WO1998016272A1

WO1998016272A1 - Treatment device

Info

Publication number: WO1998016272A1
Application number: PCT/FI1997/000597
Authority: WO
Inventors: Taisto HÄKKINEN
Original assignee: Haekkinen Taisto
Priority date: 1996-10-11
Filing date: 1997-10-03
Publication date: 1998-04-23

Abstract

The invention relates to a treatment device intended for respiration therapy, which device is a mug mask detachably or fixedly attached to a mouth part of a drinking mug and intended for breathing through the nose and the mouth of air heated and moistened by a hot drink containing medicines and for taking the drink without raising the nose from the mask. The treatment device (10) comprises an annular attachment part (11) attached to the mouth part (19) of the drinking mug (18), a dome-shaped mask part (12) connected to said attachment part, which mask part has a nose notch (13) and a lip notch joining it, into which lip notch inhalation and exhalation openings are formed during use on both sides between the upper lip and the lower part of the mask. The dome-shaped mask part (12) lies tight against the nose and the cheek, protecting the eyes.

Description

Treatment device

The invention relates to a treatment device which is intended for breathing of air heated and moistened by a hot drink containing medicines.

This kind of drinking mug accessory is called a mug mask. The mask is suitable for both home and hospital use.

With respect to prior art, reference is made to devices currently used for the corresponding purpose, such as, for example, "Pro-Inhal" and "Benjui-inhalator" . These devices have the drawback that they have a clumsy structure and a large size. Furthermore, they have not been designed for taking a warm drink and, at the same time, for breathing warm moist air containing volatile (essential) oils, such as, for example, Carmolis herb drops, and they cannot be attached as an accessory, for example, to drinking mugs commonly used in homes and hospitals. An inconvenient method is also the conventional method where the patient holding a towel over his/her head breathes warm moist air relieving an illness from a vessel containing hot water and volatile (essential) oils.

An object of the invention is to provide an improvement over the currently known corresponding devices and methods. An object of the invention is to provide a mug mask that is suitable in structure for being detachably attached to different durable or disposable mugs. A further object of the invention is to provide a mug mask that is suitable for different face types. A further object of the invention is to provide a mug mask which more effectively guides the volatile (essential) oils added to a hot drink put in a drinking mug and the warm moist air into respiratory passages and improves the effect of the treatment. A further object of the invention is to provide a mug mask whose nose notch and inhalation and exhalation openings can be widened. A still further object of the invention is to provide a mug mask which enables inhalation and exhalation as well as taking of a drink without raising the nose from the mask or the mug from the lips.

The invention is characterized in that the treatment device is an accessory attachable to a mouth part of a drinking vessel, which accessory comprises an annular attachment part attached to the mouth part of the drinking vessel and a dome-shaped mask part connected to the attachment part, which mask part has a nose notch and a lip notch joining it, into which lip notch inhalation and exhalation openings are formed during use on both sides between the upper lip and the lower part of the mask part.

The mug mask comprises an annular attachment part attached to a durable or disposable drinking mug, a dome-shaped mask part connected thereto and a nose notch in said mask part, which nose notch can be widened by cutting according to special requirements and the edges of which nose notch lie tight against the nose and the cheek, and a lip notch joining the nose notch, into which lip notch inhalation and exhalation openings are formed during use on both sides between the upper lip and the lower part of the mask.

The mug mask in accordance with the invention provides several significant advan- tages. The mug mask in accordance with the invention is considerably simpler and smaller in structure and in size than equivalent previously known devices. The mug mask in accordance with the invention makes it possible to take warm drink and to breathe warm moist air simultaneously. The mug mask in accordance with the invention can be attached as an accessory to commonly used mugs intended for hot drinks.

The invention will be described in detail with reference to one preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the figures of the accompanying drawing, to which embodiment the invention is, however, not intended to be exclusively confined.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the attachment of a mug mask in accordance with the invention to a mouth part of a drinking mug. Figure 2 shows from above the mug mask attached to the front part of the drinking mug according to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional side view of one preferred embodiment of the mug mask in accordance with the invention.

Figure 4 shows the mug mask of Figure 3 from above.

Figure 5 is a side view of the use of the mug mask attached to a mouth part of a drinking mug.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1—5, a mug mask made of an elastic raw material in accordance with the invention is generally denoted with reference numeral 10. The mug mask 10 comprises an annular attachment part 11 attached to a mouth part of a drinking mug shown in Figs. 1—5, a dome-shaped mask part 12 being connected to said attachment part and having a nose notch 13 and a lip notch 14 joining it, into which lip notch inhalation and exhalation openings 15 are formed during use on both sides between the upper lip and the lower part of the mask. In addition to the elasticity of the mug mask, the nose notch 13 and the inhalation and exhalation openings 15 may be widened by cutting the edges of the mask as required by the shape of the face.

The use of the mug mask 10 attached to the mouth part 19 of the drinking mug 18, for example, in the after-treatment of chronic bronchitis, an asthma attack or in the treatment of an ordinary respiratory tract infection is described as follows. Suitably hot liquid is put in the drinking mug, for example, half of the volume of the drinking mug. The possible medicine, herb, herb drops or equivalent used in the treatment is/are added to the liquid in the drinking mug. The temperature of the liquid is checked by a thermometer. While the mug is on the lips and the nose is placed in the nose notch of the mug mask such that the mask lies tight against the nose 16 and the cheek 17 and that the inhalation and exhalation openings 15 are open, deep breaths are taken through the nose and the mouth or through one or the other. If the liquid in the drinking mug is also intended to be drunk, the drink is taken without raising the nose from the mask, thereby avoiding, for example, the irritating effect which volatile (essential) oils may have on eyes in the exhalation phase.

Only one preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above and it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that many modifications can be made thereto within the scope of the inventive idea presented in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A treatment device (10) which is intended for breathing of air heated and moistened by a hot drink containing medicines, characterized in that the treatment device (10) is an accessory attachable to a mouth part (19) of a drinking vessel (18), which accessory comprises an annular attachment part (11) attached to the mouth part of the drinking vessel and a dome-shaped mask part (12) connected to the attachment part (11), which mask part has a nose notch (13) and a lip notch (14) joining it, into which lip notch inhalation and exhalation openings (15) are formed during use on both sides between the upper lip and the lower part of the mask part (12).

2. A treatment device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the mask part (12) is arranged to lie tight against the nose (16) and the cheek (17).

3. A treatment device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the treatment device is suitable for different face types and that, if needed, the nose notch (13) and the inhalation and exhalation openings (15) may be widened by cutting the edges of the mask part (12) as required by the shape of the face.

4. A treatment device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the accessory of the drinking vessel (18) is detachably attached to the mouth part (19) of the drinking vessel (18).