Medical device
A medical device, comprising a plastic film and a support structure, wherein the plastic film, per se, has insufficient intrinsic stability to retain a planar shape against standard gravity, the support structure supports an area of the plastic film such that at least 80 % of an entire area of the plastic film is inhibited from deforming, regardless of orientation, in response to standard gravity, and the support structure is manually inseparable from the plastic film.
1 . An external nasal dilator comprising:
a plastic film having insufficient intrinsic stability to retain a planar shape against standard gravity;
a support structure that supports an area of said plastic film such that at least 80% of an entire area of said plastic film is inhibited from deforming, regardless of orientation, in response to standard gravity;
said support structure being manually inseparable from said plastic film;
said support structure including a resilient member that dilates nasal passages of a user's nose when the external nasal dilator is adhered to the user's nose; and
said support structure including a support element that supports said plastic film in areas not supported by the resilient member and inhibits said plastic film from deforming therein, the support element having a plurality of fibers in crisscrossing arrangement and a stiffness that is less than 20% of a stiffness of the resilient member.
2 . The external nasal dilator of claim 1 , wherein:
at least 10% of a major surface of said plastic film is coated with an adhesive for affixing the plastic film to the user's nose.
3 . The external nasal dilator of claim 1 , wherein said support structure occupies not more than a first given percentage of said entire area of said plastic film, where said first given percentage is selected from the group consisting of 5%, 10%, 20% and 40%.
4 . The external nasal dilator of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of fibers in crisscrossing arrangement extend along a first longitudinal peripheral edge of said plastic film, along a peripheral edge of said plastic film intermediate said first longitudinal peripheral edge and a second longitudinal peripheral edge of said plastic film, and along said second longitudinal peripheral edge.
5 . The external nasal dilator of claim 1 , wherein said support structure defines a plurality of support regions, in planar arrangement, that support said plastic film.
6 . The external nasal dilator of claim 1 , wherein said support structure defines a plurality of distributed support regions, in planar arrangement, that support said plastic film.
7 . The external nasal dilator of claim 1 , wherein said plastic film has a moisture vapor transmission rate of at least 200 grams per square meter per 24 hours.
8 . The external nasal dilator of claim 1 , wherein said plastic film has a thickness of less than 0.025 mm.