WO2016078836A1

WO2016078836A1 - Pharyngeal-muscle- and palatal-muscle-building device

Info

Publication number: WO2016078836A1
Application number: PCT/EP2015/073773
Authority: WO
Inventors: Heike Henkel
Original assignee: Heike Henkel
Priority date: 2014-11-20
Filing date: 2015-10-14
Publication date: 2016-05-26

Abstract

The invention relates to a pharyngeal-muscle- and palatal-muscle-building device, which is designed as a rail for fastening to the upper-jaw dental arch and which is arranged and designed to be tangent to the palatal arches in the region of the plica semilunaris in the resting position and to touch the plica semilunaris during swallowing in such a way that the palatal arches are mechanically hindered. Said device trains the musculature of the pharynx and palate in such a way that the vibration of the palate, including the uvula, that typically occurs during snoring, can be avoided and the snoring noise does not occur.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for the treatment of sleep disorders, in particular for the therapy of snoring, wherein the device is designed as a rail for attachment to the maxillary dental ring.

About 30 million people in Germany snore while sleeping (Schwarting 2014). With increasing age, this proportion increases to 60% of men and 40% of women (www.docsnorenix.de). Thus, this disease is a real common disease. The cause of snoring is a relaxation of the musculature of the palate and the pharyngeal tracts (Dursteier 2012). This relaxation leads to a vibration of the soft palate. What causes the snoring noise. In addition, the free cross-section of the oropharyngeal airway decreases, creating a respiratory disorder referred to as Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS); such breathing pauses can occur up to 600 times per night (Schwarting 2014). The treatment of mild to moderate OSAS often begins with the use of teeth-supported splints that move the mandible rostrally (forward). These rails are called lower jaw protusion rails (UPS). They lead by the mandibular advancement to an increase of the free oropharyngeal cross section. In modern sleep medicine, these "two-bar systems" are used as UPS, such as the DocSnoreNix® The basic technical concept is always the same The upper jaw splint provides anchoring and a hook in the anterior region (TAP splint) , with lateral fins (SomnoDent splint) or external telescopes located in the oral atrium (IST splint;

Schnarchhilfe by Dr. med. Hinz 2001), a force is generated on the second, the lower jaw rail, so that the lower jaw by about 5-10 mm forward (rostral) pushed. According to Specht and Schmitt-Bylandt (in press), the disadvantage of these lower jaw protrusion splints (UPS) is the unpleasant wearing properties (large foreign body in the mouth) and the lack of flexibility (no adequate swallowing movements, restriction when speaking). In addition, the acceptance of these rails is reduced, as they are at night during the

Sleeping must be worn. This problem is solved with a device attached to the teeth of the upper jaw, which extends beyond the connecting line between the upper wisdom teeth (A-line). It leads to a mechanical obstruction of the palatal arches (lateral pharyngeal wall) during swallowing. This device can be made of plastic or a dental metal alloy or ceramic. The hard palate of the device can be free or covered.

In addition, the problem is solved by a method for the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OASAS) by an intraoral muscle building after mechanical stimulation of the plica semilunaris of the palate by a passive splint.

In other words, the problem is solved by a pharyngeal and palatal musculoskeletal device, wherein the device is designed as a rail for attachment to the maxillary dental artery and wherein the device is set up and designed to affect the palatal arches in the region of the plica semilunaris in rest position and during swallowing to touch the plica semilunaris under mechanical obstruction of the palatal arches. In other words, a device for the treatment of insomnia, especially snoring, is designed as a pharyngeal and musculoskeletal device, which is designed as a splint for attachment to the maxillary dental artery in such a way that it touches the palatal arches in the area of the plica semilunaris and during swallowing the plica semilunaris touched with mechanical obstruction of the palatal arches.

The device according to the invention is the first dental device for the treatment of "snoring", which is worn on only one jaw (upper jaw), making it the first single-rail system for treating snoring.The previous therapeutic approach (physical principle) aimed at the bone, ie the correction of

Lower jaw position.

The innovative approach of the invention is not aimed at the bone but at the pharyngeal musculature. It leads to a tightening of the tongue, the palate and the pharyngeal walls. The device according to the invention is fixed by simple clamping effect on the maxillary dental arch and touches the palatal arches in rest position in the area of the plica semilunaris (connection between the anterior and posterior palatal arch). In this case "touched" means that the device just touches the palatal arches in rest position, without any pressure being exerted on the palatal arches.On the act of swallowing, the throat narrows and the musculature spans at the rear and side edge of the device. The plica semilunaris touches the device, resulting in an isometric contracture of the palatal arches

Muscle development in the area of the throat and the palate. In contrast to "touched" means "touched" a stronger impact of the device on the palatal arches. By this contact, the isometric contracture or contraction is possible, which causes a change in the voltage in the muscle. Indirectly the tongue basic musculature is influenced positively, in the sense of a tone increase. The plica seminlunaris connects the anterior palate arch (arcus palatoglossus), which radiates into the base of the tongue, with the posterior palate arch (arcus palatopharyngeus), which radiates into the lateral pharyngeal wall (middle and lower pharyngeal gland). In addition, the plica semilunaris has contact with the palate muscle (M. levator et tensor veli palatinae), which leak in the uvulae (uvula). This will help build muscle in the snoring structures. This muscle buildup leads to increased muscle tension (increase in tone). This avoids vibration of the palate, including suppositories or the pharyngeal soft tissue, and the snoring sound stops.

