DE29506512U1 - Oral anti-snoring device - Google Patents

Description

ERKODENT

11 April 1995 95-096/K-rz

ERKODENT Erich Kopp GmbH

Siemensstrasse 3, D-72285 Pfalzgrafenweiler

ORALLY WORN ANTI-SNORE DEVICE

The invention relates to an orally worn anti-snoring device, consisting of an upper and lower jaw splint and a flexible, but not longitudinally stretchable connection between the two splints, which automatically moves the lower jaw further into an anterior position when it sinks during sleep.

The aim of this device according to the invention is to eliminate snoring as a social nuisance and to treat mild to moderate forms of obstructive apnea (respiratory arrest J> 10 sec.) and hypopneas (reduced breathing with reduced blood oxygen content).

Studies in industrialized countries have shown that around 40% of the population snores. The percentage of men over 60 who snore is as high as 60%.

The sound of breathing during sleep is perceived as very disturbing, especially by the snorer's personal environment. On the other hand, snoring can even be dangerous to the snorer's health if, for example, obstructive sleep apnea is present.

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Snoring is usually caused by weak muscle tone in the throat muscles during sleep. This leads to narrowing of the airways and even closure (apnea). This leads to an increased airflow and noise from the relaxed structures that start to move. In any case, muscle tension in the throat naturally decreases in older people, which is why this group of people snore more often than younger people.

A whole range of devices, aids, breathing masks and surgical interventions have become known to prevent snoring.

Surgery is usually used to remove structures that impede breathing, such as enlarged tonsils, polyps, etc. The success rate for snoring, however, varies greatly, ranging from 20 to 40%.

The breathing mask is used for positive pressure ventilation and thus keeps the airways open. Since it is very complex and represents an uncomfortable device for the snorer, it is mainly indicated in severe cases of apnea.

Anti-snoring devices used extraorally, such as those that prevent the sleeper from lying on his back, that keep the mouth closed, devices for stretching the neck, instruments and devices that wake the snorer or otherwise stimulate him, are not to be considered here.

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These are more annoying than useful for the snorer.

Intraoral devices are worn at night and usually move the lower jaw forward to open the pharyngeal part of the airways. The base of the tongue is also moved forward with the lower jaw, which makes it possible to open the airways. These devices can be successful, but due to their design and construction, they are usually perceived as very annoying by the wearer.

Known oral anti-snoring devices, such as those described in DGBM 94 09 999.5, DP 40 26 602, EP 0 312 368, EP 0 264 516, contain braces and plate-shaped extensions to hold the tongue down, in addition to splints.

EP 0 254 918 describes an upper and lower jaw splint with embedded magnets that are intended to keep both jaws at a certain distance through mutual magnetic repulsion. DP 27 04 709 represents a proper mouth gag.

EP 0 599 445 describes a device with a firm fixation of the upper jaw and a loose fixation of the lower jaw. The oral side of the device is designed so that the tongue can be sucked into place. PCT 92/05752 describes a device with a palatal plate and a floor of the mouth plate, which simultaneously provides anterior fixation of the lower jaw and forces the nose to be

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breathing, two variants are described: one with the device fixed to the teeth, and the other with the device sitting freely in the mouth.

PCT WO 92/09249 describes a device to prevent tongue thrusting, teeth grinding and snoring. Adapted to the tongue and teeth, the device is designed to hold the tongue forward by suction.

US Patent 5,092,346 describes a device for the upper jaw with a ramp for the lower jaw to anteriorize it, as well as a breathing hole between the upper jaw part and the lower jaw ramp.

DP 23 20 501 describes a device that is designed similarly to an orthodontic activator with an additional labial and adjustable lip shield. The aim is to anteriorize the lower jaw through muscle activity and corresponding reed guides in the device for the teeth. However, it is precisely during sleep that the muscles relax and the muscle tone is reduced or eliminated.

The DGBM describes a device that reaches deep into the palate area and the base of the tongue (in both cases causing vomiting and gagging) in order to immobilize the soft palate on the one hand and the tongue on the other.

Without going into the specific disadvantages of the aforementioned and known anti-snoring devices,

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all the devices described the main disadvantages are
see that the devices due to their voluminous
extension, their constraints through a bite lock, their
Pressure on the tongue or soft palate, the
limited freedom of movement of the lower jaw and tongue are extremely uncomfortable to wear.
The feeling of an extremely disturbing foreign body in the mouth prevents the snorer from falling asleep, which usually leads to non-use of the devices.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to create an anti-snoring device that can be worn orally and that gives the wearer the necessary depth of sleep and well-being, in particular due to the low expansion in the jaw area and the high level of comfort of the device.

