JP2018183367A - Snoring suppression device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a snoring suppression device in which a tongue being a main element of blocking up an upper respiratory tract is lifted upward, and an unnecessary effect is not brought while occurrence of snoring can be suppressed or prevented more reliably.SOLUTION: A snoring suppression device 1 is constituted of a guiding base 2 U-shaped in a plan view conformed in dentition of an upper jaw and a lower jaw; an outer circumferential guide wall 3 projecting above and below of an outer circumferential edge of the guiding base 2; an inner circumferential guide wall 4 projecting above and below of an inner circumferential edge of the guiding base 2; and a tongue support flange 5 U-shaped in the plan view, having a curved object imitated to an outer face of a bottom half of the tongue forward from a tongue base, continuously extending to the inner circumferential guide wall 4 projecting under the inner circumferential edge of the guiding base 2, and coming around below a tongue.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a mouthpiece-type snoring suppression tool to be mounted in the oral cavity.

  Patent Document 1 is a substantially horseshoe shape having an upper groove portion that engages with a maxillary dentition (maxillary dentition) and a lower groove portion that engages with a lower dentition (mandibular dentition). A snoring suppression device (dental mouthpiece) provided with a tongue retaining recess on an inner peripheral wall (inner wall) of a concave groove portion is disclosed (Patent Document 1, [Claim 1]). The snoring suppression tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a belt-like palate holder that connects the bowl-shaped walls that form upper concave grooves of the left and right molar portions in the upper dentition (Patent Document 1 [Claim 3]). Moreover, the snoring suppression tool which patent document 1 discloses is comprised from the thermoplastic resin (resin) whose softening point is 40 degreeC or more and 100 degrees C or less (patent document 1 and [Claim 4]).

  When the user wears the snoring suppression tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 in the oral cavity during sleep, the tongue holding recess holds the tongue so that the tongue moves downward or deep in the oral cavity during sleep. And the upper airway is secured (Patent Document 1, [0008]). The belt-like palate holder is maintained with the upper airway widened by pushing up the soft palate, and stably holds the snoring suppression device in the oral cavity (Patent Document 1 [0031]). The snoring suppression tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 is made of a thermoplastic resin having a softening point of 40 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower, so that it can be deformed into a shape suitable for a user's oral shape in a softened state (Patent Document). 1 [0037]).

  Patent Document 2 has a substantially U-shaped flat surface and a substantially U-shaped cross-section that fits on the upper dentition, and is slanted downward and rearward from the front portion of the fit body, with the lower jaw and the tongue in front A snoring suppressor (snoring and sleep apnea syndrome treatment device) composed of a tongue-shaped guide plate that maintains an orientation posture is disclosed (Patent Document 2, [Claim 1]). The snoring suppression tool disclosed in Patent Document 2 prevents the tongue base and soft palate from blocking the upper airway by maintaining the lower jaw and tongue in a forward orientation with the guide plate (Patent Document 2 [0011]). The guide plate is made of a thermoplastic resin, and corresponds to the user's oral cavity by adding or deleting the thermoplastic resin (Patent Document 2, [0010] [0013]).

  Patent Document 3 is composed of an upper dentition insertion part, a lower dentition insertion part, and a tongue presser piece, which are integrally formed of an elastic soft plastic, and has a slit formed at the center of the tongue presser piece. A device (mouthpiece type snoring or sleep apnea prevention device) is disclosed (Patent Document 3, [Claim 1]). In the snoring suppression tool disclosed in Patent Document 3, the tongue pressing piece is separated from the tongue in a state of wearing in the oral cavity, but when the tongue that is about to fall into the upper airway comes into contact with the tongue pressing piece, it is returned to its original state by reflection. Since it returns, the snoring which generate | occur | produces when a tongue obstruct | occludes an upper airway is prevented (patent document 3 [0016] [0017]).

