MUSCLE STIMULATING APPARATUS

Apparatus (60) for stimulating muscles which control the operation of the tongue (28) of a subject comprises a chin engaging member (62) which carries an external electrode (8) for locating externally beneath the floor (9) of the oral cavity of the subject. An oral electrode carrier (3) extends from the chin engaging member (62) for locating an oral electrode (64) in the oral cavity (4). A locating member (10) locates the oral electrode carrier (3) on the teeth of the lower jaw of the subject while a support member (65) extends from the locating member (10) for carrying the oral electrode (64) at a distal end thereof. The oral electrode (64) is provided by an electrically conductive silicon polymer for electrically engaging the tongue (28) on an underside thereof and for electrically engaging the floor (9) of the oral cavity (4). The oral electrode (64) is located within the oral cavity (4) spaced apart from the gum (12) of the oral cavity a sufficient distance for preventing stray currents entering the lower gum and teeth (11) of the subject. A pulsed signal from a signal generator (34) is applied through a socket connector (71) to the oral and external electrodes (64, 8) for passing a current through the motor nerves of the muscles which control the operation of the tongue (28) for stimulating the muscles, and in turn toning and strengthening the muscles. By strengthening the muscles the tongue is retained in a more forward state in the mouth, thus alleviating sleep apnoea and snoring. The apparatus (1) by toning the muscles in the floor (9) of the oral cavity (4) cosmetically corrects a double chin condition. L'invention concerne un appareil (60) pour stimuler les muscles qui commandent le fonctionnement de la langue (28) d'un sujet. Cet appareil comprend un élément de mise en prise avec le menton (62) qui supporte une électrode externe (8) en vue de son positionnement externe au-delà du plancher buccal (9) du sujet. Un support (3) d'électrode buccale s'étend à partir de l'élément (62) de mise en prise avec le menton pour placer une électrode buccale (64) dans la cavité buccale (4). Un élément de positionnement (10) positionne le support (3) d'électrode sur les dents de la mâchoire inférieure du sujet tandis qu'un élément de support (65) s'étend à partir de l'élément de positionnement (10) pour supporter l'électrode buccale (64) à une extrémité distale de ce dernier. L'électrode buccale (64) est constituée d'un polymère de silicone électriquement conduc