A low coherence interferometry probe system for evaluating proximity to a tissue layer, comprising a low coherence light source for generating low coherence excitation light, an excitation optical fiber to bring the low coherence excitation light near the tissue layer and a collection optical fiber for capturing back-scattered light from the tissue layer. The probe system comprises a low coherence interferometry sub-system and a digital signal processor for evaluating a distance to the tissue layer. There is also provided a spectral absorption probe system for evaluating proximity to an artery, comprising a light source excitation light having a wavelength adapted for absorption by blood chromophores, an excitation optical fiber and a collection optical fiber. The probe system comprises a light detector and a signal processor for determining a distance to the artery based on the back-scattered light and on Beer-Lambert law of light absorption using a value for surrounding tissue attenuation coefficient (eff). A probe system combining low coherence interferometry and spectral absorption is also provided.

An apparatus for measuring hard and/or soft tissue abnormalities incidental to dental and/or systemic disease is provided. The apparatus includes a diagnostic device configured for transmitting and receiving non-ionizing electromagnetic waves to measure the patient's hard and/or soft tissue abnormalities associated with the underlying hard and/or soft tissue. The diagnostic device may include at least one of a stent and a diagnostic probe, connected to a computer. The diagnostic device is configured to transmit and receive the electromagnetic waves, and the computer is configured for measure the bone density and/or bone vascular perfusion adjacent and across the patient's hard and/or soft tissue. A method for measuring hard and/or soft tissue abnormalities incidental to dental and/or systemic disease is also provided.

An apparatus for measuring hard and/or soft tissue abnormalities incidental to dental and/or systemic disease is provided. The apparatus includes a diagnostic device configured for transmitting and receiving non-ionizing electromagnetic waves to measure the patient's hard and/or soft tissue abnormalities associated with the underlying hard and/or soft tissue. The diagnostic device may include at least one of a stent and a diagnostic probe, connected to a computer. The diagnostic device is configured to transmit and receive the electromagnetic waves, and the computer is configured for measure the bone density and/or bone vascular perfusion adjacent and across the patient's hard and/or soft tissue. A method for measuring hard and/or soft tissue abnormalities incidental to dental and/or systemic disease is also provided.

A method of adjusting a snoring mouthpiece includes the steps of: reading a first medical image, establishing a first respiratory tract model, performing a first respiration simulation, reading a second medical image, establishing a second respiratory tract model, performing a second respiration simulation, calculating an adjustment distance, and adjusting the snoring mouthpiece. The method is so designed that tomographic images of a patient's respiratory tract are read at two separate times in order to establish models, perform respiration simulations, and thereby provide the correct distance by which to adjust the snoring mouthpiece. This allows the snoring mouthpiece to be adjusted rapidly and correctly and work effectively.

Disclosed is a method for producing magnetic resonance tomography images (B) of at least one phase of a cyclic movement, comprising the method steps: production of raw data sets (r1, . . . , rx) of the cyclic movement during a recording period (T) having radial or almost radial k-space part trajectories (k1, . . . , kx); reconstruction of a series of intermediate images (z1, . . . , zy), each from at least one raw data set (r1, . . . , rx) with high time resolution at least for each region (region of interest, ROI) of the raw data sets (r1, . . . , rx); calculation of a distance matrix (D) from the series of intermediate images (z1, . . . , zy), wherein each matrix element (D) corresponds to the distance of a first intermediate image (z1, . . . , zy) of the series to the first or a further intermediate image (z1, . . . , zy) of the series; fitting of functions (vi, . . . , vz) to structures forming in the distance matrix (D) by means of an active contour method and reconstruction of at least one image (B) from the raw data sets (r1, . . . , rx), said raw data sets corresponding to intersection (S) of the fitted curves (v1, . . . , vz) with a line of the distance matrix (D).

A method for diagnosis of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and related systems and apparatuses are disclosed. In the method, a visual evaluation of the patient in a standing position is first conducted. Condyle position in ear canals of the patient is palpated during jaw movement. A hip level of the patient is evaluated when back teeth of the patient are closed. If hips are unlevel, a first spacer is inserted between front teeth of the patient. The condyle position felt in the ear canals of the patient are re-palpated during jaw movements with the first spacer in place. The patient then raises and lowers his or her body by going up on their toes, and dropping to their heels. A reevaluation of the hip level of the patient is conducted and a positive or negative TMD diagnosis is indicated based on the reevaluation of the hip level of the patient.

A processing device receives a pre-treatment model of upper and lower dental arches of a person, the pre-treatment model comprising first positions of teeth, and further receives a post-treatment model of the upper and lower dental arches, the post-treatment model comprising second positions of the teeth. The processing device determines a first mapping between first positions of first landmarks in the pre-treatment model and second positions of the first landmarks in the post-treatment model, and receives an image of a face of the person, comprising at least the teeth and soft facial tissues. The processing device generates a second mapping between the first landmarks and second landmarks associated with the soft facial tissues from the image, and generates a facial model comprising the first mapping and the second mapping, wherein the facial model generates post-treatment images of the teeth and the soft facial tissues based on pre-treatment images.

A system comprises an image capture device, a processing device, and a display. The image capture device captures a stream of images of a face of a person showing a current dentition of the person and soft facial tissues of the person. The processing device processes the stream of images to generate a modified stream of images showing a modified dentition of the person and modified soft facial tissues of the person associated with the modified dentition. The display displays the modified stream of images.

An oral-area positioning device is provided in the invention. The oral-area positioning device includes a storage circuit, a positioning circuit and a calculation circuit. The storage circuit stores information corresponding to a plurality of oral areas. The positioning circuit obtains a target image from an oral-image extracting device, and obtains a first position estimation result according to the information corresponding to the plurality of oral areas and a first algorithm. The positioning device obtains a second position estimation result at least according to the information corresponding to the plurality of oral areas, a second algorithm and a reference image position of a reference image, wherein the reference image position is one of the oral areas. The calculation circuit generates a third position estimation result according to the first position estimation result and the second position estimation result.

A wireless intraoral device for the assessment and treatment of dysphagia includes a molded mouthpiece that is conformable to the patient's mouth and easy for a patient to place and removably secure inside the mouth. The mouthpiece includes a plurality of spaced apart sensors configured to measure tongue pressure. The mouthpiece includes features that improve actuation and performance of the sensors, as well as improve patient comfort and conformity of the mouthpiece inside the mouth. The intraoral device operates wirelessly and all operating components for data measurement and collection can be contained within the intraoral device. The intraoral device can communicate wirelessly with a tablet or other computing device. In an example, the molded mouthpiece can be formed from one or more thermoplastic elastomers, such as silicone.