Adjustable muscular function trainer

Abstract

The utility model discloses an adjustable muscle function training device which is used for blocking contact between labial and buccal muscles and a tooth jaw, the adjustable muscle function training device is a roughly C-shaped blocking screen formed by sequentially bending a plurality of bending parts from an inner ring to an outer ring, and adjacent parts of the bending parts in the circumferential direction are weakly connected through a tearable part; when a part of the tearable part is removed, the bent part, weakly connected with the part of the tearable part, in the bent parts is separated in the circumferential direction. Therefore, in clinic, according to the actual conditions of different patients, any section of the tearable part can be torn off, so that the separation of part of the bending part can be conveniently realized by removing the tearable part, and the individual requirements of different patients can be met; clinical use is convenient and fast, and dependence on the skill proficiency of clinical doctors is not needed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of medical devices, more specifically to the field of orthodontic appliances, and particularly to an adjustable myofunctional trainer. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of orthodontic treatment, research has shown that muscles have a crucial impact on the stability of orthodontic treatment, and in some cases, muscle problems are the cause of oral problems. Ignoring muscle problems may lead to ineffective treatment or relapse after treatment. Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) is a multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment method for patients with abnormalities in their orofacial muscles and functions, involving assessment, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Its mechanism involves re-education of the neuromuscular system of the orofacial region, promoting normal development of craniofacial structures and coordinated stability of the orofacial system function; it is a treatment method that focuses on the cause of the disease.

[0003] In clinical practice, vestibular shields are commonly used for orofacial muscle function training. They can block contact between the lip and cheek muscles and the teeth and jaws, breaking bad habits such as mouth breathing, lip biting, and thumb sucking. This prevents lip-biting individuals from placing their lower lip on the lingual side of their upper incisors, and prevents thumb-sucking individuals from putting their fingers in their mouths. It can also help mouth-breathing patients get used to breathing with their mouths closed, thus eliminating unfavorable muscle pressure. Vestibular shield products are mostly general-purpose products, often mass-produced, and typically include different sizes such as S, M, and L. Clinicians need to select the appropriate size from among these sizes based on the individual patient's oral cavity morphology.

[0004] However, the inventors discovered that the standard sizes currently available in clinical practice often fail to meet the individualized needs of different patients. For example, based on intraoral scanning data, if a patient's oral cavity size falls between sizes S and M, wearing a size S vestibular shield may result in insufficient protection between the labial and buccal muscles and the jaw due to its smaller size. Conversely, wearing a size M vestibular shield may cause significant discomfort due to its larger size, which may compress the vestibular sulcus. The current clinical solution involves clinicians trimming the larger vestibular shield with scissors until it meets the patient's needs. However, the solution still has the following problems: (1) Chairside trimming wastes the time of clinicians and patients, resulting in a poor patient experience; (2) The neatness and smoothness of the trimming depend entirely on the clinician's skill. If the neatness and smoothness of the trimming are poor, it will also affect the patient's experience; (3) If the clinician misses the trimming and directly puts an unsuitable vestibular shield on the patient, not only will the patient experience be poor, but it will also affect the effect of neuromuscular re-education of the patient's maxillofacial region. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical problem solved by this invention is to overcome the defects of the existing technology and provide an adjustable myofunctional trainer that can not only facilitate clinicians to operate flexibly to adapt to the individual needs of different patients, but also enhance the patient's experience and help achieve the expected effect of neuromuscular re-education of the maxillofacial region.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:

[0007] An adjustable myofunctional trainer is used to block the contact between the labial and buccal muscles and the teeth and jaws. The adjustable myofunctional trainer is a roughly C-shaped barrier screen formed by several coiled portions coiled sequentially from the inner circle to the outer circle. The coiled portions are weakly connected to each other in the circumferential direction by a tearable portion. When a portion of the tearable portion is removed, the portion of the coiled portion that is weakly connected to the tearable portion is separated in the circumferential direction.

[0008] Preferably, the width of the coiled portion is equal everywhere from the inner circle to the outer circle.

[0009] Preferably, the width of the coiled portion gradually decreases from the inner ring to the outer ring.

[0010] Preferably, the tearable portion is provided with gaps at intervals along the coiling direction of the coiled portion to reduce the mechanical strength of the tearable portion.

[0011] Preferably, the tearable portion is a layered mesh perforated structure, wherein the thickness of the layered mesh perforated structure is less than or equal to the thickness of the barrier screen, or the thickness of the layered mesh perforated structure is 0.1mm-0.5mm.

