Lip-Clamping Sleep Apnea Device with Tongue Stopper
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing assistance implements for sleep apnea syndrome, such as soft palate stabilizers, are complex in structure, costly to produce, and pose risks of accidental swallowing and difficulty in insertion due to their deep placement in the oral cavity, which can cause faucial reflex and increase production costs.
Innovation Solution
A simplified, elastic assistance implement with a convex arching plate and lip clamping mechanism that is easy to insert and secure, featuring a tube structure with through holes to prevent accidental swallowing and a stopper to manage the tongue's position, reducing production costs and ensuring airway clearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the assistance implement is held deep into the oral cavity to surround the uvula, then the airway can be stabilized, but it causes faucial reflex and makes insertion difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful deep placement into the oral cavity and replaces it with a lip-clamping mechanism at the front of the mouth. The assistance implement is clamped between the lips using elastic bodies, completely removing the need to insert anything deep into the oral cavity while still achieving airway stabilization through tongue positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces the lips as an intermediary mechanism to achieve the therapeutic effect without direct deep insertion. By clamping the implement between the lips, the force is transmitted through the oral cavity to position the tongue and stabilize the airway, avoiding direct contact with the uvula and pharyngeal structures that trigger the faucial reflex.
2Reliability
If the assistance implement is held deep into the oral cavity, then the airway can be stabilized, but the user may accidentally swallow the implement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the implement from the deep oral cavity environment and relocates it to the lip region. By clamping the implement between the lips using elastic bodies, it is positioned in a safe, accessible location that is completely separated from the swallowing pathway, eliminating the risk of accidental swallowing while maintaining airway stabilization function.
3Reliability
If a complex structure with stainless steel core in silicone rubber is used, then the implement can be held in the oral cavity, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the complex multi-material structure (stainless steel core in silicone rubber) and replaces it with a simple elastic body made of a single material. The elastic bodies clamp the implement between the lips, providing reliable holding capability through elastic force alone, eliminating the need for complex internal reinforcement and reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter from a composite structure (steel core + rubber) to a simple elastic material with sufficient elasticity. By selecting an elastic body with appropriate elastic modulus and hardness, it achieves the required holding force and durability without the complexity of multi-material construction, significantly simplifying manufacturing.
4Ease of manufacture
If a simplified structure is used, then production costs decrease, but the implement may be accidentally swallowed
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses the lips as an intermediary holding mechanism. The elastic bodies clamp the implement between the lips, creating a secure position that is anatomically separated from the swallowing pathway. This simple lip-clamping structure provides both safety (preventing swallowing) and manufacturing simplicity, resolving the contradiction between cost and safety.
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 assistance implement effectively reduces the risk of tongue sagging, maintains airway clearance, and is easy to insert and use, alleviating sleep apnea symptoms while being cost-effective and safe from accidental swallowing.
Implementation Method 1
an assistance implement for ameliorating sleep apnea syndrome made of an elastic body and inserted into a mouth
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an assistance implement for ameliorating sleep apnea syndrome which is set in an oral cavity of a user to retain an airway of the user. The assistance implement includes: an oral cavity insertion elastic body formed into an arching plate when viewed end-on from the front or rear; and a lip clamping elastic body shaped into a plate, and provided to a front end of the oral cavity insertion elastic body to oppose the oral cavity insertion elastic body from below.