In addition, despite relatively free jaw movements, an opening of the pharyngeal breathing area should be made possible by an anterior movement of the lower jaw, thus avoiding annoying snoring.

The solution to this task is given in accordance with the present
The invention achieves this by the fact that the device consists of one splint each for the upper jaw and the lower jaw. These two splints can be made of soft material if the tooth pattern is sufficiently retained; otherwise, the soft material is covered with a harder layer.
In case of restricted nasal breathing, the
Incisal areas are left free. The lower jaw is supported by two

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Pulleys, which are attached to both rails in the form of snap fasteners or hinges, are placed in an anterior position. If the tendency to snore is slight, the lower jaw does not need to be anteriorized. In such cases, the function of the pulleys is sufficient.

The straps are preferably made of a cord-like, flexible material, which however must not be stretchable in the lengthwise direction. This allows the wearer to move the lower jaw forward and sideways in the usual way without hindrance. However, vertical movements, e.g. when opening the mouth, automatically cause the lower jaw to move forward.

When muscle tone relaxes during sleep, the effect of the pulls prevents the lower jaw from sinking and at the same time brings it into the desired anterior position. This causes the base of the tongue to move forward and the pharyngeal breathing area to open up. The uninterrupted and free flow of air is known to prevent snoring.

The small extension of the splints is very advantageous. If the teeth are present, they only need to extend posteriorly to the second premolar, and possibly to half of the first molar, while for retention of the splints, they only need to extend slightly over the equator of the labial and buccal tooth surfaces. In contrast to various known anti-snoring devices, the

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Gingival margin free. This has hygienic advantages and prevents irritation of the gums.

It is precisely the delicate design options of the rails that significantly increase the acceptance of the anti-snoring device according to the invention by the wearer.

The free mobility of the lower jaw is a great advantage , e.g. even when the wearer is sleeping on his side. The wearer does not necessarily feel restricted in the mouth area. This makes the device according to the invention an effective and comfortable anti-snoring device due to the combination of possible free jaw mobility, but avoiding the lower jaw sinking when sleeping.

Another advantage is the simple and inexpensive production of this anti-snoring device using the thermoforming technique in the dental laboratory.

It is advantageous to pull the rails onto the model in the usual way using flexible plastic under vacuum or pressure.

Alternatively, they can also be made from a soft silicone rubber using the injection process.

To stabilize the splint, which is made of EVA plastic material, for example, it can also be covered with a harder

•♦ · »

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Plastic material. A rail that is soft on the inside is more comfortable for the wearer to use, while the retaining device of the snap fastener, a swivel joint or a screw fastening can be easily fixed in the hard covering material.

Flexible materials in cord or braided or stranded form are ideal connecting materials or solid materials such as nylon or similar material.

It is important that these materials are resistant to oral fluids, physiologically harmless, flexible in all directions, but not yielding or stretchable in the longitudinal direction of the connection. For this reason, for example, elastic bands or those made of rubber-like elastomers are not suitable for the intended purpose. In "Never snore again" by Dr. Tilman Brus is, page 104, Bastei-Lübbe paperback volume 66257, Lübbe Verlag Bergisch Gladbach 1992, such a device is cited. With elastic bands, unrestricted lower jaw mobility is not possible, because an elastic band is always under tension or pull, or it is so loose that it is not able, for example, to pull the lower jaw forward. If the lower jaw is to be anteriorized using elastic bands, it is pulled under tension to the upper jaw splint, which, however, disturbs the wearer both when awake and when asleep due to the forced closure of both jaws.

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Furthermore, elastic bands swell in the oral fluid, causing them to become more flexible and less functional.

The end of the pull according to the invention is preferably attached to the upper jaw splint in the area of the canine tooth and to the lower jaw splint in the area of the first or second premolar. This means that, viewed from the upper jaw splint, it runs diagonally backwards and downwards to the lower jaw splint, at an angle of approximately 30° to the chewing plane. The aim is to make the arrangement as flat as possible. The necessary length depends on the anatomical conditions of the wearer. The shorter the pulls are, the more the lower jaw is pulled forward when the mouth is opened.

