Negative-pressure oral apparatus and method for maintaining negative oral pressure and collecting liquid

摘要

The present invention discloses a negative-pressure oral apparatus capable of relieving discomfort of soft tissues in the oral cavity and improving fixation of the oral apparatus to prevent the oral apparatus from falling off due to mouth opening. The oral apparatus is compact and elastic so that it fits various shapes and sizes of the oral cavity and is easy to be put on and taken off to provide convenience and safety to the user. In another embodiment, a method for maintaining a negative oral pressure and collecting liquid by coupling the oral apparatus to a liquid collecting apparatus capable of effectively providing the oral cavity with a negative pressure to expel liquid in the oral apparatus and deliver the liquid to an absorbing element in the liquid collecting apparatus so as to prevent liquid leakage or contamination.

主权项

1. A negative-pressure oral apparatus, comprising:
a lip-gripping component including a front wall and a rear wall opposing the front wall, wherein the front wall and the rear wall are joined to one another at bottom portions thereof and together define a lip-receiving space sized and shaped to receive an upper lip of a mouth of a user, wherein the lip-gripping component is configured to grip the upper lip of the user when the upper lip is received in the lip-receiving space to facilitate attachment of the negative-pressure oral apparatus to the mouth of the user; a teeth-engaging component integrally formed with and extending rearwardly from the lip-gripping component adjacent the bottom portions of the front and rear walls, the teeth-engaging component having an upper free end, and a forward surface opposing the rear wall of the lip-gripping component to define a teeth-receiving space sized and shaped to receive teeth of the user; at least one groove extending along the forward surface of the teeth-engaging component, wherein the at least one groove has an open upper end extending through the upper free end of the teeth-engaging component; at least one channel extending through the bottom portions of the front and rear walls of the lip-gripping component, wherein the at least one channel has an open rear end in fluid communication with the teeth-receiving space and an open front end; and a liquid-collecting container fluidly connected to the at least one channel at the open front end of the at least one channel such that the liquid-collecting apparatus is in fluid communication with the teeth-receiving space.