Jaw stretching device

Abstract

A jaw stretching device including a base arm, a lever arm, and a piston arm. A piston channel is formed through the base arm between a connection end and a mouthpiece end. A first mouthpiece is attached to the base arm and a second mouthpiece is attached to the piston arm. The lever arm is connected to the base arm and is capable of rotating relative to the base arm about the connection end. The piston arm includes a length positioned between a pivot end and an attachment end. The length has a curved pattern. The piston arm is positioned in the piston channel and the curved pattern of the length is configured to slide through the piston channel. The lever arm is attached to the piston arm. The piston arm is capable of rotating relative to the lever arm about a pivot end.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 747,987, filed on May 23, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of Invention [0003] This invention generally relates to treatment of the jaw, teeth and face. More specifically, the invention relates to a jaw stretching device. [0004] 2. Discussion of Related Art [0005] Medical practitioners have long been asked to help patients regain range and motion in restricted joints. The stiffening or overgrowth of tissue like skin, tendons, joint, scar, ligament, and muscle can limit a patient's joint range-of-motion (ROM). Therapy on and stretching the jaw without a device or appliance is complicated by the joints small size and location. [0006] The lack of good grip positions and limited leverage minimizes control and support for the joint, especially over the small range of jaw motion. Close proximity of t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019] These and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the followi...

Problems solved by technology

The stiffening or overgrowth of tissue like skin, tendons, joint, scar, ligament, and muscle can limit a patient's joint range-of-motion (ROM).

Therapy on and stretching the jaw without a device or appliance is complicated by the joints small size and location.

The lack of good grip positions and limited leverage minimizes control and support for the joint, especially over the small range of jaw motion.

The vulnerability of oral and mucosal tissues around the jaw further complicate stretching, as insertion of hands into the mouth carries more risk for disease transmittal and oral tissue damage.

Self-directed exercises are often inadequate as the activated muscles can cause pain, restrict the ability to open, and may not be capable of overcoming the fibrous tissues holding the jaw closed.

Physical therapy is thus often limited to massage and teaching the patient stress and pain relief techniques and self-directed exercises for ROM maintenance.

A gripping device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,586, allows a provider to grab the patient's bottom jaw for manipulation, but is not suitable for unaided use and does not spread the patients jaw.

This method of stretching puts pressure on the few teeth bordering the blades, which can loosen, dislodge or break.

Furthermore, this method has been shown in medical studies to be ineffective in increasing a patient's ROM.

The track-press device is large and unwieldy for patients, making it inconvenient to carry in a small bag or with a person.

The shaped hollow of the track-press device, which controls the curve of motion for the stretch, is a static part of the body and not easily changed.

The track-press device also lacks a structure for providing a consistent sustained stretch to the user.

Constant squeezing by the user can hold a stretch but is inconsistent and not capable of providing controlled progressive stretching.

The pneumatic spreader suffers from a weak tube and reservoirs that deform under stress.

This deformation inhibits the pneumatic spreader from stretching severely limited patients and will not overcome a user's muscle spasms.

The fluid system of the pneumatic spreader is also liable to leak.

Furthermore, neither the track-press nor the pneumatic spreader can sustain a constant opening of the user's jaw.

This device is unnecessarily large and the hand-grips are positioned parallel in front of the chin making them hard to squeeze.

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