Abstract:
This invention provides an oral apparatus and method capable of alleviating or curing snore and obstructive sleep apnea by applying a negative pressure through a mini oral interface to the oral cavity. The mini oral interface creates a secure connection to mouth and prevents disengaging from patient&#39;s mouth during sleeping. The negative pressure pulls the tongue toward upper palate and also pulls the soft palate forward as well. By moving the tongue and the soft tissue in a forward direction, the patency of the upper airway near the pharynx is maintained to prevent sleep-disordered breathing. The negative pressure will pull the lips inward to close the mouth preventing air from entering the oral cavity from atmosphere. The negative pressure will also pull the soft palate into contact with the rear surface of the tongue to create a seal that prevents the air from entering the oral cavity through the nasal airway.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/012,591 filed on Jan. 24, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/298,083, filed on Jan. 25, 2010. The entire contents of the above applications are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is related to methods and systems capable of reducing obstruction of the upper airway in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and snore patients. More particularly, the present invention relates to an oral apparatus that prevents mouth breathing and also provides negative pressure in the oral cavity. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which repeated collapses in the patient&#39;s airway during inhalation causes a cessation of breathing during sleep. During inhalation, air pressure in the lungs and respiratory passages is reduced. If during this time, the tone of the muscles in the upper-airway is reduced, the airway tends to collapse. As the airway begins to occlude prior to an apnea episode, the patient often begins to snore. Snoring is an effort to try to combat the collapsed airway. These obstructions occur in different locations along the respiratory pathway in different patients, but the two common locations are the oropharynx or the nasopharynx. 
     People with moderate to severe OSA experience daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and poor concentration. In addition to these immediate problems, research has shown that patients with OSA use more medical resources, have an increased risk of medical disability, and finally have a higher mortality rate. Patients with severe OSA are estimated to have a three to six fold increased risk of mortality considering all causes. OSA is also implicated in many cardiovascular conditions, such as systemic hypertension and some degree of pulmonary hypertension. It is associated with an increased risk for myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, and cardiac arrhythmia. OSA causes excessive daytime sleepiness due to interrupted sleeping pattern at night which leads to inability to concentrate. Patients&#39; daily functions are impaired as their neuro-cognitive function is compromised. They are more likely to make errors and run into accidents. Therefore, OSA is a significant medical condition with serious negative outcomes if left untreated. 
     There are several current treatment options for OSA patients. Oral appliances are used to treat mild OSA, but they often don&#39;t work well and cause damage to gums and teeth. Several types of surgery are used to treat OSA, however, surgical options are invasive, expensive and painful with recovery periods up to 6 months. The most common treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults is CPAP, which has 96% market share in OSA therapeutics. A CPAP machine consists of a mask, a pump and a humidifier. The device continuously blows pressurized air into the patient&#39;s nose to keep the airway open during sleep. CPAP is quite effective; however, it has unpleasant side effects such as dry throat and nose congestion. Patients who use CPAP often feel bloated in the morning and experience headaches. The machine is noisy and uncomfortable for the user and their partner. CPAP is currently the first-line and gold standard treatment, but it suffers low compliance due to significant side effects. 
     It has been proposed to apply a negative pressure to the patient&#39;s oral cavity to pull the tongue and soft palate forward to maintain the patency of the airway, as an improvement over CPAP, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,957,133, 2005/0166928, and 2006/0096600. While promising in theory, these prior arts comprise relatively large structures to engage the teeth and/or to retain the tongue. Moreover, negative pressure is applied directly on the soft tissues of the tongue to hold the tongue within the cavity. These approaches tend to occupy a lot of space in the oral cavity, which may cause discomfort and damage to large area of teeth, gum, and soft tissues. At the same time, the presence of such larger devices may induce excess saliva secretion and elicit the gag reflex. The other major disadvantage of these approaches is that the oral devices are anatomically dependent, requiring special technicians to customize the interface for each individual patient. 
