A monitor for the wearing time of invisible orthodontic appliances

Abstract

This invention discloses a monitor for the wearing time of invisible orthodontic appliances, relating to the field of medical device technology. It includes: a cylinder; a transmission assembly capable of converting the linear motion output by the cylinder into rotary motion; a pressure assembly, one end of which is connected to the transmission assembly, converting the rotary motion output by the transmission assembly into linear motion, and capable of expelling gas; a timing tube connected to the pressure assembly, the timing tube containing a pre-filled colored liquid column; and a gas collecting assembly connected to the end of the timing tube furthest from the pressure assembly. By incorporating a cylinder, transmission assembly, pressure assembly, and timing tube, this invention converts the patient's biting motion into kinetic energy, which, through the transmission and pressure assemblies, drives the liquid column within the timing tube, thereby enabling the detection and monitoring of the time the patient wears the invisible orthodontic appliance.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The original application number is 202310102878.5, the application date is February 13, 2023, and the invention title is "A device for monitoring the wearing time of invisible orthodontic devices". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of medical device technology, and more specifically to a monitor for the wearing time of invisible orthodontic devices. Background Technology

[0003] Invisible aligners are transparent, flexible plastic removable orthodontic devices designed and manufactured with computer-aided technology. They are favored by patients and orthodontists for their aesthetic appeal and comfort. In recent years, with advancements in materials mechanics, biomechanics, and 3D printing technology, these aligners have seen widespread clinical application. Invisible aligners achieve alignment and straightening of the teeth by continuously moving them in small, incremental steps; therefore, their effectiveness is closely related to the wearing time, placing high demands on patient compliance and cooperation. Because invisible aligners require long daily wear times and frequent follow-up appointments, patients with poor compliance often experience reduced treatment outcomes due to insufficient wearing time. Therefore, monitoring the duration of invisible aligner wear has become a key focus for orthodontists both domestically and internationally.

[0004] Currently, monitoring the wearing time of invisible aligners is mostly achieved through smart chips. However, these require a power source, additional equipment to read the results, and are structurally complex, difficult to manufacture, and costly, thus hindering widespread adoption. Monitoring wearing time through color changes caused by biochemical reactions of indicators is affected by individual differences in oral environment temperature, humidity, pH, microorganisms, and saliva composition, resulting in a wide range of variations in the results.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide a device for monitoring the wearing time of invisible aligners that is simple in structure, low in cost, and provides accurate monitoring results is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a clear aligner wearing time monitor, which aims to solve the problems in the background art mentioned above, and realize the accurate monitoring of the wearing time of clear aligners through a simple structure, with low cost and accurate monitoring data.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A device for monitoring the wearing time of invisible aligners, comprising:

[0009] cylinder;

[0010] A transmission assembly capable of converting the linear motion output by the cylinder into rotary motion;

[0011] A gas compressor assembly, one end of which is connected to the transmission assembly, converts the rotary motion output by the transmission assembly into linear motion, and the gas compressor assembly can compress gas.

[0012] A timing tube, one end of which is connected to the air compressor assembly, and a colored liquid column is pre-installed inside the timing tube;

[0013] A gas collecting assembly is connected to the end of the timing tube furthest from the gas compressing assembly.

[0014] Furthermore, the transmission assembly includes a connecting rod and a crank, one end of the connecting rod is hinged to the piston rod of the cylinder, one end of the crank is hinged to the end of the connecting rod away from the cylinder, and the end of the crank away from the connecting rod is connected to the air compressor assembly in a transmission connection.

[0015] Furthermore, the air compression assembly includes an air cylinder, an air bladder, an air compression plate, and a screw. The screw is connected to the transmission assembly and rotates. The screw is rotatably connected to the air cylinder. A threaded hole is provided through the middle of the air compression plate. The air compression plate is slidably connected inside the air cylinder. The screw engages with the threaded hole.

[0016] Furthermore, a slide rail is longitudinally provided on the side wall inside the air cylinder, and protrusions are provided at both ends of the air compressor plate, the protrusions sliding within the slide rail.

[0017] Furthermore, the timing tube is arc-shaped and fits tightly against the lingual side wall of the invisible aligner, and the timing tube is provided with a scale strip.

[0018] Furthermore, the gas collection assembly includes a gas collection cylinder, a piston, and a piston rod. The gas collection cylinder is connected to the timing tube. The piston is disposed inside the gas collection cylinder. One end of the piston rod is rotatably connected to the side of the piston away from the timing tube. The piston rod is provided with threads. The gas collection cylinder is provided with a threaded hole. The piston rod passes through the threaded hole, and the threads engage with the threaded hole.

[0019] Furthermore, a rotating arm is laterally provided at the end of the piston rod away from the piston, and a handle is provided at the end of the rotating arm away from the piston rod.

