Method and apparatus for the non-invasive examination of the tooth-jaw structure of a patient to determine the characteristics of unerupted teeth and to control nutritional intake pursuant thereto
First Claim
1. Apparatus for the non-invasive examination of the tooth-jaw structure of a patient to determine the characteristics of unerupted teeth in said structure, said apparatus comprising means for producing a beam of energy support means for said beam producing means for positioning the same such that the beam of energy strikes the tooth-jaw structure and undergoes modification depending on the presence of unerupted teeth and their size and position in the tooth-jaw structure, receiver means on said support means for receiving the beam of energy after striking the tooth-jaw structure or after re-radiation by the tooth-jaw structure to produce the characteristics of unerupted teeth in said structure, and locator means coupled to said receiver means for producing an indication of the location of said receiver means such that the characteristics of the unerupted teeth are related spatially.
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Abstract
Apparatus for the measurement and analysis of tooth-jaw structures comprising a source of illumination, an optodetector and an integral linear displacement transducer. The source of illumination is used to transilluminate tooth-jaw structures while the optodetector receives light which has transilluminated the tooth-jaw structure. The linear displacement transducer provides a fast, accurate and precise size, distance and spatial measurement of structures comprising the tooth-jaw milieu. The system is particularly adapted for the intraoral examination, measurement and analysis of unerupted teeth and their interdental spaces to detect a nutritional status that may exist which would impede the development of tooth-jaw concordance. A reiterative computer controlled process is employed to monitor and control preventive or remedial nutrition.
37 Citations
25 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for the non-invasive examination of the tooth-jaw structure of a patient to determine the characteristics of unerupted teeth in said structure, said apparatus comprising means for producing a beam of energy support means for said beam producing means for positioning the same such that the beam of energy strikes the tooth-jaw structure and undergoes modification depending on the presence of unerupted teeth and their size and position in the tooth-jaw structure, receiver means on said support means for receiving the beam of energy after striking the tooth-jaw structure or after re-radiation by the tooth-jaw structure to produce the characteristics of unerupted teeth in said structure, and locator means coupled to said receiver means for producing an indication of the location of said receiver means such that the characteristics of the unerupted teeth are related spatially.
- 13. Apparatus for the non-invasive examination of a selected anatomical structure of a patient without the use of ionizing radiation such as X-rays, said apparatus comprising a support adapted for placement adjacent to a selected anatomical structure of a patient to be examined, beam producing means on said support for producing a beam of energy of non-ionizing radiation outside the X-ray region for impingement on the selected anatomical structure, receiver means on said support in fixed relation to said beam producing means for receiving said beam of energy after impingement thereof on said selected anatomical structure or after re-radiation by said selected anatomical structure, locator means on said support in relation to said beam producing means and said receiver means for indicating the spatial location of said receiver means, and processing means for receiving outputs from said receiver means and locator means to provide information concerning said selected anatomical structure.
- 19. A method of determining the growth of primary dentition in the tooth-jaw development process without the use of X-rays, said method comprising irradiating the tooth-jaw structure, in the course of development thereof, by a beam of non-ionizing energy from a non-X-ray source, receiving said beam of energy after irradiation of the tooth-jaw structure by said beam or after re-radiation by the tooth-jaw structure, and producing information indicating the presence or absence of unerupted teeth in the gums of the tooth-jaw structure and the size, spacing and location of said unerupted teeth whereby the growth of primary dentition can be determined.
- 21. A method for determining the growth concordance of the primary dentition and the calorie intake necessary to achieve tooth-jaw concordance or favorable interdental spacing, said method comprising producing a beam of energy from a non-X-ray source, applying said beam to the gums of a patient containing unerupted teeth, receiving said beam of energy after it strikes the gums, producing information indicating the presence or absence of unerupted teeth in the gums, and the size, spacing, and location of said unerupted teeth, determining actual body length percentile, body length percentile discrepancy, and concordant calorie intake based on age and theoretical body length percentile of the patient, and monitoring these parameters on a serial basis with modification of the caloric intake of the patient to effect an ideal amount of interdental spacing.
- 23. A method of controlling the growth of primary dentition of a patient in the tooth-jaw development process, said method comprising irradiating the tooth-jaw structure in the course of development thereof, by a beam of energy from an energy source, receiving said beam of energy after irradiation of the tooth-jaw structure by said beam or after re-radiation by the tooth-jaw structure, determining the presence or absence of unerupted teeth in the gums of the tooth-jaw structure and parameters including the size, spacing and location of said unerupted teeth and controlling the caloric intake of the patient in accordance with the determined parameters so that the growth of primary dentition is regulated to provide desired interdental spacing.
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25. A method for determining the growth concordance of the primary dentition and the calorie intake necessary to achieve tooth-jaw concordance or favorable interdental spacing, said method comprising producing a beam of energy from an energy source, applying said beam to the gums of a patient containing unerupted teeth, receiving said beam of energy after it strikes the gums, producing information indicating the presence or absence of unerupted teeth in the gums, and the size, spacing, and location of said unerupted teeth, determining actual body length percentile, body length percentile discrepancy, and concordant calorie intake based on age and theoretical body length percentile of the patient, monitoring these parameters on a serial basis, and controlling the caloric intake of the patient in accordance with the monitored parameters to effect a desired predetermined interdental spacing.
Specification