Abstract:
A nasal dilator strip and methods, the strip including a first layer including a cover having adhesive on a surface thereof, the cover having a first edge with a convex locating feature and a second edge opposite the first edge, the second edge being an uninterrupted edge, and a second layer having opposite surfaces, one opposite surface of the second layer being secured to the first layer, at least a portion of the other opposite surface of the second layer having adhesive to hold the two-layer nasal dilator strip in place on a user&#39;s nose, the second layer including a substantially planar resilient member, the resilient member having a constant thickness and longitudinal sides which converge from a center of the resilient member to a pair of spaced apart ends.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/880,217, filed on Jul. 19, 2007, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    This invention relates to an improvement to the configuration of nasal dilators such as those described in Spanish Patent No. 289,561 to Iriarti dated 15 Sep. 1986 and in the further patents discussed below. Generally speaking these dilators employ a resilient band which has an adhesive on the bottom side and sufficient length so that the resilient band can be bent over the bridge of the nose, and each end of the band becomes adhesively attached to the soft tissue on the lateral wall of the nasal passage. 
         [0003]    Bending the resilient band from its initial planar state to its deformed state with its ends in contact with the lateral walls of the nasal passages and the center of the band overlying the bridge of the nose results in forces tending to pull out on the lateral wall tissues which stabilize the walls of the nasal passages during breathing. 
         [0004]    The present invention improves nasal dilators by providing them with a resilient member which has a variable spring rate that decreases from the point where the resilient band crosses the bridge of the nose to the point where the resilient band terminates at the lateral wall of the nasal passage. 
         [0005]    The nasal dilator of the present invention has a soft fabric cushion of the same or a slightly greater thickness than the resilient member. The soft fabric cushion is located in the same layer as the resilient member and covers the area of the soft fabric cover which is not in direct contact with the resilient member. The soft fabric cushion is in contact with edges of the resilient member and prevents the edges of the resilient member from pressing into the skin on the user&#39;s nose while using the nasal dilator. 
         [0006]    The present invention further provides a convex protrusion on the side of the dilator at the center of the bridge of the nose facing the tip of the nose to indicate to the user the proper orientation of the dilator when applying it to the nose. 
         [0007]    Blockage of the nasal passages from swelling due to allergies, colds and physical deformities can lead to breathing difficulty and discomfort. The nasal passages have mucus membranes which condition the air in the nasal passages prior to its arrival in the lungs. If the nasal passages are constricted due to swelling or minor deformities then the alternative is to breathe through the mouth. This means that the air bypasses the mucus membranes, losing the conditioning effects and causing irritation in the throat and lungs. At night, restrictions to breathing through the nasal passages can lead to snoring and/or sleep disturbances. In some cases, the restricted air supply can cause sleep problems brought on by a lack of oxygen. 
         [0008]    For people with chronic blockages in the nasal passages, the alternative to correct the problem has been expensive surgery or medication. People with minor deformities and breathing problems brought on by swelling of the walls of the nasal passageways have been turning to various products fitted in or on the nose which claim to open the nasal passages. 
         [0009]    The structure of the nose limits the options available for the design of nasal dilators. The nose terminates at the nostril, which has a slightly expanded volume immediately above it known as the vestibule. Above the vestibule, the nasal passage becomes restricted at a point called the nasal valve. At the nasal valve, the external wall of the nose consists of soft skin known as the lateral wall, which will deform with air pressure changes induced within the nasal passage during the breathing cycles. Above the nasal valve the nasal passage opens up to a cavity with turbinates over the top of the palate and turns downward to join the passage from the mouth to the throat. 
         [0010]    The external structure of the nose consists of a skin covering over the nasal bones which are part of the skull. This gives the top of the nose a rigid structure at its base. Beyond the rigid nose bones, there is thin cartilage under the skin which is attached to the septum, which in turn contributes to the outside shape of the nose. The septum forms the wall between the two nostrils and may, if it is crooked, contribute to breathing problems. 
