Mandibular motion monitoring system
First Claim
1. The method of tracing the movement of a minor body in space in relation to a major body that is also movable in space where the minor body is connected to, and supported by, the major body in such a way that movement of the major body is imparted to the minor body while the minor body is movable in relation to the major body, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a first light detector and a second light detector in immovable positions and in fixed, spaced-apart relation to each other, where said first and second light detectors each has a planar light-sensitive surface that has the capability of generating electrical signals indicative of the physical location where said light is incident on said light-sensitive surface and a lens system for focusing a beam of light onto the light-sensitive surface;
defining a first planar two-dimensional coordinate system for said first detector for indicating the position of an incident light spot on the light-sensitive surface of the first detector, and defining a second planar two-dimensional coordinate system for said second detector for indicating the position of an incident light spot on the light-sensitive surface of the second detector;
defining a system frame of reference in terms of a three-dimensional coordinate system by positioning a plurality of calibraiton light-emitting sources in fixed, precisely measured spatial relation to each other in the field of vision of the first and second detectors, detecting the positions of said calibration light-emitting sources with the first and second detectors, and calibrating the image coordinate systems of said first and second detectors to correspond with the measured spatial relationships of the calibration light-emitting sources;
attaching at least three major body light-emitting sources in fixed spaced-apart relation to each other on said major body, and attaching at least three minor body light-emitting sources in fixed spaced-apart relation to each other on said minor body;
detecting the locations of said major body light-emitting sources and of said minor body light-emitting sources in the system frame of reference with said first and second detectors, and calculating three-dimensional image coordinate designations for each of those locations as a function of the respective first and second two-dimensional coordinates of the incident light spots on the respective light-sensitive surfaces of the first and second detectors;
transforming said coordinate designations of said minor body light-emitting sources to a local major frame of reference defined by the positions of said major body light-emitting sources by defining a local major coordinate system that is fixed in spatial relation to said major body light-emitting sources, defining a local minor body coordinate system that is fixed in spatial relation to said minor body light-emitting sources, and offsetting the local minor coordinates of the minor body light-emitting sources with the local major coordinate system; and
moving the minor body in relation to the major body for a period of time while detecting positions of both the major body light-emitting sources and the minor body light-emitting sources and transforming coordinates of the positions detected to the local major coordinate system.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for monitoring, storing and displaying movements of a person'"'"'s mandible in relation to the cranium, comprises a plurality of infrared LED'"'"'s securely mounted to the cranium and to the jaw, in immovable relation to the mandible. The location of each LED, as determined by photodiodes as the LED'"'"'s are sequentially turned on and off, is compared against an established three dimensional system frame of reference and through distinct local frames of reference associated with the cranium and the jaw, respectively, within the system frame of reference. A pointer, also provided with LED'"'"'s is used to locate specific points on the mandible in reference to the movement described by the LED'"'"'s attached to the lower jaw. The data is collected, calibrated and stored by a computer for subsequent display and analysis, either alone or in conjunction with a video display of the person'"'"'s actual head and jaw as the data was taken.
