Modular Oral Appliance with Adjustable Vertical Shims
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for upper airway issues such as snoring, hypopnea, sleep apnea, and temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ) are often uncomfortable, invasive, costly, or ineffective due to discomfort, lifestyle issues, and portability problems with existing devices, and lack adjustability and reversibility.
Innovation Solution
A modular oral appliance device with adjustable vertical shims made from nylon-based materials, allowing for customizable teeth spacing and improved airflow through the nasal and pharyngeal regions, which can be easily modified and adjusted by healthcare professionals without the need for extensive laboratory re-fabrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable devices are used to reposition the lower jaw, then the position can be changed to increase air passage size, but the devices take up more space within the mouth and restrict tongue space
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into an upper appliance member and a lower appliance member that can independently engage with upper and lower teeth respectively. This segmentation allows each member to be compact while providing adjustable jaw repositioning functionality through their relative movement, reducing the overall space required compared to a single bulky adjustable mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector assembly provides dynamic adjustability by allowing the upper and lower appliance members to move relative to each other between an open position and a closed position. This dynamic mechanism enables jaw position adjustment without requiring large fixed structures, maintaining a compact form factor while achieving the desired adaptability.
2Volume of moving object
If non-invasive devices are used to push inner walls of nose outward, then air passageways are expanded, but the devices irritate the skin and sensitive inner lining of nasal passageway
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the airway opening function from the nasal cavity environment and relocates it to the oral cavity. By using appliance members that engage with teeth and a connector assembly to reposition the lower jaw, the device opens the air passage in the posterior pharyngeal region without contacting or irritating the sensitive nasal lining, thus achieving airway expansion without the harmful skin irritation effect.
3Reliability
If surgical techniques are used to address upper airway issues, then effective treatment is achieved, but high costs, risk of harm, and extensive recovery periods are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables self-service or minimal-intervention treatment by providing a mechanical solution that patients can use at home without requiring surgical procedures. The oral appliance device with adjustable connector assembly allows patients to reposition their jaws and maintain open airways independently, eliminating the need for invasive surgery and its associated risks, costs, and recovery periods while achieving reliable treatment效果.
Data Source
AI summary
An oral appliance device that selectively engages upper teeth and lower teeth within a human mouth includes an upper appliance member, a lower appliance member, and a first vertical shim. The upper appliance member selectively engages the upper teeth. The lower appliance member selectively engages the lower teeth. The appliance members are movable relative to one another between an open position and a closed position. The first vertical shim is removably secured to one of the appliance members. The first vertical shim has a first shim height so that a teeth spacing between the upper teeth and the lower teeth is maintained when the appliance members are in the closed position. The teeth spacing is at least as great as the first shim height. The oral appliance device can further include a second vertical shim that is alternatively, removably secured to one of the appliance members. The second vertical shim has a second shim height that is different than the first shim height.