         [0011]    As an alternative to surgery, the structure of the nose and the current art leave two main alternatives for the design of nasal dilators. One alternative uses a tube or a similar structure which can be inserted into the nasal passage to hold it in the open position allowing the free passage of air. The disadvantage to this design is that the dilator structure covers up the mucus membranes which condition the air. Also dilators of this design are uncomfortable and can irritate the walls of the nasal passage. 
         [0012]    Another alternative is a dilator design, taught by the Iriarti patent for example, where each end that attaches to the external lateral wall of each of the nasal passages has resilient means connecting the ends for developing an external pulling force on the lateral wall causing it to open the nasal passage. This design has the advantage over the first alternative because the nasal passages are not disturbed by an internal insert. This design has limited control over the resilient force on the lateral wall of each of the nasal passages, and the resilient members crossing over the bridge of the nose can cause discomfort. 
         [0013]    The present invention is an improvement over earlier nasal dilator configurations because it redistributes the lifting forces within the resilient band by modifying the spring rate, so that they can provide optimum lift on the lateral walls of the nasal passage. In addition maximum comfort for the user is achieved by adding the cushion layer at the same level as the resilient member to prevent the edge of the resilient member from pressing into the skin on the user&#39;s nose. 
         [0014]    There is prior art which permits for adjusting the spring rate of the resilient band in the nasal dilator. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,091 to Johnson employs two parallel resilient bands of constant width and constant thickness which cross over the bridge of the nose and terminate at the outer wall of each nasal passage. The Johnson patent shows a plurality of notches cut into the top of each end of the resilient band to reduce the spring rate, which in turn prevents the end of the resilient band from peeling away from the skin. Each notch is a single point reduction of the spring rate with the spring rate reduction determined by the depth of the notch. 
         [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,944 to Petruson and U.S. Reissue Pat. No. Re 35,408 to Petruson provide nasal dilators with a one-piece molded plastic strip, the ends of which carry tabs for insertion into the nostrils. 
         [0016]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,333 to Johnson shows the same concept of single point reduction in the spring rate of the resilient band using the notches shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,091 mentioned above. In addition, the &#39;333 Johnson patent shows other designs for the resilient band with either holes or slots which are located at the ends of the resilient bands and are intended to reduce the spring rate at a single point to prevent the end of the resilient band from peeling away from the skin. 
         [0017]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,658 to Voss shows a beam-shaped resilient band which extends from one side of the user&#39;s nose across the bridge of the nose to the other side of the nose. The resilient band is made of plastic and has a varying thickness and width over the entire span. The resilient band exhibits a rigidity increase from the center towards the two respective ends which attach to the sides of the user&#39;s nose, which is the exact opposite of what is attained with the present invention. 
         [0018]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,901 to Ierulli discloses several nasal strip configurations where the cover member extends beyond the perimeter of the spring member, including one embodiment in which the strip has some degree of variation in the spring force over a portion of the length of the strip. 
         [0019]    Some of the better known nasal dilator patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,499 to Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,503 to Doubrek et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,362 to Johnson, all teach of nasal dilators with a cushion layer between the resilient member and the user&#39;s skin. U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,931 to Muchin is similar to the Spanish Iriarti patent in that the resilient member is in direct contact with the user&#39;s skin and no cushion layer is provided. These nasal dilators differ from the current invention, which provides a cushion layer at the same level in the nasal dilator structure which prevents the edge of the resilient member from pressing into the user&#39;s skin, but at the same time does not prevent contact of the resilient member from the user&#39;s skin. 
         [0020]    Even the most recent nasal dilator patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,970 to Spinelli, U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,428 to Cronk et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,429 to Benetti do not have the resilient member with a constantly varying spring rate which is diminishing from the centerline to each end of the resilient member in combination with the cushion layer located at the same level as the resilient member. U.S. Pat. No. 7,114,495 to Lockwood does have the resilient member with a constantly varying spring rate which diminishes from the centerline to each end of the resilient member. However, it has a cushion layer under the resilient member. In contrast, the cushion layer of the nasal dilator of the present invention is at the same level as, and surrounds, the resilient member. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    An object of this invention is to provide a nasal dilator which exhibits improved performance relative to the nasal dilator known from the prior art. 
