GB2354952A - Hay fever guard - Google Patents

Abstract

The hay fever guard is a disposable device for preventing pollen spores and dust from passing through the nasal cavity to the sensitive areas at the back of the nose which create the reaction known as Hay Fever. The guard comprises a support frame made of flexible material comprising two cylindrical elements connected by a bridge. Each of the elements contains filter material eg of cloth or paper which preferably has perforation of between 0.3 and 0.75 microns in diameter. The filter material is held in place by a retaining clip. The filter material may be in the shape of a bag or pouch.

Description

1 2354952 The Hay Fever Guard.

The initial concept for this invention / device was conceived in August 1995 and is based on the knowledge and know how of the inventor, Adrian John Soper, assistant Forensic Pathologist, Freedom Fields Hospital, Plymouth from 1979 to 1983.

At the time of conception the total estimated populous of Great Britain suffering from Hay Fever was put at around 6 million and this figure has risen steadily through to a staggering 12 million in 1999.

The only effective controls on the effects to the sufferers is drug based and these drugs can cause Drowsiness and therefore periods of non operational function in areas such as Machine Tool operatives and Vehicle Driving.

The Hay Fever Guard itself contains no drugs and is of a disposable nature. Thereby effectively creating, for the first time, a continuous ability to maintain work time and driving capacity.

The main problems for sufferers of Hay Fever is the many reactions caused by the human ability to fight of intrusion of the body by the internal movement of "anti-bodies" which attack any foreign object inside the body structure.

It is the massing of these "anti-bodies" which create the reaction to expel pollen dust which has entered through the nasal cavity by inducing "sneezing" and "eye watering" to drive the foreign particles out of the body, in the case of "sneezing" at a speed up to 600 miles per hour.

Whilst in this syndrome, the sufferer can experience many major difficulties such as impaired breathing and vision. If attempting to eat at any time during a bout of fever they can experience severe exertion of effort in just simple tasks like breathing and swallowing, a normal joint operation managed well by the body's systems, but in sufferers it can take up to 2 hours to eat a soft sandwich.

The use of drugs, normally of the Anti Histamine variety, suppress the effect of the body's defences to prevent this reaction being too violent and thereby reducing the effects of the pollen dust, however, in severe cases the use of drugs can reduce the body's normal responses and allow the fever to reach a climax whilst the sufferer is sedated, hence the drowsiness.

This product works on the principal of prevention rather than cure and the best way to prevent the fever (reaction) is to block the contact potential of the pollen dust in the first place.

The Hay Fever Guard is such an item, being of a soft, flexible, plastic construction, the outer frame is sized the fit inside the nostril where it supports the integral filter made up of a mesh material small enough to trap the tiniest particle of pollen or other dust but large enough not to inhibit normal breathing actions.

(see dia-gram I a 2- This filter material sits behind the frame and allows any pollen dust to enter in normal breathing action but prevents this dust from coming into contact with the sensitive, sinus area at the rear of the nasal cavity. Thus preventing the reaction and the massing of anti bodies, thereby avoiding the ultimate effects.

This device can be replaced by the user as often as required during the Hay Fever Season and once used can be discarded into normal refuse containers.

The season for pollen dust usually begins in late March or early April with Grass pollen and continues into late July early August. This sixmonth spell is constant every year and the effects on sufferers increases personally as well as the number of victims increases dramatically each year.

It is considered necessary for there to be various sizes available for infants, adolescents and adults.

The product in general is environmentally agreeable, as the frame should be made from Polyethylene Terephthlate, a totally recyclable plastic and the filter pouch should be of a lint or linen type material.

This product will assist at least 12 million sufferers of Hay fever as well as several million Asthmatics and Emphysema patients throughout the pollen season and all year round in some domestic situations in the United Kingdom alone.

Worldwide figures are not available at this time.

(See Comparison Chart ta) HAY FEVER GUARD This invention relates to a device for the improvement to the prevention of the effects caused by the particles of Dust and pollen in the air to persons suffering from allergic reactions. More particularly, the direct reaction between the body's own defence system (anti-bodies) and the invading particles.

This reaction has many names and is caused by various natural items such as Hay Fever Grass Pollen - Pollen Grains Pollen Dust - Pollen Spores Asthma Household Dust - Dust Mites Air Pollution Emphysema Dust - Air Pollution The reaction of the body when these items invade the Nasal Cavity through the nostril is to repel them from the area of contact by creating the body to either sneeze or cough, both being violent actions which can expel the item at speeds upto 600 miles per hour, as this can effect the area ol the eyes and sinuses the body also induces the sufferer to cry, this can also expel any dust, this reaction is known as the fever.

In the case of Asthma the body can induce excessive production of mucus in the Lungs and Bronchial tubes to act as a barrier but this extra fluid causes an effect which prevents normal breathing patterns.

Emphysema is a disease caused by the inhalation of dust, usually from a career in coal or sub surface mining and the body creates excessive mucus against the intrusion of addition dust or pollution causing irregular breathing patterns.

The current invention relates to a disposable barrier type filter which is places into the nostril areas of the nose and which prevents through filtration a reduce amount of the invading particles from entering the sensitive are at the back of the nose known as the Nasal Cavity where sensory nerves trigger off the body's defences once intrusion is detected.

