Support for mucus extraction device and system therewith

Abstract

A support for receiving a manual mucus suction instrument. The support includes a housing that facilitates operation of the mucus suction instrument while simultaneously providing distraction to a child. The housing includes an opening therethrough sized to receive the mucus tube of the mucus suction instrument or nasal aspirator device and supports it therein. The housing also includes a grip sized to be grasped by a user during operation to more securely hold and guide the nasal aspirating device during use. The housing may include a fanciful or whimsical housing design (for example an animal or imaginary creature), may include a light supported within the housing, and may additionally include a speaker assembly for playing music.

Description

SUPPORT FOR MUCUS EXTRACTION DEVICE ANDSYSTEM THEREWITHCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), of United States Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 754,495, filed February 5, 2025, and the entire contents and substance of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth below.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This disclosure relates generally to a support for use with a mucus or fluid removal device, more particularly, to a housing for use with a manual device for mucus extraction including a lighting unit supported within the housing, a grip that is configured to be grasped by a user during operation of the mucus removal device, as well as an optional speaker.BACKGROUND

[0003] When children are young and have nasal congestion, they often cannot remove the mucus (also known as snot) from their nose by blowing it out, as an adult might. Nasal congestion if not rectified can create discomfort in a child, which can result in crying, poor breathing, and lack of sleep, all of which can cause anxiety for parents. Mucus extraction devices, also called nasal aspirators, are a known device that can help parents extract the mucus from the nasal cavity of children to increase comfort and improve the quality of breathing for the child. There are traditionally two forms of nasal aspirators, manual and electric.

[0004] An exemplary prior art manual nasal aspirator 101 is shown in FIGS. 1A,1B. The nasal aspirator of FIGS. 1A,1B includes a rigid, mucus tube 110 including a tapered, distal end 109 having a suction tip 112 with sin opening for placement against the nasal opening (or other orifice) of the child along with a sucking device, which is a mouthpiece 114 in the prior art device. As illustrated, the mouthpiece 114 is attached to a proximal end 113 of a length of tubing 116 while a distal end 118 of the tubing 116 includes a cover 111 for mucus tube 110. In use, the suction tip 112 is positioned adjacent the child’s nostril, an adult then puts the mouthpiece 114 into their mouth and inhales to create suction so that mucus secretions Eire sucked from the child, through the suction tip 112 and into an interior cavity of the mucus tube 110. The device also includes a filter 119 to prevent the mucus from traveling into the tubing 116. As will be appreciated, holding the elongated suction tip up to the nostril of an infant while sucking on the mouthpiece can be difficult, especially if the infant is in discomfort. However, the simplicity of the device makes it easy to operate without the need for batteries or charging as is the case with electric nasal aspirators.SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0005] The use of nasal aspirators can create anxiety in the adult and child during use because many require insertion into the nostrils, or other cavities, to suck out mucus from small children or infants who are unable to do so themselves. Manual nasal aspirators may be less intimidating than electronic ones because they do not make loud noises during use, but they also can be difficult to operate while holding a small child or infant and take time to complete the sucking, often with multiple tries.Illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure provide a support comprising a housing for receiving the style of mucus suction instrument shown in prior art FIGS. 1 A, IB. The housing ofthe present disclosure facilitates operation of the mucus suction instrument while simultaneously providing distraction to the child. The support for a mucus extraction device comprises the housing which includes a body having a proximal and a distal end; a first opening disposed at the distal end of the body, the opening sized to receive a mucus tube of the mucus extraction device; a second opening disposed at the proximal end of the body sized to receive the mucus tube therethrough; a conduit extending within the body and in communication with the first opening and the second opening, the conduit configured to support the mucus tube; and at least one grip supported by the body and configured to be grasped by a user during operation of the mucus extraction device.In one embodiment the support further includes a lighting unit comprising a light. In another embodiment the body is translucent, and the lighting unit is configured to shine light into the translucent body. In yet another embodiment, the lighting unit further comprises a light projection component to reflect the light throughout the body. In addition, the body may have a spherical shape. Furthermore, in one embodiment the at least one grip comprises a pair of grips positioned on either side of the body. The support may further comprise a speaker for generating sounds when actuated.The present disclosure further includes a system for use with a manual mucous extraction device comprising. The system comprising a housing including body including a proximal end and a distal end; a first opening disposed at the distal end of the body, the opening sized to receive a mucus tube of the mucus extraction device; a second opening disposed at the proximal end of the body sized to receive the mucus tube therethrough; a conduit extending within the body and in communication with the first opening and the second opening, the conduitconfigured to support the mucus tube; and a base including a recess configured to support the housing when not in use.In one embodiment, the body has a spherical shape. The system may further comprise at least one grip supported by the body and configured to be grasped by a user during operation of the mucus extraction device. Moreover, the at least one grip may comprise a pair of grips. The pair of grips may extend outward from either side of the housing. The system further comprises a lighting unit disposed within the base and including a light in one embodiment. In another embodiment, the lighting unit includes a projection component configured to reflect the light from the base into the housing.

