Bio-feedback, data acquisition teeth guards, methods of their manufacture and use
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus to sense teeth grinding comprising:
- a. a mouth piece suitable to detachably engage teeth and a pallette of an upper jaw including;
i. a socket designed to cover at least one tooth of the upper jaw;
ii. a pressure sensor associated with the sockets, where the sensor produces a sensor signal when an activating pressure greater than a sensor threshold pressure is applied thereto;
iii. a transmitter unit in electrical communication with the sensor designed to generate an action signal when a sensor signal having an amplitude greater than a sensor signal threshold amplitude is detected; and
b. a receiver unit designed to receive the action signal and generate an human cognizable output.
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Abstract
A diagnostic and therapeutic apparatus for use in the evaluation, detection, and treatment of humans that suffer from chronic grinding of the teeth known as "bruxing." The apparatus includes a pressure sensor contained in a mouth piece and electronic for detecting activation of the sensor due to bruxing and for generating an human cognizable output in response to bruxing. The apparatus can also include electronics for storing and analyzing human bruxing activities.
146 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An apparatus to sense teeth grinding comprising:
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a. a mouth piece suitable to detachably engage teeth and a pallette of an upper jaw including; i. a socket designed to cover at least one tooth of the upper jaw; ii. a pressure sensor associated with the sockets, where the sensor produces a sensor signal when an activating pressure greater than a sensor threshold pressure is applied thereto; iii. a transmitter unit in electrical communication with the sensor designed to generate an action signal when a sensor signal having an amplitude greater than a sensor signal threshold amplitude is detected; and b. a receiver unit designed to receive the action signal and generate an human cognizable output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for protecting teeth comprising:
a. a member suitable to detachably engage teeth and a pallette of an upper jaw including; i. a socket designed to receive the teeth of the upper jaw; and ii. a pressure sensor associated with a plurality of molar sockets, where each senor produces a sensor signal when an activating pressure greater than its sensor threshold pressure is applied thereto. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method comprising the steps of:
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a. placing a mouth piece apparatus designed to detachably engage teeth and a pallette of an upper jaw in a wearer'"'"'s mouth comprising; i. sockets designed to receive the teeth of the upper jaw; ii. a sensor associated with each socket, where the sensor produces a sensor signal when an activating pressure greater than a sensor threshold pressure is applied thereto; iii. a transmitter in electrical communication with the sensors designed to generate an action signal when a sensor signal having an amplitude greater than a sensor signal threshold amplitude is detected; and b. generating an human cognizable response to the action signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method comprising the steps of:
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a. placing a mouth piece apparatus designed to detachably engage teeth and a pallette of an upper jaw of a wearer'"'"'s mouth comprising; i. sockets designed to receive the teeth of the upper jaw; ii. a sensor associated with each socket, where the sensor produces a sensor signal when an activating pressure greater than a sensor threshold pressure is applied thereto; iii. a transmitter in electrical communication with the sensors designed to generate an action signal when a sensor signal having an amplitude greater than a sensor signal threshold amplitude is detected; b. receiving the action signal from the mouth piece; and c. storing information contained in the action signal. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A mouth guard comprising:
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a. a tooth portion designed to detachably engage teeth of the upper jaw including; i. sockets designed to receive each tooth of the upper jaw; ii. a pressure sensing membrane associated with at least each molar socket, where the membrane comprises a top conductive layer, a middle perforated layer and a bottom conductive layer, where the membrane has a rest state and an action state where the action state occurs when the top conductive layer is brought into electrical contact with the bottom conductive layer by the action of a pressure exerted between teeth on the upper jaw and teeth on a lower jaw greater than a membrane threshold pressure; and b. a pallette portion designed to detachably engage a pallette of the upper jaw including; i. a transmitter unit located in a central region of the pallette in electrical communication with the membrane, where the unit generates an action signal when the sensor signal has an amplitude greater than a sensor signal threshold amplitude. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for sensing teeth grinding comprising:
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a. a mouth guard comprising; i. a tooth portion designed to detachably engage teeth of the upper jaw including; a) sockets designed to receive each tooth of the upper jaw; b) a pressure sensing membrane associated with at least each molar socket, where the membrane comprises a top conductive layer, a middle perforated layer and a bottom conductive layer, where the membrane has a rest state and an action state where the action state occurs when the top conductive layer is brought into electrical contact with the bottom conductive layer by the action of a pressure exerted between teeth on the upper jaw and teeth on a lower jaw greater than a membrane threshold pressure; ii. a pallette portion designed to detachably engage a pallette of the upper jaw including; a) a transmitter unit located in a central region of the pallette in electrical communication with the membrane, where the unit generates an action signal when the sensor signal has an amplitude greater than a sensor signal threshold amplitude; and b. a receiver unit designed to receive the action signal and generate an human cognizable output. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification