GB2426205A - Device and method to aid the reduction or cessation of behaviour developing from oral fixations - Google Patents

Abstract

An oral stimulation device comprising a mouthpiece for drinking which restricts the fluid flow to exercise the oral, facial and neck muscles. The device maintains structural integrity during use. Preferably the device comprises a teat or drinking tube having restricted access 4 and may aid the reduction or cessation of behaviour developing from oral fixations such as smoking by providing greater oral stimulation.

Description

1 2426205 A device and method to aid the reduction or cessation of

behaviours that have developed from oral fixations.

This invention relates to a device and its use to help adults resolve behaviours that have developed from oral fixations.

Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, postulated that one's personality develops through set stages from birth. The first stage is the Oral Stage, which occurs from birth to approx. l8months. It is called the Oral Stage because the infant's primary source of pleasure, according to Freud, is its mouth. Therefore when an infant is fed from either a bottle or the mother's breast, or places its hand into its mouth or even inserts objects into its mouth to chew, suck or gnaw etc., it is gaining pleasure from this oral stimulation.

However during this stage an individual's gain of pleasure can be denied and Freud believed that if this were to happen a fixation is likely to occur and the individual would not continue onto the next developmental stage successfully. Freud also believed that from this point the individual would develop an oral personality.

According to Freud, a person with an oral personality would overly use his or her mouth by expressing oral behaviours such as gossiping, cussing, insulting, and generally use his or her mouth to inflict harm on others and also themselves i.e. s/he might chew pencils, bite fingernails or even smoke. We could also suggest here that excessive eating is an oral behaviour that develops from an oral fixation and could therefore be a trait of an oral personality, as over-eating overly uses the mouth.

We can appreciate Freud's theory of oral personality more by comparing the actions of infantile feeding and, in particular, smoking.

When people smoke tobacco/cigarettes the body's function is essentially one of sucking' in order to inhale the smoke that is created from the burning tobacco/cigarette. This oral behaviour of sucking only occurs naturally when an individual is fed during its infancy: an infant places its lips around a projecting nipple or teat to help form a seal and draws milk into its mouth by contracting the lip, mouth, cheek and upper neck muscles. When people smoke they too place their lips around a projection to help form a seal but in this instance the projection is a cigarette end, holder or pipe etc. The smoker would then also contract his or her lip, mouth, cheek and upper neck muscles, just as an infant does when feeding1 but to draw in smoke rather than milk.

The act of smoking then is very similar, if not identical, to the bottle or breast-feeding aspect of an infant's Oral Stage.

In summary, oral personalities develop from the Or& Stage and one way in which the behaviours resulting from any oral fixation can be modified and so help lead to a reduction or cessation of same, is by allowing people who have developed oral personalities the opportunity for them to gain greater oral stimulation than the stimulation they gain from their oral fixation behaviour.

This invention proposes to offer greater oral stimulation, than the stimulation individuals gain from their oral fixation behaviour, by allowing the individual to draw fluids through a specifically designed device. The device is designed so that when in use an individual would have to work his or her mouth fuDy in order to intake fluid, which would thus tire the individual's lip, mouth, cheek and upper neck musdes and so help lead to a reduction or extinction of any need to gain further oral stimulation from any oral fixation behaviour.

The main advantage of this invention is that it effectively utilises the bodily function of drinking or fluid intake: drinking fluids is a necessity for human life to exist and people drink fluids frequently each day using conventional means i.e. cups, glasses etc. This invention allows individuals with any oral fixation to drink and use their mouths much more frequently each day as the device only permits them to draw in small quantities of fluid each time, consequently stimulating the mouth for longer periods.

Another advantage of using this device is that it simulates the hand to mouth action related to most oral fixation behaviours. For instance, during the act of smoking or eating a person's hand is used to offer the cigarette or foodstuff to the mouth. If the device were to be used then a person's hand would still be used to offer the device to the mouth to fulfil its function. However, as this action would be carried out with greater frequency it can help reduce or cease any need to continue the hand to mouth action assodated with oral fixation behaviours The invention also aims to provide a healthier substitute for oral fixation behaviours like smoking, as the smoker is able to substitute harmful smoke for harmless drinkable fluids in order to satisfy their oral fixation.

Smoking can damage the health of primarily the smoker and if a smoker were to use the said device they would only draw-in harmless drinkable fluids like water, milk, juice etc. Alcohol is a drinkable fluid that can be used in conjunction with the device but as alcohol can damage a person's health it is a drinkable fluid not recommended to use with this invention.

Preferably any said device or variation should be made from a suitable hygienic material i.e. a polymer. For practical reasons any said device or variation should be designed so it is safe to use and easily cleaned.

Preferably any device or variation can be designed to fit comfortably into the mouth although this is not a necessity as the device can form any

suitable shape.

Any device or variation can preferably communicate by whatever means with a drinkable fluid source and preferably any said communication means or variation should also be made from a suitable hygienic material and also designed so it is safe to use and easily cleaned. However any said communication means or variation of it is not a necessary feature as any similar device or variation without any said communication means or variation can be used.

It is also preferable that any device or variation and any said means of communication or variation are of suitable and relative size to undertake their functions adequately. For instance wide and very long devices and said communication means would require an individual to draw extremely hard and for much longer than need be before fluid intake can occur.

However shorter and slimmer devices and said means of communication would be more manageable to use as the individual can intake fluid more easily and more rapidly, thereby extinguishing thirst or such like and not over work the aforementioned muscles for little reward.

