Abstract:
A human-interface cleaning device for cleaning human-interface devices commonly used for the treatment sleep apnea. The cleaning device has a solvent-receiving end which connects to a solvent-delivery source such as a faucet or shower head. At the opposite end of the cleaning device is a funnel-like shaped solvent-discharge end which is tapered at its distal end and adapted to easily friction-fit into any receiving aperture of most human-interface devices. The inner chamber of the device has one or more fins each having an angled flap at their ends. As so connected to a solvent-delivery source and to a human-interface device, the cleaning device will enhance the force of the solvent being delivered through the cleaning device and more easily and effectively clean the human-interface device to which attached.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application, Ser. No. 11/751,461 filed on May 21, 2007. This co-pending application is hereby incorporated by reference into this application. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    None. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    This device of this disclosure relates to an improvement in cleaning devices for tube-like objects and systems, and more particularly to a cleaning device suited for cleaning and maintaining tube-like components use in and for respiratory systems, 
         [0004]    Sleep apnea is a true breathing obstruction which, according to the National Institutes of Health, affects over 12 million Americans. A person afflicted with sleep apnea requires that person, when sleeping, to awaken to begin breathing again. Snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea, a result of the obstruction, and sometimes even a cause of sleep apnea. Snoring by itself, however, does not involve the cessation of breathing. 
         [0005]    As concisely stated by the National Sleep Foundation on their website and included herein, sleep apnea causes a person to stop breathing periodically throughout sleep, which upsets the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. The brain senses the reduction in oxygen and the increase in carbon dioxide and sends a signal to resume breathing. The person wakes up in response to the breathing arousal signal from the brain. The muscles of the tongue and throat awaken to enlarge the airway and allow carbon dioxide to escape and oxygen to enter. The waking episodes are necessary to restart breathing (and save the person&#39;s life), but they prevent the individual from getting high-quality sleep. 
         [0006]    On a physical level, the sleep apnea sufferer cannot breathe because they have an obstructed airway. The throat muscles and tongue relax too much and may be enlarged or misshapen, so the air passage is narrowed during sleep. 
         [0007]    Sleep apnea sufferers awaken frequently to restart breathing, but they remember little or nothing of being awake. Frequent waking at night may be a sign of sleep apnea. The frequency of waking episodes varies, but may be between 10 and 60 per night. Severe sleep apnea may cause the sleeper to experience more than 100 waking episodes in a single night. One measure of sleep apnea is that the person must stop breathing for a period of at least 10 seconds or more, five times within an hour. Some sleep apnea sufferers may stop breathing for as long as two minutes. Basically there are three types of sleep apnea; obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and mixed sleep apnea. 
         [0008]    Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea. OSA is caused by an obstruction in or blockage of the airway usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep which then actually stops the air flow in the nose and mouth. Throat and abdominal breathing continue normally. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is commonly accompanied by snoring and causes the sleeper to wake up, gasping or snorting, and then go back to sleep again. 
         [0009]    Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) is a much less common type than Obstructive Sleep Apnea. In Central Sleep Apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe or the brain signal that instructs the body to breathe is delayed. With CSA, oral breathing and throat and abdominal breathing all cease at the same time. The periods of breathing interruption may last a few seconds, and breathing may be too shallow to provide oxygen to the blood and tissues. CSA may be associated with irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, and/or stroke. 
         [0010]    Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of the two other types of sleep apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea, at the same time. 
         [0011]    With each apnea event, however, the brain briefly arouses the sleeper in order for them to resume breathing. Consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality. Despite the difference in the root cause of each type of sleep apnea, in all three, people with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or even longer. 
         [0012]    Signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include: 
         [0013]    a. Frequent cessation of breathing (apnea) during sleep. Your sleep partner may notice repeated silences from your side of the bed. 
