi-solid unit, or a soft or semi-soft bag with a gel-like or semi-solid filler containing a thermally conductive filler, such as fine metal particles or metal oxide particles, or similar particles having relatively high thermal conductivity. Examples of other types of particles with suitable thermal conductivity include various forms of carbon, which are well known to those skilled in the art.

[0034] In a typical use case, a caregiver (e.g., a nurse) stores one or more oral cooling devices 1000 at a temperature in the range of 20 to -25°C, for example, 10 to -20°C or 5 to -10°C, and allows them to reach a suitable temperature known in the art before use. The caregiver then provides one chilled oral cooling device 1000 to a patient complaining of thirst, holding the proximal region 200 and assigning the chilled distal region 100 to any target area in the oral cavity. This reduces the patient's thirst through the liquid-free, dry coolness provided by the chilled oral cooling device 1000. After use, for example, when the patient is no longer experiencing thirst, or when the internal heat buffer 250 reaches a state of thermal saturation, i.e., when it can no longer maintain sufficient coolness to obtain the desired cooling effect, it is preferable for the caregiver to clean the oral cooling device 1000 with ethanol or the like before recooling and repeating the cycle.

[0035] The heat transfer permeable outer layer 110 is made of a medically acceptable hydrophobic non-permeable material, as is well-known to those skilled in the art, and has low friction and high or acceptable heat permeability. Examples of suitable materials include, but are not limited to, thermoplastic materials (such as polyethylene and polypropylene), fluorine-containing organic polymers (such as Teflon), and silicone. The thickness of the heat transfer permeable outer layer 110 can be 0.5 mm or less, for example 0.1 mm or less or 0.05 mm or less. The heat transfer permeable outer layer 110 can cover 1 to 100% of the outer surface of the distal region 100, for example 30 to 90% or 50 to 70%. Preferably, the heat transfer permeable outer layer 110 is disposed in a region of the distal region 100 that is expected to reach the target area in the oral cavity suitable for obtaining the effect of healing the desired throat dryness by cooling. The remaining portion of the distal region 100 is composed of any other suitable hydrophobic non-permeable material, which has relatively low heat permeability as required, is medically acceptable, and has acceptable low friction characteristics well-known in the technical field. The heat transfer permeable outer layer 110 can have a varying thickness in the outer peripheral region of the distal region 100, and in this way, as is well-known in the prior art, a relatively thin region is disposed in the region where effective cooling is desired, and a relatively thick region is disposed in other regions. The heat transfer permeable outer layer 110 is preferably composed of the same type of material throughout, for example, from a manufacturing perspective, but may have regions with different heat transfer capabilities, that is, cooling capabilities, due to differences in thickness. The heat transfer permeable outer layer 110 can be in direct contact with the underlying heat collection region 310, thereby achieving advantageous and effective heat transfer. The heat transfer permeable outer layer 110 can be indirectly contacted with the underlying heat collection region 310 through, for example, a suitable gel known in the technical field, whereby the user can feel a preferable softness on the outside of the distal region 100, especially when the internal heat transfer element 300 is a single solid unit.

[0036] The heat transfer limiting outer layer 220 preferably covers almost the entire outer surface of the proximal region 200, i.e., the portion of the oral cooling device 1000 that is outside the oral cavity during use, or at least the area that comes into direct contact with the user's fingers or hands during use, to prevent unwanted heat intrusion from the surrounding environment. In the latter case, at least the area of ​​the outer surface of the proximal region 200 that comes into contact with the user may be covered with the heat conduction limiting outer layer 220. The heat conduction limiting outer layer 220 may be formed from a suitable water-resistant organic polymer material having high resistance to heat conduction, for example, a foamed soft material well known to those skilled in the art. Preferably, it is desirable to have an outer surface that is suitable for simple cleaning with ethanol or the like.

[0037] The internal heat transfer element 300 may contain 1% by weight or more, for example, 10% by weight or more or 50% by weight or more, a metal or oxide selected from the group of metals consisting of aluminum, silver, copper and mixtures thereof, or other suitable metals or metal oxides with sufficient heat transfer capacity that are well known in the art.