Some variations of the invention ae shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 depicts a device that is either releasably attached or fixed by whatever means to a vessel that can be refilled or disposed of. Figure 2 demonstrates a person using said device and vessel and Figure 3 illustrates a cross sectional view of said device and top portion of vessel incorporating a communication means (2), being in this instance a tube, with fluid source.

If a device is either ref easably attached or fixed to a vessel that contains a fluid source (as in Figures 1, 2 & 3), then the communication means between device and fluid source can take the form of a tube or duct of whatever description. This would allow the user to hold the device and vessel in an upright position when in use and allow the individual to keep his or her head also upright when using said device and vessel. Finally, it is preferable that any vessel is made from a suitable hygienic material.

Figure 4 shows another variation of said device. Figure 5 demonstrates a person using the said device and Figure 6 shows a suggested cross sectional view.

The device in this variation can either be releasably attached or fixed by whatever means to a tube or duct of whatever description thus permitting communication with fluid source. In this example the tube or duct of whatever description (3) can be pushed onto the end of the said device that is not inserted into the mouth and can then be inserted into a fluid source.

If the device as in Figures 4, 5 & 6 is either releasably attached or fixed to a tube or duct of whatever description then it is preferable that tube or duct of whatever description is flexible to some degree but also maintain its structural integrity when in use. This would allow a more convenient insertion into fluid source.

Figure 7 illustrates a similar device as in Figures 4,5 & 6 but with no accommodation for aforementioned communication means of whatever description as the device communicates directly with fluid source. Figure 8 details a person using said device and Figure 9 shows a suggested cross sectional view.

Preferably if the device communicates directly with fluid source then the device could be flexible to some degree, on condition that it maintains its structural integrity when in use, or incorporate an angle located along its length, as shown in Figure 10. This would accommodate ease of use.

This invention relates to a specifically designed device with a function of providing greater oral stimulation in order to help adults resolve behaviour that has developed from any oral fixation. An essential feature of any said device or variation is that the device or part of it has to be inserted into the mouth to allow communication between mouth and fluid source. To further allow communication between mouth and fluid source it is necessary for any device or the part of it that is inserted into the mouth to feature an opening, which can be in the form of an aperture(s), perforation(s), vent(s) or slot(s) or by any other means.

In order for the mouth to be worked fully another essential feature of any device or variation is that the flow of fluid between mouth and fluid source be restricted by whatever means. An example of how this said restriction could be achieved is seen in Figure 3 where a very small aperture (1) is located in the membrane or wall of part of the device that is inserted into the mouth. Another example of said restriction is seen in Figure 6 where the restriction (4) is located internally.

Another important feature of any said device or variation is that it should be firm, rigid and non-collapsible, being able to keep its structural integrity when functioning. If the device is releasably attached to a tube or duct of whatever description or vessel then these, themselves, should also be firm, noncoflapsible and rigid and also be able to keep their structural integrity when functioning, otherwise the act of drawing fluid into the mouth may cause the membrane or walls of the vessel or said tube or duct to collapse. Also this aforementioned act of collapse would hinder the full action of drawing to take place and can also damage the tube or duct or vessel over time.

If a tube or duct of whatever description is either releasably attached or fixed to a device by whatever means or, if a device is either releasably attached or fixed to a vessel by whatever means then the site of releasable attachment or fixing in both cases must be watertight and airtight to ensure no leakages and ensure optimal pressure when in use.

The method for use of any such device as described above would involve initially preparing a fluid source. It is recommended that any fluid source be free of any kind of sediment as using this would obstruct the flow of fluid at the point of restriction. If required, attach any communication means between fluid source to the end of the device that is not inserted into the mouth and insert end of said communication means into a fluid source. If the device is releasably attached to a vessel then this should be securely attached after the vessel has been filled with a fluid source. If using any device that communicates directly with fluid source, then the end that is not inserted into mouth is placed directly into fluid source.

The device or part of it that is inserted into the mouth would then be inserted into the mouth.

The individual would then close his or her lips around the device or the part of it that is inserted into the mouth to make a seal. The individual would then contract his or her lip, mouth, cheek and upper neck muscles and draw fluid into his or her mouth until enough fluid to be swallowed is contained in it. The individual would cease drawing and then swallow the fluid contained in the mouth. Afterwards the individual can rest his or her mouth and when required s/he can repeat the said action until the fluid source has been consumed. The fluid source can then be replenished and this method can be repeated.

It should be recommended that the individual intakes at least his or her recommended daily amount of fluid whether using any said device or not.

In between times when the individual is not using this method or perhaps resting his or her mouth s/he can continue with his or her oral fixation behaviour e.g. smoke, bite fingernails or over eat. However if a person continues with their oral fixation behaviour during such times then emphasis should be placed upon gradual reduction of such oral fixation behaviour to reach cessation, as continued reduction will inevitably lead to cessation. Alternatively the individual can cease their oral fixation behaviour during such times if they so wish.

Finally it is important to emphasise that this method does not place a strict agenda upon the individual to reduce or stop his or her oral fixation behaviour, as it is up to the individual to set their own rate of reduction or stop when they so wish. The individual can use this method whenever s/he wants to and for however long s/he wants to.

Claims (2)

1. Claims 1. A device being able to keep its structural integrity when

   functioning as described substantially herein or variation of it for the sole purpose of offering greater oral stimulation than behaviour(s) resulting from oral fixations, like smoking, by permitting drinkable fluids to be drawn, through a restriction by whatever means located between the communication of mouth and fluid source, into the mouth thus, with said action, tiring lip, mouth, cheeks and upper neck muscles and so aid the reduction or cessation of any need to gain oral stimulation from any said oral fixation behaviour as mentioned herein.
2. 2. A device as in Claim 1 substantially encompasses entirety herein.