[0020] Furthermore, a connecting member is provided on the piston rod of the cylinder, and the other end of the connecting member is connected to the transmission assembly.

[0021] As can be seen from the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, the present invention discloses a monitor for the wearing time of invisible orthodontic appliances. By setting up a cylinder, a transmission component, a compressed air component, and a timing tube, the patient's biting action can be converted into kinetic energy, which then drives the liquid column in the timing tube through the transmission component and the compressed air component. This allows for the detection and monitoring of the time the patient wears the invisible orthodontic appliance. By setting up a gas collection component, the gas discharged from the timing tube can be stored, and the liquid column in the timing tube can be returned to its original position after use. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This invention provides an overall structural diagram of a device for monitoring the wearing time of invisible orthodontic appliances;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a compressed air assembly for a monitor of the wearing time of an invisible orthodontic device provided by the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an air collection component for a monitor of the wearing time of an invisible orthodontic device provided by the present invention.

[0026] Wherein: 1 is cylinder; 2 is transmission assembly; 21 is connecting rod; 22 is crank; 3 is air compressor assembly; 31 is air cylinder; 32 is air bladder; 33 is air pressure plate; 34 is screw; 35 is slide rail; 4 is timing tube; 41 is scale bar; 5 is air collection assembly; 51 is air collection cylinder; 52 is piston; 53 is piston rod; 54 is rotating arm; 55 is handle; 6 is one-way valve; 7 is connecting part. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] See Figure 1-3 This invention discloses an invisible aligner wearing time monitor, comprising:

[0029] Cylinder 1; In this embodiment, cylinder 1 includes a cylinder body, an upper end cover, a sealing ring, a lower bottom cover, a piston 52, and a cylinder 1 connector 7. Cylinder 1 is placed on the surface of the molar position of the invisible aligner and moves up and down due to impact from the teeth during the patient's upper and lower jaw movements.

[0030] Transmission assembly 2 converts the linear motion output by cylinder 1 into rotary motion; Air compressor assembly 3 is connected at one end to transmission assembly 2, converts the rotary motion output by transmission assembly 2 into linear motion, and can compress gas; Timing tube 4 is connected to air compressor assembly 3, and a colored liquid column is pre-installed inside timing tube 4; Gas collecting assembly 5 is connected to the end of timing tube 4 away from air compressor assembly 3.

[0031] The transmission assembly 2 includes a connecting rod 21 and a crank 22. One end of the connecting rod 21 is hinged to the piston rod of the cylinder 1, and one end of the crank 22 is hinged to the end of the connecting rod 21 away from the cylinder 1. The end of the crank 22 away from the connecting rod 21 is connected to the air compressor assembly 3. In this embodiment, a counterweight is provided at the connection between the connecting rod 21 and the crank 22. The counterweight is used to increase inertia, so that the crank 22 can have a large inertia and thus pass through the dead center position.

[0032] The air compression assembly 3 includes an air cylinder 31, an air bladder 32, an air compression plate 33, and a screw 34. The screw 34 is connected to the transmission assembly 2 and rotates. The screw 34 is rotatably connected to the air cylinder 31. A threaded hole is provided through the middle of the air compression plate 33, which is slidably connected inside the air cylinder 31. The screw 34 engages with the threaded hole. A slide rail 35 is longitudinally provided on the side wall inside the air cylinder 31. Protrusions are provided at both ends of the air compression plate 33, and the protrusions slide within the slide rail 35. In this embodiment, the screw 34 rotates due to the rotation of the crank 22. The screw 34 and the air cylinder 31 are connected by a bearing. The air compression plate 33 is threadedly connected to the screw 34 and undergoes helical transmission. When the screw 34 rotates, the air compression plate 33 moves up and down. When the air compression plate 33 moves downward, it pushes the air bladder 32 to contract, thereby achieving air compression.

[0033] The timing tube 4 is bow-shaped and fits tightly against the lingual wall of the clear aligner. The timing tube 4 is provided with a scale strip 41. In this embodiment, the timing tube 4 conforms to the shape of the lingual inner wall of the patient's dental arch and can fit tightly against the lingual wall of the clear aligner. The colored liquid column pre-placed in it can move unidirectionally in the curved tube under the push of the air compressor 3. With the help of the scale strip 41 on the wall of the curved tube, the time for the patient to wear the clear aligner can be reflected.