The filtration device is made of two sections of soft plasticised material which can be of any of the Polymeric Genre or Silicone and which are joined in the centre area by a bridging strip which is designed to prevent accidental inhalation of the device. This frame retains the filtration material which can be derived from paper, cloth or any other filtering quality material which is shaped so as to form a sack like pouch inside the nostril. This pouch during the course of normal breathing will trap any particles of Pollen or Dust and prevent these particles from entering the nasal cavity. This device can be worn for as short a period as required by the user and can be disposed of in the normal methods when used.

Accordingly, unlike existing methods of Hay Fever Control the current invention has no drug content and therefore has a benefit over all other methods.

Advantages in Medical Technologies by this invention can be derived for filtration in other areas such as Air Conditioning, Domestic Air Pollution and Vehicular Airflow in the Passenger Compartment.

Preferably, the housing frame will be manufactured from Polyethylene Terephthlate a clear substrate which is firm enough to support the filter system and to retain it in the correct position. This material can be produced in sheet form by extrusion to a thickness of not greater than 1 mm or injection moulded into the desired shape from liquid / chip PET.

If extruded then the frame can be CNC routed or punched out into the desired shape.

In either case the frame is produced in two parts, the outer support frame and the inner filter retainer clip.

These two component parts slot together easily to form the frame to include the filter material.

The filter material should be of a fine mesh like structure which should have perforations of not greater than.35 micron and not less than.75 micron as this will enable the entrapment of even the smallest particle of dust but will not impede the normal breathing methods or cause any reduction of air flow.

This invention is currently designed only to be a temporary solution to these illnesses and the device should be replaced by the user at regular intervals and should certainly not be used for prolonged periods over 4 hours in a High Pollution or Pollen Risk period.

By preventing these causes from reaching the Nasal Cavity by filtration the main target can be achieved.

The Filter must be a perforated cloth type material with sufficient allowance for air flow so as not to impede normal breathing but capable of trapping the smallest of the causes.

This will need to be between.75 and.3 of a micron in mesh form.. To enhance the effect it can be made from Electro-static material such as used on high quality vacuum systems.

Description:

A Non Visual, temporary, disposable Nose Plug consisting of 2 filters @ per nostril) and joined at the centre by a restraining bar to prevent ftd] inhalation of the filter.

Desicin:

4 styles and sizes will be required to suit the variety of Human noses.

Baby Infant Young Adult - Older Adult

Claims (14)

CLAIMS 5

1. Hay Fever Guard is a disposable filtration system designed to prevent pollen spores and dust from reaching the sensative areas behind the nasal cavaties.

2. Hay Fever Guard as claimed in Claim I includes the supportive frame made from a soft plastic material in a cylindrical design to include two circular nasal insert elements and a central securing bar joining them which is located at the nasal bridge.

3. Hay Fever Guard as claimed in Claim I includes the supportive frame made from a silicone based material in a cylindrical design to include two circular nasal insert elements and a central securing bar joining them which is located at the nasal bridge.

4. Hay Fever Guard as claimed in Claim 1 includes the supportive frame made from a carbon based material in a cylindrical design to include two circular nasal insert elements and a central securing bar joining them which is located at the nasal bridge.

5. Hay Fever Guard as claimed in Claim I includes the supportive frame made from a cellulose based material in a cylindrical design to include two circular nasal insert elements and a central securing bar joining them which is located at the nasal bridge.

6. Hay Fever Guard as claimed in Claim I includes the supportive frame made from any other material not listed in claims I to 6 in a cylindrical design to include two circular nasal insert elements and a central securing bar joining them which is located at the nasal bridge.

7. Hay Fever Guard as claimed in Claim 1 includes a filtration system made from a single piece of material which is held securely into the frame as in claim 1 which will collect and hold any foreign body and prevent contact with the inner nasal cavity, the perforations should be between 0.3 and 0. 75 of a micron in diameter.

8. Hay Fever Guard as claimed in Claim I includes a filtration system made from a double layered piece of material which is held securely into the frame as in claim l which will collect and hold any foreign body and prevent contact with the inner nasal cavity, the perforations should be between 0. 3 and 0.75 of a micron in diameter.

9. Hay Fever Guard as claimed in Claim I includes a filtration system made from a triple layered piece of material which is held securely into the frame as in claim I which will collect and hold any foreign body and prevent contact with the inner nasal cavity, the perforations should be between 0. 3 and 0.75 of a micron in diameter.

Cont'd..........................

Cont'd...................

10. Hay Fever Guard as claimed in Claim 1 includes a filtration system made from a piece of material of any ply not mentioned in claims 7 to 9 which is held securely into the frame as in claim I which will collect and hold any foreign body and prevent contact with the inner nasal cavity, the perforations should be between 0.3 and 0.75 of a micron in diameter.

11. The material as in claims 7 to 10 is made from cloth, paper, linen, flax, silicone or can be made from any combination of these materials or from any other material not listed within these claims.

12. Hay Fever Guard substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

13. Hay Fever Guard as claimed in claim I is a fully disposable device which may be fitted and used by the user for any duration of time.

14. Hay Fever Guard as claimed in claim I can be injection moulded in any colour but preferably flesh tones but can be to a fashionable design.