         [0022]    An important feature of the present invention is to provide a soft fabric cushion layer which is the same size and shape as the top soft fabric cover and has adhesives on both sides. The cushion layer is at the same level as the resilient member and equal to or slightly thicker than the resilient member. As a result, the cushion layer and the resilient member are substantially flush where they meet. Since the resilient member is attached to the bottom of the top fabric cover by adhesives, the cushion layer surrounds the edge of the resilient member and covers the remaining area of the top soft fabric cover not covered by the resilient member. The adhesive on the bottom of the cushion layer is in contact with the skin on the user&#39;s nose when the dilator is in use. 
         [0023]    Another improvement feature of the present invention is to configure the resilient band to reduce the width gradually from the center of the resilient band towards each end in a way that gradually reduces the spring rate of the resilient band. The thickness of the resilient band remains constant over its entire length, which simplifies the structure while keeping costs low. 
         [0024]    A further improvement of the present invention is that the new dilator has a relatively greater width at its center with the shape of the bottom edge provided with a slight convex protrusion which points to the tip of the nose when the dilator is in use. The outer shape of the dilator is configured to optimize the location of the resilient member over the soft tissues on the outer wall of the nasal passages where the dilating forces are most effective. 
         [0025]    Other improvements provided by the present invention are the four slits in the top soft fabric cover and the cushion layer at the boundary that separates the ends of the dilator from the intermediate structure which connects the ends of the dilator. The four slits are close to perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the dilator and allow the top soft fabric cover and cushion layer to conform to the many different shapes of the outer walls of the nasal passages. 
         [0026]    An additional improvement of the present invention is the use of transparent materials for the top soft fabric cover, the resilient member, and the cushion layer. Here too the cushion layer has a thickness that is equal to or slightly thicker than the resilient member. The normal color for the top soft fabric cover is tan; however, for sports applications the cover may be black or some other dark color. 
         [0027]    The nasal dilator of the present invention is a significant unobvious improvement over the prior art. Nasal dilators that have been in the market for more than 10 years have a resilient member held in place on the user&#39;s nose by a top cover that defines the length and width of the dilator as well as adds additional adhesive surface to overcome the stresses developed by the resilient member. Another nasal strip that has been sold in the past has a resilient member sandwiched between a top surface which defines the length and width of the dilator and a cushion layer that covers the entire bottom surface of the top layer. Both of these dilators use current converting technology in their manufacturing process. 
         [0028]    The improved nasal dilator of the present invention uses a new converting technology that has not been available until now. The new converting process requires that the resilient member be formed and located on the bottom surface of the top cover in a precise location. At the same time the cushion layer must have an opening cut and be precisely indexed, so that the edges of the cushion layer match up to the respective edges of the resilient member in order to achieve the contiguous bottom surface required by the improved dilator. This improvement in precision in the converting process is due to computer-controlled indexing, as well as a special webbing, which do not form part of the present application. 
         [0029]    The improvements summarized above enhance the performance of the dilator and make the dilator more comfortable for the user as compared to prior art dilators in general and the Iriarti dilator in particular. In another embodiment the invention provides a method of {text}. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0030]    The unique advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading the following specification and by reference to the following drawings: 
           [0031]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the dilator on the nose; 
           [0032]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective top view of the components making up the dilator; 
           [0033]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the dilator with a single resilient band; 
           [0034]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the dilator in  FIG. 3  showing the layers of the components that make up the dilator; 
           [0035]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the dilator with two resilient bands; 
           [0036]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the dilator in  FIG. 5  showing the layers of the components that make up the dilator; and 
           [0037]      FIG. 7  is a drawing showing the force vectors of the dilator in this invention compared to the force vectors in other, known dilators. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0038]    The specific improvements provided by this invention over past nasal dilators described in the prior art are best seen in the attached drawings. 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , the new nasal dilator  10  is mounted on the nose  70  of the user. The nasal dilator  10  has a center  11  that is bent over the bridge  71  of the nose  70 , and each end  12  and  13  of the nasal dilator  10  is positioned over the lateral wall  72  of the nose  70 . 
