WO2022050909A1

WO2022050909A1 - Intraoral appliance preventing sleep apnea with electronic and mechanical components

Info

Publication number: WO2022050909A1
Application number: PCT/TR2020/050792
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gürhan BORAN
Original assignee: Boran Guerhan
Priority date: 2020-09-01
Filing date: 2020-09-01
Publication date: 2022-03-10

Abstract

The present invention relates to an intraoral appliance with electronic and mechanical components preventing sleep apnea in which it is aimed to detect, follow up and if possible reduce or eliminate the snoring and sleep apnea with the appliance consisting of mechanical and electronic components which is made for preventing or eliminating the difficulty of the individuals in breathing depending on many factors (age, weight etc.) during sleep.

Description

INTRAORAL APPLIANCE PREVENTING SLEEP APNEA WITH ELECTRONIC

AND MECHANICAL COMPONENTS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an intraoral appliance with electronic and mechanical components preventing sleep apnea in which it is aimed to detect, follow up and if possible reduce or eliminate snoring and sleep apnea together with this appliance consisting of mechanical and electronic components that is made for preventing or eliminating the difficulty of the individuals in breathing depending on many factors (age, weight etc.) during sleep.

STATE OF THE ART

Human are in a continuous development process so as to meet their various requirements from the past to today since they have been on earth. One of the main requirements in this development process is to protect human health and provide a comfortable and healthy life. People may encounter health problems which affect their life comforts due to many reasons (genetic, environmental, physical etc.) and they search for methods so as to eliminate these problems.

Among these health problems, there is the apnea which is an important disease based on pause of breathing during sleep and leads to an irregular sleeping pattern. Sleep apnea can be described as the pause of air flow during at least 20 seconds and its decrease to 20% and less.

According to the declaration of the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of cases based on the apnea has reached to 1 billion by increasing 10 times more than expected. (Nearly 1 billion people Worldwide have sleep apnea, International sleep experts estimate obstructive sleep apnea regional May 22 2018) 22 million patients with sleep apnea have been determined in USA. The conditions of 12 million cases consist of critical patients. (www.sleepapnea.org/learn/sleep-apnea-information-clinicians)

Sleep apnea can affect the human life comfort and health in the following direction negatively;

• Loud snoring,

• Respiratory arrest attacks during sleep that are witnessed by another person

• Sudden awakenings from sleep

• Dryness of the mouth or sore throat when waking up in the morning

• Suffering from insomnia

• Dryness of the mouth and sore throat in the morning

• Morning headaches

• Depressed mental state

• Nervousness

• Attention problems.

According to the Journal of Clinical Sleep which is one of the world’s popular journals, the risk of experiencing heart attack, coronary artery disorders, tachycardia increases in patients with sleep apnea. Moreover, apnea plays a critical role in forming the infra-structure of serious diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity etc. (j. Clinical sleep medicine 2008 June 15 4(3)

Various methods are used for the treatment of apnea. Among these, there are the appliances which are called intraoral appliances. Appliances for mouth are produced for standard (such as Small - Medium - Large) mouth in the current applications and these manufactured materials only work mechanically. There is no mechanism in any application in which these are transmitted to the external environment with an electronic measurement and evaluation system. Therefore, the standard products sold in the market may not completely adapt to the patient’s mouth. It is not expected to adapt these measurements fully to a determined age group in every country in the world due to varying mouth-jaw and palate structure. In the medical science, the current products for the disease have standard mouth. Therefore, it may not completely adapt to the patient’s mouth. It is not possible to adapt these measurements fully to a determined age group in every country in the world. Another problem is that, even if the current product fits fully into the mouth, it will not be sufficient to solve the problem. This is due to the fact that, the severity and localization of the apnea problem differs from individual to individual. It is not possible to solve the problem of all patients with a standard appliance.

Moreover, another method used in the treatment of the sleep apnea is the devices called CPAP (Continuous positive air pressure) or BPAP (Bi level positive air pressure) given by the physician after the patient is hospitalized in a sleep laboratory. These devices consist of a motor which distributes air pressure and a pipe which transmits the same and a mask which is positioned on the nose. The usage of this device cannot be maintained at the required level in the whole world. Its usage is not widespread due to reasons such as the patients who are required to use this device must carry this device with them, must always have masks on their faces so as to use it, it also does not allow comfortable sleep because of its cables. One of the biggest complaints is that; the patients cannot be able to have a comfortable position for sleeping based on this machine and its pipes and it is impossible for the patient to turn to the right and left.

DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is developed so as to eliminate the disadvantages mentioned in the state of the art.

It is aimed to detect, follow and if possible reduce or completely eliminate the sleep apnea with this appliance produced with said invention to be included in the medical field. One of the most important differences of said invention is that the oral appliances are produced and submitted in a patient-specific manner.

The application system that will operate in the digital environment with said invention can diagnose and follow the patient online.

In said invention, it differs from individual to individual. An individual solution is provided with this approach. Patients are informed to lie down with this appliance during 6 months after the reports are received from the sleep laboratory before the treatment. The achieved success is seen when the number of apnea is reduced and/or it disappears. The safety of the system can be provided as such.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an intraoral appliance with electronic and mechanical components preventing sleep apnea, characterized by

• sensor which serves for data receiving from the patient

• electronic chipset which will serve as the master card (processor) of the system

• wireless communication card which serves for transmitting information obtained from the system to the external environment

• battery which is present for the operation of the complete electronic system.

Data which are transmitted to the required location is received and processed by means of android and IOS compatible software in said invention. Data will be received and processed over the written application. After the mechanical part of the appliance is formed, the production method of said invention is as follows;

• The sensors are located after the mechanical part is ready. • The electronic card and the connection cables will be connected.

• The wireless connection appliance is attached and its connection is made.

• The battery is placed.

• Data is transmitted to the application. Data are processed as required.

Claims

6

CLAIMS An intraoral appliance with electronic and mechanical components preventing sleep apnea, characterized in that, it comprises the following;

• sensor which serves for data receiving from the patient