47 results about "Genioglossus muscle" patented technology

At least one implant structure is sized and configured for implantation in, on, or near an extrinsic muscle region affecting movement and / or shape of a tongue, e.g., a genioglossus muscle. The position of the implant structure is stabilized relative to the extrinsic muscle region to maintain the tongue in a desired orientation, e.g., to maintain patency of an airway.

Disclosed herein are various methods, systems, an apparatuses for determining appropriate situations to treat conditions such as sleep apnea. At appropriate times, treatment can be applied such as through electrical stimulation to a person (e.g., an electrical stimulation of a person's genioglossus muscle in response to detecting that the person is undergoing an obstructive sleep apnea precursor event). In exemplary embodiments, a sensor such as a microphone and / or motion sensor can be used to provide a processor with data to facilitate a determination by the processor as to whether an electrical stimulus should be applied.

A dental appliance apparatus is disclosed herein. In various aspects, the dental appliance may include a body removably attachable to one or more teeth selected from premolars and molars, and a flange extending forth from lingual portions of the body to contact a tongue at one or more locations proximate the premolars and the molars in order to cause a contraction of the genioglossus that positions the tongue anteriorly and downward toward the mandible by stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve. The dental appliance may include a connector connected to the body, and the connector may pass about buccal-labial sides of the anterior teeth. A bumper may be included on a labial side of the connector, and the bumper may contact the lips to promote pursed lips breathing. An anterior flange may extend lingually from the connector to stimulate the hypoglossal nerve proximate a tip of the tongue in order to cause contraction of the genioglossus to position the tongue anteriorly and downward toward the mandible. This Abstract is presented to meet requirements of 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b) only. This Abstract is not intended to identify key elements of the apparatus and methods disclosed herein or to delineate the scope of this disclosure.

An intraoral device (1) includes upper cooperating elements (2) adapted to cooperate with the upper jaw (4) and lower cooperating elements (3) adapted to cooperate with the lower jaw (5); a bracket (19) fixed in the cooperating elements (2,3), the bracket (19) supports a target (18) aiming at inducing mandibular advancement and attracting the tip of the tongue; the target (18) being centered, in a transverse plane, with regard to the cooperating elements (2,3). The device (1) further includes stimulating elements (17) for stimulation of the tongue muscles, preferably the genioglossus, involving reflex exploration of the stimulating elements (17) by the tongue. The device (1) may be used for relieving obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, snoring and / or other airway disorders.

The invention relates to a pressure sensor for tongue muscles. Piezoresistive strain gauges are respectively arranged at both ends of a pressing beam, and a stress pad is arranged on the piezoresistive strain gauge. The upper jaw exerts force on the stress pad, and the force pad drives the pressing beam to deform. The piezoresistive strain gauge at one end is stretched, and the piezoresistive strain gauge at the other end is compressed, which is converted into an analog voltage signal by a Huygens bridge. And a dental brace model with tongue muscle pressure detection, which is embedded with at least one tongue muscle pressure sensor. The tongue muscle pressure sensor of the present invention adopts the piezoresistive principle, and the piezoresistive strain gauge is deformed by the deformation of the beam, and converted into an analog voltage signal by a Huygens bridge for reading by a microcomputer such as a single-chip microcomputer. Compared with the prior art, the device is small in size and simple in operation and is more suitable for clinical use.

The invention discloses a noninvasive percutaneous frequency-conversion electrical-stimulation breathing therapeutic apparatus with multiple functions. The percutaneous frequency-conversion electrical-stimulation breathing therapeutic apparatus with the multiple functions comprises a real-time monitoring module for monitoring breathing condition, an electrical-stimulation signal-producing module, and a non-implantable percutaneous electrode. The real-time monitoring module is used for monitoring the breathing condition of a monitored person in real time when the monitored person is in a sleep condition and obtaining sleep parameters. The electrical-stimulation signal-producing module is used for providing more than two electrical-stimulation modes. The non-implantable percutaneous electrode is used for conducting chronic frequency-conversion electrical-stimulation signals to diaphragm muscle or genioglossus of the monitored person or conducting acute frequency-conversion electrical-stimulation signals to the diaphragm muscle or the genioglossus of the monitored person. The percutaneous frequency-conversion electrical-stimulation breathing therapeutic apparatus with the multiple functions combines an acute diaphragm muscle pace-making function, a chronic frequency-conversion diaphragm muscle electrical-stimulation function, an acute genioglossus pace-making function, a chronic frequency-conversion genioglossus electrical-stimulation function, and the like as a whole. The percutaneous frequency-conversion electrical-stimulation breathing therapeutic apparatus with the multiple functions has double functions of treating and preventing.