Other

Hansa Medical Products, Inc.

Mark I Singer

Eric D Blom

Barry A Harkleroad

Kenzo Singer

Described is a wearable item, such as eyewear, that is formed to be stored and worn on a user's wrist. The eyewear includes a pair of lenses separated by a nose bridge assembly. Arms are affixed with each of the lenses. Notably, the pair of lenses are foldable between an open configuration in which they can be worn as eyeglasses and a collapsed configuration in which they fold toward one another and can be worn on the user's wrist.

Wearable item having a bi-stable mechanism

An externally worn tracheal valve has a valve assembly supporting a flexible, resilient lightweight diaphragm centrally thereof. The diaphragm is folded towards the trachea so that air expelled from the trachea will tend to unfold the diaphragm to an extended position to close the valve. During normal breathing the diaphragm remains at least partially folded and the valve remains open. During voice exhalation, the diaphragm extends to close the valve. During high pressure coughing exhalation, the diaphragm may evert, opening the valve to release excessive pressure.

Method and apparatus for a tracheal valve

A tracheostoma valve includes a tubular housing with an inner aperture at an inner end, and a smaller outer aperture at an outer end. The inner end of the valve is for being attached to a stoma of a patient. A shaft is positioned axially within the housing, and a rigid piston is slidable along the shaft. The piston has a smaller diameter than the interior diameter of the tubular housing, so that air can flow around it. The piston is movable between an open position intermediate of the inner and outer apertures, and a closed position against the outer aperture. The piston is biased by a spring to the open position when the air pressure is relatively low, such as during relaxed respiration, so that air may flow through the valve in either direction. At a high enough expiratory air pressure, such as that used for producing speech, the spring is collapsed and the piston is moved against the outer aperture. Expiratory air is thus diverted from the trachea into the pharynx through a conventional voice prosthesis positioned there between for producing speech.

Tracheostoma valve with spring-loaded piston

A surgical implant for use in voice restoration comprises a length of coiled spring. The length of coiled spring has a first end adapted for positioning adjacent the anterior wall of the esophagus of the wearer of the surgical implant and a second end adapted for positioning adjacent the posterior wall of the trachea. A voice prosthesis device for use with the surgical implant comprises a right circular cylinder, the outside diameter of which is substantially equal to the inside diameter of the length of coiled spring. This permits insertion of the voice prosthetic device from the tracheal end of the implant thereinto, as well as removal of the voice prosthetic device for cleaning, repair, or replacement. The voice prosthetic device contains a one-way valve permitting air flow from the tracheal end thereof to the esophageal end thereof, to provide the wearer with esophageal speech.

Surgical implant for a voice prosthesis

A low pressure prosthesis device includes a housing having a proximal end with one or more retainers extending outwardly from the proximal end, a distal end and a port operatively cooperating with a tracheostoma in the neck of a patient. The housing further includes a one-way valve structure comprising a valve seat positioned in the housing between the port and the distal end and a valve membrane hingedly mounted within the housing to cooperate with the valve seat to provide the one-way valve structure. A second retainer in the form of an annular collar extends outwardly from the housing and is positioned to abut against the esophagus tissue when the device has been positioned within a fistula connecting the esophagus to the tracheostoma. The valve membrane is movable from the closed to the opened position when air passes through the port from the tracheostoma to the esophagus to produce alaryngeal speech and sounds in the patient.

Voice prosthesis device

A chair support structure including a pair of transversely spaced struts maintained in substantially fixed relationship to each other, the axes of the struts being inclined with respect to the horizontal and defining an imaginary surface therebetween, an integral rigid member having two upper end portions spaced from each other and two lower end portions spaced from each other and being inclined oppositely to said struts with respect to the horizontal and positioned intermediate the struts to intersect the surface defined thereby, a first tension member connecting the integral rigid member at its upper end portions with the struts at a position above said intersection, a second tension member connecting the integral rigid member at its lower end portions to the struts near their bottoms, and a third tension member connecting the integral rigid member to the struts above said intersection in a position different from said first tension member to gradually inhibit forward pivoting. Also disclosed is a chair including a seat cushion that tilts relative to the horizontal and a back pivotally connected to a back support to compensate for tilting of the seat cushion.

Support structures for chairs and the like having pivoting members

A method for simulating speech in a tracheotomized individual includes providing a source of compressed air, regulating the air pressure, and controlling the flow of air from the source between a condition in which airflow is stopped and a condition in which airflow is allowed in response to actuation by the individual. The air flow is supplied to a reed to vibrate it, and the resulting vibration-modulated air flow is introduced into the pharynx of the individual, permitting the individual to articulate audibly comprehensible speech. Apparatus for carrying out this method is also described.

Auto actuatable switch, speech simulator and method for tracheotomized

Substantially rigid support structure for a piece of furniture, having a pair of transversely spaced struts in substantially fixed relationship to each other, the axes of the struts being inclined with respect to the horizontal, an integral rigid member having two upper ends spaced from each other and two lower ends spaced from each other and being oppositely inclined with respect to the horizontal and positioned intermediate the struts, and a plurality of tension members interconnecting the struts and the rigid member to form a substantially rigid structure.

Support structure for a piece of furniture

Chair

A low pressure prosthesis device includes a cylindrical housing having a proximal end with strap elements extending outwardly from the proximal end, a distal end and a port operatively cooperating with a tracheostoma in the neck of a patient. The cylindrical housing further includes a one-way valve structure comprised of an annular sealing rim positioned perpendicularly in the housing adjacent the distal end and a valve membrane hingedly mounted within the housing to cooperate with the annular sealing rim to provide the one-way valve structure. An annular collar flange extends outwardly from the housing and is positioned to abut against the esophagus tissue when the device has been positioned within a fistula connecting the esophagus to the tracheostoma. The valve membrane is movable from the closed to the opened position when air passes through the port from the tracheostoma to the esophagus to produce alaryngeal speech and sounds in the patient.

Voice prosthesis device and placement tool therefor

Substantially rigid support structure for a piece of furniture, having a pair of transversely spaced columnar struts, the axes of the struts being inclined with respect to the horizontal, an integral generally X-shaped rigid member, also inclined with respect to the horizontal and positioned intermediate the struts, and a plurality of tension members interconnecting the struts and the X-shaped member to form a substantially rigid structure.

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Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

Mark I Singer