Abstract:
A tongue lifting tool and method for using such tool are provided. The tool has a tongue holder for supporting a patient&#39;s tongue and a holding portion coupled to the tongue holder.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is based upon and claims priority on U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/187,948, filed on Mar. 1, 2000, which application is fully incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to tools for use in speech therapy and specifically to a tongue lifter.  
           [0003]    It is believed that about 10% of American people have some kind of speech problem. The most common type of speech problem is an articulation problem where a person is unable to pronounce specific sounds of American English. The two sounds that most people have difficulty in pronouncing are the “esss” /s/ sound and the “er” /3 ˜ / sound. Of the two, most people have problems pronouncing the /3 ˜ / sound. Proper pronunciation of the /3 ˜ / sound requires elevation of the rear and middle portions of the tongue. This type of tongue elevation is hard to illustrate to a patient, thereby making it difficult to teach.  
           [0004]    To teach proper tongue positioning for pronouncing the /3 ˜ / sound, many speech language pathologists currently use a common tongue depressor to elevate the tongue. The problem with a tongue depressor is that it offers inadequate support to the tongue and the tongue tends to roll off the depressor. Moreover, because a tongue depressor is planar, its edge is used to lift the tongue. Even though, the edge of the tongue depressor is sometimes rounded, use of the edge to lift the tongue may often result in injury, as for example, a laceration of the tongue.  
           [0005]    Consequently, a tongue lifter is desired that can be used for positioning the tongue of a person in the appropriate elevated position for pronouncing the /3 ˜ / sound and for teaching such person the proper position of the tongue for pronouncing the /3 ˜ / sound. Moreover, a tongue lifter is desired that is capable of supporting the tongue at the appropriate position without risk of injury to the tongue. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment tongue lifter of the present invention.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment tongue lifter shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a front view of the exemplary embodiment tongue lifter shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment tongue lifter of the present invention being used to elevate the tongue of a person in the appropriate position for pronouncing the /3 ˜ /sound.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 is a side view of another exemplary embodiment tongue lifter of the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 is a side view of two-piece exemplary embodiment tongue lifter of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7 is a side view of another exemplary embodiment tongue lifter of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 8 is a side view of a further exemplary embodiment tongue lifter of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    A tongue lifting tool or lifter is provided capable of lifting the tongue of a person in the appropriate position for proper pronunciation of various sounds as for example the “er” /3 ˜ / sound. An exemplary embodiment tongue lifter  10  shown in FIGS. 1, 2,  3  and  8  comprises tongue holder  12 , a neck  14  extending from the tongue holder, a stem  15  extending from the neck and a handle  16  extending from the stem.  
         [0015]    In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and  3 , the holder is preferably a concave strip  18  curving away from the stem and neck and having rounded corners  19  as shown in FIG. 2 or  3  or may be another member having a bowl shaped or concave surface  20  for supporting the under surface of a patient&#39;s tongue. The holder outer surface  21  can be of any geometry.  
         [0016]    In the exemplary embodiment lifter shown in FIG. 1, the neck  14  typically extends perpendicularly from the outer surface  21  of the holder and preferably from the apex  17  of the holder outer surface. A typical holder concave surface has a length  23  of about one and a half inches. However, the length can be varied for use by patients of different sizes. For example, a shorter length surface may be used for children while a longer length may be used for adults.  
         [0017]    In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a normal central axis  51  of the tongue holder is offset from a central longitudinal axis  50  of the stem. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the holder central normal central axis  51  is aligned to a neck central longitudinal axis  52 . In the shown exemplary embodiment the stem central longitudinal axis  50  extends from the neck central longitudinal axis  52  and thus from the holder normal central axis at an angle  22 . The angle  22  is preferably less than 90° and more preferably the angle  22  is in the range of about 20° to 30°. In another exemplary embodiment as shown in FIG. 7, the tongue holder  12  may extend directly from the stem  15  at angle such that a central longitudinal axis  50  of the stem is offset from a normal central axis  51  extending from the tongue supporting surface  20  at an angle  54 . Angle  54  is preferably less than 90° and more preferably the angle  22  is in the range of about 20° to 30°.  
