Importance

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Abstract

A nasal air passage device is provided that includes connected tubes for insertion into the nostrils. The tubes support the nostrils' interior walls, allowing an increased amount of air to pass through the nostrils, particularly during sleep. Each tube has an exterior surface that has nonconformities, such as mound-shaped, including bubble-shaped, and ridge-shaped protrusions, and the like, that are distributed in a substantially uniform manner across the exterior surface. The nonconformities cause discontinuities between the exterior surface area and the nostril interior wall tissue, thus reducing the tendency to dry and stick. The nonconformities can be arranged in substantial alignment or randomly, can be uniform or varied in size, and can be resilient or inelastic. Each tube has a forward and rearward end that is inwardly tapered, thus eliminating the presentation of a right-angled forward or rearward end to the nostril interior wall tissues. This reduces the disruption and dislocation of such tissues. The tapers can be flat, arcuate, or arcuate and extending such that a semicircular cross-sectional profile is presented at the tube forward end. The tubes and nonconformities can be resilient or inelastic. The tubes are connected in the preferred embodiment, although each tube can be independently utilized, in other embodiments. The connecting member is sized to allow the tubes to be completely insertable into the nostrils, and can be flexible or stiff. In another embodiment only one tube is provided, which includes a retrieval member. A smooth surface is used in another embodiment.

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First Claim