[0012] Preferably, two adjacent gaps are spaced at a predetermined distance.

[0013] Preferably, the preset distance is 0.1mm-1mm.

[0014] Preferably, it further includes a reinforcing portion having a plurality of protrusions whose outer contour shape matches the inner contour shape of the gap, and the reinforcing portion and the tearable portion are detachably matched to enhance the mechanical strength of the tearable portion.

[0015] Preferably, the reinforcing part further includes an auxiliary part, which is a layered structure that covers the labial or lingual side of the coiled part connected to both sides of the tearable part.

[0016] Preferably, it further includes a plurality of removal indicators disposed at predetermined positions on the coiled portion, the removal indicators being used to assist in removing the separated portion of the coiled portion.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention, by adopting the above technical solution, has at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0018] (1) The adjustable myofunctional trainer provided by this utility model forms a roughly C-shaped barrier screen by coiling several coiled parts from the inner circle to the outer circle. Adjacent coiled parts are weakly connected by tearable parts in the circumferential upward direction, so that the separation of part of the coiled parts can be easily achieved by removing the tearable parts. In this way, in clinical practice, according to the actual situation of different patients, any section of the tearable part can be torn off to meet the personalized needs of different patients. Clinical use is convenient and quick, and does not depend on the skill level of the clinician.

[0019] (2) By setting a reinforcing part, the present invention provides a number of protrusions on the reinforcing part whose outer contour shape matches the inner contour shape of the gap on the tearable part. In use, the reinforcing part and the tearable part can be detachably matched, which can enhance the mechanical strength of the tearable part, thereby enhancing the overall mechanical strength of the adjustable muscle function trainer. When tearing the tearable part, the reinforcing part can also be removed without increasing the difficulty of tearing the tearable part. Attached Figure Description

[0020] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same numerical reference numerals are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute a limitation on scale.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of wearing the adjustable muscle function trainer in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the adjustable muscle function trainer in Embodiment 1 of this utility model from one perspective.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the tearable part in the flat state in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tearable part in Embodiment 1 of this utility model from another perspective;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the installation and matching of the reinforcing part and the tearable part in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the reinforcing part and the tearable part provided with the auxiliary part in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the adjustable muscle function trainer in Embodiment 2 of this utility model from one perspective;

[0028] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the coiled portion after the removal of the indicator part. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the various embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will understand that many technical details have been provided in the various embodiments of this utility model to facilitate a better understanding of the invention. However, the technical solutions claimed by this utility model can be implemented even without these technical details and with various variations and modifications based on the following embodiments. The division of the various embodiments below is for ease of description and should not constitute any limitation on the specific implementation of this utility model.

[0030] The directional terms "up," "down," "left," and "right" used in this article refer to the directions shown in the accompanying drawings and do not imply any special limitations.

[0031] As the background technology indicates, in clinical practice, different patients have different oral conditions and sizes, requiring different sizes of orofacial muscle trainers. Orthodontic manufacturers typically produce orofacial muscle trainers in various sizes (such as S, M, L, etc.) for clinicians to choose from. Clinicians then need to select the appropriate size from these sizes based on the patient's oral dimensions. However, the currently available standard sizes often fail to meet the individual needs of different patients. In other words, some patients' mouths cannot fit the existing sizes perfectly, being either too large or too small, affecting patient comfort and the effectiveness of orofacial neuromuscular retraining. Although the current clinical solution involves chairside trimming by the clinician, this method still has many problems. For example, the neatness and smoothness of the trimming depend on the clinician's skill level, making it difficult to simultaneously meet individual needs without compromising patient comfort and the effectiveness of orofacial neuromuscular retraining.

[0032] Based on this, this application provides an adjustable myofunctional trainer for blocking the contact between the lip and cheek muscles and the teeth and jaws. The adjustable myofunctional trainer is a roughly C-shaped barrier screen formed by several coiled portions coiled sequentially from the inner circle to the outer circle. The coiled portions are weakly connected to each other in the circumferential direction by a tearable portion. When a portion of the tearable portion is removed, the portion of the coiled portion that is weakly connected to that portion of the tearable portion is separated in the circumferential direction.

[0033] With this structural design, in clinical practice, doctors can separate the coiled part near the outer ring by tearing off any section of the tearable part, according to the actual situation of different patients, so as to meet the individual needs of different patients. Clinical use is convenient and quick, and does not depend on the skill level of the clinician.