[0038] The internal heat buffer 250 is a liquid, solid, semi-solid, gel, or a mixture thereof, and may constitute 50% or more by weight of water, for example, 80, 90, or 95% or more by weight. The internal heat buffer 250 may consist of a mixture of different physical states, i.e., a multi-state mixture at a specific temperature or within a specific temperature range, such as a mixture of solid and liquid. At such temperatures or temperature ranges, transitions from one state to another, such as a change of state from solid to liquid, are achieved by energy absorption without exceeding an overall temperature rise or the upper limit of the temperature range. Therefore, in the case of a multi-state mixture, a considerable amount of heat is transferred from the oral cavity to the internal heat buffer 250 without the temperature rising beyond a specific limit. Here, the term "melting point" should be understood as such a limit in this context. The operating cooling temperature of the oral cooling device 1000 can be favorably maintained at a selected temperature or within a selected temperature range for the duration of use when the internal heat buffer 250 is used by utilizing a appropriately selected multi-state mixture. By appropriately selecting the composition of the internal thermal buffer 250, it is possible to form a multi-state mixture at a desired temperature or temperature range. Examples of suitable compositions for the internal thermal buffer 250 that have the ability to form a multi-state mixture at a suitable temperature or temperature range include aqueous solutions of salts selected from salts consisting of NaCl, NH4Cl, (NH4)2SO4, K2SO4, ZnSO4, K2HPO4, and Na2CO3. Other suitable compositions include those well known to those skilled in the art.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the internal heat buffer 250 is an aqueous solution of salts, such as a physiological saline solution, whose melting point, i.e., the temperature range in which a multi-state mixture is formed, is in the range of -20°C to -1°C, for example, -15°C to -5°C. By adapting the internal heat buffer 250 to be solid before use and melt during use, the heat buffer capacity at the melting point temperature can be advantageously increased compared to the case where no phase transition from solid to liquid occurs.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the internal heat transfer element 300 is a single structure made of aluminum and comprises a heat dissipation region 311 having a plurality of protrusions adapted to maximize surface area, i.e., to be a heat sink shape known in the prior art. Advantages of the single-structure aluminum heat transfer element 300 include an almost optimal balance of price, relatively light weight, and relatively high thermal conductivity.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the internal heat transfer element 300 may be a hollow waterproof bag having a heat sink-shaped outer region in the heat dissipation area 311 and containing a heat-permeable gel, semi-solid, or liquid in its internal volume. This bag may be manufactured from rubber or any other suitable material known in the art to provide a soft or semi-soft element having an internal filler that can slightly change shape in response to pressure and has relatively high thermal conductivity. The heat-permeable gel, semi-solid, or liquid may be a mixture of metal particles or metal oxide particles in a granular size range from nanoparticles to 3 mm in diameter, containing 1% or more by weight, for example, 10% or more by weight or 50% or more, mixed with a carrier or lubricant that uniformly disperses the particles, and may be known in the art. Examples of this heat-permeable gel, semi-solid, or liquid include, but are not limited to, heat-conductive pastes or gels containing aluminum, silver, copper, or carbon, organic oil, or silicone oil.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the internal heat transfer element 300 may be a hollow waterproof bag having a heat sink-shaped outer periphery in the heat dissipation region 311 and containing a heat-permeable gel, semi-solid, or liquid in its internal volume. This distal portion is adaptable to constitute the combined distal region 100 and heat-transfer permeable outer layer 110. This provides the bag with good flexibility when the distal region 100 is touched from the outside, which is an advantage that the user can definitely feel.

[0043] Below is a list of further non-limiting embodiments, classified by integers 1 to 8, as examples of combinations of features that may constitute a method for carrying out the present invention:

[0044] 1. An oral cooling device (1000) for a user to control local cooling in the oral cavity, comprising a distal region (100) configured to be placed in the oral cavity and a proximal region (200) configured to be grasped by the user's hand or at least two fingers, The distal region (100) is mechanically positioned in a spatially restricted relationship with respect to the proximal region (200), and is configured such that user movement of the proximal region (200) results in corresponding movement of the distal region (100); The outer surface of the distal region (100) is at least partially composed of a heat-transfer permeable outer layer (110), which is in direct or indirect contact with the heat-collecting region (310) of an internal heat-transfer element (300) arranged in the internal space of the distal region (100), thereby enabling heat transfer from the oral cavity to the heat-collecting region (310); The outer surface of the proximal region (200) is completely or partially covered by a heat transfer limiting outer layer (220) that surrounds the internal heat buffer (250) and the heat dissipation region (311) of the internal heat transfer element (300) located within the internal volume of the proximal region (200), thereby preventing heat transfer from the surroundings to the internal heat buffer (250) and the heat dissipation region (311); The heat dissipation region (311) and the internal heat buffer (250) are in direct contact with each other and are configured to maximize heat transfer between them; and The heat collection region (310) and the heat dissipation region (311) are connected to each other in order to jointly form the internal heat transfer element (300), and are configured to maximize heat transfer between them for heat transfer from the oral cavity to the internal heat buffer (250).

[0045] 2. In the oral cooling device (1000) described in 1 above, the internal heat transfer element (300) contains more than 1% by weight, for example more than 10% by weight or more than 50% by weight, of a metal or metal oxide selected from the group of metals consisting of aluminum, silver, and copper.