[0006] The housing includes an opening therethrough sized to receive the mucus tube of the nasal aspirator device and supports it therein. The housing also includes a grip sized to be grasped by a user during operation to more securely hold and guide the nasal aspirating device during use. In one embodiment, the housing has a fancifid or whimsical housing design (for example an animal or imaginary creature), includes a light supported within the housing, and may additionally include a speaker assembly for playing music.

[0007] In one exemplary embodiment, the housing is designed as the head of an elephant while the “ears” of the elephant are the grip and the “trunk” is the mucus tube of the nasal aspiration device.

[0008] In another illustrative embodiment, the housing is translucent and supports a light within an interior portion of the housing and may additionally include a projection component to direct the light supported in the housing. In use, when the light is turned on the projection component directs the light so that it is diffused throughout the housing to produce a soft glow in conjunction with the translucent housing. A speaker may also be supported within the housing and connectedto a circuit board that can produce a variety of sounds including music, or the sounds associated with the aesthetic design of the housing, for example the sounds of elephants in the present disclosure.

[0009] These aspects of the disclosure are not meant to be exclusive and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art when read in conjunction with the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The foregoing features may be more fully understood from the following description of the drawings. Various aspects of at least one embodiment are discussed below with reference to the accompanying figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles disclosed herein. Since it is often impractical or impossible to illustrate and describe every possible embodiment, the provided figures depict one or more exemplary embodiments. The figures are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification but are not intended as a definition of the limits of any embodiment. Accordingly, the figures are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Like numbers in the figures denote similar elements. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every figure.

[0011] FIG. 1 A is a sideview of an exemplary prior art manual mucus extraction device;

[0012] FIG. IB is an exploded view of the exemplary prior art manual mucus extraction device of FIG. 1A;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a support comprising a housing for a mucus extraction device according to the present disclosure with an exemplary mucus extraction device inserted;

[0014] FIG. 2 A is a front perspective view of housing of FIG. 2 with an optional base;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a partially exploded view of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2;

[0017] FIG. 5 is perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 with an interior light turned on and ready for use;

[0018] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the housing of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 without the exemplary mucus extraction device inserted;

[0019] FIG. 6A is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the housing of FIG. 6 without the exemplary mucus extraction device inserted;

[0020] FIG. 7 is a side view of the housing of FIG. 6;

[0021] FIG. 8A is a rear view of a housing embodiment similar to the housing shown in FIG. 6;

[0022] FIG. 8B is a rear view of an alternative housing embodiment similar to the housing shown in FIG. 6;

[0023] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the housing of FIG. 6;

[0024] FIG. 10A is a front left perspective view of the housing of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6 with a portion of the housing removed to show components supported therein;

[0025] FIG. 10B is a front right perspective view of the housing of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6 with a portion of the housing removed to show components supported therein;

[0026] FIG. 11 is a side perspective view of the housing of FIG. 10B without the mucus extraction device inserted;

