ADAPTATION SYSTEM FOR ORAL APPLIANCE

Abstract

The invention relates to an adaptation system (500), comprising a mouthpiece (10), configured to be positioned in a mouth of a person, and an external sensoring device (20). The external sensoring device (20) is configured to be positioned at the person, wherein the external sensoring device (20) comprises at least one sensor (22) configured to sense at least one measurable quantity when the mouthpiece (10) is positioned in the person's mouth and the external sensoring device (20) is positioned at the person. Further, the adaptation system (500) comprises an analysis device (30) configured to determine a compliance of the adaptation system and/or to determine an orientation of an upper jaw (100) and a lower jaw (200) to each other derived from the at least one sensed measurable quantity.

Claims

1. An adaptation system (500), comprising a mouthpiece (10), configured to be positioned in a mouth of a person, an external sensoring device (20), configured to be positioned at the person, wherein the external sensoring device (20) comprises at least one sensor (22) configured to sense at least one measurable quantity when the mouthpiece (10) is positioned in the person's mouth and the external sensoring device (20) is positioned at the person, characterised in that the adaptation system (500) comprises an analysis device (30) configured to determine a compliance of the adaptation system and/or to determine an orientation of an upper jaw (100) and a lower jaw (200) to each other derived from the at least one sensed measurable quantity.

2. The system (500) according to claim 1, characterised in that the external sensoring device (20) comprises the analysis device (30).

3. The system (500) according to claim 1, characterised in that the external sensoring device (20) is at least one of: a clothing comprising an intelligent textile, a breathing belt, a wearable computer, and in particular an ear piece, in particular a hearable.

4. The system (500) according to claim 1, characterised in that the mouthpiece (10) is adaptable to modify the orientation of the upper jaw (100) and the lower jaw (200) to each other based on the at least one sensed measurable quantity.

5. The system (500) according to claim 1, characterised in that the mouthpiece (10) comprises a distractor (80), wherein the distractor (80) is configured to modulate at least one property of the mouthpiece (10) to modify the orientation of the upper jaw (100) and the lower jaw (200) to each other, wherein in particular the system (500) comprises a modulation device (82) through which the distractor (80) is accessible to modify the orientation of the upper jaw (100) and the lower jaw (200) to each other, wherein in particular the modulation device (82) comprises a micromotor (3) or, wherein the distractor (80) is manually adjustable.

6. The system (500) according to claim 5, characterised in that the system (500) comprises a feedback device (60) configured to determine a modification of the orientation of the upper jaw (100) and the lower jaw (200) to each other from the modulation of at least one property of the mouthpiece (10) by the distractor (80).

7. The system (100) according to claim 5, characterised in that the at least one property of the mouthpiece (10) is one of: a width (W) of the mouthpiece (10), a length (L) of the mouthpiece (10), and a height of at least a section of the mouthpiece (10).

8. The system (500) according to claim 1, characterised in that the mouthpiece (10) comprises an upper oral splint (1) related to the upper jaw (100) of the person and/or a lower oral splint (2) related to the lower jaw (200) of the person.

9. (canceled)

10. The system (500) according to claim 1, characterised in that the system (500) comprises a prediction device (70) which is configured to evaluate a template dataset based on the at least one measurable quantity sensed by the at least one sensor (22), wherein the template dataset characterises a template of an optimised mouthpiece (10′) with modified orientation of the upper jaw (100) and the lower jaw (200) to each other, wherein in particular the system (500) is configured to transmit the template dataset to a 3D printer, in particular to a digital light processing printer.

11. The system (500) according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one sensor (22) is one of: a sound sensor, a temperature sensor, an inclination sensor, a heart rate senor, a blood pressure sensor, a blood oxygen sensor, a muscle tension sensor.

12. The system (500) according to claim 1, characterised in that the system (500) is configured to measure the at least one measurable quantity continuously over time, or in that the system (500) is configured to measure the at least one measurable quantity at a plurality of predefined time points, in particular at a plurality of successive equally spaced time points.

13. The system (500) according to claim 1, characterised in that the system (500) is configured to analyse the at least one measurable quantity in real-time.

14. The system (500) according to claim 1, characterised in that the system (500) comprises an alert device (50) configured to compare at least one measurable quantity with a predefined reference value of the respective at least one measurable quantity, wherein in particular the alert device (50) is configured to give an alert to the person, when the at least one measurable quantity deviates from the predefined reference value of the respective at least one measurable quantity by a predefined deviation factor.

15. The system (500) according to claim 1, characterised in that the system (500) is configured to determine a sleep disorder, wherein the sleep disorder is in particular snoring, sleep hypopnea, or sleep apnoea.

16. The system (500) according to claim 5, characterised in that the mouthpiece (10) comprises an upper oral splint (1) related to the upper jaw (100) of the person and/or a lower oral splint (2) related to the lower jaw (200) of the person.

17. The system (500) according to claim 16, characterised in that the at least one property of the mouthpiece (10) is an angle (a) between the upper oral splint (1) and the lower oral splint (2), and/or an offset (310) between the upper oral splint (1) and the lower oral splint (2).

