GB1603642A

GB1603642A - Mouth gag

Info

Publication number: GB1603642A
Application number: GB1062577A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: AFEEVA D
Current assignee: AFEEVA D
Priority date: 1978-05-30
Filing date: 1978-05-30
Publication date: 1981-11-25

Description

(54) A MOUTH GAG (71) I, DANIEL BRIGHT KWAKU AFEEVA, a Ghanaian citizen, of 90 Dorville Road, Lee, London SE12, formerly of 8 Teal Court, Childers Street, Deptford, London, SE8 do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a mouth gag.

Mouth gags are widely used in hospitals. Thus, for example, the gags are used when patients are given electroplexy i.e. electro-convulsive treatment. The gags are also used for patients who experience epileptic fits. The purpose of the gags is to separate the patient's upper and lower teeth so that the teeth do not break if they are clenched together.

The known mouth gags are often too hard or too soft so that when a patient bites on the gag, their teeth often still break or fracture. The damaged teeth must be repaired and this is costly and is also disadvantageous to the patient. Further, the known mouth gags are often of a complicated design and are too expensive to be disposable. They must therefore be cleaned before reuse and the cleaning involves expense in cleaning materials and in the time consumed in effecting the cleaning.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a mouth gag which will substantially reduce or eliminate the aforementioned teeth breakages and fractures. It is also an aim of the present invention to provide a mouth gag which is cheap to produce so that it can be used in a disposable manner if desired.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a mouth gag which is made of a foam material, has a recess for a patient's tongue and is so constructed that when it is in the mouth it is positioned between the upper and lower teeth, and the foam material being such that whilst it is compressible between the upper and lower teeth it is sufficiently rigid to prevent the teeth breaking if they are clenched together.

The recess in the gag for the tongue avoids the gag catching on the tongue and pushing it backwards into the mouth as the gag is inserted. Also, the recess avoids the gag engaging the patient's tonsils, or that area of the patient's throat, and this helps to avoid unnecessary irritation to the patient.

Preferably, the gag is sufficiently rigid that the part of the gag defining the recess does not buckle as it is pushed into the mouth.

The particular foam material used for the gag should be compressible as aforesaid and it should also be flexible. In some instances, the teeth will be clenched so hard that the foam material will not be able to compress any more. The foam material is thus preferably one that gets displaced by the teeth when the limit of compressibility is reached since the displacement of the material helps to remove strain from the teeth and thus helps to prevent teeth breakages and fractures. Obviously, the compressibility of the mouth gag also depends on the thickness of the material employed and this will usually be as great as possible commensurate with the gag still being easily insertible in the mouth. By way of example, it is mentioned that the gag may be 1-3 cm. thick and is advantageously 2 cm.

thick. The gag can be made to the required thickness as a single piece of material or as several layers stuck on top of each other.

Preferably, the gag is produced to have a surface which feels relatively smooth in the mouth. The desired smooth surface can be formed during the production of the gag. By way of example, it is mentioned that the gag can be produced in dies.

Preferably, the material of the gag is a plastics material. A presently preferred plastics material is polyethylene but it is to be appreciated that other materials can be employed.

One suitable polyethylene foam material is sold under the Registered Trade Mark ALVEOLITE and is obtainable from Sekisui (U.K.) Limited, of Ward Royal Parade, Alma Road, Windsor, Berkshire. The ALVEOLITE is a closed cell polyethylene foam, cross-linked by irradiation and expanded to various densities, for example up to 200 kilogram per cubic metre. The ALVEOLITE may be made from low density polyethylene, a blowing agent and chemical additives.

The foam material of the gag is preferably a closed cell foam such as the aforementioned ALVEOLITE. The closed cell foam has air trapped in the cells in the foam and this air cannot readily escape. Under short time compressive loads such as when the teeth are clenched, the closed cell foam acts as an air cushion and is thus able to absorb the forces resulting from the clenching of the teeth. Another appropriate foam material is made by Imperial Chemical Industries Limited.

If desired, the gag can be produced to have an air passage. The air passage can help the patient breathe and if desired a tube delivering oxygen can be connected to the air passage and the oxygen administered to the patient with the gag still in position in the mouth. If the air passage is made sufficiently large, saliva from the patient's mouth can also pass along the air passage. Preferably, the air passage is formed as a closed bore in the mouth gag but it can also be an open channel if desired.

The mouth gag may include one or more separate saliva passages. The or each saliva passage may be a closed bore in the mouth gag or it may be an open channel. Usually there will be two saliva passages arranged one on either side of the mouth gag.

Preferably the mouth gag includes a handle for facilitating the insertion and removal of the mouth gag. The handle may be made in any desired shape.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I is a perspective view of a first mouth gag; Figures 2, 3 and 4 are respectively plan, side and end views of a second mouth gag; Figures 5, 6 and 7 are respectively plan, side and end views of a third mouth gag; Figures 8, 9 and 10 are respectively plan, side and end views of a fourth mouth gag; and Figure 11 is a plan view of a fifth mouth gag.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a polyethylene mouth gag 2 which is approximately 2cm thick. The gag 2 has a recess 4 which is V-shaped as shown and which is for receiving a patient's tongue. The gag parts 6, 8, 10 receive the patient's teeth when they are clenched together, and teeth breakages and fractures are substantially eliminated or at least substantially reduced compared with the breakages and fractures resulting from known mouth gags. In addition, damage to the patient's tongue, gums and lips can be avoided or substantially reduced.

