Customized mouthpiece retainer for an underwater breathing apparatus

Claim 1

A mouthpiece to be used in combination with underwater breathing apparatus that supplies breathable gas to a subject through a conduit, said mouthpiece comprising a pliable flange means for insertion between the lips and the outer frontal surface of the teeth of the subject, said flange means having a breathing hole adapted to be connected in fluid flow relationship with the conduit for passing the gas in a substantially unobstructed flow path into the mouth and through the teeth of the subject, said flange means extending on opposite sides of the breathing hole, a pair of tabs connected to and extending substantially normal from the flange means in a direction away from the conduit, said tabs being located on opposite sides of the breathing hole and spaced therefrom, the improvement comprising: means on each of said tabs for retaining teeth, each of said teeth retaining means including means for receiving only the several top and bottom teeth behind the front teeth of the subject and being fabricated of a thermoplastic material having sufficient thermoplasticity at elevated temperatures which are compatible with the mouth of the subject for gripping by the teeth of the subject while at such elevated temperature and while in a thermoplastic state to form an impression oF the bite of the subject in the thermoplastic material, such impression being retained upon cooling of the thermoplastic material to human body temperature, whereby the retaining means of the mouthpiece is customized to the bite of the individual subject, the flange means being fabricated of a material that is less plastic than the retaining means at such elevated temperature, said retaining means being spaced from edges of the breathing hole so as not to interfere with the flow of gas through the hole into the mouth of the subject.