Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention relates to a filtration device that when positioned in a nasal passage, becomes attached inside the nostril until removal due to interconnecting component. The filter portions of the nose filter are connected by a component external to the filter that protects against the filter moving further than necessary into the nostril and facilitates its removal from the nose.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION:

The respiratory system of the human body is the main route for entry of contaminants such as dusts and pollens. The human anatomy is designed to process the airborne impurities through the nose so that the air is purified, warmed and humified before it reaches the lunges. The hairs and mucous membranes inside the nose normally trap larges particles of dirt and allergens.

The respiratory system can be overwhelmed if its capacity to process airborne impurities is exceeded. Given that healthy lungs take two or three days to clear themselves after overloading, it is evident that a personal air purifier to help remove allergens and particulates has great value. Notwithstanding the above, since our country is so polluted, a personal air purifier is the need of the hour to have a safe and healthy lifestyle for people, in particular, those live in highlight populated and polluted cities.

Thus, the primary objective of the present invention is to ensure that the user inhales clean air so that he does not get infected by impure air.

The other objective of the present invention is to develop and design a reusable filtration device for nasal passage.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a replacement for visible nose masks or other conventional air masks which gives a social stigma about the user and apprehensions of others to interact with them.

Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a nasal filter which is ease of use and that provides a freedom to install such small device within to enable him enjoy healthier fresh and clean inhaling of air.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

The filtration device of the present invention is adapted to be inserted into the nostrils and includes a flexible housing, a filtering component and an interconnecting component connecting the housing components. A cavity is disposed within the housing wherein the filtering component is disposed within the cavity of the housing. The housing has a diameter exactly equal to or lesser than the diameter of the inner wall of the nostril. The interconnecting component is connected to the surface of the housing, thus connecting a pair of nose filters together wherein the interconnecting component includes a plug for placing/ fixing the device inside the nostrils.

Upon insertion of the filtration device into the nostrils, the surface of the housing component engages and forms a seal with a portion of the inner wall of the nostrils. Additionally, upon insertion, the plug in the interconnecting component helps in attaching the device within the nasal passage of the nostrils firmly until removal.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the filtration device filters dust, germs, allergens, and other foreign particulates from air passing through the nostrils.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the filtration device form seals with the nostrils, thus forcing air through the filter and preventing air from passing between the nose filter and the inner walls of the nostril. Additionally, the filter in each nostril is interconnected to the filter in the other nostril, thereby fixing the device in place such that both filters are quickly and easily removable from the nose. The interconnecting component with the plug between the housing components/ filters further prevents the filter in each nostril from sliding further than desired into the nasal cavity.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the filtering device can be easily inserted and removed from the nostrils and that conforms to the shape of nasal passageway.

In still another embodiment of the present invention, the filtering component can be washed, cleaned and dried for reuse.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

The invention is further described in the detailed description that follows, by reference to the noted drawing(s) by way of illustrative embodiments of the invention, in which like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the drawing(s). The invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and illustrative examples shown in the drawings:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS:

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiment(s) of the device. Before describing in detail embodiments that are in accordance with the present disclosure, it should be observed that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of components of the device.

In this document, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or “including” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a system, method, article, device or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such system, method, article, device, or apparatus. An element proceeded by "comprises ...a" does not,
without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, product, method, article, device or apparatus that comprises the element.

Any embodiment described herein is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. All of the embodiments described in this detailed description are illustrative, and provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure and not to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

In the following description, for the purpose of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention can be practiced without these specific details.

Accordingly, Figure 1 shows filtration device with different shapes, dimensions and different fits for different users. The main advantage of the filtration devices per the present invention is that it can be manufactured based on the shape and size of the users’ nose/ nostrils for correct fit, and then such data will be used for future use.

One of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, filtration device (100) comprises a flexible housing (101), a filtering component inside cavity, and an interconnecting component (103). The flexible housing has a cavity (102) located within the housing, and the filtering component is disposed within the housing cavity.

In one of the other embodiments of the present invention, the filtration device is inserted into the nostrils of the nose of a user. The housing component (101) has a diameter exactly equal to or lesser than the diameter of the inner wall of the nostril.