     Therefore, it is one objective of the present invention to provide alternative and improved methods and apparatus for treating obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. It is another objective of the present invention to provide minimally intrusive methods and apparatus with components that are comfortable and convenient to use. It is still an objective of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus that avoid contacting the portions of the oral cavity that cause discomfort, induce excess saliva, and trigger the gag reflex. The methods and apparatus should be simple to implement and to significantly improve patency of a patient&#39;s airway during sleep. At least some of these objectives will be met by the inventions described hereinafter. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an oral apparatus and method capable of alleviating or curing snoring and obstructive sleep apnea by creating a small oral interface and applying negative pressure through the small interface to the oral cavity. The small interface creates a secure connection to mouth and prevents disengaging from patient&#39;s mouth during sleep. The negative pressure pulls the tongue toward upper palate and also pulls the soft palate forward. By moving the tongue and the soft tissue in a forward direction, the patency of the upper airway near the pharynx is maintained to prevent sleep-disordered breathing. The oral apparatus will pull the lips inward to close the mouth preventing air from entering the oral cavity from atmosphere. The negative pressure will also pull the soft palate into contact with the rear surface of the tongue to create a seal that prevents the air entering the oral cavity through the nasal airway. This therapy connected to a negative pressure source but only required partial active pumping time and minimal airflow, which is very energy-efficient and quiet. 
     In one embodiment, the present invention provides an oral apparatus, comprising of: a upper component and a lower component, which can be temporarily attached to the skin around upper lip and lower lip separately; a connector to connect and disconnect, as well as control the distance between upper and lower components. The upper and lower components may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the connector to the upper and lower components. The connector may comprise of a female connector on one attaching component and a male connector on the other attaching component so that the connectors can be engaged and disengaged to close and release the mouth. The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components of the interface which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the male and female connectors are engaged. The user can also temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities. 
     The present invention can be used in combination with constant positive airway pressure devices, oral appliances, or other sleep apnea therapies to prevent mouth breathing. 
     In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method, comprising of: applying an upper attaching component to the skin around the upper lip and a lower attaching component to the skin around the lower lip without occluding the opening of the mouth; using a connector to engage and disengage as well as control the distance between the upper and lower attaching components; providing a conduit with a complementary part which interlocks with said attaching components; applying a negative pressure to oral cavity via the said conduit. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The objects, spirits and advantages of the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be readily understood by the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptions, wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  to  FIG. 1F  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention to deliver negative pressure using a tube and adhesive tape of different sizes and shapes to prevent the mouth from opening; 
         FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2D  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with mechanical connectors to close the mouth; 
         FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3D  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with mechanical connectors to close the mouth while delivering oral negative pressure; 
         FIG. 4A  to  FIG. 4E  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with adjustable mechanical connectors to close the mouth; 
         FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5D  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with adjustable mechanical connectors to close the mouth while delivering oral negative pressure; 
         FIG. 6A  to  FIG. 6E  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with magnetic connectors to close the mouth; 
         FIG. 7A  to  FIG. 7D  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with magnetic connectors to close the mouth while delivering oral negative pressure; 
         FIG. 8A  to  FIG. 8E  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with friction driven connectors to close the mouth; 
         FIG. 9A  to  FIG. 9E  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with friction driven connectors to close the mouth while delivering oral negative pressure; 
         FIG. 10A  and  FIG. 10E  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with adhesive connectors to close the mouth; 
         FIG. 11A  and  FIG. 11D  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the eleventh embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with adhesive connectors to close the mouth while delivering oral negative pressure; 
         FIG. 12A  to  FIG. 12E  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with non-adhesive (dual lock or loop) tapes to close the mouth; 
         FIG. 13A  to  FIG. 13D  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with non-adhesive (Dual Lock or Velcro) tapes to close the mouth while delivering oral negative pressure; 