[0034] The implementation details of the adjustable functional trainer described in this application will be specifically described below with reference to specific embodiments. The following implementation details are provided for ease of understanding only and are not necessary for implementing this solution.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown. The adjustable myofunctional trainer 100 provided in this application is a roughly C-shaped barrier screen formed by a plurality of coiled portions 10 coiled sequentially from the inner circle A to the outer circle B. The C-shaped barrier screen is worn in the oral cavity, and its shape from the left labial / buccal side to the right labial / buccal side is consistent with the overall shape of the patient's teeth and jaws. It can block the contact between the labial / buccal muscles 200 and the teeth and jaws 300. Specifically, the adjustable myofunctional trainer 100 is adapted to the patient's oral vestibule and can be worn between the human teeth and jaws and the labial muscles, or between the human teeth and jaws and the labial / buccal muscles, to block the human teeth and jaws from contact with the corresponding labial or buccal muscles for myofunctional training. The number of coiled portions 10 can be one, as shown in this embodiment, formed by one coiled portion 10 coiled sequentially from the inner circle A to the outer circle B. The circumferentially adjacent portions of the coiled portion 10 are weakly connected by a tearable portion 20. The circumferentially adjacent portions of the coiled portion 10 refer to one coiled portion and another adjacent coiled portion. For example, the coiled portion located in the innermost circle A, along the outward coiling path, is the portion of the coiled portion adjacent to the innermost circle A. When the tearable portion 20 is removed, for example, manually torn off by a clinician, the coiled portions 10 weakly connected to both sides of this tearable portion 20 can be separated from each other. In clinical use, this separated portion of the coiled portion 10 can be completely separated from the innermost coiled portion 10 by manual cutting or other methods, thus forming a reduced-size myofunctional trainer to fit the patient's oral cavity size.

[0037] Of course, in another embodiment, the barrier screen can be formed by two or more separate coiled portions 10 connected end to end in a coiled manner. For example, the coiled portions 10 can be connected by a weak connection structure or by adhesive bonding. The circumferentially adjacent portions of the coiled portions 10 refer to a coiled portion within the barrier screen and an adjacent coiled portion. This coiled portion can be formed by one of the two or more coiled portions 10, or by multiple coiled portions connected together; no limitation is imposed here.

[0038] To further explain, the core concept behind the weak connection via the tearable portion 20 is that the tearable portion 20 can be broken when subjected to a force greater than a predetermined value, allowing the coiled portions 10 connected to both sides of the tearable portion 20 to separate. The tearable portion 20 can be implemented based on a weakened connection geometry or by introducing a material that can weaken the connection. Implementing the tearable portion 20 based on a weakened connection geometry means using a relatively weak connection for the tearable portion 20, with a mechanical strength lower than that of the coiled portions 10 themselves, so that it can be broken with a smaller force without damaging the coiled portions 10. Introducing a weakening material for the tearable portion 20 means that the tearable portion 20 and the coiled portions 10 can be processed with different materials. For example, the coiled portions 10 can be made of a material with higher mechanical strength, while the tearable portion 20 can be made of a material with lower mechanical strength, so that the two connected coiled portions 10 can be easily separated by the tearable portion 20 formed by the material with lower mechanical strength.

[0039] Furthermore, the width dimension D of the coiled portion 10 is equal. Specifically, for ease of description of the coiled portion 10 and the tearable portion 20, the adjustable myofunctional trainer 100 can be unfolded and laid flat on a plane. The unfolded coiled portion 10 and the tearable portion 20 can form an elongated structure, wherein the width dimension D of the elongated structure unfolded by the coiled portion 10 is always equal, that is, the size of the myofunctional trainer increases by the width dimension D for each coil. The width dimension 20 can range from 1mm to 3mm. This width dimension design allows for the creation of myofunctional trainers of different sizes by tearing off the tearable portion 20. For example, with a width dimension D of 1mm, tearing off one ring of the tearable portion 20 separates one ring of the coiled portion 10, thus reducing the diameter of the myofunctional trainer by 1mm. With a width dimension D of 3mm, the tearable portion 20 can be torn off at the desired location based on the patient's oral cavity size, separating the coiled portion 10 near the outer ring B. The remaining coiled portion 10 near the inner ring A forms a myofunctional trainer that meets the patient's requirements. Similarly, at least at the torn location, the diameter of the remaining myofunctional trainer can be reduced by at least 3mm. This width range design in this application is based on the inventor's clinical research and can cover the needs of most patients in clinical practice within a range of 1mm-3mm, demonstrating broad applicability. On the one hand, the diameter-width difference between the existing S, M, L and other specifications of vestibular shields is about 2mm-4mm. This size design can separate a wider variety of myofunctional trainers than the existing ones on the market. On the other hand, the width dimension D is always equal, which also ensures that each size of myofunctional trainer separated after tearing off any part of the tearable part 20 can have a relatively smooth outer peripheral edge, avoiding wavy outer peripheral edges that could cause patient discomfort.