JP 2003-275311 A JP 2005-095218 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-133016

  The snoring suppression tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 is excellent in that a soft palate, which is one of the elements that block the upper airway, is lifted by a belt-like palate holder, or is made of a thermoplastic resin in order to improve wearability. However, the main element that blocks the upper airway is the tongue, and it is necessary to hold the tongue in a stable and reliable manner. In this regard, the tongue restraining means of the snoring suppression tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 is such that the tongue is held in position by engaging the periphery of the tongue with a tongue holding recess. With such a tongue holding structure, the tongue is stably and reliably attached. The position cannot be maintained. From this, it is considered that the snoring suppression tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot sufficiently suppress or prevent the occurrence of snoring.

  The snoring suppression tool disclosed in Patent Document 2 prevents the tongue base and soft palate from blocking the upper airway by maintaining the lower jaw and tongue in a forward orientation with the guide plate. This also corrects the lower jaw forward relative to the upper jaw, which is not preferable when correction is not desired. Further, since the tongue comes into contact with the guide plate from the front, the function of the guide plate to guide the tongue in the forward direction is limited, and it is difficult to guide the tongue in the forward direction to the extent that the upper airway is not blocked. From this, it is considered that the snoring suppression tool disclosed in Patent Document 2 cannot sufficiently suppress or prevent the occurrence of snoring.

  The snoring suppression tool disclosed in Patent Document 3 returns to its original state by reflection when the tongue that is about to fall into the upper airway comes into contact with the tongue presser piece, so that the snoring that occurs when the tongue blocks the upper airway is prevented. . However, the tongue does not always return to the original state by contacting the tongue pressing piece. Further, if the tongue moves backward without contacting the tongue holding piece, the upper airway is eventually blocked by the tongue. From this, it is considered that the snoring suppression tool disclosed in Patent Document 3 cannot sufficiently suppress or prevent the occurrence of snoring.

  Thus, although the snoring suppression tool which patent document 1-patent document 3 discloses is recognized that each has the effect | action which suppresses or prevents generation | occurrence | production of a snoring, it was not enough. Moreover, the snoring suppression tool which patent document 2 discloses also had the unwanted effect which corrects the lower jaw, and was not able to suppress or prevent only a snoring. Therefore, in the mouthpiece type snoring restraint device to be installed in the oral cavity, the tongue that is the main element that closes the upper airway can be lifted upwards to prevent or prevent the occurrence of snoring more reliably, but the structure that does not bring about unnecessary effects Was examined.

  What has been developed as a result of the examination is a U-shaped guide base in plan view along the upper and lower dentitions, an outer peripheral guide wall protruding above and below the outer peripheral edge of the guide base, and an inner peripheral edge of the guide base. An inner peripheral guide wall projecting up and down, and a curved body following the outer surface of the lower half of the front tongue from the tongue base, and continuously extending to the inner peripheral guide wall projecting below the inner peripheral edge of the guide base It is composed of a U-shaped tongue support flange that wraps around in a plan view, and is mounted in a state where the guide base is sandwiched between the upper and lower dentitions whose front and rear and left and right movements are restricted by the outer peripheral guide wall and the inner peripheral guide wall, A tongue restraining tool characterized in that the tongue support flange lifts the front tongue upward from the tongue base.

  The guide base, the outer peripheral guide wall, and the inner peripheral guide wall prevent displacement of the tongue support flange. The guide base is sandwiched between the upper and lower dentitions and is regulated in the vertical direction in the oral cavity to prevent the tongue support flange from shifting in the vertical direction. The outer peripheral guide wall and the inner peripheral guide wall are paired so as to sandwich the upper and lower jaw dentitions. Regulate the direction and prevent the tongue support flange from shifting in the left-right direction. The outer peripheral guide wall and the inner peripheral guide wall need only come into contact with the upper and lower jaw teeth when the tongue support flange starts to shift in the left-right direction, and may be separated from the teeth in a normal state.

  The outer peripheral guide wall is sandwiched between the upper and lower jaw dentitions and the gingiva and the cheek, and specifies the posture and position of the squeeze suppressing tool in the oral cavity. A preferred outer peripheral guide wall has an outer edge that follows the gingival cheek transition part while avoiding the upper lip and lower lip band, and has an arcuate section that is inwardly convex following the sectional shape connecting the upper and lower gingival cheek transition parts. As mentioned above, the upper and lower dentitions and the gums and cheeks may be sandwiched closely. In addition, the outer peripheral guide wall and the inner peripheral guide wall may be formed with a step corresponding to the boundary between the dentition and the gingiva on the inner surface facing the dentition (the surfaces facing the outer peripheral guide wall and the inner peripheral guide wall).