According to one embodiment, the trains can advantageously be fastened in the manner of snap fasteners in such a way that the die is anchored in the rail and the die is fastened to the end of the train. Preferably, snap fasteners made of plastic are suitable, since the die can be easily welded to the end of the train made of flexible plastic and the die can also be easily fastened to the rail material, e.g. with self-polymerizing adhesive.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the pull can have a loop or eyelet at each of its ends. If a nut is embedded in the rail, then the pull can be screwed through the eyelet in the nut using a screw with a shoulder. This creates a hinge-like free movement of the pulls at their

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respective fastening location on the rail.

Another embodiment involves attaching the trains to the rails using a ball joint.

A design example that has proven to be very advantageous is one in which the train is injection molded in one piece from a flexible plastic such as nylon, with spherical or tapered ends arranged at right angles at both ends. This means that the train consists of just one part, which makes production significantly cheaper. The train ends designed in this way then only need to be pressed into pre-drilled openings on the rails and snapped into place.

However, in all designs, care must be taken to ensure that the fastening parts of the trains on the rails can be rotated and moved easily and without resistance.

The invention will now be explained in more detail using a preferred embodiment:

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section through the train according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-section in the fastening area of the train in the rail.

Fig. 3 shows a view of the anti-snoring device according to the invention.

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device with the upper and lower jaw splints and the pull attached to the outside of the splints.

Fig. 4 shows the lower jaw automatically anteriorized by the traction over the splints when the mouth is opened.

The cable according to the invention shown in Figure 1 consists of a longitudinal part 1 with projections at its ends and conical ends 3. The entire cable is advantageously and cost-effectively injection-molded from flexible plastic such as nylon. It can be prefabricated in various lengths. As a rule, 3 sizes are sufficient for all cases. The most commonly used cable length is 1.5 cm.

Figure 2 shows a cross-section of the fastening zone for the end part of the cable in the rail, where 1 is the cable and 2 is the attachment, 3 shows the conical end part of the cable, 4 the soft layer and 5 the hard layer of the rail. It is clearly visible how the conical end part of the cable is hinged and locked in place in the rail. 6 shows the tooth over which the rail is slipped.

Figure 3 shows an external view of the upper jaw splint 7 together with the lower jaw splint 8 and the pull 1 with its ends attached to the splints in the normal closed jaw position.

Figure 4 illustrates the inventive

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Anti-snoring devices are designed to advance the mandibular splint 8 and thus the lower jaw including the base of the tongue when the lower jaw is lowered as a result of the muscles relaxing during sleep. This opens up the pharyngeal breathing area and thus eliminates snoring.

Claims (11)

95-096/K-rz - 13 - PROTECTION CLAIMS: 1. Orally worn anti-snoring device, consisting of an upper and lower jaw splint, characterized in that both splints are provided on their respective outer sides with a flexible, but longitudinally non-extensible pull, which when the lower jaw sinks during sleep automatically brings it and thus also the base of the tongue into an anterior position so that an opening of the pharyngeal airways is achieved to prevent snoring. 2. Anti-snoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pull consists of a longitudinal part (1) with lugs (2) located at its ends and subsequent conical (3) or spherical ends made from one piece. 3. Anti-snoring device according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the pull consists of a flexible and length-inextensible plastic, such as nylon. 4. Anti-snoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pull in its longitudinal part consists of a flexible, but longitudinally non-stretchable material, preferably in cord-shaped, braided, stranded or solid form. 95-096/K-rz - 14 - 5. Anti-snoring device according to claim 1 and 4, characterized in that the longitudinal part of the pull is provided at its respective end with a snap-on matrix, preferably made of plastic, and the matrix made of the same material is fastened in the upper and lower jaw splint. 6. Anti-snoring device according to claim 1 and 4, characterized in that the longitudinal part of the pull is provided at its end with a loop or eyelet through which a screw with a shoulder can be screwed into a nut embedded in the rail. 7. Anti-snoring device according to claim 1 and 4, characterized in that the ends of the cables are connected to the rails by a ball joint. 8. Anti-snoring device according to claims 1-7, characterized in that the rails are made of flexible, soft plastic material, preferably EVA. 9. Anti-snoring device according to claims 1-7, characterized in that the rails are made of harder plastic material, preferably PET, PMMA or similar. 10. Anti-snoring device according to claims 1-9, characterized in that the rails consist of a combined soft and a hard plastic layer. - 15 - 95-096/K-rz - 15 - 11. Anti-snoring device according to claims 1-10, characterized in that the rails are attached in the upper jaw to the outer sides of the rails in the area of the canines and in the lower jaw in the area of the premolars.