         [0014]    b. Choking, gasping, or gagging during sleep to get air into the lungs 
         [0015]    c. Loud snoring 
         [0016]    d. Waking up sweating during the night 
         [0017]    e. Feeling unrefreshed in the morning after a night&#39;s sleep 
         [0018]    f. Headaches upon awakening 
         [0019]    g. Daytime sleepiness, including falling asleep at inappropriate times, such as during driving or at work 
         [0020]    h. Lethargy 
         [0021]    I. Rapid weight gain 
         [0022]    j. Memory loss and learning difficulties 
         [0023]    k. Short attention span 
         [0024]    l. Poor judgment 
         [0025]    m. Depression 
         [0026]    n. Personality changes 
         [0027]    o. Untreated sleep apnea also may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. 
         [0028]    Several known causes of sleep apnea include: 
         [0029]    a. Obstructed airway. 
         [0030]    b. Central nervous system disorder such as a stroke, a brain tumor, or even a viral brain infection. 
         [0031]    c. Chronic respiratory disease. 
         [0032]    d. Obesity or excessive weight gain 
         [0033]    e. Age. 
         [0034]    f. Gender. Men are more likely to experience sleep apnea because they have narrower airways than do women. 
         [0035]    g. Irregular sleep hours. 
         [0036]    h. High blood pressure is another risk factor for sleep apnea. 
         [0037]    i. Anatomic abnormalities or facial deformities, such as nasal obstruction, an enlarged tongue, a narrow airway, a receding chin, a small jaw, tissues blocking the airway, a deviated septum, polyps, or certain palate and jaw shapes. 
         [0038]    j. Snoring itself is not only a result of sleep apnea, but also a cause. The repeated vibrations of the soft palate during snoring can cause the soft palate to lengthen, which can obstruct the airway. 
         [0039]    k. Enlarged tonsils or adenoids in children. 
         [0040]    l. Use of alcohol and sedatives before bedtime. 
         [0041]    m. Nasal congestion, nasal blockages, and nasal irritants such as household dust and dander can inhibit breathing through the nose and force breathing through the throat, which may also be blocked 
         [0042]    n. Severe heartburn or acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD). 
         [0043]    As mentioned earlier, sleep apnea is very common and affects more than 12 million Americans. Risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of 40, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children. Because of the lack of public awareness and lack of awareness by many healthcare professionals, the vast majority of those suffering from sleep apnea remain undiagnosed and therefore remain untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences. 
         [0044]    Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Sleep apnea is a dangerous and progressive sleep disorder and it generally gets worse as the person afflicted with it ages. Not only does sleep apnea result in sleep deprivation, but it also can threaten your life. 
         [0045]    Sleep apnea, however, can be diagnosed and it can be treated effectively. To diagnose for sleep apnea, a doctor will probably perform a physical examination of the person&#39;s mouth; and/or recommend an overnight sleep study in a sleep clinic. 
         [0046]    Several treatment options currently exist and on-going research into additional treatment options continues. Several such treatment options include behavioral changes, surgery (extremely intrusive), medication (though not generally effective), and physical and mechanical therapy. The latter (physical and mechanical therapy) have been found most effective in the treatment of sleep apnea. 
         [0047]    Such physical and mechanical therapies include oxygen administration, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), surgery, and dental appliances or jaw adjustment devices. Of these, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is one of the most common long-term treatments for severe sleep apnea. 
         [0048]    CPAP therapy requires the person to wear a mask over their nose during sleep. The mask blows air through the nasal passages, and the pressure is adjusted to keep the airway open during the night. A mask in such therapies, however, is cumbersome to use, uncomfortable to wear, especially while trying to sleep, and difficult to maintain. 
         [0049]    A novel air passage device entails the use of a nasal interface which has nasal ports to be inserted directly into one&#39;s nostrils. This device is illustrated in  FIG. 1  and has been found to be equally effective as a CPAP treatment therapy while at the same time causing little or no discomfort to the wearer as opposed to the mask described earlier. 
         [0050]    Either form of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure is often successful in treating sleep apnea, although for to be effective, CPAP patients must consistently use the nasal mask or nasal interface and commit to other lifestyle changes as well, such as losing weight. Unfortunately, many people find CPAP a difficult treatment because of discomfort or claustrophobia as to the mask. Additionally, and the most common reason for discontinued use of CPAP, particularly for those using the nasal interface, is the required daily maintenance of the device used. Therefor, while CPAP is effective, it is often unsuccessful because of noncompliance. 