  The snoring suppression device of the present invention, when mounted in the oral cavity, causes a tongue support flange, which is a curved body that follows the outer surface of the lower half of the front tongue from the tongue base, to wrap around the tongue, and the front tongue from the tongue base. Lift up. At this time, since the tongue support flange reaches the tongue base, the tongue can be reliably lifted. The guide base, the outer peripheral guide wall, and the inner peripheral guide wall prevent the tongue support flange from being displaced, so that the lifting of the tongue by the tongue support flange is stably maintained. Thus, the snoring suppression device of the present invention completely eliminates the possibility that the tongue may block the upper airway, and suppresses or prevents the occurrence of snoring.

  The configuration and size of the guide base, the outer peripheral guide wall, and the inner peripheral guide wall are not limited as long as the positional deviation of the tongue support flange can be prevented. However, the guide base is U-shaped in plan view with both ends extending to at least the left and right second molars, and the tongue support flange extends continuously from the entire inner peripheral edge of the guide base to the inner peripheral guide wall. The configuration is preferable. When the inner peripheral guide wall protrudes downward from the entire inner peripheral edge of the U-shaped guide base in plan view with both ends extending to the left and right second molars, the tongue support flange connected to the inner peripheral guide wall is also Around the second root around the tongue.

  The outer peripheral guide wall may be separated from the dentition so as not to forcefully correct the maxillary and mandibular dentitions, but if the gap with the dentition is too large, the position of the tongue support flange in the longitudinal or lateral direction Incurs a gap. From this, the outer peripheral guide wall extends along the guide base and is provided with an upper support strip on the inner surface that contacts the front teeth of the upper jaw from the outside, or extends downward along the guide base and contacts the front teeth of the lower jaw from the outside. It is good to provide a strip on the inner surface. The upper support strip or the lower support strip contacts the upper jaw or the lower jaw dentition at a minimum instead of the inner surface of the outer peripheral guide wall.

  The snoring suppression tool can be configured by assembling a separate guide base, outer peripheral guide wall, inner peripheral guide wall and tongue support flange, but the guide base, outer peripheral guide wall, inner peripheral guide wall and tongue support flange are provided with elasticity. It is desirable to be constructed as an integrally molded product of resin. In this case, when the guide base, the outer peripheral guide wall, the inner peripheral guide wall, and the tongue support flange are integrally formed of a thermoplastic resin (for example, ethylene vinyl oxalate copolymer) having a Vicat softening temperature of 40 ° C. to 75 ° C. The guide base, outer peripheral guide wall, inner peripheral guide wall, and tongue support flange can be shaped following the user's oral cavity.

  The snoring suppression tool of the present invention lifts the tongue, which is the main element blocking the upper airway, by causing the tongue support flange fixed by the guide base, the outer peripheral guide wall and the inner peripheral guide wall to wrap around the lower part of the tongue. To suppress or prevent the occurrence of snoring. The tongue support flange simply lifts the tongue upward, and neither the outer peripheral guide wall nor the inner peripheral guide wall imposes a load on the upper and lower jaw teeth, so there is no unnecessary effect such as correction of the teeth. Thus, the snoring suppression tool of the present invention reliably exhibits only the effect of suppressing or preventing the occurrence of snoring.

  The tongue support flange continuously extending to the inner peripheral guide wall projecting downward from the entire inner peripheral edge of the guide base having a U-shape in plan view that extends at least to the left and right second molars, has both ends at least second left and right. It has a U-shaped size on the molars and in a plan view, and the whole is stably supported by the guide base. Thus, the tongue support flange that wraps around the tongue base from the vicinity of the left and right second molars reliably and stably lifts the front tongue upward from the tongue base. Thereby, an upper airway opens reliably and stably, and the effect which suppresses or prevents the generation | occurrence | production of a snoring comes to be acquired better.

