Oral Device

• US 20090048647A1
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oraltone LLC
• Original Assignee: Oraltone LLC
• Inventors: Tingey, Terrell F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/62
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0548 Oral electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36031 using physiological parameters for adjustment

Abstract

The invention is a removal plastic oral appliance which includes sensors for detecting the position of a patients tongue and mandible. Pressure sensors in the appliance itself detect tongue contact and pressure against the palate or the lower teeth against the upper teeth. The sensors are connected electronically to an electronic processor which interprets the information against one or more contra-indicated tongue or jaw positions or activities, and selects an appropriate response from a pre-selected range of responses. The electronic processor sends a signal to a stimulus electrode to cause the patient to stop the contra indicated tongue position, jaw position, or activity.

Claims

1. An oral appliance comprising:

an appliance body configured for positioning in a patient'"'"'s mouth and constructed to detect tongue position, for training subconscious behavior of the oral muscles.

2. The oral appliance of claim 1 in which said appliance body is further constructed to detect jaw position.

4. The oral appliance of claim 1 which further comprises a programmable microprocessor for recording tongue parameters over time from said tongue parameter sensors, with said electronic processor forming a response to said tongue parameters in the form of a feedback stimulus delivered to the patient.

5. The oral appliance of claim 1 in which the tongue parameter sensed is tongue position, and which further comprises one or more tongue position sensors, for sensing a position of said patient'"'"'s tongue in his mouth.

8. The oral appliance of claim 5 which further comprises a programmable microprocessor for recording tongue parameters over time from said tongue pressure sensors, with said electronic processor forming a response to said tongue parameters in the form of a feedback stimulus delivered to said patient.

3. An oral appliance for training a patient in proper posture and function of the tongue comprising:

an appliance body configured for placement in a patient'"'"'s mouth, adjacent the patient'"'"'s tongue and teeth;

one or more tongue parameter sensors mounted in said appliance body, for detecting parameters of a patient'"'"'s tongue;

electronic processor for receiving a signal from said tongue parameter sensors related to tongue position, and for selecting a response based on the detected tongue position;

one or more stimulus electrodes in said appliance body for contact with a part of said patient, for delivering a feedback stimulus to the patient;

one or more stimulus generators, for creating said feedback stimulus and sending said stimulus to said stimulus electrodes, based on information from said electronic processor; and

a power source for providing energy to said one or more stimulus generator.

6. The oral appliance of claim 3 which further comprises a programmable microprocessor for recording tongue parameters over time from said tongue position parameter sensors, with said electronic processor forming a response to said tongue parameters in the form of a feedback stimulus delivered to the patient.

7. The oral appliance of claim 3 in which the tongue parameter sensed is tongue pressure, and which further comprises one or more tongue pressure sensors, for sensing pressure of said patient'"'"'s tongue against the patient'"'"'s teeth and /or palate.

9. The oral appliance of claim 3 in which a tongue parameter sensed is contact force of the patient'"'"'s tongue against the appliance body.

10. The oral appliance of claim 3 in which a tongue parameter sensed is contact duration of the patient'"'"'s tongue against the appliance body.

11. The oral appliance of claim 3 in which a parameter sensed is interval between contact of the patient'"'"'s tongue against the appliance body.

12. The oral appliance of claim 3 in which said feedback stimulus is an electric shock.

13. The oral appliance of claim 3 which includes a tether for connecting internal components of the appliance inside the patient'"'"'s mouth to external components outside the patient'"'"'s mouth.

14. The oral appliance of claim 3 in which said appliance body is fitted to the patient'"'"'s lower teeth.

15. The oral appliance of claim 3 in which said appliance body is fitted to the patient'"'"'s upper palate.

16. The oral appliance of claim 3 in which said appliance body is fitted to the patient'"'"'s upper teeth.

17. The oral appliance of claim 3 in which said appliance body is positioned in the anterior palate for training the patient in anterior tongue placement.

18. The oral appliance of claim 3 in which said appliance body is positioned near the incisal edge of the upper and lower teeth for training the patient in protrusive tongue thrust behavior.

19. The oral appliance of claim 3 in which said appliance body is custom positioned on the palate for training in speech articulation by correcting tongue position.

20. The oral appliance of claim 3 which further includes one on more sensors for jaw position, which send a signal related to jaw position to an electronic processor, with said electronic processor for selecting a response based on the detected tongue parameters and jaw position.

21. An oral appliance for training a patient in proper posture and function of the tongue, comprising:

an appliance body configured for placement in a patient'"'"'s mouth, adjacent the patient'"'"'s tongue;

one or more tongue position sensors for detecting the position of a patient'"'"'s tongue in relation to said appliance body;

an electronic processor for receiving a signal from the position sensors related to tongue position, and for selecting a response based on the detected tongue position;

one or more stimulus electrodes for delivering a feedback stimulus in the form of an electric shock to the patient;

one or more stimulus generators, for creating said feedback stimulus and sending said stimulus to said stimulus electrodes, based on information from said electronic processor;

a power source for providing energy to said stimulus generator; and

a programmable microprocessor for recording parameters of tongue position against said appliance body over time, for parameters of tongue position, tongue contact duration, and interval between contact of a patient'"'"'s tongue against the appliance body, with said sensor detection unit forming a response to said tongue parameters in the form of a feedback stimulus.

22. An oral appliance for training a patient in proper posture and function of the tongue and jaw position, comprising:

an appliance body configured for placement in a patient'"'"'s mouth, adjacent the patient'"'"'s tongue;

one or more tongue position sensors for detecting the position of a patient'"'"'s tongue and for generating tongue parameters;

one or more jaw position sensors for detecting the position of a patient'"'"'s mandible and for generating jaw position parameters;

an electronic processor for receiving a signal from the sensors related to tongue position and jaw position, and for selecting a response based on the detected tongue and jaw position;

one or more stimulus electrodes for delivering a feedback stimulus in the form of an electric shock to the patient;

one or more stimulus generators, for creating said feedback stimulus and sending said stimulus to said stimulus electrodes, based on information from said electronic processor;

a power source for providing energy to said stimulus generator; and

a programmable microprocessor for recording parameters of tongue and mandible position over time, including tongue contact force, tongue contact duration, and interval between contact of a patient'"'"'s tongue against the appliance body, with said sensor detection unit forming a response to said tongue and jaw position parameters in the form of a feedback stimulus.