[0027] FIG. 12 is a front view of the housing of FIG.11 with an additional component removed;

[0028] FIG. 13 is a close-up view of a portion of the housing of FIG. 10A showing a light and light projection component;

[0029] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the light and light projection component of FIG. 13;

[0030] FIG. 15 is an exploded, side, perspective view of the housing of FIG. 10B with a portion removed to show the speaker assembly;

[0031] FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of the housing of FIG. 15 also including the light and projection component;

[0032] FIG. 17 is a top perspective view of the housing of FIG.2 with the prior art device of FIGS.1 A, IB inserted through the housing; and

[0033] FIG. 18 is a partial front perspective view of the housing of FIG. 17.DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0034] This disclosure includes examples and references of exemplary embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of the devices, systems and methods disclosed herein. Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings but are not limited in application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Any references to examples, embodiments, components, elements or acts of the device herein referred to in the singular may also embrace embodiments including a plurality, and any references in plural to any embodiment, component, element, or act herein may also embrace embodiments including only a singularity (and / or unitary structure). References in the singular or plural form or unitary or separate components are not intended to limit the presently disclosed device, its components, acts, elementsor how they are connected unless expressly stated. The use herein of "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," "involving," and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The use of the term “mucus” refers to bodily secretions that may be produced through the nose but is not limited thereto and includes secretions from other body parts. References to "or" may be construed as inclusive so that any terms described using "or" may indicate any of a single, more than one, and all the described terms. It will be understood to one of skill in the art that the devices, methods and systems are capable of implementation in other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

[0035] Referring initially to FIGS. 2-4, the disclosed support 201 comprises a housing 120 for use with a variety of mucus extraction devices, such as the exemplary mucus suction device 101 (as shown in FIG. 1A). Housing 120 facilitates operation of the mucus suction devices 101 by providing support and additional components that are not typically found in manual suction devices to improve the user experience. Housing 120 includes an opening 122a disposed at a distal end of housing 120 sized to receive a portion mucus tube 210 of the mucus suction device 201. In the present embodiment, the opening extends through the housing and defines a channel 121. A second opening 122b, sized to receive the mucus tube exits the housing 120 through second opening 122b, as illustrated. Mucus tube 210 may include a tip 212 made of a rigid material as shown in the present exemplary embodiment. However, alternatively tip 212 may be formed of a semi-flexible material including but not limited to silicone or similar material as would be known to those of skill in the art. As best shown in FIG. 9, in the present embodiment the housing 120 may be made from one or more parts, including a main portion, i.e. body 126 including a conduit 128 for receiving and supporting the mucus tube 210 (shown in FIG. 2) and a cover 127 includinga flange 129 extending outwardly. Conduit 128 may be sized according to the shape and size of the mucus tube 210 (shown in FIG. 2) and may also include a removable flexible insert disposed therein to alter the interior size of the conduit 128 for different size mucus tubes, as desired. As shown in FIG. 6 A, conduit 128 may further include spaced apart ribs 128a for creating additional friction to hold mucus tube 210 securely. The housing 120 may be made of any suitable material that is semi-rigid for holding, and may also be microwavable, able to be boiled, and / or dishwasher safe for cleaning and the body 126 may be translucent, as described below. In the present example rubber is utilized, although other suitable materials may also be used, as would be known to one of skill in the art.

[0036] As illustrated, housing 120 is a generally spherical in shape and includes at least one grip 124 sized to be grasped by a user during operation to more securely hold the generally spherically shaped housing in order to guide the mucus suction device 201 (in FIG. 2) during use. Housing 120 may also support additional components such as a lighting unit 130 (FIG. 14), and a speaker assembly 140 (FIG. 16). In the present exemplary embodiment, the housing 120 includes a whimsical design in the shape of an elephant’s head. However, it will be readily understood by those of skill in the art that housing may take any of a variety of shapes, sizes and / or designs, for example other whimsical or fanciful designs such as animals, imaginary creatures, or other inanimate objects.

