CN212491195U

CN212491195U - Nasal obstruction

Info

Publication number: CN212491195U
Application number: CN202020081586.XU
Authority: CN
Inventors: A·利赫佛斯
Original assignee: Northumberson
Current assignee: Northumberson
Priority date: 2020-01-15
Filing date: 2020-01-15
Publication date: 2021-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 2030-01-15

Abstract

The utility model relates to a nasal plug (1), which comprises at least one flexible component (2) and a rigid and slender supporting component (3). A flexible member is provided surrounding the support member, the flexible member being adapted to be placed within the nostril to accurately fill the opening of the nostril, and means are provided to enable air to flow in a tortuous configuration.

Description

Nasal obstruction

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a nasal prong comprising at least one flexible member and a rigid elongated support member.

Background

People who work in the healthcare field often smell unpleasant odors. For example, people taking care of the elderly work in environments that smell bad, and it is therefore often desirable to end the work involving, for example, changing diapers as soon as possible. When the patient is in a hurry to complete the work, the work may not be performed correctly, and the patient may not be treated with dignity.

Other occupations that must be able to tolerate working in a potentially unpleasant environment are, for example, rescue service personnel, dentists, veterinarians, emergency personnel, medical personnel, and the like. Of course, other people may also be exposed to unpleasant odors and may therefore feel uncomfortable.

Traditionally, people working in healthcare and other people working in bad-smelling environments have been trying to endure in the environment without any appliances that might prevent malodours from reaching the olfactory organs. Alternatively, there have been used aromatic sprays or masks.

In addition, some drug overdoses are problematic. When people catch a cold and the nose is blocked, they often use nasal sprays to allow normal breathing through the nose. The problem is that nasal sprays are often used too often, too frequently or too long. This overdosing results in a reduction in the nasal spray effect.

Therefore, some means to solve the above problems are desired.

There is a need for a product that prevents odors from entering the nose and reaching the olfactory organs. There is also a need for products that deliver drugs or other releasable substances with long-term action in a controlled manner through the nose. When the product is used, the product is easy to breathe and operate, and does not hurt people to be cared, namely, the product is small and convenient.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The utility model aims at solving the problem. These objects and others are achieved by an apparatus according to the appended independent claims.

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a nasal prong. The nasal prong includes at least one flexible member and one rigid elongated support member. A flexible member is disposed around the support member, with the flexible member being adapted to be placed within the nostril to accurately fill the opening of the nostril. However, despite the plugs filling the nares, there are still provided means for directing the air flow entering the nares in a serpentine or helical path through a plurality of plates or strips.

Thus, air entering the nose is forced over a longer distance than if the nasal prongs were not disposed in the nose.

In this aspect, the nasal prong also carries at least one releasable substance dispersed in the material of the flexible member or disposed on the surface of the flexible member. This is an advantage because the releasable substance can be absorbed and transported by air directed along the extended path. The releasable substance includes one or more of the following, collectively referred to as "chinese medicine (TCM)": astragalus, red yeast rice, green tea, jasmine, lotus seedpod, zinnia elegans, camellia, hot pepper, Chinese anthocyanin, chrysanthemum flower, cinnamon, witch hazel fruit, pinellia tuber, croton, Chinese yam, ginger, ginkgo leaf, ginseng, medlar, centella asiatica, epimedium herb, lily, rhubarb, amomum cardamomum, common threewingnut root, strychnine, sweet wormwood and willow bark.

The flexible member comprises a plurality of parallel plates arranged along the support member and wherein each plate extends in a direction perpendicular to the extension of the support member. Communication between the spaces formed by adjacent plates is provided so that air is forced to pass between the plates, whereby the air is forced to flow for an extended distance. Communication is provided because each plate has a notch at the periphery and the notches are arranged so that no notch overlaps with a notch in a preceding or succeeding plate. Thus, the air flow is forced through the opening formed by the notch and makes it easier to breathe through the nasal prongs.

In one aspect, the plate has a circular shape, preferably an oval shape. The plate may also have a periphery of different dimensions. This is the preferred shape of the nasal prong plates to fit properly within the nostrils.

In a preferred aspect of the invention, a first set of notches is arranged on each second plate at a position at the periphery at one end of the transverse diameter, and a second set of notches is arranged on each plate located between said second plates at a position at the periphery at the other end of the transverse diameter. The distance of air flow into the nose will be as long as possible, which is advantageous for effective release of the releasable substance.

In an alternative aspect, the flexible member comprises a helically arranged band forming a helical structure around the support member. This is another way of designing the airflow path.

In one aspect, the flexible member and the support member are permanently fixed to each other. Thus, the flexible member will be an integrated part of the support member and, thus, there is no risk of the flexible member remaining in the nose when the user pulls out the nasal prong by means of the support member.

In another preferred aspect, the nasal prong includes two flexible members connected to each other by a generally U-shaped support member, each flexible member being attached at one limb of the U-shaped support member. The extension of the support member between the two flexible members allows the nasal prongs to be easily placed in both nostrils simultaneously and removed. This extension also prevents the nasal prongs from being placed too deep in the nostrils, which could damage soft tissue.