[0034] The gas collection assembly 5 includes a gas collection cylinder 51, a piston 52, and a piston rod 53. The gas collection cylinder 51 is connected to the timing tube 4. The piston 52 is disposed inside the gas collection cylinder 51. One end of the piston rod 53 is rotatably connected to the side of the piston 52 away from the timing tube 4. The piston rod 53 is provided with threads, and the gas collection cylinder 51 is provided with a threaded hole. The piston rod 53 passes through the threaded hole, and the threads and the threaded hole are engaged. A rotating arm 54 is provided laterally at the end of the piston rod 53 away from the piston 52, and a handle 55 is provided at the end of the rotating arm 54 away from the piston rod 53. In this embodiment, the piston rod 53 and the gas collection cylinder 51 are rotatably connected. In use, by rotating the piston rod 53, the piston rod 53 converts the rotary motion into linear motion, which in turn drives the piston 52 to move up and down. Considering that the original invisible aligner needs to be worn for several days after the follow-up visit, the gas collection assembly 5 can be manually pressurized by rotating the handle 55, so that the liquid column in the timing tube 4 flows back, thereby correcting the displayed wearing time.

[0035] The invisible orthodontic device wearing time monitor also includes a one-way valve 6. The air inlet of the one-way valve 6 is connected to the air compressor 3, and the air outlet of the one-way valve 6 is connected to the timing tube 4. In this embodiment, the one-way valve 6 is used to prevent the colored liquid column in the timing tube 4 from flowing back into the air compressor 3.

[0036] A connecting piece 7 is provided on the piston rod 53 of cylinder 1, and the other end of the connecting piece 7 is connected to the transmission assembly 2.

[0037] In use, the cylinder 1 of the invisible aligner wearing time monitor is attached to the occlusal surface of the molars of the invisible aligner, and the timing tube 4 is attached to the lingual wall of the invisible aligner, with a short column of colored liquid pre-placed inside. Then, the invisible aligner, along with this device, is placed into the patient's mouth. During the patient's daily chewing and speech, the teeth collide with the cylinder 1, causing the cylinder 1 to move perpendicular to the occlusal surface. This, along with the drive assembly 2, converts the linear motion of the cylinder 1 caused by tooth occlusion into rotary motion. The continuously compressed air assembly 3, via the one-way valve 6, fills the timing tube 4 with gas, propelling the colored liquid column continuously within the timing tube 4. After a period of wear, the position of the colored liquid column on the timing tube 4 indicates the length of time the invisible aligner has been worn in the patient's mouth.

[0038] If, after a follow-up examination, the doctor requires the patient to wear the original invisible aligner for several more days, the handle 55 can be rotated to pressurize the air collection component 5, causing the colored liquid column to flow back, thereby manually correcting the displayed wearing time. The operation is now complete.

[0039] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since it corresponds to the method disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the method section.

[0040] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A monitor for the wearing time of invisible orthodontic appliances, characterized in that, include: Cylinder (1), the piston rod of the cylinder (1) is provided with a connector (7), the other end of the connector (7) is connected to the transmission assembly (2), the cylinder (1) is placed on the surface of the molar position of the invisible aligner, and moves up and down due to impact from the teeth during the movement of the patient's upper and lower jaws; The transmission assembly (2) includes a connecting rod (21) and a crank (22). One end of the connecting rod (21) is hinged to the piston rod of the cylinder (1), and one end of the crank (22) is hinged to the end of the connecting rod (21) away from the cylinder (1). The end of the crank (22) away from the connecting rod (21) is connected to the air compressor assembly (3). The transmission assembly (2) can convert the linear motion output by the cylinder (1) into rotary motion. The air compressor assembly (3) includes an air cylinder (31), an air bladder (32), an air compressor plate (33), and a screw (34). The screw (34) is connected to the transmission assembly (2) and rotates. The screw (34) is rotatably connected to the air cylinder (31). The air compressor plate (33) has a threaded hole through its center. The air compressor plate (33) is slidably connected inside the air cylinder (31). The screw (34) is engaged with the threaded hole. One end of the air compressor assembly (3) is connected to the transmission assembly (2). The air compressor assembly (3) converts the rotational motion output by the transmission assembly (2) into linear motion. The air compressor assembly (3) can compress gas. The timing tube (4) is arc-shaped and fits tightly against the lingual side wall of the invisible aligner. The timing tube (4) is provided with a scale bar (41). One end of the timing tube (4) is connected to the air compressor (3). A colored liquid column is pre-installed inside the timing tube (4). The colored liquid column can move unidirectionally inside the timing tube (4) under the push of the air compressor (3). In conjunction with the scale bar (41), it reflects the time the patient wears the invisible aligner.

2. The invisible aligner wearing time monitor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air cylinder (31) has a longitudinally arranged slide (35) on its inner side wall, and the air compressor plate (33) has protrusions at both ends, which slide within the slide (35).

3. The invisible aligner wearing time monitor according to claim 1, characterized in that, A counterweight is provided at the connection between the connecting rod (21) and the crank (22).

4. The invisible aligner wearing time monitor according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a one-way valve (6), the air inlet of which is connected to the air compressor (3), and the air outlet of which is connected to the timing tube (4).

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