Negative pressure oral apparatus

摘要

This invention provides an oral apparatus and method capable of alleviating or curing snore and obstructive sleep apnea by applying a negative pressure through a mini oral interface to the oral cavity. The mini oral interface creates a secure connection between the interface and mouth or teeth and prevents the interface from falling off. The oral interface also provides fixation between upper and lower lips (or tooth) and prevents opening of patient's mouth during sleeping. The negative pressure pulls the tongue toward upper palate and also pulls the soft palate forward as well. By moving the tongue and the soft palate in a forward direction, the patency of the upper airway near the pharynx is maintained to prevent sleep-disordered breathing. The negative pressure will pull the lips inward to close the mouth ad prevent air from entering the oral cavity from atmosphere. The negative pressure will also pull the soft palate into contact with the rear surface of the tongue to create a seal that prevents the air from entering the oral cavity through the nasal airway.

主权项

1. A negative-pressure oral apparatus for generating a negative pressure within an oral cavity of a mouth of a user, comprising:
a flow conduit having a first opening to fluidly connect with the user's oral cavity and a second opening to fluidly connect with a negative pressure source for generating the negative pressure in the oral cavity of the user; a first fixation part configured to be positioned within the mouth of the user, wherein the first fixation part is adapted to be coupled with the flow conduit; wherein the first fixation part comprises a tooth pairing part configured to engage and attach to only one or only two teeth of the user to prevent the flow conduit from falling out of the user's mouth; and a conduit pairing part with a shape complimentary to the tooth pairing part, wherein the conduit pairing part can physically connect and disconnect the flow conduit to the tooth pairing part.