[0037] Referring again to FIGS. 2-4, in the present embodiment, once assembled the body 126 of housing 120 may also include a lighting unit 130. The housing is generally spherical and further includes a pair of grips 124, positioned on either side of the body 126. As shown in FIGS. 10A-12, the grips 124 are supported by a grip base 125 that extends over conduit 128 and is positioned such that the grips 124 extend outward from a generally central portion of the body 126. Grips124 may take any of a variety of shapes that can be grasped by the fingers of an average person to provide additional stability while utilizing the mucus suction device 201 (shown in FIG. 2). In the present embodiment, grips 124 have been designed in the shape of the elephant’s ears and, as such, there are two grips 124 provided. In other designs one or more grips 124 may be utilized in a variety of shapes and sizes, depending upon the desired design and grip function.

[0038] Referring now to FIGS. 8A, 8B and 9, the back of the grips 124 are shown. The grips 124 may comprise additional components to aid the gripping and holding of the device during use, for example the curved shoulders 128b in the present embodiment. The shoulders 128b may be used to aid in holding the housing 120 in a variety of positions during use. An alternative embodiment of the shoulders 128c is shown in FIG. 8B. As it will be appreciated, use of the device with a child who is upset and / or squirming may require different gripping positions depending upon the circumstances and grips 124 with or without shoulders 128b facilitate operation of the device.

[0039] Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 13-16, housing 120 also supports lighting unit 130. In the present exemplary embodiment, lighting unit 130 comprises a light 132, for example an LED bulb, one or more batteries 134 to power the light 132, and a power button 136 to activate the light 132 (FIG. 12). A projection component 138 that is designed to more evenly cast light throughout at least the body 126 of the housing 120 may also be provided as part of the lighting unit 130. As best shown in FIGS. 13-14, the projection component 138 may surround the light 132, and have an upward extending light diffuser wall or curvature 139 that extends outward over a portion of the sides of conduit 128 (FIG. 13). In use (as shown in FIG. 5), when the light 132 is powered on the projection component 138 reflects the light around the conduit 128 to illuminate the light throughout the body 126 (see FIG. 10A). The body 126 (see FIG. 10A) of housing 120 may be made of a translucent material to further diffuse the light 132 to create a soft glow throughout.

[0040] Referring now to FIGS. 10A, 15 and 16, housing 120 may also include a speaker assembly 140. In the present exemplary embodiment, speaker assembly 140 comprises a speaker 142, a printed circuit board 144, one or more batteries 134 to power the speaker 142, and may share the power button 136 with light 132 to turn the speaker on and off. For example, a one push may turn on the power to the light 132, two pushes may turn on the speaker 142, and a third push may turn off the power to both. Alternately, a separate power button / switch may be provided for the speaker 142 and light 132, as would be known to those of skill in the art.

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 17-18, as will be appreciated, with or without the grip 124, the housing 120 provides additional stability during use of the manual mucus suction device 201 since the housing 120 provides an enlarged gripping surface area surrounding the device 201.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 2A and 15-16, the present disclosure may comprise a system 250 including a base 252 in addition to housing 201. Base 252 may be configured to provide support for housing 201 when not in use, including a recess 253 to support the housing 120, and may operate as a charging station. In addition, certain elements may be supported within the base 252 instead of, or in addition to, the housing 201. For example speaker 142, lighting unit 130, printed circuit board 144, batteries 134 and / or power button 136 may be supported within the base and connected via wireless connection, for example Bluetooth, to the housing, as would be known to those of skill in the art. Base 252 may also include a connection 254 to provide charging, a power button 256 to turn on elements for example, speaker 147 and / or lighting unit 130, and volume control buttons 258 for speaker 147. If lighting unit 130 is provided within the base, the projection component 138 may be configured to reflect light into the housing when the mucous extraction device is both in use and not in use, in order to function as a night light when not in use.

