Head and neck tumor radiotherapy mouthpiece

Abstract

The utility model relates to radiotherapy mouthpiece technical field, specifically disclose a head and neck tumor radiotherapy mouthpiece, including mouthpiece body, one end of mouthpiece body is provided with the bite block, the inside of bite block is provided with the air chamber, the other end fixed setting of bite block has the support block, the inside of bite block is provided with adjusting mechanism. The utility model adjusts the length of mouthpiece, and automatically adjusts bite block inner air chamber air pressure, realizes the synchronous adaptation of structure rigidity and wearing comfort. Without additional operation, the linkage adjustment of body position fixation and pressure buffering can be completed, positioning accuracy and patient comfort are improved, and the operation is simple, and it is applicable to head and neck tumor radiotherapy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of mouthpiece technology for radiotherapy, specifically a mouthpiece for radiotherapy of head and neck tumors. Background Technology

[0002] In radiotherapy for head and neck tumors, mouthpieces are widely used as important auxiliary devices to fix the patient's head position, ensuring a high degree of repeatability of the patient's position for each treatment, thereby improving irradiation accuracy and protecting surrounding normal tissues.

[0003] Existing mouthpieces typically employ a fixed-length structure or only have mechanical telescopic adjustment functions. When adapting to different patients' oral cavity depths, the length needs to be manually adjusted, but the hardness of the biting part cannot be adjusted synchronously. Therefore, a mouthpiece for head and neck tumor radiotherapy is provided. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a mouthpiece for radiotherapy of head and neck tumors, in order to solve the problem in the prior art where the existing technology usually adopts a fixed length structure or only has mechanical telescopic adjustment function. When adapting to different patients' oral cavity depths, the length needs to be manually adjusted, but there is a problem that the softness and hardness of the biting part cannot be adjusted synchronously.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a mouthpiece for radiotherapy of head and neck tumors, comprising a mouthpiece body, a biting block provided at one end of the mouthpiece body, an air chamber provided inside the biting block, a support block fixedly provided at the other end of the biting block, and an adjustment mechanism provided inside the biting block.

[0006] When the mouthpiece body adjusts the distance between the mouthpiece body and the support block through the adjustment mechanism, the adjustment mechanism simultaneously adjusts the air pressure in the air chamber inside the mouthpiece.

[0007] The adjustment mechanism includes a rotating block, which is located on the side of the support block away from the mouthpiece body. A control block is rotatably mounted on the outer side of the rotating block via a bearing.

[0008] One side of the rotating block is fixedly equipped with a handle, and the outer side of the handle is provided with multiple anti-slip textures. The other side of the rotating block is fixedly equipped with a lead screw.

[0009] The lead screw passes through the support block and extends to the side of the support block near the mouthpiece body. The lead screw is threadedly connected to the support block and is rotatably mounted at one end of the mouthpiece body via a bearing.

[0010] Two sleeve rods are fixedly installed on the side of the support block near the mouthpiece body. A telescopic rod is installed inside the sleeve rod. One end of the telescopic rod passes through the sleeve rod and extends to the outside. One end of the telescopic rod is fixedly installed at one end of the mouthpiece body.

[0011] An air pipe is fixedly installed on the side of the support block near the rotating block. One end of the air pipe passes through the support block and communicates with the air chamber. A valve stem is installed inside the air pipe. One end of the valve stem passes through the air pipe and extends to the other end. One end of the valve stem is fixedly installed on the side of the control block near the support block.

