A feeding transition system for transitioning an infant subject to oral feeding includes at least one no-flow nipple and at least one flow nipple. The no-flow nipple has a fully enclosed tip portion such that no fluid can flow directly from the nipple cavity through the nipple wall. The flow nipple is formed of a no-flow nipple having an aperture formed in the tip portion for flowing fluid from the nipple cavity through the nipple wall. The system includes a bolus delivery nipple formed of a no-flow nipple including a bolus delivery conduit disposed in the nipple cavity and in fluid communication with a reservoir of fluid. The bolus delivery conduit includes a conduit outlet attached to the nipple wall to output a bolus of fluid from the tip portion of the bolus delivery nipple via the outlet. A method for transitioning an infant subject to oral feeding is provided.

A wearable dental apparatus for capturing dental properties of a patient includes a support structure. The support structure is configured to be worn on the dentition of the patient. The wearable dental apparatus includes at least one sensor. The sensor is coupled to the support structure. The sensor is configured to capture a series of measurement of a dental property of the patient. The measurements are associated with one or more locations on the dentition of the patient. A dental map is generated based on at least some of the measurements and is displayed. The dentition of a patient is restored by selecting a restoration material based on the measurements.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an oral device. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a mouthpiece suitable to detachably engage teeth of an upper jaw is provided. The mouthpiece comprises an adhesive layer configured to attach a hermetically sealed chamber to the mouthpiece. The hermitically sealed chamber fits within a concave space created by the mouthpiece. The hermitically sealed chamber comprises two layers and embedded between those two layers are a pressure sensor, a microphone, an optical sensor, a temperature sensor, a communications module, a storage enclosure, and a biosensor. Each of the pressure sensor, the microphone, the optical sensor, the temperature sensor, the communications module, the storage enclosure, and the biosensor are operably connected within the hermetically sealed chamber.

Various examples of methods, systems, and apparatus are provided for monitoring using an improved mouth guard apparatus. In one example, a battery-free diagnostic mouth guard includes a biting force-voltage transducer comprising a piezoelectric film; a compact resonance tank comprising a wireless sensor; and a transmitting antenna for transmitting sensing data. A piezo-voltage from the biting force-voltage transducer can bias a varactor diode loaded on the wireless sensor whose response frequency is tuned due to a capacitance change of the varactor diode. In some implementations, an external processing equipment can wirelessly detect a frequency shift of the varactor diode integrated resonator. In another example, a method includes detecting a biting force via a biting force-voltage transducer; biasing a varactor diode with a voltage from the transducer; tuning a response frequency of a split ring resonator using a capacitance change of the varactor diode; and emitting sensing data at the response frequency.

The disclosure provides an improved bite information collection apparatus. In some embodiments, the bite information collection apparatus includes an upper face bow coupled to an upper clutch and a lower face bow coupled to a lower clutch. Additionally the bite information collection apparatus can be configured to a system for digitally retrieving and analyzing a patient's bite. The systems and methods described better simulate motion by using data to replicate bite motion on an improved automated articulator, which can be retrieved by digital or mechanical means.

An apparatus for evaluating the tongue strength and coordination of a subject includes an intermediate device such as a lever which is pivotably attached to a coupling device and extends into a cavity of a nipple element. The lever is detached from the nipple and pivotable in response to deformation of the nipple element by a tongue force exerted on the nipple element by a subject during a suck-swallow-breathe sequence. The coupling device includes a sensing device to wirelessly transmit sensor outputs to a mobile device paired to the sensing device. The sensing device includes at least one sealed chamber defined by a membrane and a sensor. In one example, a first membrane and sensor senses pressure change in a fluid in the apparatus, and a second membrane and sensor is actuated by the intermediate device to sense deformation of the nipple element. A method using the apparatus is provided.

A device includes: a controller that converts a pressure value detected by a pressure detector into visual or aural lingual pressure information changed depending on a magnitude of the pressure value; and an information output unit, such as a buzzer and a color display LED, that outputs the lingual pressure information in response to a signal from the controller. The information output unit outputs lingual pressure information different depending on a pressing force applied on an elastic balloon by a tongue, allowing users such as patients and elderly people to continue a training without being bored.

Disclosed herein is a probe 1 for measuring a lip closing force, the probe including: a hollow balloon 10 configured to be disposed between an upper lip 50 and lower lip 51 of a subject, and crushed and deformed by the lip closing force, and a base 20 which is connected to a pressure measurement device 100 for measuring an internal pressure of the balloon 10. The balloon 10 is provided with a fixable portion 13 configured to be sandwiched between teeth 52 and 53 or gums of the subject.

An intraoral multisensor device includes a mouthpiece, a plurality of sensors at least one of attached to or integrated with the mouthpiece, and a data communications unit configured to receive signals from the plurality of sensors. The mouthpiece has a form to permit stable arrangement at least partially within a person's mouth such that it can remain for hands-free sensing of a plurality of biological parameters. Also, an intraoral multisensor system includes an intraoral multisensor device and a data processing device adapted to communicate with the intraoral multisensor device.

A chewing function assessment material with which it is possible to assess both of a chewing/grinding function and a bolus-of-food forming function simultaneously is provided. The chewing function assessment material contains a gum base and a sugar component. The content of the sugar component is 6% by mass or greater and 50% by mass or less relative to the whole amount of the chewing function assessment material.