Indicating device and appliance system

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of correctors, and particularly provides an indicating device and a corrector system.The indicating device comprises a shell, a sound sensor, a control module and a power module, the shell comprises a connecting part and a containing part, the connecting part is detachably connected with a corrector, and the containing part contains the sound sensor, the control module and the power module; when the connecting part is connected with the appliance, the connecting part is located in the mouth, the containing part is located outside the mouth, and the acoustic sensor is located on the end face of the side, facing the nasal cavity, of the containing part or embedded into the containing part so as to collect signals from the nasal cavity. The wearing indicating device provided by the utility model can judge the wearing condition of the appliance by analyzing the change of the sound signal from the nasal cavity, is positioned outside the mouth when being used, and is comfortable to wear.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of orthodontic appliances, and in particular to an indicator device and an orthodontic appliance system. Background Art

[0002] Functional silicone braces are a type of removable braces that do not need to be fixed on the teeth and are easy to clean. They can better maintain oral hygiene and reduce the occurrence of caries. At the same time, since the braces are not fixed on the teeth, they can be worn at night, reducing the psychological impact on the wearer during the correction process. Therefore, functional silicone braces have become the first choice of correction devices for more and more patients.

[0003] In order to achieve the best correction effect, patients are often required to follow the doctor's advice and wear the braces for a long time. If the patient's self-discipline is not strong or the braces fall off unconsciously when worn at night, it will not be able to achieve a sufficient wearing time, which may lead to poor or no treatment effect and easily cause medical disputes. Most of the existing braces that can monitor the wearing condition have the monitoring module fixed on the braces, which is less comfortable to wear. Therefore, it is very necessary to provide an indicator device that can monitor the wearing condition of the braces and the wearing comfort. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide an indicator device and an orthodontic appliance system, which can monitor whether the orthodontic appliance is worn in the mouth.

[0005] The embodiments of the present application can be implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0006] An indicating device, used in conjunction with a corrective appliance, comprises a shell, an acoustic sensor, a control module and a power module, the shell comprising a connecting portion and a containing portion, the connecting portion being detachably connected to the corrective appliance, the containing portion containing the acoustic sensor, the control module and the power module; when the connecting portion is connected to the corrective appliance, the connecting portion is located inside the mouth, and the containing portion is located outside the mouth; the acoustic sensor is located on a side of the containing portion facing the nasal cavity, placed on the end surface of the containing portion or embedded in the containing portion, so as to collect signals from the nasal cavity.

[0007] Furthermore, a cavity capable of accommodating the acoustic sensor is provided on the end surface of the accommodating portion facing the nasal cavity, and the acoustic sensor is placed in the cavity.

[0008] Furthermore, the inner side surface of the cavity is a curved surface.

[0009] Furthermore, a plurality of raised textures are arranged on the inner side surface of the cavity.

[0010] Furthermore, the indicating device also includes a waterproof and sound-permeable membrane for isolating the acoustic sensor from the external atmosphere.

[0011] Furthermore, the signal from the nasal cavity is an acoustic signal.

[0012] Furthermore, the horizontal distance between the acoustic sensor and the oral side end surface where the shell contacts the appliance is 0.5 to 5 cm.

[0013] Furthermore, the connecting portion includes at least two protrusions, which are respectively connected to the air outlet holes at corresponding positions of the orthodontic device by interference fit.

[0014] Furthermore, the shell also includes a guide plate portion, which is located between the connecting portion and the accommodating portion, and its end surface on one side close to the connecting portion abuts against the orthodontic appliance, and both ends of the guide plate portion are curved and match the curvature of the orthodontic appliance.

[0015] A brace system comprises any one of the above-mentioned indicating devices and a brace detachably connected thereto.

[0016] The embodiment of the present application provides an indication device and an appliance system which have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0017] The indicator device provided in the present application can determine whether the brace is worn correctly by identifying changes in acoustic signals from the nasal cavity; and the indicator device and the brace are detachably connected to facilitate use and cleaning; when the indicator device is connected to the brace for use, the indicator device is located outside the mouth, which can avoid the discomfort caused by being located inside the mouth. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an indicator device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 A top view of an indicator device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of one embodiment;

[0021] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of yet another embodiment;

[0022] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of an orthodontic appliance system according to an embodiment.