In addition, the tongue position improves and the lateral and posterior walls of the pharynx expand. This enlarges the free oropharyngeal space and the dangerous Obstructive Snoring Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is treated.

The wearing comfort is greater than with the conventional two-rail systems, because the presented device is worn only during the day, ie it is sufficient if the device is worn only during the day. It is also sufficient if the device is worn for 30 minutes a day. The wearing time can be distributed in two to three sections over 2 x 1 5 or 3 x 1 0 minutes. It is the only dental device for the treatment of snoring, which is not worn at night, ie must be worn while sleeping. Another advantage is the lack of obstruction of the movement of the lower jaw, since the device is attached only to the maxillary teeth. The present invention is interesting for companies working in the therapy of sleep disorders, ie for the manufacturers of "Scharch rails" (TAP, IST rails).

Example for carrying out (producing) this invention

The invention is relatively easy to implement. It can be executed analog or digital.

Analogous production:

1 . Immediate impression or scanning of the upper jaw, including the dental arch, hard and soft palate

2. Creation of an anatomical model of the upper jaw (dental arch, hard palate, soft palate)

3. Production of the rail in thermoforming film process; while the entire sprocket is to be detected, so that a sufficient retention of the rail is produced on the upper jaw; The splint extends between the alveolar ridges (tooth line) on both sides towards the distal, towards the soft palate, so that the palatal arches of both sides are touched at rest.

4. Alternatively, the rail can also be milled.

5. Alternatively, the rail can be manufactured by injection molding. Digital production:

1 . Scanning of the upper jaw, including the dental arch, hard and soft palate

2. Milling the rail, while the entire sprocket should be detected, so that a sufficient retention of the rail is produced on the upper jaw; the splint extends between the alveolar ridges (tooth line) on both sides to the distal, towards the soft palate, so that the palatal arches are touched on both sides at rest.

Schematically, the present invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein

Fig. 1 is a commercial prosthesis and Fig. 2 shows an inventive muscle building apparatus.

Fig. 1 shows a commercially available prosthesis 10 for use in the upper jaw. With such prostheses, care is taken to ensure that the prosthesis does not protrude beyond the so-called A-line. The A-line is the connecting line of the upper wisdom line, i. the connecting line of the posterior border of the upper wisdom teeth or, in other words, the imaginary connection of the posterior end of the posterior teeth in the upper jaw. Going beyond this line is avoided, otherwise it may cause the prosthesis to provoke gagging, resulting in a lack of acceptance of the prosthesis. 2 shows an inventive pharyngeal and palatal muscle building device 1.

This device has an extension that extends beyond the A-line when inserted in the upper jaw, in such a way that in rest position it touches the palatal arches in the area of the plica semilunaris, i. just touched and touched while swallowing the Plica semilunaris under mechanical disability of the palatal arches so that an isometric contracture of the palatal arches takes place, whereby a muscle structure is achieved. The muscle-building device 1 usually extends between 1 and 2 cm beyond the A-line. The exact dimensions are to be determined by adaptation, so that according to the invention it is achieved that, in the rest position, there is a tangling of the palatal arches in the area of the plica semilunaris, while, on swallowing, an isometric contracture of the palatal arches is achieved. At the same time it should be avoided that a gagging is caused.

Claims

claims

1 . Throat and palatal musculoskeletal device, the device as a rail for

Attachment to the upper sprocket is formed

and wherein the device is set up and designed to affect the palatal arches in the area of the plica semilunaris at rest and to touch the plica semilunaris during mechanical swallowing of the palatal arches during swallowing.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it covers the entire

Sprocket captured.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is set up and formed in the state attached to the teeth between the

Alveolar spines on both sides to extend distally.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it covers the hard palate when mounted on the teeth state.

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it leaves the hard palate in the attached state to the teeth.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the device is designed as a rail for attachment to the upper jaw and lower jaw toothed ring.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it consists of at least one of the materials plastic, dental metal alloy and ceramic.

8. Application of the device according to one of claims 1 to 7 for the treatment of sleep disorders.

9. Application according to claim 8 for the therapy of snoring.

10. Use according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the application is made daily for 30 minutes.