Positioning structure for oropharyngeal exercise devices and systems and related methods

Abstract

A mouthpiece of an oropharyngeal exercise device including a positioning structure used to position a user's mouth on said mouthpiece, and methods for using such a mouthpiece for such exercises. A user's mouth can be positioned such that the apex of a user's tongue is positioned to complete an oropharyngeal exercise. The mouthpiece includes a lip guard. The mouthpiece can be used to guide a user's tongue to a position when completing an oropharyngeal exercise.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mouthpiece of an oropharyngeal exercise device, comprising:
 (a) a positioning structure used to position a user's mouth on said mouthpiece such that an apex of a user's tongue is positioned to complete an oropharyngeal exercise; and   (b) a lip guard.   
     
     
         2 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning structure comprises a plurality of outward protrusions. 
     
     
         3 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 2 , wherein the mouthpiece comprises a perimeter and the plurality of outward protrusions are disposed around at least a portion of said perimeter. 
     
     
         4 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece is a length of about 28.5 mm, wherein the positioning structure is about 8 mm from the lip guard. 
     
     
         5 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece is a length of about 35 mm, wherein the positioning structure is about 10 mm from the lip guard. 
     
     
         6 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning structure is about 0.25 inches from an inner edge of a user's front top teeth during use of the device. 
     
     
         7 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece comprises a mouthpiece width, and wherein the positioning structure comprises at least one ridge having a ridge width less than or equal to the mouthpiece width. 
     
     
         8 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 7 , wherein the positioning structure comprises three ridges. 
     
     
         9 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 8 , wherein the three ridges comprise a length of about 11 mm and a width of about 2 mm, such that the three ridges are about 10 mm from the lip guard of the mouthpiece. 
     
     
         10 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning structure comprises a groove having a groove depth and groove width, and wherein the mouthpiece comprises a mouthpiece width, and wherein the groove width is less than or equal to the mouthpiece width. 
     
     
         11 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning structure comprises a convex ridge comprising a depth ranging from about 0.1 mm to about 6 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 1 , further comprising a second positioning structure, wherein the mouthpiece comprises a first side opposite a second side, and wherein the positioning structure is a first positioning structure disposed on the first side and second positioning structure is disposed on the second side. 
     
     
         13 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 12 , wherein the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure are grooves comprising about the same dimensions. 
     
     
         14 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 13 , wherein the second positioning structure is about 3 mm from the first positioning structure. 
     
     
         15 . An oropharyngeal exercise device, comprising:
 (a) a bulb body comprising:
 (i) a mouthpiece sized and shaped to be insertable into a user's mouth, the mouthpiece including a lip guard and a positioning structure used to position a user's mouth on said mouthpiece such that an apex of a user's tongue is positioned to complete an oropharyngeal exercise; 
 (ii) a proximal extension; and 
 (iii) a central body disposed between the mouthpiece and the proximal extension; 
   (b) a lumen defined within the bulb body such that the lumen is defined within the mouthpiece, the proximal extension and the central body;   (c) a proximal opening defined in the proximal extension, wherein the proximal opening is sized to couple with an elongate tube, whereby the proximal opening allows liquid to flow into the lumen;   (d) a flow restriction structure associated with the bulb body, wherein the flow restriction structure comprises:
 (i) a restricted configuration in which the flow restriction structure is configured to restrict a flow of a fluid through the lumen such that the user must apply at least a first amount of negative pressure to create a first flow rate of the fluid; and 
 (ii) a less restricted configuration in which the flow restriction structure is configured to restrict the flow of fluid through the lumen such that the user must apply at least a second amount of negative pressure to create a second flow rate of the fluid, wherein the second amount of negative pressure is greater than the first amount, and wherein the second flow rate is greater than the first flow rate; and 
   (e) at least one distal opening defined in the mouthpiece and in fluidic communication with the lumen,   wherein the flow restriction structure can be the at least one distal opening.   
     
     
         16 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 15 , wherein the wherein the mouthpiece is a length of about 28.5 mm, wherein the positioning structure is about 8 mm from the lip guard. 
     
     
         17 . The mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device of  claim 15 , wherein the mouthpiece is a length of about 35 mm, wherein the positioning structure is about 10 mm from the lip guard. 
     
     
         18 . A method of completing an oropharyngeal exercise, comprising:
 (a) positioning a user's mouth around a mouthpiece of the oropharyngeal exercise device, wherein the mouthpiece comprises:
 (i) a positioning structure used to position the user's mouth on said mouthpiece such that an apex of a user's tongue is positioned to complete an oropharyngeal exercise; and 
 (ii) a lip guard; 
   (b) positioning the user's tongue on the positioning structure of the mouthpiece; and   (c) completing the oropharyngeal exercise using the oropharyngeal exercise device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the oropharyngeal exercise comprises at least one of:
 (a) mimicking a bolus formation of a swallow; and   (b) pressing the user's tongue upward such that the bolus formation is pushed rearward in the user's mouth.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the positioning structure comprises a plurality of outward protrusions.