[0040] In another embodiment, the width D of the coiled portion 10 gradually decreases from the inner circle A to the outer circle B (not shown). Specifically, as the coiled portion 10 coils sequentially from the inner circle A to the outer circle B, the increase in the diameter of the myofunctional trainer gradually decreases. For example, considering that even the smallest myofunctional trainer may have a short diameter in the range of 10mm-14mm, if the width D of the coiled portion 10 is very small, say 1mm, it would require coiling more than ten times to meet the basic requirements of a minimum-sized myofunctional trainer, which would increase the complexity of manufacturing. However, if the width D of the coiled portion 10 at the inner circle A is larger, for example, 5mm, it can be coiled only twice to form a usable basic myofunctional trainer, which is convenient for operation. To further explain, when the base of the myofunctional trainer is further coiled on the outside, it is desirable that its diameter can be increased in small increments multiple times. This allows for the acquisition of myofunctional trainers of different ideal sizes by tearing off the tearable portions 20 at different locations and separating the coiled portions 20 connected to them near the outer ring B.

[0041] In this embodiment, gaps are provided at intervals in the tearable portion 20 along the coiling direction of the coiled portion 10 to reduce the mechanical strength of the tearable portion 20. In a preferred embodiment, the tearable portion 20 employs a layered mesh perforated structure. This layered mesh perforated structure can stably connect adjacent coiled portions 10 without breaking during transportation. When it is necessary to separate adjacent coiled portions 10, the layered mesh perforated structure can break when a force greater than a predetermined value is applied.

[0042] Furthermore, to meet the functional requirements of this layered mesh perforated structure, please refer to... Figure 3 As shown, in this application, two adjacent gaps 1 are spaced apart by a preset distance L, wherein the preset distance L is 0.1mm-1mm. Specifically, a connector 2 is provided between the two gaps 1. In this application, the preset distance L between two adjacent gaps 1 is the characteristic radial dimension of the connector 2. The inventor has verified that the size range of the preset distance L can meet the requirement of stably connecting the adjacent coiled parts 10 without breaking during transportation, and when it is necessary to separate the adjacent coiled parts 10, the layered mesh hollow structure can break when a force greater than a predetermined value is applied to it.

[0043] Furthermore, please refer to [the relevant documentation / reference]. Figure 4As shown, the thickness h of the lip-tongue direction of the layered mesh hollow structure is less than or equal to the thickness H of the lip-tongue direction of the coiled portion 10. In another preferred embodiment, the thickness h of the lip-tongue direction of the layered mesh hollow structure is 0.1mm-0.5mm. The inventor has verified that such a thickness ratio or thickness range can not only ensure a stable connection between adjacent coiled portions 10 and prevent breakage during transportation, but also ensure that when a force greater than a predetermined value is applied to the layered mesh hollow structure to separate the adjacent coiled portions 10, the layered mesh hollow structure can break.

[0044] Furthermore, since the mechanical strength of the tearable portion 20 is less than that of the coiled portion 10, when the adjustable myofunctional trainer 100 of this application is used as a whole, the smaller mechanical strength at the location of the tearable portion 20 will affect the overall mechanical strength of the adjustable myofunctional trainer 100, thereby affecting the patient's treatment effect. Therefore, please refer to... Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the adjustable myofunctional trainer 100 further includes a reinforcing part 30. The reinforcing part 30 has several protrusions 31 whose outer contour shape matches the inner contour shape of the gap. The reinforcing part 30 matches the tearable part 20 to enhance the mechanical strength of the tearable part 20. The reinforcing part 30 is detachably connected and can be positioned on one side of the tearable part 20 facing the patient's lips / cheeks or tongue. It is understood that when the reinforcing part 30 is provided on both sides of the tearable part 20 facing the patient's lips / cheeks and tongue, the effect of enhancing the mechanical strength at that location is better. Simultaneously, it can close the hollow structure at the gap, not only enhancing the mechanical strength at that location but also preventing the accumulation of oral debris and facilitating the cleaning of oral debris, thereby improving the patient's oral hygiene.

