Systems and methods for intra-oral diagnosis

• US 7,947,508 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Wu, Benjamin M., Kuo, Eric E., Li, Chunhua, Tricca, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin; Walter D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mui; Christine T
• Application Number:
  US11/982,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20080119698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 436/63, 600/309, 433/229, 433/24, 433/6, 433/80, 433/215
• US Class Current: 436/163
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0051 for taking saliva or sputum samples devices for receiving spittle A61J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0088 for oral or dental tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4547 Evaluating teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/682 Mouth, e.g., oral cavity; tongue; Lips; Teeth

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for intra-orally diagnosing a body condition.

Claims

1. A dental appliance, comprising:

an appliance body;

a sensor attached to the appliance body configured for intra-orally diagnosing a body condition while the dental appliance is within an oral cavity, where the sensor detects the body condition based on an interaction between a first chemical compound and a second chemical compound; and

a processor located on the appliance body configured for providing a diagnosis that is based on the body condition.

2. The appliance of claim 1, where at least a portion of the sensor is made from the first chemical compound.

3. The appliance of claim 1, where the sensor is designed to detect a body condition that is a chemical reaction.

4. The appliance of claim 1, where the sensor is designed to detect a body condition that is a chemical reaction, where at least a portion of the sensor is formed from a first chemical compound, and where the chemical reaction is caused by a reaction to a second chemical compound.

5. The appliance of claim 1, where the sensor is designed to detect a body condition that is a chemical reaction, where at least a portion of the sensor is formed from a first chemical compound, and where the chemical reaction is caused by a reaction to a second chemical compound that is produced when a particular malady is present in the body.

6. The appliance of claim 1, where the sensor is designed to detect an interaction between two chemicals.

7. The appliance of claim 1, where a sensitivity of the sensor is focused on a characteristic that may change in the body.

8. The appliance of claim 1, where a sensitivity of the sensor is focused on identifying whether a quantity of a byproduct that may be produced in the body is above a threshold level.

9. The appliance of claim 1, where the sensor can change color.

10. A dental system, comprising:

an appliance body;

a processor provided on the appliance body;

a sensor attached to the appliance body configured for intra-orally diagnosing a body condition while the dental appliance is within an oral cavity, providing a diagnosis using the processor; and

where the sensor detects the body condition based on a chemical reaction between a first chemical compound and a second chemical compound and where the chemical reaction can be sensed by the sensor and a signal can be generated that can be provided to the processor.

11. The system of claim 10, where the processor is on the appliance.

12. The system of claim 10, where the signal can be processed by the processor to develop a diagnosis of a medical condition on the appliance.

13. The system of claim 12, where the appliance includes a delivery mechanism for administering medication based upon the diagnosed condition.

14. The system of claim 12, where the appliance includes a transmitting mechanism for transmitting the diagnosis to a remote computing device for review by one or more treatment professionals.

15. The system of claim 12, where the appliance includes a transmitting mechanism for transmitting the diagnosis to a remote computing device for storage of the diagnosis.

16. A method for intra-orally diagnosing a body condition, comprising:

attaching a sensor to an oral structure;

attaching a processor to the oral structure; and

detecting the body condition based on a chemical reaction between a first chemical compound and a second chemical compound while the dental appliance is within an oral cavity, providing a diagnosis using the processor located on the oral structure.