The releasable substance carried by the nasal prongs may be a fragrance. This is an advantage because it effectively prevents bad smells from reaching the olfactory organ. The releasable substance carried by the nasal prongs may also be a drug.

Drawings

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows one aspect of a nasal prong in perspective view,

figure 2 shows the nasal prong of figure 1 from above,

figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line a-a in figure 2,

figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view taken along B-B in figure 2,

figure 5 shows a nasal prong molded using 2K technology,

figure 6 shows an aspect of the nasal prong,

figure 7 shows in perspective view the spiral shape of the nasal prongs,

figure 8 shows the spiral shape of the nasal prongs from above,

figure 9 shows another aspect of the nasal prong in perspective view,

figure 10 shows the nasal prong of figure 9 from above,

figure 11 shows a cross-sectional view along C-C in figure 10,

fig. 12 shows a side view of the nasal prong of fig. 9, an

Fig. 13 shows another side view of the nasal prong of fig. 9.

Detailed Description

In the following description, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to certain aspects and the accompanying drawings. For purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth, such as particular scenarios, techniques, etc., in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other aspects that depart from these specific details.

Nasal plugs, as used herein, are not plugs that completely close the nostrils. Although it fills the nostrils, preventing air from flowing freely into the nose, it does not serve to completely prevent air from entering.

Fig. 1 shows a nasal prong 1 comprising a flexible member 2 and a rigid elongated support member 3 adapted to stabilize the flexible member. In this aspect of the nasal prong, the flexible member 2 comprises parallel plates 4 surrounding the support member. Fig. 9 shows another aspect of the nasal prong, with the same features as fig. 1. The nasal prong 10 includes a flexible member 12 and a rigid elongated support member 13. The flexible member comprises parallel plates 14 surrounding the support member. Between adjacent plates there are

spaces

5, 15. Furthermore, a communication between these spaces through the plate is provided. When the nasal plug is placed in the nose and the flexible plate accurately fills the opening of the nostril, air entering the nostril will first enter through the

notches

7, 17 on the first lowermost plate as it passes through the nasal plug. The air flow then passes in a tortuous manner through the nasal prongs and exits through the

recesses

6, 16 in the uppermost, last plate. This aspect shows an extended path for air to flow through, since each second notch is located at a laterally diametrically opposed periphery relative to the notch on the adjacent plate. In fig. 4 or 13 it is clearly seen that the

recesses

7, 17 of the first plate and the

recesses

6, 16 of the last plate and all recesses in between, i.e. the

recesses

7, 17 of the first lowermost plate and the recesses of each second plate counted from the first plate have the same reference numerals and the

recesses

6, 16 of the uppermost last plate and the recesses of each second plate counted from the last plate have the same reference numerals. This is valid when the number of plates is even (as shown in fig. 1 to 13), otherwise the recesses of the first and last plates will have the same reference numerals when the number of plates is odd.

In aspects of the invention shown in fig. 1-13, the

flexible members

2, 12 are adapted to direct the air flow into the nostrils in a serpentine or meandering path. This is achieved when the nasal prongs are placed in the nostrils. The air flow enters the

flexible members

2, 12 of the

prongs

1, 10 through the

recesses

7, 17 of the

lowermost plates

4, 14 and then passes in the

spaces

5, 15 between two adjacent plates (i.e. the first and second plates) to the opposite lateral diameter end of the first plate where it is further directed through the

recesses

6, 16 of the second plate. Thereafter the air flow passes between two further adjacent plates, i.e. the second and third plates, to the opposite lateral diameter end of the second plate, where it is further guided through the

recesses

7, 17 of the third plate. And so on until the airflow passes between the two uppermost plates and exits through the notch 6 of the last plate and enters the nostril.

In the aspect shown in fig. 1-6, the number of plates is 8. In the aspect shown in fig. 9 to 13, the number of plates is 6. The number of plates may also be other numbers, such as 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10. The number of plates is preferably in the range of 3 to 12.

Fig. 2 shows the nasal prong of the aspect of fig. 1 from above, and fig. 10 shows the nasal prong of fig. 9 from above. It can be seen that the

plates

4, 14 have an oval shape. The last uppermost plate is the smallest (lateral and conjugate diameter), the middle plate (i.e. the third and/or fourth and/or fifth plate may be the largest the first plate is larger than the last plate each further adjacent plate may have a larger diameter, as seen from the first plate, up to the third, fourth or fifth plate, after which each further adjacent plate may have a smaller diameter, i.e. the lateral and conjugate diameter of each plate increases from the first plate to the third, fourth or fifth plate, and the lateral and conjugate diameter of each plate decreases from the third, fourth or fifth plate to the first plate.

The nasal prongs may be provided in several predetermined sizes, with different diameters and/or different numbers of plates, to accommodate different users having different sized nostrils.