         [0040]    The lateral wall  72  of the nasal passage  75  is located in the soft tissue  73  above the nostril flare  74 , which in turn is adjacent to the entrance of the nasal passage  75 . When the nasal dilator  10  which contains a resilient band  30  is deformed from its normally planar state by being bent over the bridge  71  of the nose  70 , the ends  12  and  13  which are attached to the lateral wall  72  of the nasal passage  75  tend to pull on the lateral wall  72  in a way that opens the nasal passage  75  and improves the air flow through the nasal passages  75  during breathing. This invention shows improvements to the performance of the nasal dilator  10 , makes the nasal dilator  10  easier to use, and increases the comfort of the nasal dilator  10  when it is used to dilate the lateral walls  72  of the nasal passages  75 . 
         [0041]    The new nasal dilator of the present invention has a top cover  20  which establishes the length and width of the nasal dilator  10 , a resilient member  30  which is attached to the bottom surface  22  of the top cover  20 , and a cushion layer  40  which is equal in thickness to the resilient member  30  and covers all of the bottom surface  22  of the top cover  20  that is not in contact with the top surface  38  of the resilient member  30 . The dilator is flat in its natural state with the thickness of the nasal dilator  10  that is constant over the entire surface of the top cover  20  including surfaces in contact with the resilient member  30  and the cushion layer  40 . The cushion layer  40  has an adhesive  43  which is in contact with the skin on the user&#39;s nose  70  when the nasal dilator  10  is in use. The bottom surface  37  of the resilient member  30  does not have an adhesive which is in contact with the skin on the user&#39;s nose  70 . The top cover  20  does not contact the skin on the user&#39;s nose  70  when the nasal dilator  10  is in place, which is a unique feature of the nasal dilator of the present invention. 
         [0042]    As is best seen in  FIG. 2 , the nasal dilator  10  is made up of several layers. The first layer is the top cover  20  which is made from a non-woven polyester cellulose fabric or equal which is usually tan in color on the top surface  21 . The top surface  21  of the top cover  20  can be dyed in any color or imprinted with a brand, logo or other information. The top cover  20  also has a bottom surface  22  which is coated with a 3 mils acrylic hypoallergenic medical grade pressure-sensitive type adhesive  25  or equal. The adhesive  25  covers the entire bottom surface  22  of the top cover  20 . 
         [0043]    The top cover  20  has two sides  23  and  24  which run over the length of the top cover  20  with the exception of an approximately 0.5-inch wide section at the center  11  of the nasal dilator  10 . On one side  23  of the top cover  20 , there is a convex protrusion  26  which is configured to indicate the proper orientation of the nasal dilator  10  when it is in use. When the nasal dilator  10  is properly positioned on the user&#39;s nose, the convex protrusion  26  at the center  11  of the nasal dilator  10  is pointed towards the tip of the user&#39;s nose  70 . 
         [0044]    The second layer is the resilient member,  30 , a plastic layer, which is made from a polyester sheet which is about 0.010 inch to about 0.015 inch thick, depending on the required strength of the nasal dilator  10 . The thickness selected of the resilient member  30  is constant over the entire length of the resilient member  30 , and the width of the resilient member  30  is greatest at the center  31  where the nasal dilator  10  passes over the bridge of the nose  71 . The bottom edge  33  of the resilient member  30  curves toward the top edge  32  as the distance from the center  31  of the resilient member  30  is increased. This reduction of the width of the resilient member  30  causes a reduction of the spring rate in the resilient member  30  over the span from the center  31  to each of the ends  34  and  35  of the resilient member  30 . The width at the center  31  of the resilient member  30  is less than half of the width of the top cover  20 , and the width of the resilient member  30  at each of the ends  34  and  35  is approximately half of the width of the center  31 . 
