Head-Mounted Apnea Device With Integrated Negative Pressure Source
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional devices for alleviating obstructive sleep apnea by pulling the tongue outward under negative pressure are non-adjustable, uncomfortable, and prone to interruptions due to long tubes that can be entangled or pressed, leading to inconsistent therapy efficacy.
Innovation Solution
A wearable device with an adjustable tongue-pulling mechanism that includes a base, an adjustment element, a locking element, a suction member, and a negative pressure source integrated into the base, allowing users to customize the pulling force and prevent tube entanglement by mounting the pressure source on the head.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the negative pressure source is placed on the bedside with a long tube connecting to the patient, then the device structure is simple, but the tube may be pressed, entangled or stretched causing interruptions and reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The negative pressure source is integrated with the head-mounted base unit, merging the pressure generation function directly into the wearable device. This eliminates the need for a separate bedside pressure source and long connecting tubes, thereby preventing tube entanglement and interruptions while maintaining device functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The negative pressure source is relocated from the horizontal bedside position to the vertical head-mounted position, changing the spatial dimension of the system. This dimensional shift brings the pressure source closer to the patient's tongue, eliminating the need for long horizontal tube runs that are prone to entanglement.
2Ease of manufacture
If the pulling course is fixed by batch production, then the manufacturing cost is low, but the device cannot be adjusted to suit different patients' airway shapes and symptom severities
Solution Approach 1:
The suction member is made movable relative to the passage portion through an adjustment mechanism, transforming the fixed pulling course into a dynamic, adjustable one. This allows the device to adapt to different patients' anatomical variations and symptom severities while maintaining ease of manufacture through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The head-mounted base unit serves multiple functions: it houses the negative pressure source, provides the passage portion for the suction member, and incorporates the adjustment mechanism. This multi-functional design achieves patient-specific adaptability without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity.
3Force
If the pulling force is too strong, then the tongue is effectively separated from the collapse position, but it causes irritation and discomfort to the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism enables dynamic control of the suction member's position, allowing the pulling force to be optimized for each patient. This prevents excessive force that causes irritation while ensuring sufficient tongue separation from the collapse position, achieving effective yet comfortable therapy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides a customizable and comfortable solution for obstructive sleep apnea treatment by allowing users to adjust the pulling force and eliminating tube-related interruptions, enhancing therapy efficacy and reducing discomfort.
Implementation Method 1
a negative pressure source in communication with the channel, providing a negative pressure to the user's tongue in contact with the tongue fixing portion
Data Source
AI summary
A device for alleviating obstructive sleep apnea, comprising: a base fitted and fixed to an user's head and having a passage portion; an adjustment element extending into the passage portion and undergoing relative displacement therein; a locking element disposed at the passage portion, wherein an user uses the locking element to fix the adjustment element in place to limit the relative displacement of the adjustment element; a suction member undergoing relative displacement relative to the passage portion together with the adjustment element and having a channel, wherein the channel extends into the adjustment element, undergoes relative displacement in the adjustment element, and connects to a tongue fixing portion disposed at the front end of the user's tongue; and a negative pressure source being mounted on the base and in communication with the channel, providing a negative pressure to the user's tongue in contact with the tongue fixing portion.