         [0018]    It is preferable that the tongue supporting surface normal axis  51  is offset at an angle relative to the stem central longitudinal axis  50  such that the lifter can be inserted into a person&#39;s mouth  46  with the stem  15  in a relatively horizontal position and with the holder  12  angled sufficiently relative to the stem for supporting the under surface  25  of the tongue  27  and for elevating the tongue in the proper position for pronouncing the sound /3 ˜ / as shown for example in FIG. 4. In this regard, minimum or no rotation of the lifter is required for positioning the tongue of a patient at the appropriate position without interfering with the patient&#39;s teeth  29 .  
         [0019]    A handle  16  may be provided and the end of the stem. The handle may be a separate piece which may attached to the stem or may formed by bending a portion of the stem as shown in FIGS.  1   2 ,  4 ,  6 ,  7 , and  8 . Although the handle  16  shown in FIGS. 1, 2,  4 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  is a bent portion extending from the stem, other shapes of handles may be used. For example, the handle may be a plate  24  as shown in FIG. 5. Alternatively, the handle may be a “non-bent” end portion of the stem. The handle may be covered with a resilient, preferably non-toxic, material  30  such as nontoxic acrylic for providing a grip surface. Moreover, the neck, stem and handle may be formed from a single piece of material, as for example a rod that is bent one end forming the neck and bent at the other end forming the handle. The entire lifter may also be of unitary construction.  
         [0020]    The entire lifter may be manufactured from stainless steel such as surgical stainless steel. The holder, the neck and preferably a part of the stem proximate the neck may be covered with a non-toxic resilient material  60  such as non-toxic acrylic as shown in the exemplary embodiments of FIGS.  1 - 6  for purposes of having a softer material interface with the patients mouth and tongue. The lifter itself may also be formed from other nontoxic materials such as non-toxic plastics. Consequently, the lifter  10  may not be covered with a non-toxic material as for example shown in FIG. 8. In this regard, the lifter may be made to be disposable. All the portions of the lifter that enter the mouth of a person should preferably be made from or covered with a non-toxic material.  
         [0021]    In alternate exemplary embodiments, the lifter may be made as a two-piece part  32  as shown in FIG. 6. For example, the holder  12 , the neck  14  and a portion of the stem  34  may form a first piece  36 , while the remaining portion  38  of the stem and handle  16  if desired may form a second piece  40 . The first piece may have a threaded stud  42  extending from the stem portion  34 , while the remaining stem portion  38  may have a threaded bore  44  for accommodating the threaded stud  42 , thereby allowing the first piece  36  to thread onto the second piece  40 . Alternatively, the stud may be formed on the second piece while the threaded bore may be formed on the first piece. With a two-piece lifter, only the first piece, i.e., the piece that includes the holder need to be made or covered with a non-toxic material. Moreover, the first piece may be made to be disposable. Furthermore, interchangeable first pieces comprising different sizes of holders and/or different necks oriented at different angles relative to the stem for accommodating persons of different ages may be used. Besides use of a threaded stud  42 /threaded bore  44  attachment configuration, other configurations that allow for quick connection and disconnection of the first and second pieces may also be used. Moreover, the tongue lifter may be “broken” at different locations for forming a two-piece tongue lifter. For example, the lifter may be “broken” at the neck, such that only the holder is detachable.  
         [0022]    To use the lifter, to assist in the pronunciation of the /3 ˜ / sound, the speech therapist instructs the patient to elevate the tip of his/her tongue and pronounce the /3 ˜ / sound. The therapist then inserts the lifter into the patient&#39;s mouth  46  such that the holder cradles the under surface  25  of the patient&#39;s tongue  27 . The lifter is then further pushed into the patient&#39;s mouth and rotated, if necessary, to a position, as for example that shown in FIG. 4, for elevating the rear or middle portion of the tongue to the appropriate position allowing the patient to properly pronounce the /3 ˜ / sound. If necessary the position of the lifter and thereby the tongue may be adjusted as necessary for proper pronunciation of the /3 ˜ / sound.  
         [0023]    The lifter of the present invention may also used by individuals who want to practice proper tongue positioning for pronouncing the /3 ˜ / sound.