Patent ID: 8342173

Claim:
A nasal dilator capable of introducing separating stresses in nasal outer wall tissues, the dilator comprising: a top cover; a resilient member secured to the top cover and having a pair of spaced-apart end surfaces which, if forced toward one another from initial positions when the resilient member is flat to substantially reduce direct spacing therebetween by a spacing reducing force external to said resilient member, results in restoring forces in said resilient member tending to restore said direct spacing between said end surfaces; a cushion layer that has a thickness which is approximately equal to a thickness of the resilient member and has inner edges which are adjacent to outer edges of the resilient member, a bottom surface of both the cushion layer and the resilient member cooperating to form a contiguous surface; and engagement means adhered to said end surfaces and capable of engaging exposed surfaces of nasal outer wall tissues sufficiently to remain so engaged against said restoring forces.