[0023] Numbers in the figure

[0024] Shell 1, connecting portion 11, guide plate portion 12, accommodating portion 13, exhaust hole 14, sound sensor 2, waterproof sound-permeable membrane 3, orthosis 100, lip stopper 101, U-shaped pad 102, tongue stopper 103. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, the present application will be further described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] In addition, various components in the drawings are enlarged or reduced in size for ease of understanding, but this practice is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0027] Words importing the singular also include the plural and vice versa.

[0028] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that if the terms "upper", "lower", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate an orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the products of the embodiments of the present application are usually placed when in use, it is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, in the description of the present application, in order to distinguish different units, the words first, second, etc. are used in this specification, but these are not limited by the order of manufacture, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, and their names may be different in the detailed description and claims of the present application.

[0029] The vocabulary in this specification is used to illustrate the embodiments of the present application, but is not intended to limit the present application. It should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "disposed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a connection between the two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be specifically understood.

[0030] The present application provides an indicator device used in conjunction with a brace, which can determine whether the brace is worn in the mouth by analyzing changes in acoustic signals generated by exhaled gas from the nasal cavity. Figure 1-Figure 3 The overall structure diagram, top view and cross-sectional view of the indicating device are shown respectively. Figure 1-Figure 3 , the indicating device of the present application comprises a housing 1, an acoustic sensor 2, a control module and a power module; wherein the housing 1 is used to accommodate the acoustic sensor 2, the control module and the power module;

[0031] The acoustic sensor 2 is used to collect signals from the nasal cavity; specifically, the signal is an acoustic signal generated by the vibration of the exhaled gas from the nasal cavity;

[0032] The control module is used to process and analyze the signals collected by the acoustic sensor 2 to determine whether the orthodontic appliance is worn in the mouth, and the control module can also store the above data for subsequent retrieval and use of the above data as needed; it can be imagined that the control module can adopt any electronic device, system or equipment such as a microprocessor that can achieve the above-mentioned processing, analysis and storage of data; the power module is electrically connected to the acoustic sensor 2 and the control module respectively for powering them.

[0033] Specifically, the housing 1 includes a connecting portion 11 and a receiving portion 13, wherein the connecting portion 11 is used to be detachably connected to the appliance, and the receiving portion 13 is used to accommodate the acoustic sensor 2, the control module and the power module;

[0034] Specifically, Figure 3 As shown, the acoustic sensor 2 is located on the end surface of the accommodating portion 13 facing the nasal cavity to collect signals from the nasal cavity.

[0035] Alternatively, if Figure 4 As shown, in some other embodiments, the acoustic sensor 2 is embedded in the end surface of the accommodating portion 13 facing the nasal cavity; specifically, a cavity that can accommodate the acoustic sensor 2 is provided on the end surface of the accommodating portion facing the nasal cavity, and the acoustic sensor 2 is located in the cavity; specifically, the shape of the cavity can be any shape. In some preferred embodiments, the cavity is an arc-shaped cavity, that is, the inner side surface of the cavity is an arc-shaped surface, which is beneficial to enhance the gas vibration caused by the collision of the gas with the inner surface of the cavity to enhance the acoustic signal received by the acoustic sensor 2; in some preferred embodiments, a plurality of raised textures are also provided on the inner side surface of the cavity to further enhance the gas vibration. Specifically, the texture can be dot-shaped, strip-shaped, tooth-shaped, etc.

[0036] In some specific embodiments, the horizontal distance between the acoustic sensor 2 and the oral side end surface of the shell 1 that contacts the orthodontic appliance is 0.5 to 5 cm. When in this position, the distance between the acoustic sensor 2 and the nasal cavity can meet the collection of changing acoustic signals.

[0037] In some preferred embodiments, the indicating device further comprises a waterproof sound-permeable membrane 3 for isolating the acoustic sensor 2 from the outside atmosphere. The waterproof sound-permeable membrane 3 can prevent moisture or dust from entering the acoustic sensor 2, but at the same time can allow the acoustic signal to propagate smoothly.