         [0051]    The device of this present disclosure provides a solution for non-use of these important CPAP treatment systems, particularly those using the nasal interface type, by greatly simplifying the maintenance and cleaning process for these treatment systems. 
         [0052]    The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the cleaning device of the present disclosure. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the cleaning device of the present disclosure. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed cleaning device of the present disclosure in a different manner or by modifying the cleaning device of the present disclosure within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the cleaning device of the present disclosure may be had by referring to the summary of the cleaning device of the present disclosure and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the cleaning device of the present disclosure defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0053]    The above-noted problems, among others, are overcome by the cleaning device of the present disclosure. Briefly stated, the cleaning device of the present disclosure contemplates a human-interface cleaning device having a solvent-receiving member with a flexible base and three or more slits emanating outward from at or near its center defining an opening thereat and defining three or more flexible flaps; a side wall around the base; an inner chamber with one or more forward extending fins with angled flaps at their ends; and a solvent-discharge member above the side wall wherein the solvent-discharge member tapers down to a smaller diameter and a tube-like extension resembling a funnel. 
         [0054]    With the solvent-receiving end of this cleaning device attached to a suitable solvent-delivery source, such as, but not limited to, a faucet, and the solvent-discharge end of this cleaning device attached to a receiving aperture of a hose or other receiving aperture of a human-interface device, the funnel-like structure of the solvent-discharge end will cause the force of the solvent entering the cleaning device to be much greater than the force of the solvent entering the cleaning device such that the cleansing power of the cleaning device will be greatly enhanced. 
         [0055]    The foregoing has outlined the more pertinent and important features of the cleaning device of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood so the present contributions to the art may be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the cleaning device of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the disclosed specific embodiment may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures and methods for carrying out the same purposes of the cleaning device of the present disclosure. It also should be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions and methods do not depart from the spirit and scope of the cleaning device of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0056]    For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the cleaning device of the present disclosure, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0057]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a human-interface system and an illustration of its use. 
           [0058]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the cleaning device of the present disclosure. 
           [0059]      FIG. 3  is cut-away view of the internal structure of the cleaning device of the present disclosure. 
           [0060]      FIG. 4  is a detailed view of the angled fins. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0061]    Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to  FIG. 2 , reference character  10  generally designates a cleaning device constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the cleaning device of the present disclosure.  FIG. 1  illustrates the device and operations of associated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) as a treatment for sleep apnea. 
         [0062]    The device  40  typically is typically what is referred to in the art as a human-interface. It can be a full-face mask or a partial-face mask or a nasal-like device [as illustrated in  FIG. 1 ] which has two nasal ports  45  insertable into a user&#39;s nostrils. It must be understood that the human-interface device  40  as referred to herein could be mask-like or nasal-like with nasal ports  45 . In either event, the purpose of the human-interface device  40 , whether mask-like or nasal-like, it to force air into the user. The cleaning device  10  of this disclosure is adapted to clean both types and is not limited to the nasal-like only. 
         [0063]      FIG. 1  illustrates the human-interface  40  as nasal-like having nasal ports  45  which fit into one&#39;s nostrils. Attachment straps  43  on the device  40  typically fit over the user&#39;s head to hold the device  40  in place while the user sleeps. This device  40  is attached to an air-flow generator  30  via a flexible hose  34 . The flexible hose  34  has attachment interfaces  33 ,  35  at each end. One end, the air-flow attachment interface  33 , is connected to the air-flow port  31  of the air-flow generator  30 . The other end, the human-interface device attachment interface  35 , connects to the in-take port  41  of the nasal-interface device  40 . 
         [0064]    A person suffering from sleep apnea will don the device  40  with hose  34  attached to the device  40  and to the air-flow generator  30 . The air-flow generator  30  will then be turned on which directs a continuous flow of air through the hose  34 , into and through the human-interface device  40  and into the wearer&#39;s nostrils. The air pressure is adjusted to keep the airway open during the night and assist the user in breathing thereby defeating the effects of sleep apnea. 
