Patent ID: 6129084
Filing Date: 2000-10-10
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
An intra-oral appliance for reducing restriction in an oral and pharyngeal passageway, comprising:a U-shaped upper plate for engaging at least some portion of a user's maxillary teeth, said upper plate having an anterior portion located at a bight of the U-shape, first and second posterior portions located at ends of the U-shape, an outward facing labial-buccal edge, and an inward facing lingual edge;a U-shaped lower plate for engaging at least some portion of a user's mandibular teeth, said lower plate having an anterior portion located at a bight of the U-shape, first and second posterior portions located at ends of the U-shape, an outward facing labial-buccal edge, and an inward facing lingual edge;said anterior portion of said upper plate separated from said anterior portion of said lower plate;first and second hinge portions connecting said first posterior portion of said upper plate to said first posterior portion of said lower plate and connecting said second posterior portion of said upper plate to said second posterior portion of said lower plate;said upper plate having an upper labial-buccal wall extending upward from said labial-buccal edge of said upper plate, said upper labial-buccal wall extending from said anterior portion of said upper plate to adjacent the first and second hinge portions;said upper plate lacking an upper lingual wall extending upward from said lingual edge such that a user's tongue may be accommodated in an anterior position and positioned in contact with the lingual surface of the user's maxillary teeth;said lower plate having a lower labial-buccal wall extending downward from said labial-buccal edge of said lower plate, said lower labial-buccal wall extending from said anterior portion of said lower plate to adjacent the first and second hinge portions;said lower plate further having a lingual wall extending downward from said lingual edge of said lower plate, said lingual wall extending from said anterior portion of said lower plate toward the first and second hinge portions;said anterior portion of said upper plate and said anterior portion of said lower plate positioned such that a user's mandibular incisors are positioned anterior to a user's maxillary incisors.