  The upper support strip or the lower support strip provided on the inner surface of the outer peripheral guide wall is in contact with the dentitions of the upper jaw and the lower jaw at a minimum instead of the inner surface of the outer peripheral guide wall. Accordingly, the upper support strip or the lower support strip allows the gap between the inner surface and the dentition of the outer peripheral guide wall to avoid the problem of correcting the dentition of the upper jaw or the lower jaw by contacting the inner surface of the outer peripheral guide wall in a wide range. This eliminates the possibility of positional deviation of the tongue support flange due to the movement of the outer peripheral guide wall. This means that the tongue support flange is prevented from shifting in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction, and the tongue support flange has an effect of lifting the tongue stably.

It is the perspective view which looked at an example of the snoring suppression tool to which this invention was applied from the front side. It is the perspective view which looked at the snoring suppression tool of this example from the back side. It is a front view of the snoring suppression tool of this example. It is a right view of the snoring suppression tool of this example. It is a top view of the snoring suppression tool of this example. It is a bottom view of the snoring suppression tool of this example. It is a rear view of the snoring suppression tool of this example. It is AA sectional drawing in FIG. It is BB sectional drawing in FIG. It is sectional drawing showing the inside of the oral cavity of a person scratching a snoring. It is sectional drawing showing the intraoral area of the state which mounted | wore with the snoring suppression tool. It is a top view showing the intraoral state of the state which mounted | wore with the snoring suppression tool. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 9 illustrating the inside of the oral cavity in a state where the snoring suppressor is mounted.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The snoring suppression tool 1 of this invention is a mouthpiece type | mold mounted | worn in an oral cavity, as FIG. The snoring suppression tool of this example includes a U-shaped guide base 2 in a plan view, an outer peripheral guide wall 3 protruding up and down the outer peripheral edge of the guide base 2, and an inner protrusion protruding up and down the inner peripheral edge of the guide base 2. This is a resin-integrated shaped article composed of a peripheral guide wall 4 and a tongue support flange 5 having a U-shape in a plan view that projects continuously from the inner peripheral guide wall 4. Here, when an ethylene vinyl oxalate copolymer having a Vicat softening temperature of around 40 ° C. is used as the resin material, the guide base 2, the outer peripheral guide wall 3, the inner peripheral guide wall 4, and the tongue support flange follow the user's oral cavity. 5 can be shaped.

  The guide base 2 is a U-shaped flat plate in plan view along the upper and lower dentitions 61 (the reference numerals in the oral cavity refer to FIGS. 11 to 13 described later. The same applies hereinafter). The thickness of the guide base 2 is not limited as long as it does not hinder the engagement of the upper and lower dentitions 61, and is preferably 1 mm to 3 mm, usually about 2 mm. Since the width of the guide base 2 (the distance between the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge) does not require orthodontic action, the width of the outer peripheral guide wall 3 protruding from the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge is set to be greater than the width of the upper and lower gingiva 611,621. The inner surface and the outer surface of the inner peripheral guide wall 4 are not actively brought into contact with the upper and lower dentitions 61 and 62 or the gingiva 611 and 621. The guide base 2 is sandwiched between upper and lower dentitions 61 and 62 and stabilized in the oral cavity, and the outer peripheral guide wall 3, the inner peripheral guide wall 4, and the tongue support flange 5 continuous to the inner peripheral guide wall 4. It functions as a support member.

  The guide base 2 of this example extends beyond the second molar teeth 613, 623 to the third molar teeth 614, 624, and is sandwiched between the third molar teeth 614, 624, thereby functioning as a support member in the vicinity of the tongue base 631. The tongue support flange 5 supported by the guide base 2 wraps around the tongue 631 from below the tongue 63 and reliably lifts the tongue 63 upward. The snoring suppression tool 1 of the present invention preferably has a structure in which the tongue support flange 5 is stably supported in the vicinity of the tongue base 631 in order to lift the tongue 63 and secure the upper airway 65. In this regard, in order to avoid the influence of the meshing of the third molars 614 and 624, the guide base 2 is compared with a mouthpiece type orthodontic apparatus in which the third molars 614 and 624 extend to the front of the second molars 613 and 623 at most. The difference is above.

