1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a therapeutic device for improving the respiration of a patient, with a curved or bent pipe section and a mouthpiece inserted in its first end.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A therapeutic device for supporting the respiration of a patient is disclosed in EP 0681853. In this case, the curved pipe section has a height-adjustable mouthpiece inserted in its end. As a result, the mouthpiece penetrates inside the pipe section in areas. The penetrating area of the mouthpiece has a hose attached to it, which is bent by the inner contour of the pipe section. The second end of the pipe section is open, therefore the therapeutic device can be used for inhalation and exhalation. The ending of the hose section causes the device to undergo oscillatory vibration during inhalation and exhalation, thereby causing vibrations to be generated in the pharyngeal and pulmonary areas of the patient, thus allowing diseases of the airways to be treated.
Although the therapeutic device disclosed in EP 0681853 A1 has proven effective in practice, it has become apparent that no optimum treatment successes can be achieved when the air is inhaled through the hose section because the vibrations generated by the hose section during inhalation are significantly smaller in amplitude and frequency than those during exhalation.
A further disadvantage with this therapeutic device during inhalation is that the cross-sectional area of the hose section is often narrowed to such an extent that the air resistance is considerable or the hose section is completely closed, with the effect that no air can get into the patient's airways.