SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATION AND MONITORING OF USER STATUS

• US 20090220921A1
• Filed: 03/03/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: SPIRIDIGLIOZZI, John, ABOLFATHI, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 8,023,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/229
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/20 Workers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4547 Evaluating teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/682 Mouth, e.g., oral cavity; tongue; Lips; Teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/72 Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes character recognition, recognising digital ink, document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00; recognition or understanding of postal images G06V30/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/08 Mouthpiece-type retainers or positioners, e.g. for both the lower and upper arch arch-shaped medicament applicators for teeth or gums A61C19/063; mouthguards for protecting the teeth of sportsmen A63B71/085
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/085 Mouth or teeth protectors A63B71/081 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

An electronic and transducer device can be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance or other oral device to form a two-way communication assembly. The device contains a motion sensor to detect external forces imposed on the user such as an explosion, for example. The information is stored for medical treatment, among others. In another embodiment, the device provides an electronic and transducer device that can be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance or other oral device to form a medical tag containing patient identifiable information. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device fabricated from a thermal forming process utilizing a replicate model of a dental structure obtained by conventional dental impression methods. The electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure.

Claims

1. A bone conduction communication apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a shape which is conformable to at least a portion of at least one tooth of a user;

a motion sensor to detect a force imposed on the user;

an actuatable transducer disposed within or upon the housing and in vibratory communication with a surface of the at least one tooth; and

a wireless satellite transceiver coupled to the motion sensor to communicate the force and coupled to the transducer to provide received sound to the user and to support global communication for the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a protective vest actuated by the motion sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a protective vest that inflates when the motion sensor detects an incoming force.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the protective vest is actuated by a blast.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, comprising a helmet.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, comprising a linkage coupling the vest and the helmet, the linkage being hardened when the blast is detected to protect a wearer'"'"'s neck.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is uniquely fitted to a person.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is tamperproof.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a controller that disables the communication apparatus when worn by an unauthorized user.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor captures a blast vector comprising direction and magnitude of a blast.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the blast vector is stored and transmitted to a remote monitoring center.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the motion sensor comprises a three axis accelerometer.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises an oral appliance having a shape which conforms to the at least one tooth.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an electronic assembly disposed within or upon the housing and which is in communication with the transducer.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the electronic assembly is encapsulated within the housing.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the electronic assembly further comprises a power supply in electrical communication with transducer.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the power supply is rechargeable.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the electronic assembly further comprises a processor in electrical communication with the transducer.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the electronic assembly further comprises a microphone for receiving auditory signals and which is in electrical communication with the processor.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the electronic assembly further comprises a receiver in wireless communication with an externally located transmitter assembly.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing is configured as a mouthguard or retainer.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing is adapted to conform to at least the portion of the at least one tooth via an interference fit.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a conduction transmission member coupled to the transducer; and

a post or screw attached to a maxillary or mandibular bone and to the conduction transmission member.