  The outer peripheral guide wall 3 is a wall surface that protrudes up and down from the outer peripheral edge of the guide base 2. The wall surfaces protruding vertically may be continuous as in this example, or may be intermittent in the vertical direction. The wall surface may have a thickness that can be easily sandwiched between the upper and lower dentitions 61 and 62 and the gingiva 611 and 621 and the upper lip 612, the lower lip 622, and the cheek 66, and is 1 to 5 mm, preferably 2 to 4 mm. It only has to be within the range. The outer peripheral guide wall 3 of the present example has an outer edge that follows the gingival cheek transition portion while avoiding the upper lip and lower lip strips, and is convex inward following the cross-sectional shape connecting the upper and lower gingival cheek transition portions. It has a circular arc cross section. Further, the outer peripheral guide wall 3 of this example is provided with an upper support strip 31 and a lower support strip 32 extending in parallel with the guide base 2 on the inner side of the front surface of the wall surface projecting up and down. As a result, the upper and lower dentitions 61 and 62 or the gingiva 611 and 621 are in line contact with the upper support strip 31 or the lower support strip 32, and unnecessary orthodontic action due to surface contact with the inner surface of the outer peripheral guide wall 3 is suppressed. Or it can be prevented.

  The inner peripheral guide wall 4 is a wall surface that protrudes up and down from the inner peripheral edge of the guide base 2. The wall surfaces protruding vertically may be continuous as in this example, or may be intermittent in the vertical direction. The wall surface only needs to have a thickness that does not cause a sense of incompatibility when positioned between the upper and lower dentitions 61 and 62 and the gingiva 611 and 621 and the tongue 63, and is thinner than the wall surface of the outer peripheral guide wall 3. Preferably it is around 2 mm. Unlike the outer peripheral guide wall 3, the inner peripheral guide wall 4 of this example is a simple outer edge because it is not necessary to avoid the upper lip and lower lip zonules or to follow the gingival cheek transition portion. Further, the inner peripheral guide wall 4 of the present example has an outwardly convex cross-sectional arc shape because it encloses the tongue 63 lifted by the tongue support flange 5 and deformed into a circular cross section, and the wall surface protruding downward remains as it is. A curved surface 51 of the tongue support flange 5 is formed continuously.

  The outer peripheral guide wall 3 and the inner peripheral guide wall 4 come into contact with the upper and lower dentitions 61 and 62 or the gingiva 611 and 621 from the inside and outside when the guide base 2 tends to shift in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. It has a function of preventing misalignment so as not to deviate in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. Further, the outer peripheral guide wall 3 is sandwiched between the upper and lower dentitions 61 and 62 and the gingiva 611 and 621 and the upper lip 612, the lower lip 622, and the cheek 66 (see FIG. 13 described later). 1 has the function of specifying the posture and position. For this reason, the inner wall of the outer peripheral guide wall 3 of the present example is designed so that the inner and lower jaw teeth 61, 62 and gingiva 611, 621 and the upper lip 612, the lower lip 622, and the cheek 66 fit comfortably. The cross-sectional shape is convex in the direction.

  The tongue support flange 5 is curved in a horizontal direction continuously from the wall surface projecting downward from the inner peripheral guide wall 4, and is a U-shaped curved surface in plan view that follows the outer surface of the lower half of the front tongue 53 from the tongue base 631. Consists of 51. The curved surface 51 of the present example is a flange having a curved surface with an arcuate cross section, provided with a tongue band slit 52 from the inner peripheral edge to the front, and avoiding interference with the tongue band of the tongue 63 as much as possible. It goes around the whole area. The thickness of the flange may be as long as it does not cause elastic deformation due to the weight of the tongue 63, and may be within a range of 1 mm to 4 mm, preferably 2 mm to 3 mm. Since the tongue support flange 5 is located below the tongue 63 rather than physically lifting the tongue 63 so that the tongue 63 is lifted in an attempt to avoid it, a curved body that wraps around the wide area of the tongue 63 as much as possible. It is better to consist of 51.

