GB2508020A

GB2508020A - An infant's dummy with an alarm and medicated vapours

Info

Publication number: GB2508020A
Application number: GB1220813.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Farzad Fard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-11-20
Filing date: 2012-11-20
Publication date: 2014-05-21
Also published as: GB201220813D0

Abstract

An infant breathing aid soother, dummy or pacifier for monitoring the respiration of an obligatory nose breather infant suffering from nasal congestion. It also helps to decongest nasal passages by administering medicated vapours, facilitate oral breathing during nasal congestion and delivering an alarm in the event of respiratory failure. The breathing aid includes an oral member 2, which at the nipple end has an air duct 4 and is secured to a face shield 3 which prevents it from being swallowed. The face shield is fitted with a cylindrical compartment 3a which houses a vapour emitting disc 6 and the tubular air duct assembly 5, the cylindrical compartment is covered by a circular disc assembly which houses a one-way valve 7 and provides attachment for the rear cylindrical compartment 8 which has at least one aperture 8a for allowing ambient air in to the system; it also houses an electronic thermal sensitive micro-air-flow-sensor module 10, which produces an audible alarm in an event of infant respiratory failure. The air duct from the nipple in the oral member extends via various assemblies through to the rear of the device where it reaches ambient air, enabling the infant to breath.

Description

Breathe Ease soother 2

TECHNICAL FIELD

10001] The present invention relates to a soother apparatus designed to monitor, assist breathing and heal respiratory ailments associated with nasal congestion in obligatory nose breathing new-borns and young infants.

[00021 This invention relates to an orally administered soother device specifically designed to.

monitor an infant's breathing, reduce and relieve nasal obstruction by releasing medicated vapours whilst facilitating oral breathing. In addition the respiratory monitor produces a high pitched sound in the event of breathing failure

BACKGROUND OF ThE INVENTION

10003] Parents often use pacifiers or breast feeding in order to calm and sooth their infants.This method often works, it also has an adverse effect if the child suffers from nasal congestion & respiratory ailments- 100041 This problem is also exasperated with new-borns as for the first 4-6 months they are obligatory nose breathers The term obligate can be misleading,since technically infants can breathe through their mouth during certain instances, such as when crying but generally demonstrate a preference for nasal breathing Infants neeØ to breathe through their nose arises from the physical structure of the soft palate-a muscular fold that extends from the back of the roof of the mouth -is so close to the epiglottisa flap of cartilage that covers and protects the wind pipe during the act of swallowing. Physical growth occurring at approximately 6 months of age moves the soft palate and epiglottis further apart, thus leading to an opening up of the oral area and a marked increase in an infant's ability to breathe orally.

100051 As obligate nasal breathers, young infants could experience significant breathing trouble with simple illnesses, such as the common cold which often causes nasal congestion and a runny nose.

[0906] Initially even a mild nasal congestion in new-borns causes agitation and sleep deprivation, however more seriously it could contribute to potentially serious breathing problems including, a dangerous lack of oxygen in the blood stream, play a major role in pathogenesis of pulmonaiY cardiac and neurological complications.

* [00071 It is also suggested that partial nasal obstruction in a sleeping obligatory nasal breathing infant could result in the sucking back of the tongue over the larynx in this "cafe coronary" type of situation.

This could be the mechanism of the obstructive type of apnea recorded by Stein Schneider, and of the asphyxia type of death that is better known as "Cot Death" or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

(0008] Pacifiers have been in existence for a countless number of years in all shapes and forms and have been used to sooth unsettled babies all over the world. However they have never been very effective with infants suffering from nasal congestion and in fact they have created a greater agitation with the very young obligatory nose breathing infants Various devices have been designed to resolve this problem however they all have their limitations and they may even exaggerate the problem.