         [0045]    The bottom edge  33  of the resilient member  30  between the center  31  and the respective ends  34  and  35  is curved over the length of the strip and is asymmetrical in relation to the longitudinal center line  36  (see  FIG. 3 ) of the resilient member  30 . Other curves for edges  32  and  33  are possible as long as the maximum width of the resilient member  30  is at the center  31  and the spring rate is reduced as the distance from the center  31  is increased until reaching ends  34  and  35 . To attain the desired force distribution and to prevent the development of torsional forces, the radius of curvature of the edges  32  and  33  of the resilient member  30  is greater than 1.5 inches. In addition, the thickness of the resilient member  30  is 3% or greater than the width of the resilient member  30  at the longitudinal center line  36  in order to establish a baseline spring rate at the centerline of the resilient member  30  and allow for the reduction of width of the resilient member  30  over the span to the ends  34  and  35  in which the polyester of specified thickness will achieve a lifting force of 25 to 30 grams. This ratio increases as the distance from the center  31  is increased, and the width of the resilient band decreases until reaching ends  34  and  35 . 
         [0046]    In the same layer as the resilient member  30 , there is a cushion layer  40  which is equal to or slightly thicker than the resilient member  30  and surrounds the edges  32  and  33  of the resilient member  30 . In this embodiment the edges  48  and  49  of the cushion layer  40  that are adjacent to the respective edges  32  and  33  of the resilient member  30  have the same curvature as the resilient member  30  in order to form a contiguous surface between the bottom  42  of the cushion layer  40  and the bottom  37  of the resilient member  30 . This will prevent the edge of the resilient member  30  from pressing into the user&#39;s skin while the nasal dilator  10  is in use. 
         [0047]    The cushion layer  40  is made from non-woven polyester cellulose fabric which is about 0.010 inch to about 0.015 inch thick. The cushion layer  40  is attached to the bottom surface  22  of the top cover  20  which is not covered by the resilient member  30 . As a result, the bottom  37  of the resilient member  30  and the bottom  42  of the cushion layer  40  are in contact with the skin on the user&#39;s nose  70 , while the top cover  20  cannot come in contact with the user&#39;s nose  70  when the nasal dilator  10  is in use. This also distinguishes this present invention from the prior art because all known nasal dilators either have a cushion layer  40  that prevents the resilient member  30  from contacting the skin on the user&#39;s nose  70  or have no cushion layer  40  which allows both the bottom surface  22  of the top cover  20  and the bottom surface  37  of the resilient member  30  to have direct contact with the skin on the user&#39;s nose  70 . 
         [0048]    The bottom  42  of the cushion layer  40  is coated with a 3 mils acrylic hypoallergenic medical grade pressure-sensitive type adhesive  43  or equal that is designed to hold the nasal dilator in place on the user&#39;s nose  70 . The adhesive  43  on the bottom  42  of the cushion layer  40  has sufficient strength when adhering to the user&#39;s nose  70  to overcome the stresses developed by the resilient member  30  when the resilient member  30  is deformed to conform to the surface of the skin of the user&#39;s nose  70 . The cushion layer  40  has two sides  45  and  46  which match the two respective sides  23  and  24  of the top cover  20 . The cushion layer  40  also has a convex protrusion  47  which matches the convex protrusion  26  of the top cover  20 . 
         [0049]    A release liner  50  is provided to protect the adhesive surface  43  on the bottom side of the cushion layer  40 . This release liner  50  is removed from the nasal dilator  10  prior to applying the nasal dilator  10  to the skin of the user&#39;s nose  70 . 