Lines A-A and B-B are shown in FIG. 2. Line A-A corresponds to the conjugate diameter of the plate and line B-B corresponds to the transverse diameter of the plate. Similarly, line C-C is shown in FIG. 10, which coincides with the conjugate diameter of the plate.

The

flexible members

2, 12 are preferably made of a thermoplastic elastomer. Other flexible materials may also be used. The support member is preferably made of a thermoplastic polymer. Other strong or rigid materials may also be used.

In fig. 3, a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a in fig. 2 is shown, and in fig. 11, a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in fig. 10 is shown. In these figures, the

flexible members

2, 12 surround the

support members

3, 13. The

support member

3, 13 has a generally U-shaped form and has two

flexible members

2, 12 attached thereto on each limb. The

support members

3, 13 extending between the two

flexible members

2, 12 have a curved shape to facilitate handling.

A cross-sectional view taken along B-B is shown in fig. 4. The cut corresponds to the transverse diameter of the plate 4. Thus, the recess 6 of each second plate is shown on one side and the recess 7 of each further second plate is shown on the other side.

As shown in fig. 5 and 12, the two branches of the substantially

U-shaped support member

3, 13 are slightly inclined towards each other. This is due to the nose plugs accommodating the extension of the nostrils. The plug should be properly positioned within the nose without over-dilating the nostril.

The at least one releasable substance may be dispersed in the flexible material or provided on the surface of the flexible member 2. The releasable substance may be a fragrance, a drug, nicotine or any other releasable substance. In a preferred embodiment, the at least one releasable substance is one or more of the following, collectively referred to as "chinese traditional medicine (TCM)": astragalus, red yeast rice, green tea, jasmine, lotus seedpod, zinnia elegans, camellia, hot pepper, Chinese anthocyanin, chrysanthemum flower, cinnamon, witch hazel fruit, pinellia tuber, croton, Chinese yam, ginger, ginkgo leaf, ginseng, medlar, centella asiatica, epimedium herb, lily, rhubarb, amomum cardamomum, common threewingnut root, strychnine, sweet wormwood and willow bark.

The nasal plugs may also act as a filter to prevent particulates from entering the nose and further dispersing in other organs. When used as a filter, the surface of the flexible material may be treated by a suitable method to effectively prevent further dispersion of the particles.

The nasal prong according to the present invention may be manufactured by molding using 2K technology, wherein the two materials are molded together. This can be seen for example in fig. 5 to 7. The method of manufacturing the nasal prongs may also include other techniques. For example, only one material may be used to make the entire nasal prong, i.e., the material used for the flexible member is the same as the material used for the support member, as shown in fig. 9-13. Furthermore, the flexible member and the support member comprised in the nasal prong according to the present invention may also be manufactured by molding them separately.

Fig. 6 illustrates an aspect of the present invention, wherein each nasal prong comprising one flexible member disposed on the support member is adapted to be independently disposed in one nostril, respectively.

FIG. 7 illustrates in perspective view an aspect having a flexible member including a helically arranged ribbon. This helical configuration provides an extended path for air entering the nares. The distance of the path may vary due to the helix angle of the helical wings of the belt. Notches may also be provided in the helically arranged strip. However, this is not an essential feature since air can enter without a recess.

In fig. 8, the aspect in fig. 7 can be seen from above. The helically arranged strips shown in figures 7 and 8 illustrate flexible members adapted to direct airflow into the nares in a helical path.

Furthermore, the embodiments mentioned and described above are given by way of example only and should not be taken as limiting the invention. Other solutions, uses, objects and functions within the scope of the invention as claimed in the appended patent claims should be apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Claims

1. Nasal obstruction, its characterized in that: comprises that

At least one flexible member (2) and

a rigid elongated support member (3),

the flexible member is arranged to surround the support member, and

the flexible member is adapted to be placed within a nostril for accurately filling the opening of the nostril and is provided with means for guiding the air flow entering the nostril in a serpentine path by a plurality of plates arranged along the support member and wherein each plate extends in a direction perpendicular to the extension of the support member, wherein

Each plate has a recess (6, 7) in the periphery and wherein the recesses are arranged such that no recess overlaps with a recess of a preceding or succeeding plate, and

the nasal prongs carry at least one releasable substance dispersed in the material of the flexible member or disposed on a surface of the flexible member.

2. The nasal prong according to claim 1, wherein: the plate has a circular shape.

3. The nasal prong according to claim 1, wherein: the plates have different sized peripheries to adapt the nasal prongs to the shape of the inside of the nostrils.

4. The nasal prong according to claim 1, wherein: a first set of notches (7) is arranged on each second plate at a position at the periphery at one end of the transverse diameter, and a second set of notches (6) is arranged on each plate between said second plates at a position at the periphery at the other end of the transverse diameter.

5. The nasal prong according to claim 1, wherein: the flexible member and the support member are permanently fixed to each other.

6. The nasal prong according to claim 1, wherein: comprising two flexible members connected to each other by a U-shaped support member, each flexible member being attached at one branch of the U-shaped support member.