[0038] In some preferred embodiments, the connecting portion 11 includes two protrusions for interference fit with the air outlet holes at corresponding positions on the orthodontic device to achieve a detachable connection; optionally, the connecting portion may also include more than two protrusions to further stabilize the connection.

[0039] In some preferred embodiments, the shell 1 further includes a guide plate portion 12, which is located between the connecting portion 11 and the accommodating portion 13. Specifically, both ends of the guide plate portion 12 are curved and the degree of curvature matches that of the orthodontic device 100 to increase wearing comfort.

[0040] In some preferred embodiments, the shell 1 further includes an exhaust hole 14, which is located on one side of the guide plate portion 12 close to the connecting portion 11. When the connecting portion 11 is connected to the corrector, the exhaust hole 14 is arranged opposite to the air outlet of the corrector for transmitting the gas exhaled from the oral cavity to correct mouth breathing.

[0041] The present application also provides a corrector system, the corrector system comprising the above-mentioned indicator device and a corrector detachably connected thereto, such as Figure 5 As shown, the appliance 100 includes a U-shaped pad 102, the outer edges of the U-shaped pad 102 extend upward and downward to form a lip stop 101, the inner edges of the U-shaped pad 102 extend upward and downward to form a tongue stop 103, and the U-shaped pad 102, the lip stop 101 and the tongue stop 103 together form the appliance 100 adapted to the tooth occlusion. Among them, the middle part of the lip stop 101 is provided with a first air outlet matched with the connecting part 11 and a second air outlet corresponding to the air outlet 14. When the appliance 100 is worn in the mouth, the connecting part 11 is connected to the first air outlet and placed in the mouth, and the accommodating part 13 is located outside the mouth.

[0042] When in use, the acoustic sensor 2 collects the acoustic signal generated by the exhaled gas from the nasal cavity and transmits it to the control module for further processing and analysis. When the orthodontic appliance 100 is always worn in the mouth, since the position of the indicator device and the nasal cavity is relatively fixed, the acoustic signal that can be collected at this time is a regular signal with a breathing cycle. When the orthodontic appliance 100 is in the stage of being out of the mouth, the distance between the indicator device and the nasal cavity gradually becomes farther, and the collected acoustic signal changes significantly, which is specifically manifested in the change of sound pressure or sound frequency in each breathing cycle in this stage. The change of the acoustic signal is analyzed to determine whether the orthodontic appliance 100 is worn in the mouth.

[0043] The above is a detailed introduction to the specific implementation methods of the present application. For those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications may be made to the present application without departing from the principles of the present application. These improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. An indicating device, used in conjunction with a corrective appliance, comprising a housing, an acoustic sensor, a control module and a power module, characterized in that: The housing comprises a connecting portion and a receiving portion, wherein the connecting portion is detachably connected to the appliance, and the receiving portion receives the acoustic sensor, the control module and the power module; When the connecting part is connected to the corrector, the connecting part is located inside the mouth, the accommodating part is located outside the mouth, and the acoustic sensor is located on a side end surface of the accommodating part facing the nasal cavity or embedded in the accommodating part to collect signals from the nasal cavity.

2. An indicating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A cavity for accommodating the acoustic sensor is provided on the end surface of the accommodating portion facing the nasal cavity, and the acoustic sensor is placed in the cavity.

3. An indicating device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner side surface of the cavity is an arc-shaped surface.

4. An indicating device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A plurality of raised textures are arranged on the inner side surface of the cavity.

5. The indicating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A waterproof and sound-permeable membrane is also included to isolate the acoustic sensor from the outside atmosphere.

6. The indicating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The signal is an acoustic signal.

7. The indicating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The horizontal distance between the acoustic sensor and the oral side end surface where the shell contacts the appliance is 0.5 to 5 cm.

8. The indicating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting portion includes at least two protrusions, which are respectively connected to the air outlet holes at corresponding positions of the orthodontic device through interference fit.

9. The indicating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell also includes a guide plate portion, which is located between the connecting portion and the accommodating portion. Its end surface on one side close to the connecting portion abuts against the orthodontic appliance. Both ends of the guide plate portion are curved and match the curvature of the orthodontic appliance.

10. A brace system, characterized in that: The invention comprises the indicating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 and a corrective device detachably connected thereto.

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