Pressure and contact sensor system for measuring dental occlusion
First Claim
1. Apparatus for measuring a person'"'"'s dental occulsion, comprising:
- a thin, flexible sensor, including;
a plurality of flexible parallel electrodes attached to and supported by a thin flexible backing sheet to provide a set of driven electrodes;
a second plurality of flexible, generally parallel electrodes attached to and supported by a thin flexible backing sheet to provide a set of sensed electrodes;
a resistive layer applied to at least one of the sensed and driven electrode sets and made of a resistive material whose resistance changes as a function of the pressure applied thereto;
means for positioning the driven and sensed electrodes so that the two electrodes sets face one another separated by the resistive layer so as to form a thin, flexible sensor with the electrodes oriented at an angle to one another so that the electrodes of one set cross the electrodes of the other set at an angle to create a plurality of intersections where driven electrodes cross over sensed electrodes;
the resistive layer having a thickness substantially less than the spacing between the electrodes and being arranged so as to provide a layer of resistive material between the driven and sensed electrodes at each intersection while maintaining comparative electrical isolation between the individual sensed electrodes in the absence of pressure applied to the sensor;
said means for positioning being such as to allow insertion of the sensor into the person'"'"'s mouth so that the facing electrode sets are between the person'"'"'s upper and lower teeth; and
measuring means connected to the sensed and driven electrodes for measuring the resistance between the driven and sensed electrodes at each intersection and for providing an output in response thereto representative of the force between contacting points of the person'"'"'s bite.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A contact sensor for detecting points on a grid where the sensor is being contacted on opposing sides by teeth surfaces or other contacting points. The sensor is especially useful for measuring dental occlusion. The contact sensor includes two sets of parallel electrodes which are each formed on a thin, flexible supporting sheet. The electrodes are separated by a thin, pressure-sensitive resistive coating such as molydenum disulphide. Two such electrode structures are oriented at approximately right angles to create a grid where the intersecting electrodes cross separated by the resistive coatings. Several arrangements of resistive coating over electrodes as disclosed. In the absence of an external force, the material between the electrodes sets provides a high resistance between intersecting electrodes. The resistance between electrode intersections changes as pressure on opposite sides of the intersection changes. The sensor output is dynamic in that the resistance will vary as external pressure is repeatedly applied and removed. The sensor may be made extremely thin and can provide high resolution capable of distinguishing between contact points separated by 0.050 inches or less.
A new circuit is provided which measures the resistance between each electrode intersection and provides an output representative of the opposing forces at the intersection. The circuit limits the maximum possible current which can flow in the sensor and provides increased resolution in measuring pressure between contacting surfaces.
303 Citations
32 Claims
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1. Apparatus for measuring a person'"'"'s dental occulsion, comprising:
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a thin, flexible sensor, including; a plurality of flexible parallel electrodes attached to and supported by a thin flexible backing sheet to provide a set of driven electrodes; a second plurality of flexible, generally parallel electrodes attached to and supported by a thin flexible backing sheet to provide a set of sensed electrodes; a resistive layer applied to at least one of the sensed and driven electrode sets and made of a resistive material whose resistance changes as a function of the pressure applied thereto; means for positioning the driven and sensed electrodes so that the two electrodes sets face one another separated by the resistive layer so as to form a thin, flexible sensor with the electrodes oriented at an angle to one another so that the electrodes of one set cross the electrodes of the other set at an angle to create a plurality of intersections where driven electrodes cross over sensed electrodes; the resistive layer having a thickness substantially less than the spacing between the electrodes and being arranged so as to provide a layer of resistive material between the driven and sensed electrodes at each intersection while maintaining comparative electrical isolation between the individual sensed electrodes in the absence of pressure applied to the sensor; said means for positioning being such as to allow insertion of the sensor into the person'"'"'s mouth so that the facing electrode sets are between the person'"'"'s upper and lower teeth; and measuring means connected to the sensed and driven electrodes for measuring the resistance between the driven and sensed electrodes at each intersection and for providing an output in response thereto representative of the force between contacting points of the person'"'"'s bite. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A sensor for measuring opposing forces at a plurality of locations comprising:
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a plurality of flexible, generally parallel electrodes attached to and supported by a thin flexible backing sheet to provide a set of driven electrodes; a second plurality of flexible, generally parallel electrodes attached to and supported by a thin flexible backing sheet to provide a set of sensed electrodes; a resistive layer applied to at least one of the sensed and darien electrode sets and made of a resistive material whose resistance changes a function of the pressure applied thereto; the backing sheet supporting the sensed electrodes including an isolation are between each pair of adjacent sensed electrodes to which the resistive material is not applied; means for positioning the driven and sensed electrodes so that the two electrodes sets face one another separated by the resistive layer so as to form a thin, flexible sensor with the electrodes oriented at an angle to one another so that the electrodes of one set cross the electrodes of the other set at an angle to create a plurality of intersections where driven electrodes cross over sensed electrodes; the resistive layer having a thickness substantially less than the spacing between the electrodes and being arranged so as to provide a layer of resistive material between the driven and sensed electrodes at each intersection while maintaining comparative electrical isolation between the individual sensed electrodes in the absence of pressure applied to the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification