Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic

Other

Mitchell A Stotland

Steven D Reinitz

One or more oral devices having interdental anchors configured to elastically deform and engage with an interdental gap between adjacent teeth. One or more medical devices can then be secured to the oral device via a securing portion, allowing the medical device to be secured relative to the patient.

Interdental anchoring apparatuses and methods

This invention provides a novel nostril gauge system and methods for using the same, which allows the practitioner to measure the size of deformed nostrils resulting from any cause such as from a cleft lip and/or cleft palate, a traumatic injury, an infectious process, a prior surgical intervention, etc. The device allows for the expeditious and accurate measurement of the size/caliber of normal and deformed nostrils before any type of nasal reconstruction intended to correct asymmetric nostril openings (nares). The gauge includes a series of measured and accurately sized gauge steps that are readily used and result in a more precise nostril sizing. The gauge includes a plurality of spines, each having steps thereon correlating to different circumferential sizes. The gauge system is provided with printed size indicia that refers to each gauge step and facilitates the measuring process. In illustrative embodiments, the gauge body defines a loop with a plurality of gauge spines, arranged around its perimeter. The axial depth of every gauge step is sufficient to adequately engage the nostril during sizing. Every step can be identified by indicium that is correlated to that particular diameter. In another embodiment, the spines can be mounted orthogonally at the ends of arms arranged like spokes of a wheel about the perimeter of a body.

Growing community of inventors

Norwich, VT, United States of America

Mitchell A Stotland