[00091 In the first instance there are pacifiers which are designed to administer medicated aromatic substances in order to help relieve nasal congestion, examples of such devices are UK patent 2451653, US 2007/0021783, US6/557/548, UK2231497, all these devices are variously designed and configured to release decongestant vapour, however in the scenario involving an obligatory nose breather they would worsen the problem, as these pacifiers themselves would create an oral obstruction adding to the stress of the infant and the may even cause asphyxiation.

lOOlOiThere are also other products, which are designed to assist breathing which are a breath-through pacifier, these are US patent 2003/0083696 & German patent DE 202005 019 192 Ui, whilst these product are designed to assist breathing by having a breath through pacifier they have no remedial effect, do not monitor infants breathing and can only be used as a short term relief.

Summary of the invention

[00111 In the view of disadvantages inherent with known types of pacifiers, and the aforementioned delgns, the object of the present invention is to assist to resolve all problems assoéiated with nasal congestion in both infants and new-borns and create a product which is best suited for this age group.

[OOl2JThe present invention proposes to relieve nasal congestion through administration of medicated vapours whilst it facilitate and maintains breathing through a specifically designed breath-through pacifier device. The invention also incorporates a built in electronic respiratory alarm module which acts as an early warning mechanism against respiratory failures.

IOOl3lThe present invention has many advantages of the aforementioned pacifiers heretofore and many novel features which are specifically designed to create maximum protection and healing effect for the young obligatory nose breathing infants.

[0014]The present invention has many methods and design features which have not been anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior design pacifiers either alone or in any combination.

[O015]ln general the present invention comprises of a breath through oral member which facilitates breathing during nasal obstruction, by having a hole in the nipple. Breathing is made possible through a tube extending from the tip of the nipple through to free atmosphere enabling the user to breathe orally, by-passing any nasal obstruction.

100161A face shield is attached to the neck of the member for preventing the oral member from becoming achokirig hazard by being swallowed.

[DO17IA cylindrical compartment attached to the rear of the face shield defining an opening adopted and sized to allow an inter-connecting pipe assembly to fit centrally to the neck of the pacifier and the outlet end of the one-way valve with at least one aperture to allow the exhaled air to pass through the medicated fibrous disk which fits around this pipe inside the first cylindrical compartment.

[0018]The medicated fibrous disk is enriched with ameasured dose of vaporising medicine.

[OO19]This cylindrical compartment also includes at least one aperture for the purpose of allowing the medicated vapour in the compartment to be released.

100201A cover is provided which encapsulates the first cylindrical chamber; which also houses the one way valve, and provides assembly for the next cylindrical chamber.

[0021]Thc purpose of the simple one-way valve is to ensure maximum warm breath to push through the medicated fibrous disk, thusaccelerating the Vaporisation process.

[0022]The last cylindrical chamber is assembled on to the disk which houses the one-way valve; this chamber has at least one central aperture for aflowing the air in, it also houses the electronic Micro Air flow Sensor module (Respiratory Alarm Device) which monitors infants breathing.

(0023]All assemblies are reasonably attached to the rear of the face shield and oral member, and are designed to be tamper proof.

[0024J1n one embodiment the apertures on the first cylindrical assembly attached to the rear of the face shield are positioned in close proximity to the face shield, adopted to be near the infants nasal passages. This ensures that soothing vapours are released near the infant's nose during use of the pacifier.

[0025]ln another embodiment of the present invention, the breath through vaporiser pacifier, comprises an air duct that runs through the oral member, ttached to the face shield and first -cylindrical compartment, an interconnecting tube assembly which has at least one aperture on its side connects between the neck of the oral member and the outlet of the one-way valve. The medicated disk is placed around this tube, the purpose of this tube is to hold the rubber oral member in place, enable air communication with the free atmosphere and also allow the exhaled air to exit through its side aperture to create the vaporisation process of the medicated disk.

[0026) The rear cylindrical compartment houses a micro respiratory alarm module which is operated via a micro ON/OFF switch which is positioned at the rear end of the compartment, this module monitors infants breathing and produces a high pitched sound in the event of any respiratory failures.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[00271 An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with references to the accompanying illustrative drawings in which; [0028] Fig 1 Is a schematic cross-sectional view of the present invention and its assemblies. Breath through oral member, face shield, tubular assembly, fibrous medicated enriched disk, valve assembly, one-way valve, rear cylindrical compartment, electronic sensor warning device.