Description

[0096] In the following, further features, advantages and embodiments of the present invention are explained with reference to the Figures, wherein

[0097] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective representation of a mouthpiece,

[0098] FIG. 2 shows a scheme of the system, wherein the upper jaw and the lower jaw are in an initial orientation, and

[0099] FIG. 3 shows a scheme of the system, wherein the upper jaw and the lower jaw are in a horizontally modified orientation, and

[0100] FIG. 4 shows a scheme of the system, wherein the upper jaw and the lower jaw are in a vertically modified orientation.

[0101] FIG. 1 illustrates a mouthpiece 10 comprising an upper oral splint 1 and a lower oral splint 2. In particular, the upper oral splint 1 and a lower oral splint 2 are individually personalised for the respective person. In the shown embodiment, the mouthpiece 10 is configured such that the position of the lower oral splint 2 can be modified such that a horizontal distance 300 can be modified when the mouthpiece 10 is positioned in the mouth of a person.

[0102] The lower oral splint 2 can comprise a driving element 6.

[0103] The mouthpiece 10 can comprise a distractor 80. In an embodiment, the distractor 80 comprises a spindle 4, a motor 3, in particular a micro-motor 3, a holding element 5 and a movement element 7. The spindle 4 can be movably coupled with the holding element 5 and the motor 3. By means of the motor 3 and the spindle 4, a distance between the holding element 5 and the movement element 7 can be modified.

[0104] The movement element 7 can push against the driving element 6. In an embodiment this pushing results in a modification of the position of the lower oral splint 2.

[0105] FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show a system 500 comprising a mouthpiece 10 comprising an upper oral splint 1 and a lower oral splint 2, wherein the upper oral splint 1 is positioned at the upper jaw 100 and the lower oral splint 2 is positioned at the lower jaw 200.

[0106] FIG. 2 shows the system 500 in an initial state. The term “initial state” means that in this state the orientation of the jaws 100, 200 is not modified by the mouthpiece 10.

[0107] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 each show the system 500 in an adjusted state. The term “adjusted state” means that in this state the orientation of the lower jaw 200 in relation to the upper jaw 100 is modified by the mouthpiece 10.

[0108] FIG. 3 shows an adjusted state in that the orientation of the lower jaw 200 can be modified in the horizontal direction 300. In particular, the mouthpiece 10 can modify the orientation of the upper jaw 100 and the lower jaw 200 to each other such that the lower jaw 200 can perform a protrusion.

[0109] FIG. 4 shows an adjusted state in that the orientation of the lower jaw 200 with respect to the upper jaw 100 can be modified in the vertical direction 302.

[0110] The mouthpiece 10 can comprise a distractor 80 that can be configured to modulate at least one property of the mouthpiece 10, for instance the orientation of the upper oral splint 1 and the lower oral splint 2 to each other, to modify the orientation of the upper jaw 100 and the lower jaw 200 to each other.

[0111] In an embodiment, the distractor 80 is configured to modulate the offset 310 between the upper oral splint 1 and the lower oral splint 2, in particular the offset 310 along the horizontal direction 300 (FIG. 3).

[0112] In an alternative embodiment, the distractor 80 is configured to modulate an angle α between the upper oral splint 1 and the lower oral splint 2. By modulating the angle α, the distractor 80 can modulate the orientation of the upper oral splint 1 and the lower oral splint 2 in the vertical direction 302 (FIG. 4).

[0113] In an embodiment, the system 500 comprises an external sensoring device 20. The external sensoring device 20 can comprise a sensor 22 (FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4).

[0114] The external sensoring device 20, in particular the sensor 22, can be configured to sense, i.e. detect, at least one measurable quantity when the external sensoring device 20 is positioned at the person. The sensed at least one measurable quantity is also referred to as sensed data or sensed information.

[0115] In an embodiment, the system 500 comprises an analysis device 30 (FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4).

[0116] The analysis device 30 can be configured to derive the orientation of the upper jaw 100 and the lower jaw 200 to each other based on the sensed at least one measurable quantity. In an embodiment, the analysis device 30 determines the compliance of the system 500.

[0117] According to the invention, the system 500 can comprise a storage device 40 (FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4). In an embodiment, the analysis device 30 can transmit the sensed data to the storage device 40. The storage device 40 can be configured to store the sensed data.

[0118] In an embodiment, the system 500 comprises an alert device 50. The alert device 50 can be coupled to the analysis device 30.

[0119] The system 500 can comprise a feedback device 60. The feedback device 60 can be configured to detect whether an adjustment of the mouthpiece 10, in particular the modification of the orientation of the upper and the lower splint 1, 2 to each other, modifies the orientation of the jaws 100, 200 to each other appropriately. In particular, the feedback device 60 can be configured to detect whether an adjustment of the mouthpiece 10 results in an appropriate modification of the breathing of the person. In an embodiment, the feedback device 60 detects the compliance of the system 500.

[0120] In an embodiment, the analysis device 30 comprises the feedback device 60. In an alternative embodiment, the feedback device 60 is connected to the analysis device 30 and/or to the external sensoring device 20.

[0121] In an embodiment, the system 500 comprises a prediction device 70. The prediction device 70 can be configured to evaluate a template dataset based on the at least one measurable quantity sensed by the sensor 22.