         [0050]      FIGS. 3 and 4  show a top view of the first embodiment of the nasal dilator  10  and a cross-sectional view (AA) which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  36  of the nasal dilator  10 . The cross-sectional view shows the top cover  20  with adhesive  25  on the bottom surface  22  which is in direct contact with the top surface  38  of the resilient member  30  and the top surface  41  of the cushion layer  40 . The edges  32  and  33  of the resilient member  30  are in direct contact with the edges  48  and  49  of the cushion layer  40  forming a contiguous bottom surface  44  which prevents the edges  32  and  33  of the resilient member  30  from pressing into the skin on the nose  70  of the user when the nasal dilator  10  is in use. 
         [0051]      FIGS. 5 and 6  show a top view of another embodiment of the nasal dilator  10  and its respective cross-sectional view (BB) which is perpendicular to the long axis of the nasal dilator  10 . The edges  32  (A&amp;B) and  33  (A&amp;B) of two resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) are shown. The cross-sectional view (BB) shows the top cover  20  with adhesive  25  on the bottom surface  22  which is in direct contact with the top surface  38  (A&amp;B) of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) and the top surface  41  of the cushion layer  40 . The top cover  20  is made from non-woven polyester cellulose fabric or equal and the top cover  20  defines the length and width of the nasal dilator  10 . 
         [0052]    The second layer has two or more resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) which are made from a polyester sheet which is about 0.010 inch to about 0.015 inch thick, depending on the required strength of the nasal dilator  10 . The thickness selected of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) is constant over the entire length of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B), so the nasal dilator  10  can be manufactured in a converting process. The width of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) is constantly decreasing from the center  31  (A&amp;B) of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) to each end  34  (A&amp;B) and  35  (A&amp;B) in this particular embodiment, and the thickness of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) is 3% or greater than the width of the resilient member over the length of the nasal dilator. 
         [0053]    As can be seen in  FIG. 6 , the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) are attached to the bottom surface  22  of the top cover  20  with the adhesive  25  that is applied to the bottom surface  22  of the top cover  20 . The resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) are parallel to the longitudinal axis  36  of the top cover  20  with each of the ends  34  (A&amp;B) and  35  (A&amp;B) terminating short of the end edges of the top cover  20 . The resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) have no adhesive on the bottom surface which is in contact with the user&#39;s skin when the nasal dilator  10  is in use. 
         [0054]    Each of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) can be symmetrical or asymmetrical to the longitudinal axis  39  (A&amp;B) of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B). Symmetry is achieved by using identical curves for sides  32  (A&amp;B) and  33  (A&amp;B) between the center  31  (A&amp;B) and the ends  34  (A&amp;B) and  35  (A&amp;B) of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B). The concept of using a reduction of the width in the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) that causes a reduction of the spring rate in the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) can be used in nasal dilator  10  with one or more parallel resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) that extend parallel to the longitudinal axis  36  of the nasal dilator  10 . 
         [0055]    In the same layer as the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B), there is a cushion layer  40  which is equal to or slightly thicker than the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) and surrounds the edges  32  (A&amp;B) and  33  (A&amp;B) of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B). The cushion layer  40  is designed to form a contiguous surface between the bottom  42  of the cushion layer  40  and the bottoms  37  (A&amp;B) of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) to prevent the edges  32  (A&amp;B) and  33  (A&amp;B) of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) from pressing into the user&#39;s skin while the nasal dilator  10  is in use. The cushion layer  40  is made from non-woven polyester cellulose fabric which is about 0.010 inch to about 0.015 inch thick including the thickness of the attached adhesive  43 . The cushion layer  40  is attached to the bottom surface  22  of the top cover  20  which is not covered by the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B), and the edges  48  (A&amp;B) and  49  (A&amp;B) of the cushion layer  40  are in contact with the respective adjacent edges  32  (A&amp;B) and  33  (A&amp;B) of the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B). 
         [0056]    The bottom  42  of the cushion layer  40  is coated with a 3 mils acrylic hypoallergenic medical grade pressure-sensitive type adhesive  43  or equal capable of withstanding the stresses caused by the resilient members  30  (A&amp;B) and holding the nasal dilator  10  in place on the user&#39;s nose  70 . Depending on the specific converting process used to manufacture the nasal dilator  10 , the cushion layer  40  may also have the same 3 mils acrylic adhesive on the top surface  41  to control any stretch in the fabric during manufacturing. 