[0046] 3. In the oral cooling device (1000) described in 1-2 above, the thickness of the heat-transfer permeable outer layer (110) is 0.5 mm or less, for example, 0.1 mm or less or 0.05 mm or less.

[0047] 4. An oral cooling device (1000) according to any of 1 to 3 above, wherein the heat transfer limiting outer layer (220) is made of a water-resistant organic polymer.

[0048] 5. An oral cooling device (1000) according to any of the above 1 to 4, wherein the internal heat buffer (250) is a water-soluble salt solution having a melting point in the range of -20°C to -1°C.

[0049] 6. Use any of the oral cooling devices (1000) described in 1 to 5 above to cool the area inside the oral cavity of a human.

[0050] 7. Use any of the oral cooling devices 1000 described in 1 to 5 above to prevent, reduce, or alleviate dryness.

[0051] 8. A method for cooling or reducing or alleviating dryness in a human oral cavity, comprising the following consecutive steps (i) and (ii): (i) Cool any of the oral cooling devices 1000 described in 1 to 5 above to a temperature of less than 30°C, for example less than 20°C, less than 10°C or less than 0°C, in order to provide a cold oral cooling device 1000; and (ii) Using the cold oral cooling device 1000 obtained in step (i), the area inside the human oral cavity is cooled.

[0052] The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

[0053] More generally, those skilled in the art will readily understand that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are illustrative, and that actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend on the specific application or group of applications in which the teachings of the present invention are used.

Claims

1. An oral cooling device (1000) for a user to control local cooling in the oral cavity, comprising a distal region (100) configured to be positioned in the oral cavity and a proximal region (200) configured to be grasped by the user's hand or at least two fingers, The distal region (100) is mechanically positioned in a spatially restricted relationship with respect to the proximal region (200), and is configured such that user movement of the proximal region (200) results in corresponding movement of the distal region (100); The outer surface of the distal region (100) is at least partially composed of a heat-transfer permeable outer layer (110), which is in direct or indirect contact with the heat-collecting region (310) of an internal heat-transfer element (300) arranged in the internal space of the distal region (100), thereby enabling heat transfer from the oral cavity to the heat-collecting region (310); The outer surface of the proximal region (200) is completely or partially covered by a heat transfer limiting outer layer (220) that surrounds the internal heat buffer (250) and the heat dissipation region (311) of the internal heat transfer element (300) located within the internal volume of the proximal region (200), thereby preventing heat transfer from the surroundings to the internal heat buffer (250) and the heat dissipation region (311); The heat dissipation region (311) and the internal heat buffer (250) are in direct contact with each other, and the heat dissipation region (311) is configured to maximize heat transfer between them by being in the shape of a heat sink; The heat collection region (310) and the heat dissipation region (311) are coupled to each other to jointly form the internal heat transfer element (300) and are configured to maximize heat transfer between them, and the internal heat transfer element (300) selectively contains 1% by weight or more of metal or metal oxide for heat transfer from the oral cavity to the internal heat buffer (250); and The internal heat buffer (250) is a water-soluble salt solution with a melting point in the range of -20°C to -1°C.

2. In the oral cooling device (1000) according to claim 1, Here, the internal heat transfer element (300) contains more than 1% by weight, for example more than 10% by weight or more than 50% by weight, of a metal or metal oxide selected from the group of metals consisting of aluminum, silver, and copper.

3. In the oral cooling device (1000) according to any one of the above claims, Here, the heat collection region (310) and the heat dissipation region (311) are integrated to form a waterproof bag in which the internal space is made of a heat-permeable gel, semi-solid, or liquid.

4. In the oral cooling device (1000) according to claim 3, Here, the distal region of the bag constitutes the distal region (100) and the heat-transfer permeable outer layer (110) of the oral cooling device (1000).

5. In the oral cooling device (1000) described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, Here, the thickness of the heat-transfer permeable outer layer (110) is 0.5 mm or less, for example, 0.1 mm or less or 0.05 mm or less.

6. An oral cooling device (1000) as described in any one of the above paragraphs, Here, the heat transfer limiting outer layer (220) is made of a water-resistant organic polymer.

7. The oral cooling device (1000) according to any one of the above claims is used to cool a region inside the oral cavity of a human.

8. In the use described in claim 7, Here, the internal thermal buffer 250 is a multi-state mixture that includes a local region in one physical state, for example, a solid state, and other regions in another physical state, for example, a liquid state.

9. A method for cooling or reducing or alleviating dryness in a human oral cavity, comprising the following consecutive steps (i) and (ii): (i) In order to provide a cold oral cooling device (1000), the oral cooling device (1000) according to claims 1 to 6 is cooled to a temperature below 0 degrees; and (ii) Using the cold oral cooling device (1000) obtained in step (i), the area inside the human oral cavity is cooled.

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