         [0065]    As mentioned previously, cleaning such a device  40 , whether nasal-like or mask-like, is cumbersome and many people neglect this task or, in the alternative, discontinue CPAP treatment. Either option is not desirable from a health-care perspective. The cleaning device of the present disclosure  10  solves this dilemma and simplifies the cleaning process associated with cleaning typical and similar human-interface devices  40  as described herein whether such be mask-like or nasal-like in configuration. 
         [0066]    The cleaning device  10  of the present disclosure has a solvent-receiving member  11  [its base], a hollow inner chamber  24  forward of the base and throughout terminating at the exit opening  25 . The solvent may be water, the universal solvent, or any other commercially available solvent suited for the intended purpose of conveying a solution to and through the human-interface device  40  so as to cleanse it. 
         [0067]    The base  11  has an opening  15  with two or more axial slits  13  extending outward from the opening  15  toward the perimeter of the base  11  thereby forming the flaps  14 . The opening  15  may be, but need not be, centrally located on the base. The base  11  and its flaps  14  are made of flexible material such as, but not limited to, rubber, vinyl, resilient polymers, or combinations thereof. 
         [0068]    A side wall  17  extends forward of the base  11  and may be relatively straight [i.e., approximately perpendicular to the base  11 ] or may be angled inward to the exit opening  25 . As illustrated, the side wall is relatively straight. An angling wall  21 , angling inward, extends forward of the side wall  17  as seen in  FIG. 3 . The angle for the angling wall  21  is referred to as Angle-X. The angling wall  21  downward to the exit opening  25  resembles a cone-like structure or extension and defines an angled channel  29  therein. The angles for the angling inward and downward of this wall  21  [angle-X] ranges from approximately 30° to approximately 60°. The optimum angles for the intended purpose ranges from approximately 38° to approximately 42°. 
         [0069]    In this illustration, the angling wall  21  comes to a step or ridge  27 , followed by an tapering attachment wall  26  [tapering to permit attachment of the flexible hose  34  thereto] tapering inward to the exit opening  25  at the distal end of the device  10  and defining therein an exit channel  39 . This cone-like extension of angling wall  21  with exit opening  25 , with or without the tapering attachment wall  26  and exit channel  39 , nearly resembles a funnel-type device. The device  10  however, need not have the ridge  27  and, if without the tapering attachment wall  26 , the angling wall  21  should be angled such that it will accommodate attachment of the flexible hose  34  [dimensions of tapering/angling described below for the tapering attachment wall  26  which is structured to accommodate attachment of the flexible hose  34 ]. 
         [0070]      FIG. 3  illustrates the proximal end of the angling wall  21  as attached to the distal end of the side wall  17  and has a pre-determined outside and inside diameter which is approximately equal to the outside and inside diameter of the side wall  17 , respectively. From this point of attachment, the angling wall  21  tapers [inward angling] to a smaller outside and inside diameter which may continue to the exit opening  25  or to the step  27  as described above. 
         [0071]    The inner walls of this inner chamber  24  are contoured similarly as the diameters described above for the side wall  17  [referred to as Diameter-Y or Y], the angled channel  29 , and the exit channel  39 . Consequently, as solvent is forced through the cleaning device  10 , the decreasing inside diameters of the inner chamber  24 , in cases where it is fully angled, or angled only from the angling wall  21  forward will create a greater force of movement of the solvent through the inner chamber  24  and, concomitantly, greater cleansing power. 
         [0072]    For a greater force of movement of solvent, the inner chamber  24  has one or more elongated, inward extending and forward extending fins  22  [extending from near to the base  11  forward to the angling wall  21 ]. The fins may extend inward approximately one-eighth to one-fourth of Diameter-Y and may be perpendicular to the side wall  17  or angled. Angling may be diagonally off the sidewall  17  at approximately between 10° to approximately 30° as viewed from the axis of the inner chamber  24 . This angling is referred to as Angle-S [ FIG. 4  refers]. 
         [0073]    With three or more such fins  22  inside the inner chamber  24 , a fin channel  19  is defined within the fins  22 . The fins  22  act as channel directors to keep the solvent flowing evenly and forward without causing any undue sideward movement. The more direct the movement of solvent through the device  10 , the greater the force and cleaning power of the solvent. The fins  22  may be relatively straight [as illustrated in  FIG. 4 ] or have an angled flap  23  at the bottom toward the exit opening  25  [as illustrated in  FIG. 3 ]. Such angling should not generally be an abrupt angle with a sharp corner of demarcation but should be a curved transition into the angling as illustrated in the respective figure. 
