Mastication detector and measurement apparatus and method of measuring mastication
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting mastication, the apparatus comprising:
- detecting means for detecting a displacement of a part of the side of a face, said detecting means comprising a flexible plate-like detecting element of a high-molecular weight polymer of piezoelectric material; and
holding means for securing said plate-like detecting element in a position in close contact with the part of the side of a face, said holding means including a housing, a body of resilient material disposed in said housing and over which body said detecting element is disposed, and a cover covering said detecting element and secured to said housing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mastication measurement apparatus is provided with a displacement detecting element such as a piezoelectric element and a holder which keeps the detecting element in close contact with a part of the side of one'"'"'s face. The apparatus is capable of processing electric signals produced by the detecting element to measure the number of masticating cycles, number of masticating cycles per unit time, a maximum value of the mastication force and the mastication energy, and is also capable of checking whether a denture is matched to a subject by detecting noises included in the output of the detecting element. In accordance with the invention, it is also possible to determine which teeth are not used during the mastication of food by attaching the detecting elements to both sides of a face and comparing the outputs from both detecting elements.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting mastication, the apparatus comprising:
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detecting means for detecting a displacement of a part of the side of a face, said detecting means comprising a flexible plate-like detecting element of a high-molecular weight polymer of piezoelectric material; and holding means for securing said plate-like detecting element in a position in close contact with the part of the side of a face, said holding means including a housing, a body of resilient material disposed in said housing and over which body said detecting element is disposed, and a cover covering said detecting element and secured to said housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An apparatus for detecting mastication, the apparatus comprising:
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detecting means for detecting a displacement of a part of the side of a face, said detecting means comprising a flexible plate-like detecting element of a high-molecular weight polymer of piezoelectric material; and holding means for securing said plate-like detecting element in a position in close contact with the part of the side of a face, said holding means including adhesive tape secured to said detecting element, said adhesive tape attachable to the side of a face to secure said element in said position. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for measuring mastication, said apparatus comprising:
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detecting means for detecting a displacement of a part of the side of a face, said detecting means comprising a flexible plate-like detecting element of a high-molecular weight polymer of piezoelectric material; holding means for securing said plate-like detecting element in a position in close contact with the part of the side of a face, said holding means including a housing, a body of resilient material disposed in said housing and over which body said detecting element is disposed, and a cover covering said detecting element and secured to said housing; processing means operatively connected to said detecting means for receiving an output of said detecting means indicative of the displacement of a part of the side of a face, and for processing said output into a measurement of mastication; and display means operatively connected to said processing means for displaying the measurement of mastication in response to the processing carried out by said processing means. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for measuring mastication, said apparatus comprising:
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detecting means for detecting a displacement of a part of the side of a face, said detecting means comprising a flexible plate-like detecting element of a high-molecular weight polymer of piezoelectric material; holding means for securing said plate-like detecting element in a position in close contact with the part of the side of a face, said holding means including adhesive tape secured to said detecting element, said adhesive tape attachable to the side of a face to secure said element in said position; processing means operatively connected to said detecting means for receiving an output of said detecting means indicative of the displacement of a part of the side of a face, and for processing said output into a measurement of mastication; and display means operatively connected to said processing means for displaying the measurement of mastication in response to the processing carried out by said processing means. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for measuring mastication, said method comprising:
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providing detecting means including a flexible plate-like element of piezoelectric material for detecting a displacement thereof, and a holding means to which said detecting means is secured, the holding means including a housing, a body of resilient material disposed in said housing and over which body said detecting element is disposed, and a cover covering said detecting element and secured to said housing; providing processing means operatively connected to said detecting means for receiving an output of said detecting means indicative of the displacement of said detecting element, and for processing said output into a measurement of the displacement; providing display means operatively connected to said processing means for displaying the measurement of mastication in response to the processing carried out by said processing means; and securing said detecting element over a part of the side of a face with said holding means so that displacements of said detecting element caused by movement of the part of the side of a face during mastication are detected by said detecting means, are output by said detecting means, are processed by said processing means into a measurement of mastication, and are displayed by said display means as the measurement of mastication. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method for measuring mastication, said method comprising:
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providing detecting means including a flexible plate-like element of piezoelectric material for detecting a displacement thereof, and a holding means to which said detecting means is secured, the holding means including adhesive tape secured to said detecting element; providing processing means operatively connected to said detecting means for receiving an output of said detecting means indicative of the displacement of said detecting element, and for processing said output into a measurement of the displacement; providing display means operatively connected to said processing means for displaying the measurement of mastication in response to the processing carried out by said processing means; and securing said detecting element over a part of the side of a face with said adhesive tape so that displacements of said detecting element caused by movement of the part of the side of a face during mastication are detected by said detecting means, are output by said detecting means, are processed by said processing means into a measurement of mastication, and are displayed by said display means as the measurement of mastication. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. An apparatus for detecting mastication, the apparatus comprising:
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detecting means for detecting a displacement of a part of the side of a face, said detecting means comprising a flexible plate-like detecting element of a compound of ceramic piezoelectric material and a high-molecular weight polymer of piezoelectric material; and holding means for securing said plate-like detecting element in a position in close contact with the part of the side of a face, said holding means including a housing, a body of resilient material disposed in said housing and over which body said detecting element is disposed, and a cover covering said detecting element and secured to said housing. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for detecting mastication, the apparatus comprising:
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detecting means for detecting a displacement of a part of the side of a face, said detecting means comprising a flexible plate-like detecting element of a compound of ceramic piezoelectric material and a high-molecular weight polymer of piezoelectric material; and holding means for securing said plate-like detecting element in a position in close contact with the part of the side of a face, said holding means including adhesive tape secured to said detecting element, said adhesive tape attachable to the side of a face to secure said element in said position. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. An apparatus for measuring mastication, said apparatus comprising:
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detecting means for detecting a displacement of a part of the side of a face, said detecting means comprising a flexible plate-like detecting element of a compound of ceramic piezoelectric material and a high-molecular weight polymer of piezoelectric material; holding means for securing said plate-like detecting element in a position in close contact with the part of the side of a face, said holding means including a housing, a body of resilient material disposed in said housing and over which body said detecting element is disposed, and a cover covering said detecting element and secured to said housing; processing means operatively connected to said detecting means for receiving an output of said detecting means indicative of the displacement of a part of the side of a face, and for processing said output into a measurement of mastication; and display means operatively connected to said processing means for displaying the measurement of mastication in response to the processing carried out by said processing means. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. An apparatus for measuring mastication, said apparatus comprising:
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detecting means for detecting a displacement of a part of the side of a face, said detecting means comprising a flexible plate-like detecting element of a compound of ceramic piezoelectric material and a high-molecular weight polymer of piezoelectric material; holding means for securing said plate-like detecting element in a position in close contact with the part of the side of a face, said holding means including adhesive tape secured to said detecting element, said adhesive tape attachable to the side of a face to secure said element in said position; processing means operatively connected to said detecting means for receiving an output of said detecting means indicative of the displacement of a part of the side of a face, and for processing said output into a measurement of mastication; and display means operatively connected to said processing means for displaying the measurement of mastication in response to the processing carried out by said processing means. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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Specification