Accordingly, as user wearing the filtration device breathes, the entire device remains stationary. The interconnecting component through a plug present therein prevents the flexible housing component or any other portion of the device from moving undesirably into the nostril. The plug of the interconnecting component is used to adjust the placement of the device inside the nostrils. The user wearing the filtration device (100) can quickly and easily remove the device from the nostrils by pressing the plug in the interconnecting component (103). As a result, the device remains removably secure within the nostrils while being safely prevented from entering undesirably further into the nasal passage.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the filtering component of the filtration device contains material that will be chosen and made in such a way that they can be rinsed, washed and sun dried to enable the user use the same filter for many uses, and discard when he/she wants to.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the filtering component is made of air filtration media developed using active carbon fabric and other proprietary ingredients which will ensure the filtration of odour, smoke, unhelathy particles, invisible microbes and micro-organisms, pollen grains, dust, soot and other known and unknown pollutants available and seen invisible or visible in air, which may be detrimental to breathing and good health.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the interconnecting component is co-extruded or moulded with synthetic suitable material enabling it to be bent and retrofitted to fix the device firmly into the nostrils, tightening themselves at the bridge of the nose and cover the entire nostrils without leaving any space between the nostril walls and the housing component, enabling the filter protect any unwanted or impure air be breathed inside.

According to still another embodiment of the present invention, any suitable plastic or rubber-like material, including a synthetic rubber latex or silicone, which is nontoxic and which does not irritate the inner wall of the nostril, may be used to form flexible housing. In a preferred embodiment, flexible housing is formed with a silicone rubber material.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the housing component is moulded with an elastic material using thermo plastics, of any kind, elastomers of any kind biodegradable, or non-biodegradable materials, with a wire insert running throughout the drawn material, or would be made and positioned in such a way that the wire acts as a malleable medium, or the material used for making the nose plug be made or chosen to be malleable.

It will also be understood that the size and shape of the filtration device of the present invention can be varied to accommodate noses of different shapes and sizes. The nose filter primarily is built on the following stages of action involving in-situ imaging and in-situ moulding to accommodate the said purpose and to prepare the filtration device of desired size and shape.

The material of the filtering component decided as filter will be laid in a bed of 3-D printing machine chosen, which will be basically a mobile printer, enable by bluetooth or any other modern communication systems which are adaptable and operational in any format and medium.

An imaging device will scan and plot all inner dimensions of both nostrils to maximum accuracy and then with a program, we would convert them into editable lines and dxf, stp files. The said inner periphery will be converted to the boundary of a printable filter with defined outer liner which would be malleable, soft and bio-degradable.

The data thus created based on individual user and the shape and configuration of his/ her nostril would be backed up as a backup in a storage system, enabling peruse and print again whenever the user asks for fresh supplies and need.

The data thus created based on individual user and the shape and configuration of his/her nostril would be backed up as a backup in a storage system, enabling peruse and print again whenever the user asks for fresh supplies and need. The product is aimed to be a replacement for the visible nose masks or hand kerchiefs which gives a social stigma about the user and apprehensions of others to interact with them. The invention thus aims at relieving the user of such social problems, ease of use and freedom to install such small device within to enable him enjoy healthier fresh and clean inhaling of air.
, Claims:I/ WE CLAIM:

1. A pair of nose filters (100) for insertion into nostrils, the nostrils including an inner wall having a diameter, the nose filter comprising:
- A flexible housing (101) having a side wall having a diameter lesser or equal to the diameter of the inner wall of the nostril, and a cavity (102) located inside the side wall;
- A filtering component disposed in the housing cavity (102), the filtering component made up of active carbon fabric; and
- An interconnecting component (103) connected to the housing (101) wherein the interconnecting component connects one nose filter to another nose filter, and includes a plug to hold the device in place.

2. The nose filters (100) as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the flexible housing (101) is made/comprises of a polymeric material.

3. The nose filters (100) as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the polymeric material is selected from any biodegradable plastics.

4. The nose filters (100) as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the polymeric material is selected from any biodegradable plastics based on polyolefins.

5. The nose filters (100) as claimed in Claim 1 wherein it is made by 3D printing.

6. The nose filters (100) as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the filter component is made of active carbon woven into fabric by spinning-moulding.

7. The nose filters (100) as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the diameter of the housing (101) is less than the diameter of the inner walls of the nostrils.

8. The nose filters (100) as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the diameter of the housing (101) is equal to the diameter of the inner walls of the nostrils.

9. The nose filters (100) as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the thickness of the interconnecting component (103) is approximately the same as the thickness of the side wall of the flexible housing (101).

10. The nose filters (100) as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the interconnecting component (103) made of any malleable metal wire coated with a polymeric material.