[0043] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, during use, the parent or other adult takes the mucus suction device 201 and inserts the mucus tube 210 through the opening 122 at the proximal end 121 of housing 120 until the suction tip 212 exits the distal end 123 of the housing 120. As shown in FIGS. 3-5 and 8B, a cover 211 may be fitted on the distal end of the mucus tube 210, which is received within the opening 122 in the proximal end 121 of the housing when the mucus tube 210 is fully inserted as shown in FIGS . 3 and 8B . Alternately, as shown in FIG. 17, the cover 211 of the prior art mucus tube 210, when inserted may remain outside of the opening 122. In either case, once the mucus tube 210 is fully inserted within housing 120, it is retained by a friction fit at both the proximal end 121 and distal end 123 of the housing. To aid with retaining the mucus tube 210, a flange 129 (shown in FIG. 7) may extend from the distal end 123 around opening 122. If desired, other manners of retaining the mucus tube 210 may be utilized, as known to those of skill in the art. Once the mucus tube 210 is inserted, the device may be grasped, using the grip 124 to help stabilize the device and the light 132 may be turned on, for example as shown in FIG. 5 and described herein. If desired, the speaker 142 may also be turned on to play sounds such as music.

[0044] Referring to FIGS. 1A, 2 and 15-16, mucus may then be removed according to the instruction provided by the manufacturer of the mucus suction device 101, 201, including by sucking through the mouthpiece 114 into the mucus tube 210. If the parent is using the device in low light conditions, or simply wants an additional distraction or entertainment for the child, the light 132 may be turned on by pressing power button 136 operatively connected to the battery 134 as may the speaker 142. Turning the light 132 on will cause translucent body 126 to glow, i.e. emit or radiate dispersed light as shown in FIG. 5. After use, the mucus suction device 101, 201 may be separated from the housing 120 by overcoming the friction fit of the mucus tube 210 and thereafter cleaned.

[0045] While the principles of various embodiments have been described herein, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation as to the scope of the disclosure. Other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure in addition to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims.

[0046] In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including," "comprising," "containing," "involving," or "having," and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items while only the terms “consisting only of’ or “consisting essentially of’ are to be construed in a limitative sense. References to "or" may be construed as inclusive so that any terms described using "or" may indicate any of a single, more than one, and all the described terms.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A support for a mucus extraction device, the support comprising:a housing including body having a proximal and a distal end;a first opening disposed at the distal end of the body, the opening sized to receive a mucus tube of the mucus extraction device;a second opening disposed at the proximal end of the body sized to receive the mucus tube therethrough;a conduit extending within the body and in communication with the first opening and the second opening, the conduit configured to support the mucus tube; andat least one grip supported by the body and configured to be grasped by a user during operation of the mucus extraction device.

2. The support of claim 1 further including a lighting unit comprising a light.

3. The support of claim 2, wherein the body is translucent, and the lighting unit is configured to shine light into the translucent body.

4. The support of claim 3, wherein the lighting unit further comprises a light projection component to reflect the light throughout the body.

5. The support of claim 1, wherein the body has a spherical shape.

6. The support of claim 3, where the at least one grip comprises a pair of grips positioned on either side of the body.

7. The support of claim 1, further comprising a speaker for generating sounds when actuated.

8. A system for use with a manual mucous extraction device comprising:a housing including body including a proximal end and a distal end;a first opening disposed at the distal end of the body, the opening sized to receive a mucus tube of the mucus extraction device;a second opening disposed at the proximal end of the body sized to receive the mucus tube therethrough;a conduit extending within the body and in communication with the first opening and the second opening, the conduit configured to support the mucus tube; anda base including a recess configured to support the housing when not in use.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the body has a spherical shape.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising at least one grip supported by the body and configured to be grasped by a user during operation of the mucus extraction device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one grip comprises a pair of grips.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the pair of grips extend outward from either side of the housing.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising a lighting unit disposed within the base and including a light.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the lighting unit includes a projection component configured to reflect the light from the base into the housing.

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