  The wearing state of the snoring suppression tool 1 of this example is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 10 (for convenience of illustration, the upper and lower dentitions 61 and 62 are front teeth only), the user 6 rubs back and lowers and the back of the palate 64 ( The upper airway 65 is blocked with the soft palate) and the tongue 63. From this, in order to suppress the snoring, the state where the upper airway 65 is blocked may be eliminated by lifting the back (soft palate) of the palate 64 or moving the tongue 63 forward or upward. Here, in order to lift the back of the palate 64 (soft palate), something must come into contact with the back of the palate 64 (soft palate). However, lifting the back of the palate 64 (soft palate) unnecessarily closes the nasal cavity, which is not preferable. Therefore, the snoring suppression tool 1 according to the present invention lifts the tongue 63.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the snoring suppression tool 1 of this example sandwiches the guide base 2 up and down with upper and lower teeth 61 and 62, and places the outer peripheral guide wall 3 into the upper and lower teeth. 61, 62 and gingiva 611, 621 and upper lip 612, lower lip 622, and cheek 66, and the inner peripheral guide wall 4 is attached to the oral cavity along with the upper and lower dentitions 61, 62 to support the tongue. The flange 5 is turned from the vicinity of the tongue base 631 to below the tongue 63. Thus, the tongue 63 is lifted to a position close to the palate 64 by trying to avoid the tongue support flange 5 below as a foreign object. As a result, a gap is formed between the back of the palate 64 (soft palate) and the tongue 63, and the upper airway 65 is secured.

  Since the guide base 2 is U-shaped in plan view extending beyond the second molars 613, 614 to the third molars 614, 624, the guide base 2 is sandwiched between the entire upper and lower dentitions 61, 62 and fixed in position (see FIG. 12). Further, the outer peripheral guide wall 3 is sandwiched between the upper and lower dentitions 61 and 62 and the gingiva 611 and 621 and the upper lip 612, the lower lip 622, and the cheek 66 and fixed in position (see FIG. 13). In this way, the guide base 2 and the outer peripheral guide wall 3 connected to the tongue support flange 5 are both fixed in position, so that even when the user 6 is sleeping, the tongue support flange 5 is stably provided on the tongue 63. The tongue 63 can be lifted by turning downward.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Snork restraint tool 2 Guide base 3 Outer periphery guide wall
31 Upper support
32 Lower support strip 4 Inner peripheral guide wall 5 Tongue support flange
51 Curved body
52 Slit for tongue band 6 User
61 Maxillary dentition
611 Maxillary gingiva
612 Upper Lip
613 Second molar
614 Third molar
62 Lower jaw dentition
621 Mandibular gingiva
622 Lower Lip
623 Second molar
624 Third molar
63 tongue
631 Tongue base
64 palate
65 upper respiratory tract
66 cheek

Claims (4)

A planar U-shaped guide base along the upper and lower dentitions;
An outer peripheral guide wall projecting up and down the outer peripheral edge of the guide base;
An inner peripheral guide wall protruding above and below an inner peripheral edge of the guide base;
A U-shaped tongue in a plan view, which is a curved body that follows the outer surface of the lower half of the front tongue from the tongue base, continuously extends to the inner peripheral guide wall protruding below the inner peripheral edge of the guide base, and goes around the lower portion of the tongue It consists of a support flange and
The tongue support flange lifts the front tongue upward from the tongue base in a mounted state in which the guide base is sandwiched between the upper and lower dentitions, the movement of which is controlled by the outer and inner guide walls. Snoring suppression tool The guide base has a U-shape in plan view that covers at least the left and right second molars at both ends.
The snoring suppression tool according to claim 1, wherein the tongue support flange extends continuously from an inner peripheral guide wall protruding downward from the entire inner peripheral edge of the guide base. 3. The snoring suppression device according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral guide wall extends along the guide base, and an upper support strip is provided on the inner surface to contact the front teeth of the upper jaw from the outside. 4. The snoring suppression device according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral guide wall is provided with a lower support strip extending along the guide base and coming into contact with the front tooth portion of the lower jaw from the outside.

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