         [0074]    Such an angled flap  23  will increase the force of flow of solvent. Each angled flap  23  should be angled in the same direction and such angled is referred to as Angle-Z. Angle-Z ranges from between approximately 10° to approximately not more than 45° with respect to the fin  22  to which connected. The length of the angled flap  23  should about 20% to about 35% of the total length of the fin  22 /flap  23  combination. 
         [0075]    As solvent flows through the inner chamber  24  and fin channel  19  and comes into contact with the angled flaps  23 , a tornado effect is created which generates even more force of flow of the solvent. 
         [0076]    There is a tapering attachment wall  26  extending downward from the bottom of the angling wall  21  to the exit opening  25 . This tapering is important and its relative decreasing downward diameters for permitting a secure fit of the flexible hose  34  and its interface  33  thereto. Typically the outside diameter of the interface  33  of the flexible hose  34  is approximately 21 mm. The outside diameter of the tapering attachment wall  26 , at is distal end [i.e., at the exit opening  25 ] should be less than 21 mm and the diameter increases to a diameter greater than 21 mm as the tapering attachment wall  26  reaches the bottom of the angling wall  21 . Therefore the outside diameter of the tapering attachment wall  26  should range from approximately 20 mm at the exit opening  25  to approximately 22 mm at a point of adjacency to the angling wall  21 . 
         [0077]    A venturi effect is caused by this configuration which in turn accelerates the tornado effect above producing greater force of flow of solvent and, consequently, greater cleansing ability. 
         [0078]    The downward end of the device  10  [angled cone-like extension  21 ,  25 ,  26  generally should be resilient and flexible. 
         [0079]    In this regard, the cone-like extension  21 ,  25 ,  26  and in particular, the exit opening  25 , should be made of vinyl, rubber, resilient polymers, or any combinations thereof. 
         [0080]    The tapering of the angling wall  21 , the tapering attachment wall  26 , and the exit opening  25 , and their flexibility permits easy friction-fit insertion of the device  10  into the air-flow attachment interface  33  of the hose  34  such that the outside diameter of the exit opening  25 , as it inserts into the air-flow attachment interface  33 , increases in diameter until it is securely nested into the inside diameter of the air-flow attachment interface  33 . 
         [0081]    After a user of the human-interface device  40  awakens from sleep, the user will remove the device  40  and disconnect the hose  34  from the air-flow generator  30 . The user will then re-connect the hose  34  directly to the tube-like extension  21 ,  25  of the cleaning device of the present disclosure  10 . The user will then attach the base  11  to any external faucet, shower head, or similar external solvent transporting mechanism or solvent discharge mechanism. As seen in  FIG. 2 , a shower head  50  is illustrated. Once the cleaning device of the present disclosure  10  is attached to the human-interface device  40  and to the shower head  50  [for example], water is turned on. The water will forcibly course a path through the cleaning device of the present disclosure  10 , through the hose  34 , and into and through the human-interface device  40  thereby flushing out any contaminants and build-up contained therein. In this manner, both the hose  34  and the human-interface device  40  have been cleaned. 
         [0082]    After a suitable amount of time flushing, the water stream is turned off, the cleaning device of the present disclosure  10  is removed from the human-interface device  40 , and the human-interface device  40  is suitable hung such that the hose  34  and device  40  may drain out excess water and be ready for use later that evening. 
         [0083]    The present disclosure includes that contained in the present claims as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this cleaning device of the present disclosure has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and numerous changes in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the cleaning device of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the cleaning device of the present disclosure should be determined not by the embodiment[s] illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. 
         [0084]    Applicant[s] have attempted to disclose all the embodiment[s] of the cleaning device of the present disclosure that could be reasonably foreseen. It must be understood, however, that there may be unforeseeable insubstantial modifications to cleaning device of the present disclosure that remain as equivalents and thereby falling within the scope of the cleaning device of the present disclosure.