728 Citations
23 Claims
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1. The method of tracing the movement of a minor body in space in relation to a major body that is also movable in space where the minor body is connected to, and supported by, the major body in such a way that movement of the major body is imparted to the minor body while the minor body is movable in relation to the major body, comprising the steps of:
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positioning a first light detector and a second light detector in immovable positions and in fixed, spaced-apart relation to each other, where said first and second light detectors each has a planar light-sensitive surface that has the capability of generating electrical signals indicative of the physical location where said light is incident on said light-sensitive surface and a lens system for focusing a beam of light onto the light-sensitive surface; defining a first planar two-dimensional coordinate system for said first detector for indicating the position of an incident light spot on the light-sensitive surface of the first detector, and defining a second planar two-dimensional coordinate system for said second detector for indicating the position of an incident light spot on the light-sensitive surface of the second detector; defining a system frame of reference in terms of a three-dimensional coordinate system by positioning a plurality of calibraiton light-emitting sources in fixed, precisely measured spatial relation to each other in the field of vision of the first and second detectors, detecting the positions of said calibration light-emitting sources with the first and second detectors, and calibrating the image coordinate systems of said first and second detectors to correspond with the measured spatial relationships of the calibration light-emitting sources; attaching at least three major body light-emitting sources in fixed spaced-apart relation to each other on said major body, and attaching at least three minor body light-emitting sources in fixed spaced-apart relation to each other on said minor body; detecting the locations of said major body light-emitting sources and of said minor body light-emitting sources in the system frame of reference with said first and second detectors, and calculating three-dimensional image coordinate designations for each of those locations as a function of the respective first and second two-dimensional coordinates of the incident light spots on the respective light-sensitive surfaces of the first and second detectors; transforming said coordinate designations of said minor body light-emitting sources to a local major frame of reference defined by the positions of said major body light-emitting sources by defining a local major coordinate system that is fixed in spatial relation to said major body light-emitting sources, defining a local minor body coordinate system that is fixed in spatial relation to said minor body light-emitting sources, and offsetting the local minor coordinates of the minor body light-emitting sources with the local major coordinate system; and moving the minor body in relation to the major body for a period of time while detecting positions of both the major body light-emitting sources and the minor body light-emitting sources and transforming coordinates of the positions detected to the local major coordinate system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Mandibular movement monitoring apparatus for detecting, monitoring, and analyzing movement of a person'"'"'s mandible in relation to the person'"'"'s cranium as the cranium and the mandible move in space, said apparatus comprising:
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two photo detector means for detecting light spots incident on photo-sensitive surfaces in a manner indicative of the specific position of the incident light spot on the photo detector surfaces, said photodetector means including lens means for focusing incident light onto said photo-sensitive surfaces, and signal output means for outputting data signals; processing means for processing said incident spot data signals from said detector means to determine three-dimensional spatial coordinates of the sources of the incident light spots; four upper light source means for producing light to be detected by said detector means; four lower light source means for producing light to be detected by said detector means; harness means for mounting said upper light source means in immovable relation to the person'"'"'s cranium and for mounting the lower light source means in immovable relation to the person'"'"'s mandible, said four upper light source means being mounted in at least two different planes that are different distances from said detector means, and said four lower light source means being mounted in at least two different planes that are different distances from said detector means; pointer means for establishing spacial relationships of selected points on the person'"'"'s mandible and cranium in relation to said upper and lower light source means, said pointer means including a rigid body with a designated pointer tip thereon, first pointer light-emitting means positioned immediately adjacent said pointer tip for emitting light from a location close to said tip, and second, third, and fourth pointer light-emitting means positioned more remotely from said pointer tip and in precisely measured spaced-apart relation to each other, to said first pointer light-emitting means, and to said pointer tip; and displaying means for displaying selected points in terms of three-dimensional coordinate reference systems. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. Harness apparatus for mounting LED'"'"'s on a person'"'"'s head, some of which LED'"'"'s are mounted in immovable relation to the person'"'"'s cranium and some of which LED'"'"'s are mounted in immovable relation to the person'"'"'s mandible, comprising:
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an upper frame comprised of an elongated upper cross bar, a nose piece attached to the upper cross bar for supporting the upper frame on the person'"'"'s nose, two elongated ear bow members, one of which extends rearwardly from one end of the upper cross bar and the other of which extends rearwardly from the other end of the upper cross bar; a lower frame comprised of an elongated lower cross bar, and a chin cup attached to the lower cross bar for positioning under the person'"'"'s chin; two spaced-apart left side elastic bands, one of which extends between the proximal end of the left ear bow and the lower cross bar and the other of which extends from the distal end of the left ear bow to the left rear corner of the chin cup; two spaced-apart right side elastic bands, one of which extends between the proximal end of the right ear bow and the lower cross bar and the other of which extends from the distal end of the right ear bow to the right rear corner of the chin cup; a first upper LED bracket extending upwardly and forwardly from the left end of the upper cross bar, a second upper LED bracket extending upwardly and forwardly from the right end of the upper cross bar, a third upper LED bracket extending laterally outward from the left ear bow, a fourth LED bracket extending laterally outward from the right ear bow, and an LED mounted on the distal end of each of said first, second, third, and fourth upper LED brackets; and a first lower LED bracket extending forwardly from the left end of said lower cross bar, as second lower LED bracket extending forwardly from the right end of said lower cross bar, a third lower LED bracket extending upwardly from the left end of said lower cross bar, a fourth lower LED bracket extending upwardly from the right end of said lower cross bar, and an LED mounted on the distal end of each of said first, second, third, and fourth lower LED brackets.
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Specification