Patent classifications
A61F2005/563
Oral appliance
An oral appliance (100) comprising a sensing arrangement (101) disposed in proximity to at least one part of a facial muscle complex of a user. A method of controlling the oral appliance (100) comprising sensing, with the sensing arrangement (101), the at least one part of the facial muscle complex being brought towards the sensing arrangement; and in response to sensing the at least one part of the facial muscle complex being brought towards the sensing arrangement (101), controlling the oral appliance (100) to perform an action. An external processing unit (200) is arranged to interact with the oral appliance (100) in response to the oral appliance (100) performing the action.
Devices for Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Devices for treating obstructive sleep apnea include appliances for securing to one or more teeth of a patient and connected to a lingual bridge configured to change shape and apply pressure to a patient's tongue, preventing backward movement of the tongue and blockage of the patient's airway. The lingual bridge is composed of a shape memory alloy to allow the bridge to change shape once deployed in a patient's oral cavity and exposed to increased temperature in the patient's mouth. Pulse generators and electrodes are included to electrically stimulate the nerves and muscles of the tongue to assist in keeping the tongue from moving backward in the mouth during sleep.
Pressure Regulating Oral Appliance
The Pressure Regulating Oral Appliance is an oral appliance which is designed to reduce reflux. The device prevents the buildup of negative pressure within the oral cavity that can create a vacuum promoting reflux of stomach content through the LES.
DENTAL BITE PLATE
A bite plate configured for use on upper teeth only that is configured to envelope central incisors, lateral incisors, and optionally one of a portion of upper cuspid pairs or entire upper cuspid pairs with lateral extensions that enhances whole body wellness.
DUAL PURPOSE ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE FOR ALIGNMENT, BRUXISM, AND SLEEP APNEA WITH SMART SENSORS AND CONTROL MODULE SYSTEM
A dual-purpose Oral Appliances having smart sensors and control module for treating sleep apnea and simultaneously straightening the teeth or reducing the bruxism or reducing the TMJ disorder are disclosed. The appliance contains upper and or lower teeth trays with or without air passageway. The appliance can be with or without external housing. The episodes of sleep apnea are reducing by one or combination of several mechanisms such as mandibular advancement (MAD), air stimulation by control of inhaled air flow bypassing the tongue and or micro-holes in air passageways, neuro/muscle electric stimulation of tongue and sleep position training. The sensors located inside or outside of the mouth, measure physiological and or biological and or chemical aspects of the patients. The sensors are connected to control module system consists of battery, microprocessor, and data transmission technologies.
Devices for treating bruxism
The present disclosure relates to devices that aid a user in ceasing bruxism. The devices may be placed between a user's teeth, such as during sleep, and alert the user when the user clenches his/her teeth. In an aspect, a device includes a housing containing a battery power source, a vibration device, and an electrical contact mechanism having a movable element which closes a circuit to actuate the vibration device. A disk-shaped portion adapted to be emplaced in a person's mouth between a cheek and adjacent teeth is disposed around the housing. A resilient bite portion extends from the housing and is adapted to be emplaced between upper and lower teeth. A compressible element is disposed in the bite portion and causes the movable element of the electrical contact to close to actuate the vibration device in response to compression of the bite portion.
Automated method of manufacturing oral appliances
Disclosed herein are methods of manufacturing an oral appliance, the method comprising the steps of: a) importing into a computer aided design (CAD) computer program a digitized data set obtained from a three-dimensional scan of a patient's dentition; b) preparing a three-dimensional electronic model of the patient's dentition; c) subtracting the three-dimensional electronic model of the patient's dentition from an image of a solid block to obtain an appliance data set; and d) manufacturing a dental appliance in accordance with the appliance data set. Also disclosed are devices made by the above method, and methods of treating a condition, for example a sleep breathing disorder, by using a device made by the above method.
DENTAL APPLIANCE
A mouth guard includes a tray configured to encompass at least anterior teeth of a dental arch. The tray includes a pair of protrusions extending away from the tray, each protrusion configured to generally overlie a canine of the dental arch. The protrusions are configured to engage one or more anterior teeth of a dental arch, whereby damage to the at least anterior teeth of the dental arch is reduced or prevented.
MANDIBULAR ADVANCEMENT DEVICE
A customizable mandibular advancement device for use in treating snoring and obstructive sleep apnea is provided. The device comprises upper and lower trays adapted to be fitted to a person's maxillary and mandibular arches. The upper tray comprises a stop member, which when engaged with a fin located on the lower tray, inhibits the posterior movement of the user's mandible thereby maintaining the mandible in an advanced position. Both the upper and lower trays comprise a core that is overmolded by a thermoplastic material that has a much lower softening temperature than the core.
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REDUCING BRUXISM AND OCCLUSAL FORCES
An orthotic device for redefining an occlusal plane includes a left portion, a right portion including an upper surface, a bite block coupled to either the left portion or the right portion, and a lingual portion coupled to the left portion and the right portion. The orthotic device is configured to engage teeth located along a left portion and a right portion of a mandible. The bite block is disposed along the upper surface of either the left portion or the right portion and extends upward relative to an upper surface of the left or right portion.