         FIG. 14A  to  FIG. 14E  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the fourteenth embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with a loop and hooks to close the mouth; 
         FIG. 15A  to  FIG. 15D  show schematic diagrams of an oral apparatus according to the fifteenth embodiment of the present invention to use upper and lower attaching components with a loop and hooks to close the mouth while delivering oral negative pressure; 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the present exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1A  to  FIG. 1F .  FIG. 1A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of a central adhesive tape  110  which is smaller than the mouth opening in width and provides uncovered regions  120  to allow partially opening of the mouth. The central adhesive tape  110  can further have upper and/or lower extensions to adhere to upper lip region and lower lip region to increase adhesion force. The central adhesive tape  110  can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the central adhesive tape  110  include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. The closing of the mouth at the uncovered region  120  where the central adhesive tape  110  does not cover will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the central adhesive tape  110 . As shown by extensions  111 ,  112 ,  113 , and  114  in  FIGS. 1B ,  1 C,  1 D and  1 E, respectively, in the present embodiment, the adhesive tape structure can be designed to have various shapes to increase the holding force of the adhesive tapes and prevent the mouth from opening. The uncovered regions  120  are not covered by the adhesive tapes to allow for the mouth to open if needed.  FIG. 1F  demonstrates the front view of yet another oral apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The adhesive tape  115  may be a breathable tape with arrays of venting holes that covers the opening area of the mouth. The uncovered regions  120  and the venting holes on adhesive tapes ( 110 ,  111 ,  112 ,  113 ,  114 , and  115 ) may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth if needed. The oral apparatus can further comprise a fluid conduit  100  and a negative pressure source (not shown). The central adhesive tape  110  can be temporarily attached to the skin as well as to the fluid conduit  100  and is used to secure the fluid conduit  100  and to keep the mouth closed. The fluid conduit  100  has a first opening end connecting to the central adhesive tape  110  and extending into the user&#39;s mouth. The central adhesive tape  110  may only be applied to lip region around the fluid conduit  100  (as shown in  FIG. 1A ) not covering the whole mouth, and preserving one&#39;s ability to open uncovered regions  120  of the mouth. Once the central adhesive tape  110  and the fluid conduit  100  are physically connected, the pressure source can draw air out of oral cavity and thus produce a negative pressure environment to pull the tongue, soft palate and other soft tissue forward to maintain the airway patency. The present invention can be used in combination with constant positive airway pressure devices, oral appliances, or other sleep apnea therapies to prevent mouth breathing. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2A  to  FIG. 2D .  FIG. 2A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  210  and a lower attaching component  220 . The attaching components can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the attaching components include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  210  and  220  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has a connector  230  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  210  and the lower attaching component  220  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  210 ,  220  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the connector  230  to the upper and lower attaching components  210  and  220 . As shown in  FIG. 2B , the connector  230  may comprise of a female connector  231  on one attaching component and a male connector  232  on the other attaching component so that the connectors can be engaged and disengaged to close and release the mouth. The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  210 ,  220  of the oral apparatus which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the male and female connectors  231  and  232  are engaged. The user can also temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly  230  to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 2C  and  FIG. 2D  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. The present invention can be used in combination with constant positive airway pressure devices, oral appliances, or other sleep apnea therapies to prevent mouth breathing. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3D .  FIG. 3A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  310  and a lower attaching component  320 . One of the attaching components may have a conduit engaging slot  340 . The first end of a fluid conduit  100  can pass through the conduit engaging slot  340  and enter the oral cavity. The second end of the fluid conduit  100  is connected to a negative pressure source (not shown). The fluid conduit  100  may slide up or down along the conduit engaging slot  340  to accommodate variation of distance between the mouth opening and the attaching component. The upper and lower attaching components  310  and  320  can be adhesive tapes of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the upper attaching component  310  and the lower attaching component  320  include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  310  and  320  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has a connector  330  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  310  and the lower attaching component  320  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  310 ,  320  may only be applied to the lip region away from the opening of the mouth to enable the user to open the mouth. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the connector  330  between the upper and lower attaching components  310  and  320 . As shown in  FIG. 3B , the connector  330  may comprise of a female connector  331  on one attaching component and a male connector  332  on the other attaching component so that the connectors can be engaged and disengaged to close and release the mouth. The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  310 ,  320  which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the male and female connectors  331  and  332  are engaged. The user can also temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly  330  to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 3C  and  FIG. 3D  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. Once the two attaching components,  310  and  320 , and the fluid conduit  100  are physically engaged with the conduit engaging slot  340 , the negative pressure source can draw air out of oral cavity and thus produce a negative pressure environment to pull the tongue, soft palate and other soft tissue forward to maintain the airway patency reducing snoring and apnea episodes. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 4A  to  FIG. 4E .  FIG. 4A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  410  and a lower component  420 . The attaching components can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the upper attaching component  410  and the lower component  420  include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  410  and  420  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has a mechanical connector  430  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  410  and the lower attaching component  420  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  410 ,  420  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the mechanical connector  430  to the upper and lower attaching components  410  and  420 . As shown in  FIG. 4B , the connector may comprise of a female connector  431  on one attaching component and a male connector  432  on the other attaching component so that the connectors can be engaged and disengaged to close and release the mouth. The male connector  432  may compose of multiple identical connectors to allow for anatomical difference. It can be adjusted by users to accommodate thicker or thinner lips or provide tighter or looser mouth closing as desired, as shown in  FIG. 4C . The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  410 ,  420  of the oral apparatus which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the male and female connectors  431  and  432  are engaged. Also the user can temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 4D  and  FIG. 4E  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. The present invention can be used in combination with constant positive airway pressure devices, oral appliances, or other sleep apnea therapies to prevent mouth breathing. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 5A  to  FIG. 5D .  FIG. 5A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  510  and a lower attaching component  520 . The attaching components can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the upper attaching component  510  and the lower attaching component  520  include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. One of the attaching components may have a conduit engaging slot  540  and a fluid conduit  100  can be attached to the conduit engaging slot  540 . The fluid conduit  100  is connected to a negative pressure source  100  (not shown) on one end and interfaces with the oral cavity on the other end. The fluid conduit  100  may slide up or down along the conduit engaging slot  540  to accommodate variation of distance between the mouth opening and the attaching component. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  510  and  520  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has a mechanical connector  530  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  510  and the lower attaching component  520  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  510 ,  520  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the mechanical connector  530  to the upper and lower attaching components  510  and  520 . As shown in  FIG. 5B , the connector may comprise of a female connector  531  on one attaching component and a male connector  532  on the other attaching component so that the connectors can be engaged and disengaged to close and release the mouth. The male connector  532  may have several identical male connectors to allow for anatomical difference. It can be adjusted by users to accommodate thicker or thinner lips or provide tighter or looser mouth closing as desired. The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components of the oral apparatus which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the male and female connectors  531  and  532  are engaged. Also the user can temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 5C  and  FIG. 5D  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. Once the two attaching components,  510  and  520 , and the fluid conduit  100  are physically engaged with the conduit engaging slot  540 , the negative pressure source can draw air out of oral cavity and thus produce a negative pressure environment to pull the tongue, soft palate and other soft tissue forward to maintain the airway patency reducing snoring and apnea episodes. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 6A  to  FIG. 6E .  FIG. 6A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  610  and a lower attaching component  620 . The attaching components can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the attaching components include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  610  and  620  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has a magnetic connector  630  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  610  and the lower attaching component  620  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  610 ,  620  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the magnetic connector  630  to the upper and lower attaching components  610  and  620 . As shown in  FIG. 6B , the magnetic connector  630  may consist of a small magnet  631  on one attaching component and a small paramagnetic or magnetic strip  632  on the other attaching component so that the connectors can be engaged and disengaged to close and release the mouth. The paramagnetic or magnetic strip  632  is elongated in shape to have a longitudinal magnetic connection region to allow for anatomical difference. It can be adjusted by users to accommodate thicker or thinner lips or provide tighter or looser mouth closing as desired, as shown in  FIG. 6C . The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  610 ,  620  of the oral apparatus which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the two connectors  631  and  632  are engaged. Also the user can temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 6D  and  FIG. 6E  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. The present invention can be used in combination with constant positive airway pressure devices, oral appliances, or other sleep apnea therapies to prevent mouth breathing. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 7A  to  FIG. 7D .  FIG. 7A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  710  and a lower attaching component  720 . The attaching components can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the attaching components include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. One of the attaching components may have a conduit engaging slot  740  and a fluid conduit  100  can be attached to the conduit engaging slot  740 . The fluid conduit  100  is connected to a negative pressure source (not shown) on one end and interfaces with the oral cavity on the other end. The fluid conduit  100  may slide up or down along the conduit engaging slot  740  to accommodate variation of distance between the mouth opening and the attaching component. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  710  and  720  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has a magnetic connector  730  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  710  and the lower attaching component  720  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  710 ,  720  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the magnetic connector  730  to the upper and lower attaching components  710  and  720 . As shown in  FIG. 7B , the connector may consist of a small magnet  731  on one attaching component and a small paramagnetic or magnetic strip  732  on the other attaching component so that the connectors can be engaged and disengaged to close and release the mouth. The paramagnetic or magnetic strip  732  is elongated in shape to have a longitudinal magnetic connection region to allow for anatomical difference. It can be adjusted by users to accommodate thicker or thinner lips or provide tighter or looser mouth closing as desired. The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  710 ,  720  of the oral apparatus which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the two connectors  731  and  732  are engaged. Also the user can temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 7C  and  FIG. 7D  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. Once the two attaching components,  710  and  720 , and the fluid conduit  100  are physically engaged with the conduit engaging slot  740 , the negative pressure source can draw air out of oral cavity and thus produce a negative pressure environment to pull the tongue, soft palate and other soft tissue forward to maintain the airway patency reducing snoring and apnea episodes. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 8A  to  FIG. 8E .  FIG. 8A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  810  and a lower attaching component  820 . The attaching components can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the attaching components include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  810  and  820  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has a frictional connector  830  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  810  and the lower attaching component  820  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  810 ,  820  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the frictional connector  830  to the upper and lower attaching components  810  and  820 . As shown in  FIG. 8B , the connector may consist of a two-part connector comprised of a protruding structure  831  on one attaching component and a sunken structure  832  on the other attaching component so that the connectors can be engaged and disengaged to close and release the mouth. When the protruding structure  831  is inserted into the sunken structure  832 , frictional force locks the two attaching components in place. The protruding structure  831  can be inserted into the sunken structure  832  at various locations to allow for anatomical difference. It can be adjusted by users to accommodate thicker or thinner lips or provide tighter or looser mouth closing as desired, as shown in  FIG. 8C . The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  810 ,  820  of the oral apparatus which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the two connectors  831  and  832  are engaged. Also the user can temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 8D  and  FIG. 8E  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. The present invention can be used in combination with constant positive airway pressure devices, oral appliances, or other sleep apnea therapies to prevent mouth breathing. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 9A  to  FIG. 9E .  