[0029] Fig 2 Is an exploded schematic cross-section view of the present invention, its component in order of assembly.

[0030] Fig 3 Is an exploded 3D perspective view of the embodiment of the invention and order of assemblies.

10031] Fig 4 is a schematic view of the present invention showing pacifiers compartment having a number of holes on the side-and rear of the device to let the ambient air in and Emmitt vapours in a specific location, and a breath through oral member with an air duct extending therein.

[0032] Fig S Is a see through perspective view of the embodiment of the invention, showing the fully assembled view of the components.

[00331 Fig 6 Is a schematic perspective view of the present invention showing a compartments having a plurality of holes on the rear and sides to let in ambient air and release medicated vapours extending therein.

10034] Fig 7 Is a partial see-through perspective view of detachable version of the rear cylindrical compartment, the compartment is designed to have a screw and lock design assembly to facilitate interchange of disposable components.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

[0035] 1. Referring to the drawings in the figure 1 & 2 a cross-section view of embodiment of the invention, with the oral member 2 made of though flexible polymeric material consisting of an air duct 4 firmly attached to a face shield3, having a tubular assembly S inserted in the neck of the oral member 2, the tubular assembly's 5 air duct 5a extends through its length with air out let holes Sb on its side to help to produce medicated vapours. The fibrous medicated enriched disk 6 fits around the tubular assembly 5, in the cylindrical compartment section of the face shield 3a where the exhaled air pushes out of the holes Sb through the fibrous medicated disk 6 to produce vapours. The medicated vapours are emitted through the holes 9 on the side of the cylindrical compartment section 3b in close proximity of the nasal passages. - [0036J The tubular assembly 5 is fixed in position by a circular disc housing assembly 7a which house the one-way valve 7, the circular disk assembly 7a further provides inter connection assemblyfor the rear cylindrical compartment 8. 4 -H

[00371 the cylindrical housingS provides communication with ambient air through holes 8a on the rear and sides of this compartment, the inlet holes Ba are positioned in two locations to avoid accidental blockage, the circular comPartment 8 also provides housing for the electronic warning devicelO.

t00381 Fig 3 Illustrates an exploded perspective embodiment of the pacifier invention, showing a see through view of the invention and the order which the components follow assembly The ambient air enters the device through holes 8a at the rear and sides of the circular compartment 8, it then passes the electronic respiratory warning device 10 and then pass through a one-way valve device 1, (the purpose of this valve is to redirect maximum exhaled air to pass through the medicated enriched disk B thus accelerating the vaporisation process). The air then is sucked through the tubular connection assembly S through the air duct 4 in the oral member 2 to the infant's mouth.

(00391 Fig4 Illustrates yet another embodiment of the pacifier device with air in let holes Ba on the rear and side of the circular compartment B, the spread of the location of these holes is to prevent accidental blockage of the inlet holes, the drawing also demonStratest location of the vapour emitting holes 9.

[0040] FigS Is a perspective see through embodiment of the pacifier showing the location of each component in a fully assembled device.

[0041.] Fig 6 Is a perspective illustration of the pacifier device.

(00421 FIg 7 Is a perspective embodiment of the rear cylindrical compartm!nt and circular valve housing assembly la with addition of an outer thread 7b and locking mechanism 7c to enable the internally threaded rear lindrical compartment 8 to be attached and locked in position by way of screwing the compartment on to the housing.

[0043] The micro ON/OFF switch iCa positioned at the rear of the circular compartment operates the electronic respiratory alarm module.

[0044] Whilst the pacifier invention device is intended to Have anon board electronic respiratory warning device, it is possible to omit the warning device in order to make the device more cost effective without effecting the other qualities of the invention.

(0045] The skilled person in the art will appreciate that the features described and defined in connection with the aspects of the invention andthe embodiment therefore may be exemplified in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. Therefore the present invention designs are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive.

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