Importance

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Abstract

An air flow control device for the nose has an air flow control element for directing air flow in a selected manner when disposed in a nasal cavity. The flow control element deflects air toward nasal hair for natural filtering, mucous membranes to enhance lubrication, mucous flow, and contaminant capture and processing, or a selected nasal passage, for example, to decrease flow of air to upper regions of the nose and therefore decrease flow to the sinuses. The device also includes an adhesive layer to directly adhere the device to the interior of the nose, or a strip such as a clear adhesive strip to adhere the device to the interior of the nose and the septum. The air flow control element may have any one of numerous shapes such as curved, straight, double-curved, ridged, mesh, oval, rectangular, semicircular, crescent or otherwise. The device may also have louvers positioned to open or close in response to air inspiration or expiration, as selected by the user, and may include chambers or open cell material for storing a medicinal or other substance to disperse within the nose in response to pressure, air flow, liquid flow or otherwise. The device is preferably smaller in cross-section than the cross-section of the user's nasal passages to avoid total blockage in air flow and thus works by regulating or deflecting air to supplement and enhance the natural processes performed by the nose rather than substituting for them and overriding natural processes.

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First Claim