FIG. 9A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  910  and a lower attaching component  920 . The attaching components can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the attaching components include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. One of the attaching components may have a conduit engaging slot  940  and a fluid conduit  100  can be attached to the conduit engaging slot  940 . The fluid conduit  100  is connected to a negative pressure source (not shown) on one end and interfaces with the oral cavity on the other end. The fluid conduit  100  may slide up or down along the conduit engaging slot  940  to accommodate variation of distance between the mouth opening and the attaching component. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  910  and  920  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has a frictional connector  930  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  910  and the lower attaching component  920  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  910 ,  920  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the frictional connector  930  to the upper and lower attaching components  910  and  920 . As shown in  FIG. 9B , the connector may consist of a protruding structure  931  on one attaching component and a sunken structure  932  on the other attaching component so that the connectors can be engaged and disengaged to close and release the mouth. When the protruding structure  931  is inserted into the sunken structure  932 , frictional force locks the two attaching components in place. The protruding structure  931  can be inserted into the sunken structure  932  at various locations to allow for anatomical difference. It can be adjusted by users to accommodate thicker or thinner lips or provide tighter or looser mouth closing as desired. The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  910 ,  920  of the oral apparatus which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the two connectors  931  and  932  are engaged. Also the user can temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 9C  and  FIG. 9D  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. Once the two attaching components,  910  and  920 , and the fluid conduit  100  are physically engaged with the conduit engaging slot  940 , the negative pressure source can draw air out of oral cavity and thus produce a negative pressure environment to pull the tongue, soft palate and other soft tissue forward to maintain the airway patency reducing snoring and apnea episodes.  FIG. 9E  shows front, back, and cross-sectional views of another example of oral apparatus with attaching components,  910 ′ and  920 ′, and a frictional connector  930 ′. One of the attaching components  910 ′ and  920 ′ may have a conduit engaging slot  940 ′ and a fluid conduit  100  (not shown) can be attached to the conduit engaging slot  940 ′. The frictional connector  930 ′ may comprise of a protruding structure  931 ′ on one attaching component and a periodic sunken structure  932 ′ on the other attaching component so that the frictional connector  930 ′ can be engaged and disengaged to close and release the mouth. When the protruding structure  931 ′ is inserted into part of the periodic sunken structure  932 ′, frictional force locks the two attaching components in place. The protruding structure  931 ′ can be inserted into the periodic sunken structure  932 ′ at various locations to allow for the anatomical difference. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 10A  to  FIG. 10E .  FIG. 10A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  1010  and a lower attaching component  1020 . The attaching components can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the attaching components include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  1010  and  1020  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has an adhesive connector  1030  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  1010  and the lower attaching component  1020  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  1010 ,  1020  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the adhesive connector  1030  to the upper and lower attaching components  1010  and  1020 . As shown in  FIG. 10B , the adhesive connector  1030  may consist of two adhesive connectors  1031  and  1032 . The mouth can be closed and released by engaging and disengaging the adhesive connectors  1031 ,  1032 , respectively. The two adhesive connectors  1031  and  1032  can be connected at various locations to allow for anatomical difference. It can be adjusted by users to accommodate thicker or thinner lips or provide tighter or looser mouth closing as desired, as shown in  FIG. 10C . The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  1010 ,  1020  of the oral apparatus which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the two adhesive connectors  1031  and  1032  are engaged. Also the user can temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 10D  and  FIG. 10E  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. The present invention can be used in combination with constant positive airway pressure devices, oral appliances, or other sleep apnea therapies to prevent mouth breathing. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 11A  to  FIG. 11D .  FIG. 11A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the eleventh embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  1110  and a lower attaching component  1120 . The attaching components can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the attaching components include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. One of the attaching components may have a conduit engaging slot  1140  and a fluid conduit  100  can be attached to the conduit engaging slot  1140 . The fluid conduit  100  is connected to a negative pressure source (not shown) on one end and interfaces with the oral cavity on the other end. The fluid conduit  100  may slide up or down along the conduit engaging slot  1140  to accommodate variation of distance between the mouth opening and the attaching component. