AIRWAY WIDENING TOOL AND AIRWAY WIDENING UNIT HAVING SAME

摘要

Provided are an airway widening tool and an airway widening unit having same, with which it is possible to open the airway reliably when the user is lying in the supine position and which also allow the user to change positions freely. The disclosed airway widening tool (1) is used by being attached to the outer periphery of the human neck, and includes: a main body (2) which comes into contact with the posterior side of the neck when the tool is worn and which receives an upward external force when the user is lying in the supine position; and a pair of jaw retainers (3a, 3b) which extend frontward from the main body (2) while being spaced apart from one another by a distance equivalent to the diameter of the neck, the jaw retainers coming into contact with the opposite sides of the lower jaw when the tool is worn. The main body (2) and the jaw retainers (3a, 3b) are formed of a restorable component. When the user changes his/her position from the supine position, the main body (2) and the jaw retainers (3a, 3b) deform in conformity with the user's position. When the user returns to the supine position, the external force received by the main body (2) acts on the jaw retainers (3a, 3b) which thereby retain the lower jaw at a height at which the airway can be opened.