Because the gag 2 is made of a foamed plastics material it is very light and can thus easily be carried. This can be advantageous because a nurse treating epileptic patients can easily carry a gag 2 so that the gag 2 is always ready for use if a patient should suddenly have an epileptic attack. Generally, the gag 2 can be used for electro-convulsive treatment, in eclampsia and during epileptiform fits.

Because the gag 2 is cheap to produce, it can be thrown away after one use. This prevents cross infection.

If it is desired to reuse the gag 2, it can be cheaply sterilized by steaming under pressure in an autoclave, by immersion in sterilizing solutions, or by boiling. The known rubber mouth gags are usually only sterilized by boiling since the rubber tends to dissolve with autoclaving.

In Figures 2 to 11, similar parts as in Figure 1 have been given the same reference numerals and their construction and operation will not again be given in order to avoid undue repetition of description.

In Figures 2 to 4, the mouth gag 2 has two saliva passages which are formed by closed bores 12, 14, an air passage which is formed by a closed bore 16, and a handle 18. The handle 18 defines a recessed portion 20 so that the bore 16 is not obstructed.

Recessed portions 22, 24 constitute places where saliva can collect and pass along the bores 12, 14. The ends 26, 27 of the gag 2 sit against the back corners of the patient's mouth so that the back corners of the patient's mouth cannot rest against and block the bores 12, 14. In use, the patient's front teeth will rest on the part 28 of the gag 2.

In Figures 5 to 7, the mouth gag 2 is similar to the gag 2 shown in Figures 2 to 4 but the part of the gag 2 near the handle 18 has been cut away. This means that in use, the patient's front teeth do not bite on the gag 2 but float in the recess 4, for example about the line 28.

Figures 8 to 10 show a mouth gag 2 which is substantially the same as the gag 2 shown in Figures 5 to 7 except that the shape of the recess 4 at its closed end and the shape of the ends 26, 27 are slightly different.

The mouth gag 2 shown in Figure 11 can be made in a die stamping operation, injection moulding or by twisting and glueing a strip of foam material. Because the part 8 of the gag 2 is so thin, the air passage or bore 16 can be omitted if desired. Alternatively, if the part 8 of the gag 2 is too flimsy, then reinforcing material 30, 32 can be employed but then it will probably be best to have the bore 16. Also, because the gag parts 6 and 10 are so thin, the saliva passages 12, 14 could be omitted.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above have been given by way example only. Thus, for example, the shape of the recesses 4 can be varied further and the overall shape of the gag 2 can be curved to follow the general shape of a patient's teeth. For sterile conditions of use, the gags 2 could be sealed in plastics bags. The recess 20 could be omitted if there is no bore 16 or if the handle 18 does not block the bore 16. Advantageously the design of the handle 18 is such that it protects the bore 16 whilst preventing an oxygen mask being placed over the patient's face. Further, the closed bores 12, 14, 16 could be constructed as open channels in the upper and/or lower surfaces of the gag 2. Also, the parts 6, 10 in Figure 11 could extend slightly away from each other instead of being parallel to each other as shown.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A mouth gag which is made of a foam material, has a recess for a patient's tongue and is so constructed that when it is in the mouth it is positioned between the upper and lower teeth, and the foam material being such that whilst it is compressible between the upper and lower teeth it is sufficiently rigid to prevent the teeth breaking if they are clenched together.

2. A mouth gag according to claim 1 having a substantially smooth surface.

3. A mouth gag according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the foam material is a polyethylene foam material.

4. A mouth gag according to any one of the preceding claims including an air passage.

5. A mouth gag according to claim 4 in which the air passage is a closed bore.

6. A mouth gag according to claim 4 in which the air passage is an open channel.

7. A mouth gag according to any one of the preceding claims including one or more separate saliva passages.

8. A mouth gag according to claim 7 in which the or each saliva passage is a closed bore.

9. A mouth gag according to claim 7 in which the or each saliva passage is an open channel.

10. A mouth gag according to any one of the preceding claims including a handle for facilitating the insertion and removal of the mouth gag.

11. A mouth gag substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. 26, 27 are slightly different. The mouth gag 2 shown in Figure 11 can be made in a die stamping operation, injection moulding or by twisting and glueing a strip of foam material. Because the part 8 of the gag 2 is so thin, the air passage or bore 16 can be omitted if desired. Alternatively, if the part 8 of the gag 2 is too flimsy, then reinforcing material 30, 32 can be employed but then it will probably be best to have the bore 16. Also, because the gag parts 6 and 10 are so thin, the saliva passages 12, 14 could be omitted. It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above have been given by way example only. Thus, for example, the shape of the recesses 4 can be varied further and the overall shape of the gag 2 can be curved to follow the general shape of a patient's teeth. For sterile conditions of use, the gags 2 could be sealed in plastics bags. The recess 20 could be omitted if there is no bore 16 or if the handle 18 does not block the bore 16. Advantageously the design of the handle 18 is such that it protects the bore 16 whilst preventing an oxygen mask being placed over the patient's face. Further, the closed bores 12, 14, 16 could be constructed as open channels in the upper and/or lower surfaces of the gag 2. Also, the parts 6, 10 in Figure 11 could extend slightly away from each other instead of being parallel to each other as shown. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A mouth gag which is made of a foam material, has a recess for a patient's tongue and is so constructed that when it is in the mouth it is positioned between the upper and lower teeth, and the foam material being such that whilst it is compressible between the upper and lower teeth it is sufficiently rigid to prevent the teeth breaking if they are clenched together.

2. A mouth gag according to claim 1 having a substantially smooth surface.

5. A mouth gag according to claim 4 in which the air passage is a closed bore.