Orthotropic and orthognathic oral device and method
A hygienic oral feed-bottle nipple includes an opening skirt to expand and rotate in the buccal vestibule. As the child completes the suckling cycle, the mouth portion is distorted, the skirt extended to provide cleaning, stimulation, and a bumper to deny extensive pronation. The flanges and skirt may be covered with a textured surface, or bristles, that provide mechanical brushing of oral surfaces. Hard pads set along a superior surface of the nipple are compressed against the maxilla palate and provide upwards and/or lateral force to encourage lateral expansion of the palate. The nipple may be bifurcated into left and right opposing lobes which can split laterally to enhance lateral force on maxilla.
1 . A bottle-feed nipple device, comprising:
a cap, comprising a cap face; and
a mouth portion extending from the cap, wherein a direction from the cap face to the mouth portion represents a first direction, the mouth portion comprising:
a neck extending in the first direction from the cap face into a skirt comprising a superior skirt and an inferior skirt;
the superior skirt extending from the cap face in the first direction at a first side of the bottle-feed nipple device, the superior skirt comprising a bumper edge along a first end of the superior skirt, wherein the first end of the superior skirt is opposite the cap face in the first direction;
the inferior skirt extending from the cap face in the first direction at a second side of the bottle-feed nipple device, wherein the second side is opposite the first side;
a nipple bulb extending in the first direction between the superior skirt and the inferior skirt, the nipple bulb comprising a right pad, a left pad, a pore, a superior cleft between the right pad and the left pad, and a tongue guide formed along an outer surface of an inferior side; and
a collar connecting the nipple bulb to the superior skirt and the inferior skirt,
wherein the mouth portion forms a resting shape when at rest,
wherein when the mouth portion is in the resting shape, the superior skirt forms a first angle with respect to the first direction and the inferior skirt forms a second angle with respect to the first direction,
wherein when a compression is applied to the nipple, the collar or the neck, the mouth portion has a compressed form,
wherein when then mouth portion is in the compressed form the superior skirt forms a third angle with respect to the first direction and the inferior skirt forms a fourth angle with respect to the first direction,
wherein the third angle is greater than the first angle, and
wherein the fourth angle is greater than the second angle.
2 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the right pad and the left pad are separated by a first distance in the compressed form, and wherein the right pad and the left pad are separated by a second distance in the resting shape, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.
3 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a bifurcated dual lobe nipple system, wherein the bifurcated dual lobe nipple system comprises a first lobe supporting the right pad and a second lobe supporting the left pad.
4 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the bifurcated dual lobe nipple system further comprises an interlobe webbing set between the first lobe and the second lobe.
5 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the first lobe and the second lobe comprise a material configured to maintain a shape of the first and second lobes.
6 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 4 , wherein a crevasse forms where the first lobe and the second lobe meet.
7 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the inferior skirt comprises an indentation along an edge of the inferior skirt.
8 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the indentation along the edge of the inferior skirt is an inferior central frenum relief set at a midpoint of the inferior skirt.
9 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the collar comprises a superior collar and an inferior collar anterior of the nipple bulb, the superior collar set anterior of the inferior collar.
10 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the superior collar is set 1-3 mm anterior the inferior collar.
11 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the superior skirt comprises at least two separable ribs emanating from the superior collar to an edge of the skirt.
12 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 11 , wherein each of the at least two separable ribs comprise a minor undulation between the superior collar and the edge, and a major undulation forming the bumper edge.
13 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the at least two separable ribs are joined by a skirt web.
14 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a one-way valve within the nipple bulb preventing fluid flow towards the cap.
15 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the superior skirt comprises an indentation along an edge of the superior skirt.
16 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the indentation along the edge of the inferior skirt is a superior central frenum relief set at a midpoint of the superior skirt.
17 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the tongue guide comprises an inverted saddle point.
18 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the mouth portion comprises an air vent at the neck proximate to the cap.
19 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 18 , wherein the air vent is at the first side of the bottle-feed nipple device.
20 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 18 , wherein the air vent is at the second side of the bottle-feed nipple device.
21 . The bottle-feed nipple device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the pore comprises one or more apertures in the nipple bulb.