[0045] Further, please see Figure 6As shown, the reinforcing part 30 also includes an auxiliary part 40, which is a layered structure that covers the labial / buccal or lingual surfaces of the coiled part 10 connected to both sides of the tearable part 20. In another embodiment, the auxiliary part 40 may also cover both the labial / buccal and lingual surfaces of the coiled part 10 connected to both sides of the tearable part 20, further enhancing the overall mechanical strength of the adjustable myofunctional trainer 100. The auxiliary part 40, on the one hand, further integrates the adjustable myofunctional trainer 100 into a complete unit, improving its overall mechanical strength; on the other hand, it covers the grooves or gaps between the tearable part 20 and the coiled part 10, further preventing the accumulation of oral debris in that location, or facilitating the cleaning of oral debris, thereby improving the patient's oral hygiene.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown. To achieve the technical problem to be solved by this utility model, the adjustable myofunctional trainer 100 of this embodiment differs from that of Embodiment 1 in that the adjustable myofunctional trainer 100 may further include a plurality of removal indicator portions 50 disposed at predetermined positions on the coiled portion 10. The removal indicator portions 50 are used to assist in removing the separated portion of the coiled portion 10. Specifically, the removal indicator portions 50 may be continuously arranged concave or convex structures on the labial or lingual surface of the coiled portion 10. In another embodiment, the removal indicator portions 50 may be a plurality of spaced concave or convex structures on the labial or lingual surface of the coiled portion 10. In yet another embodiment, the removal indicator portions 50 may be indicator lines drawn on the labial or lingual surface of the coiled portion 10. The adjacent coiled portions 10 can be easily separated at the desired location using the tearable portion 20. After separation, the separated portion of the coiled portion 10 is not completely detached and needs to be cut to completely separate it. In this embodiment, a removal indicator 50 is provided to instruct the operator (such as a clinician) to cut at the location indicated by the removal indicator 50, which facilitates the operator's cutting operation and improves the formation efficiency of the adjustable myofunctional trainer 100. Furthermore, cutting according to the instructions of the removal indicator 50 has low dependence on the operator's skill level and is suitable for almost all operators, thus making the adjustable myofunctional trainer 100 of this application more widely applicable.

[0048] It should be noted that the above embodiments can be freely combined as needed to form different new implementation schemes without causing contradictions. All implementation schemes formed by such combinations are within the protection scope of this application. In order to save space in the application text, they will not be described in detail here.

[0049] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the inventive principle of this utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

[0050] Similarly, the above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An adjustable myofunctional trainer for blocking contact between the lip and cheek muscles and the teeth and jaws, characterized in that, The adjustable myofunctional trainer is a roughly C-shaped barrier screen formed by several coiled sections coiled sequentially from the inner circle to the outer circle. The adjacent portions of the coiled sections are weakly connected by a tearable portion in the circumferential direction. When a portion of the tearable portion is removed, the portion of the coiled section weakly connected to that portion of the tearable portion is separated along the circumferential direction.

2. The adjustable muscle function trainer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the coiled portion is equal everywhere from the inner circle to the outer circle.

3. The adjustable muscle function trainer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the coiled portion gradually decreases from the inner circle to the outer circle.

4. The adjustable muscle function trainer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tearable portion has gaps spaced along the coiling direction of the coiled portion to reduce the mechanical strength of the tearable portion.

5. The adjustable muscle function trainer according to claim 4, characterized in that, The tearable part is a layered mesh hollow structure, wherein the thickness of the layered mesh hollow structure is less than or equal to the thickness of the barrier screen, or the thickness of the layered mesh hollow structure is 0.1mm-0.5mm.

6. The adjustable muscle function trainer according to claim 4, characterized in that, The gaps between two adjacent gaps are set at a preset distance.

7. The adjustable muscle function trainer according to claim 6, characterized in that, The preset distance is 0.1mm-1mm.

8. The adjustable muscle function trainer according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a reinforcing part having a plurality of protrusions whose outer contour shape matches the inner contour shape of the gap, and the reinforcing part and the tearable part are detachably matched to enhance the mechanical strength of the tearable part.

9. The adjustable muscle function trainer according to claim 8, characterized in that, The reinforcing part also includes an auxiliary part, which is a layered structure that covers the labial or lingual side of the coiled part connected to both sides of the tearable part.

10. The adjustable muscle function trainer according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, It also includes several removal indicators disposed at predetermined positions on the coiled portion, the removal indicators being used to assist in removing the separated portion of the coiled portion.

Images