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  1110  and  1120  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has an adhesive connector  1130  to control the distance between upper attaching component  1110  and the lower attaching component  1120  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  1110 ,  1120  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the adhesive connector  1130  to the upper and lower attaching components  1110  and  1120 . As shown in  FIG. 11B , the connector may consist of two adhesive connectors  1131  and  1132 . The mouth can be closed and released by engaging and disengaging the adhesive connectors, respectively. The two adhesive connectors  1131  and  1132  can be connected at various locations to allow for anatomical difference. It can be adjusted by users to accommodate thicker or thinner lips or provide tighter or looser mouth closing as desired. The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  1110 ,  1120  of the interface which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the two adhesive connectors  1131  and  1132  are engaged. Also the user can temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 11C  and  FIG. 11D  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. Once the two attaching components,  1110  and  1120 , and the fluid conduit  100  are physically engaged with the conduit engaging slot  1140 , the negative pressure source can draw air out of oral cavity and thus produce a negative pressure environment to pull the tongue, soft palate and other soft tissue forward to maintain the airway patency reducing snoring and apnea episodes. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 12A  to  FIG. 12E .  FIG. 12A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  1210  and a lower attaching component  1220 . The attaching components can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the attaching components include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  1210  and  1220  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has a non-adhesive connector  1230  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  1210  and the lower attaching component  1220  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  1210 ,  1220  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the non-adhesive connector  1230  to the upper and lower attaching components  1210  and  1220 . Possible mechanisms for the connector include dual lock, velcro loop tapes. As shown in  FIG. 12B , the connector may consist of non-adhesive connectors  1231  and  1232 . The mouth can be closed and released by engaging and disengaging the non-adhesive connectors  1231 ,  1232 , respectively. The non-adhesive connectors  1231  and  1232  can be connected at various locations to allow for anatomical difference. It can be adjusted by users to accommodate thicker or thinner lips or provide tighter or looser mouth closing as desired as shown in  FIG. 12C . The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  1210 ,  1220  of the oral apparatus which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the two non-adhesive connectors  1231  and  1232  are engaged. Also the user can temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 12D  and  FIG. 12E  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. The present invention can be used in combination with constant positive airway pressure devices, oral appliances, or other sleep apnea therapies to prevent mouth breathing. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 13A  to  FIG. 13D .  FIG. 13A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  1310  and a lower attaching component  1320 . The attaching components can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the attaching components include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. One of the attaching components may have a conduit engaging slot  1340  and a fluid conduit  100  can be attached to the conduit engaging slot  1340 . The fluid conduit  100  is connected to a negative pressure source (not shown) on one end and interfaces with the oral cavity on the other end. The fluid conduit  100  may slide up or down along the conduit engaging slot  1340  to accommodate variation of distance between the mouth opening and the attaching component. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  1310  and  1320  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has a non-adhesive tape connector  1330  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  1310  and the lower attaching component  1320  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  1310 ,  1320  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the non-adhesive connector  1330  to the upper and lower attaching components  1310  and  1320 . Possible mechanisms for the connector include dual lock, velcro and loop tapes. As shown in  FIG. 13B , the connector may consist of non-adhesive connectors  1331  and  1332 . The mouth can be closed and released by engaging and disengaging the non-adhesive connectors  1331 ,  1332 , respectively. The two non-adhesive connectors  1331  and  1332  can be connected at various locations to allow for anatomical difference. It can be adjusted by users to accommodate thicker or thinner lips or provide tighter or looser mouth closing as desired. The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  1310 ,  1320  of the oral apparatus which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the two non-adhesive connectors  1331  and  1332  are engaged. Also the user can temporarily manually disengage the non-adhesive connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 13C  and  FIG. 13D  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. Once the two attaching components,  1310  and  1320 , and the fluid conduit  100  are physically engaged with the conduit engaging slot  1340 , the negative pressure source can draw air out of oral cavity and thus produce a negative pressure environment to pull the tongue, soft palate and other soft tissue forward to maintain the airway patency reducing snoring and apnea episodes. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 14A  to  FIG. 14E .  FIG. 14A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the fourteenth embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  1410  and a lower attaching component  1420 . The attaching components can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the attaching components include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  1410  and  1420  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has a hook-and-loop connector  1430  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  1410  and the lower attaching component  1420  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  1410 ,  1420  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the hook-and-loop connector  1430  to the upper and lower attaching components  1410  and  1420 . As shown in  FIG. 14B , the hook-and-loop connector  1430  may consist of a loop/band like structure  1431  and several hooks  1432 . The hook-and-loop connector  1430  is used to close and release the mouth by engaging and disengaging the loop/band like structure  1431  around one of the hooks  1432  respectively. The existence of several hooks  1432  at different locations results in an adjustable apparatus for users with thicker or thinner lips to achieve an effective tighter or looser mouth closing as desired and more comfortable for the user as shown in  FIG. 14C . The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  1410 ,  1420  of the oral apparatus which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the loop/band like structure  1431  and one of the hooks  1432  are engaged. The user can also temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 14D  and  FIG. 14E  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. The present invention can be used in combination with constant positive airway pressure devices, oral appliances, or other sleep apnea therapies to prevent mouth breathing. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 15A  to  FIG. 15D .  FIG. 15A  demonstrates the front view of an oral apparatus according to the fifteenth embodiment of the present invention. The oral apparatus comprises of an upper attaching component  1510  and a lower attaching component  1520 . The attaching components  1510 ,  1520  can be of various thickness and flexibility, and is capable of adhering firmly to the skin. Potential materials of the oral apparatus include silicone, flexible plastic, latex, gel, hydrogel, acrylic gel as well as other materials coated with an adhesive substance. One of the attaching components  1510 ,  1520  may have a conduit engaging slot  1540  and a fluid conduit  100  can be attached to the conduit engaging slot  1540 . The fluid conduit  100  is connected to a negative pressure source (not shown) on one end and interfaces with the oral cavity on the other end. The fluid conduit  100  may slide up or down along the conduit engaging slot  1540  to accommodate variation of distance between the mouth opening and the attaching component. The adhesive upper and lower attaching components  1510  and  1520  can be temporarily attached to the skin around the upper and lower lips, respectively. The oral apparatus also has a hook-and-loop connector  1530  to control the distance between the upper attaching component  1510  and the lower attaching component  1520  in order to close the mouth. The upper and lower attaching components  1510 ,  1520  may only be applied to lip region away from the opening of the mouth to allow for the mouth to open. The closing of the mouth will be attained by the lips with the help of the pulling force exerted by the hook-and-loop connector  1530  to the upper and lower attaching components  1510  and  1520 . As shown in  FIG. 15B , the hook-and-loop connector  1530  may consist of a loop/band like structure  1531  and several hooks  1532 . The hook-and-loop connector  1530  is used to close and release the mouth by engaging and disengaging the loop/band like structure  1531  around one of the hooks  1532  respectively. The existence of several hooks  1532  at different locations results in an adjustable apparatus for users with thicker or thinner lips to achieve an effective tighter or looser mouth closing as desired and more comfortable for the user as shown in  FIG. 15C . The opening of mouth is not occluded by the upper and lower attaching components  1510 ,  1520  of the oral apparatus which may allow the user to exhale air through the mouth even when the loop/band like structure  1531  and one of the hooks  1532  are engaged. Also the user can temporarily manually disengage the connector assembly to allow the user to drink water, speak or perform other activities.  FIG. 15C  and  FIG. 15D  demonstrate the side view of the engaged and disengaged apparatus respectively. Once the two attaching components  1510  and  1520 , and the fluid conduit  100  are physically engaged with the conduit engaging slot  1540 , the negative pressure source  100  can draw air out of oral cavity and thus produce a negative pressure environment to pull the tongue, soft palate and other soft tissue forward to maintain the airway patency reducing snoring and apnea episodes. 
     In addition to the specific uses described above, other embodiments and uses of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. All documents referenced herein are specifically and entirely incorporated by reference. The specification and examples should be considered exemplary only with the true scope and spirit of the invention indicated by the following claims. As will be easily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, variations and modifications of each of the disclosed embodiments can be easily made within the scope of this invention as defined by the following claims.