         [0057]    To protect the adhesive surface  43  on the bottom surface  42  of the cushion layer  40 , a release liner  50  is provided as shown in  FIG. 2 . This release liner  50  is pealed away exposing the adhesive  43  on the bottom of the cushion layer  40  when the nasal dilator  10  is ready to be placed on the nose  70 . 
         [0058]    The nasal dilator  10  in both embodiments is normally in a planar state when it is removed from the release liner  50  and has no stresses. When the nasal dilator  10  is bent over the bridge  71  of the nose  70  and the ends  12  and  13  are engaged with the lateral wall  72  of the nasal passage, then the stresses introduced in the resilient member  30  cause the ends  12  and  13  of the nasal dilator  10  to pull outwardly and upwardly on the lateral wall  72  to improve the breathing of the user. 
         [0059]    The nasal dilator  10  in both embodiments can also be provided as a clear nasal dilator  10 . In this case, the top cover  20  is made from a 3 mil polyethylene with the bottom surface  22  coated with 2 mils acrylic hypoallergenic medical grade adhesive  25 . The resilient member  30  in both embodiments is made from the clear polyester and the cushion layer  40  is made from 8 mil polyethylene with both the top surface  41  and the bottom surface  42  coated with 2 mils acrylic hypoallergenic medical grade adhesive  43 . 
         [0060]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  5  there are four slits  52  in the top soft fabric cover  20  and the cushion layer  40  at the boundary of the ends  12  and  13  of the nasal dilator  10  and the intermediate structure  29  which connects the two ends  12  and  13 . The four slits  52  are shown to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  36  of the nasal dilator  10 , and they allow the top soft fabric cover  20  and the cushion layer  40  to conform to the many different shapes of the outer wall tissue  73  of the nasal passages  75 . In some cases the slits  52  may be cut at an angle to the longitudinal axis  36  of the nasal dilator  10 . 
         [0061]    The use of a resilient band  30  with a decreasing spring rate in a nasal dilator  10  has a positive effect on the nasal dilator  10  performance.  FIG. 7  shows a comparison of the performance of a nasal dilator  10  with a decreasing spring rate  60  on the left side of the vertical centerline  55  and a nasal dilator with a constant spring rate  80  on the right side of the vertical centerline  55 . The nasal dilator  10  is shown bent over an elliptical surface  56  which represents the skin  76  of the user&#39;s nose  70 . 
         [0062]    The nasal dilator  10  with the decreasing spring rate  60  has a series of vectors  61  pulling out on the elliptical surface  56 . Vectors  61  which are further away from the vertical centerline  55  increase to vector  63 . Then they begin to decrease to vector  64  at the end  12  of the nasal dilator  10 . The vectors  61  on the side with the decreasing spring rate  60  cause the lateral wall  72  to be pulled up and out at the center of the nasal passage  75 , which improves the air flow in the nasal passage  75 . A reactive vector  65  provides an opposing force to vectors  61 . 
         [0063]    The right-hand side of  FIG. 7  illustrates the forces generated by a nasal dilator  10  with a constant spring rate  80 . It generates a series of vectors  81  pulling out on the elliptical surface  56 . As the vectors  81  move away from the vertical centerline  55 , they increase until the last vector  83 . This means that the pull on the lateral wall  72  is outward and that the maximum vector  83  is pulling out on the lateral wall  72  at the edge of the nasal passage  75 . Although air flow is improved, the nasal dilator  10  with the decreasing spring rate  60  provides better performance because it opens the lateral wall  72  adjacent to the center of the nasal passage  75  where the maximum air volume flows. Also the reactive vector  85  is greater than the reactive vector  65  for the decreasing spring rate  60  nasal dilator  10 , which renders the constant spring rate  80  nasal dilator  10  less comfortable for the user. 
         [0064]    The description of the preferred embodiment described herein is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is properly set out in the claims.