Intraoral behavior monitoring and aversion devices and methods

• US 20100209897A1
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pivot Health Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pivot Health Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Utley, Jack Denton JR., Berman, Michael, Keith, Peter T., Atkinson, Robert E., Utley, David Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/590,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20100209897A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/238
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 47/00 Smokers' requisites not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26

Abstract

An intraoral behavior monitoring and aversion device to assist a user in quitting an undesirable behavior such as tobacco smoking, tobacco chewing, use of snuff, illicit drug use, excessive alcohol consumption, excessive food consumption, and/or other undesirable activity facilitated via the mouth. The aversion device may be wholly or partially configured to be disposed in the user'"'"'s mouth, for example. The aversion device may include a detector and a output device, wherein the detector is configured to detect a parameter indicative of the user engaging in the habit or undesirable activity. If (and only if) the detector detects such a parameter, the output device may, optionally, deliver a negative stimulus to the user, thus providing negative feedback and creating an incentive for the user to limit if not eliminate the undesirable activity. The device may be configured to store and/or relay data representing sensed conditions in the mouth.

Claims

26-1. A device according to claim 1 wherein said device includes an electrical circuit for tracking time.

29. A method of providing therapeutic intervention to deter an undesirable behavior, comprising the steps of:

a) providing;

i) an intraoral unit fixed to the user'"'"'s teeth or bony structure in the oral cavity such that it is difficult for the user to remove the unit him- or herself, said intraoral unit including a detector that senses a parameter indicative of the occurrence of a predefined behavior;

ii) means for data storage coupled to said detector to store data reflecting sensed conditions;

b) analyzing said data.