[0012] This utility model has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0013] This invention achieves simultaneous adjustment of the air pressure in the air chamber within the bite block and the distance between the mouthpiece body and the support block via an adjustment mechanism, resulting in a significant synergistic effect. During the adjustment of the mouthpiece length to accommodate different patients' oral cavity depths, the mechanical adjustment directly drives the opening and closing of the air valve, automatically depressurizing or maintaining pressure in the air chamber. This eliminates the need for additional inflation / deflation devices, simplifying the usage process and avoiding the cumbersome operation and matching errors associated with separate adjustments for length and hardness in traditional structures. When the mouthpiece is stretched, the air chamber slowly deflates to prevent the bite block from hardening and compressing the gums due to increased internal pressure; when compressed, the air pressure is maintained or finely adjusted to ensure stable support. This linkage mechanism achieves a dynamic balance between structural rigidity and wearing comfort, ensuring high repeatability of head and neck positioning during radiotherapy while reducing fatigue and discomfort caused by prolonged biting. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the adjustment mechanism of this utility model;

[0016] Figure 3 This is a top view of the structure of this utility model;

[0017] Figure 4 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the structure at point A of this utility model.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Mouthpiece body; 2. Bite block; 3. Air chamber; 4. Support block; 5. Adjustment mechanism; 501. Rotating block; 502. Control block; 503. Handle; 504. Anti-slip texture; 505. Lead screw; 506. Sleeve rod; 507. Telescopic rod; 508. Air tube; 509. Valve stem. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0020] Please see Figure 1-4 This utility model provides a technical solution: a mouthpiece for head and neck tumor radiotherapy, including a mouthpiece body 1, a biting block 2 at one end of the mouthpiece body 1, the biting block 2 being made of medical-grade high-polymer elastic material, with a sealed air chamber 3 inside, used to provide cushioning when the patient bites, reducing pressure on the teeth and gums, and improving wearing comfort, a support block 4 being fixedly connected to the end of the biting block 2 away from the mouthpiece body 1, the support block 4 being a rigid structural component, preferably made of medical-grade polycarbonate or aluminum alloy, used to transmit adjustment force and support the overall structure, further, an adjustment mechanism 5 is provided inside the biting block 2, the adjustment mechanism 5 being used to simultaneously adjust the axial distance between the mouthpiece body 1 and the support block 4, as well as the air pressure in the air chamber 3 inside the biting block 2, to achieve integrated adjustment of length and hardness.

[0021] The adjustment mechanism 5 includes a rotating block 501, which is located on the side of the support block 4 away from the mouthpiece body 1 and is rotatably connected to the control block 502 via a bearing, allowing the rotating block 501 to rotate independently relative to the control block 502. A handle 503 is fixedly provided on one side of the rotating block 501, and multiple anti-slip grooves 504 are provided on the outer periphery of the handle 503 to facilitate medical personnel to grip and apply rotational torque. A lead screw 505 is fixedly connected to the other side of the rotating block 501. The lead screw 505 passes through the threaded hole of the support block 4 axially and extends to the side of the support block 4 near the mouthpiece body 1. The lead screw 505 is threadedly engaged with the support block 4, and its end is rotatably connected to one end of the mouthpiece body 1 via a bearing. When the handle 503 is rotated, the lead screw 505 moves axially within the support block 4, thereby causing the mouthpiece body 1 to slide back and forth relative to the support block 4, thus adjusting the overall length of the mouthpiece.

[0022] To ensure smooth movement, two sleeve rods 506 are symmetrically arranged on the side of the support block 4 near the mouthpiece body 1. The sleeve rods 506 have telescopic rods 507 inside. One end of the telescopic rod 507 is slidably inserted into the sleeve rod 506, and the other end is fixedly connected to the mouthpiece body 1 to form a guide structure to prevent deflection or jamming during adjustment. At the same time, an air tube 508 is also arranged on the side of the support block 4 near the rotating block 501. One end of the air tube 508 passes through the support block 4 and communicates with the air chamber 3 inside the mouthpiece 2. The other end is used to connect to an external air source or atmospheric environment. A valve stem 509 is arranged inside the air tube 508. One end of the valve stem 509 passes through the air tube 508 and is fixedly connected to the side of the control block 502 near the support block 4.

[0023] When using this type of mouthpiece, firstly, based on the patient's individual anatomical structure and the positioning requirements of radiotherapy, a suitable basic model of mouthpiece is selected. The medical staff gently places the mouthpiece body 1 into the patient's mouth, ensuring it stably conforms to the occlusal surface of the maxillary or mandibular teeth. The patient naturally bites onto the bite block 2, ensuring the mouthpiece is symmetrically positioned along the midline to avoid misalignment of the head and neck. At this time, the air chamber 3 inside the bite block 2 is in its initial air pressure state, possessing a certain degree of elastic cushioning performance, adapting to different tooth shapes, reducing local pressure on the gums and periodontal tissues, and improving initial wearing comfort. Subsequently, the medical staff manually rotates the handle located on the outside. 503 allows for personalized adjustment of the mouthpiece. When the handle 503 is turned clockwise or counterclockwise, it drives the rotating block 501, which is fixedly connected to it, to rotate synchronously. This, in turn, drives the lead screw 505 to move axially in the threaded hole of the support block 4. Since the end of the lead screw 505 is connected to the mouthpiece body 1 through a bearing, and the support block 4 is relatively fixed to one end of the bite block 2, the rotational motion of the lead screw 505 is converted into a linear displacement of the mouthpiece body 1 relative to the support block 4 along the axial direction. This allows for precise lengthening or shortening of the overall length of the mouthpiece to adapt to the spatial needs of different patients with different oral vestibule depths, intermaxillary distances, or specific radiotherapy positions (such as supine head-down position).

[0024] While rotating the handle 503, the control block 502 in the adjusting mechanism 5 maintains relative rotational freedom with the rotating block 501 through the bearing, but its axial position is simultaneously displaced as the lead screw 505 advances or retracts. This axial movement is transmitted to the valve rod 509, which is fixedly connected to the control block 502, causing it to slide inside the air tube 508, gradually opening or closing the passage between the air chamber 3 and the outside world. For example, when the mouthpiece is lengthened, the mouthpiece body 1 moves away from the support block 4. At this time, the valve rod 509 moves accordingly and gradually opens the air passage, allowing the gas in the air chamber 3 to slowly escape, reducing the internal air pressure, making the bite block 2 moderately soft to adapt to the deformation requirements of the material during the stretching process, and preventing structural stress concentration or patient discomfort due to excessive internal air pressure. When the mouthpiece is shortened, the mouthpiece body 1 moves closer to the support block 4, and the valve rod 509 moves in the opposite direction, which can control the partial opening of the air passage to supplement a small amount of air, or completely close it to maintain the current air pressure, ensuring that the bite block 2 maintains appropriate rigidity and enhancing the overall structural stability.

[0025] Through the above mechanism, the synchronous response of mechanical length adjustment and air chamber pressure change is achieved, without the need for additional operation of air valves or use of independent inflation devices, which significantly improves clinical adjustment efficiency and ease of operation. During the adjustment process, medical staff can make real-time fine adjustments based on patient feedback and occlusal stability until the optimal fit is achieved: ensuring that the mouthpiece has sufficient structural rigidity to maintain the three-dimensional spatial positioning accuracy of the head and neck during radiotherapy (error controlled within 1mm), and alleviating fatigue and mucosal pressure caused by prolonged wear through the elastic adjustment of air chamber 3. After adjustment, the lead screw 505 and the support block 4 are fitted with trapezoidal or sawtooth threads, which have good self-locking performance. They can effectively prevent backlash and loosening caused by patient swallowing, breathing or slight occlusal changes without an external locking mechanism, thereby ensuring that the mouthpiece has a high degree of repeatability and consistency in positioning during multiple radiotherapy sessions. In addition, the guide pair composed of telescopic rod 507 and sleeve rod 506 further enhances structural stability and avoids lateral load affecting adjustment accuracy.

[0026] This invention, by setting an adjustment mechanism 5 inside the bite block 2, enables the axial distance adjustment process between the bite block body 1 and the support block 4 to be linked and synchronized with the air pressure adjustment process of the air chamber 3 inside the bite block 2. This significantly improves the ease of use, positioning accuracy, and patient comfort of the bite block in radiotherapy for head and neck tumors. The specific beneficial effects are as follows: When medical personnel rotate the handle 503 to adjust the overall length of the bite block, the rotational motion is transmitted to the lead screw 505 through the rotating block 501, causing the lead screw 505 to generate axial displacement in the threaded hole of the support block 4. This causes the bite block body 1 to slide back and forth relative to the support block 4, achieving precise adjustment of the distance between the bite block body 1 and the support block 4. At the same time, although the control block 502 maintains relative rotational freedom with the rotating block 501 through the bearing, its axial position moves synchronously with the advancement or retraction of the lead screw 505. This, in turn, causes the valve rod 509, which is fixedly connected to it, to slide axially within the trachea 508, changing the flow cross section of the trachea 508 or completely opening or closing the air passage, thereby achieving dynamic adjustment of the air pressure inside the air chamber 3.

[0027] This design establishes a one-to-one correspondence between the mechanical extension and retraction of the mouthpiece body 1 and the air pressure changes in the air chamber 3. It eliminates the need for an additional independent inflation / deflation device, avoiding the cumbersome operation, delayed response, and mismatch issues associated with traditional mouthpieces that require manual adjustment of the air bladder or valve after length adjustment. For example, during the lengthening of the mouthpiece body 1, the material of the bite block 2 is subjected to tensile stress. If the air pressure in the air chamber 3 is too high, it can easily lead to localized hardening, poor fit, or even patient discomfort. This invention, through the synchronous movement of the valve stem 509, can automatically open part of the air passage, allowing the air chamber 3 to slowly depressurize, keeping the bite block 2 soft and moderate, and improving wearing comfort. Conversely, when shortening the mouthpiece body 1, the valve stem 509 can control a small amount of air intake or maintain a seal, preventing a sudden pressure increase in the air chamber 3 due to compression and avoiding impact on the teeth.

[0028] Furthermore, since the lead screw 505 and the support block 4 are threaded together, they have good self-locking performance. After adjustment, no additional tightening is required to stably maintain the set distance between the mouthpiece body 1 and the support block 4, ensuring that the structure does not rebound or deform during treatment. At the same time, the air pressure state of the air chamber 3 is also effectively locked because the valve stem 509 is in a closed or throttling state, ensuring that the mouthpiece 2 maintains constant support stiffness and buffering characteristics throughout the radiotherapy cycle, further improving the repeatability and stability of head and neck positioning. This utility model also uses the guide pair structure composed of the sleeve rod 506 and the telescopic rod 507 to ensure the linear movement of the mouthpiece body 1 during adjustment, preventing uneven loading or jamming, and improving the smoothness and accuracy of adjustment. The anti-slip texture 504 design enhances the operating friction of the handle 503, making it easier for medical personnel to apply force accurately even when wearing gloves, improving the safety and efficiency of clinical operation.

[0029] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0030] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A mouthpiece for radiotherapy of head and neck tumors, characterized in that: The device includes a mouthpiece body, one end of which is provided with a biting block, the inside of which has an air chamber, the other end of which is fixedly provided with a support block, and the inside of which is provided with an adjustment mechanism. When the mouthpiece body adjusts the distance between the mouthpiece body and the support block through the adjustment mechanism, the adjustment mechanism simultaneously adjusts the air pressure in the air chamber inside the mouthpiece.

2. The mouthpiece for head and neck tumor radiotherapy according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjustment mechanism includes a rotating block, which is located on the side of the support block away from the mouthpiece body. A control block is rotatably mounted on the outer side of the rotating block via a bearing.

3. The mouthpiece for head and neck tumor radiotherapy according to claim 2, characterized in that: A handle is fixedly installed on one side of the rotating block, and multiple anti-slip textures are provided on the outer side of the handle. A lead screw is fixedly installed on the other side of the rotating block.

4. The head and neck tumor radiotherapy mouthpiece according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lead screw passes through the support block and extends to the side of the support block near the mouthpiece body. The lead screw is threadedly connected to the support block and is rotatably mounted at one end of the mouthpiece body via a bearing.

5. The mouthpiece for head and neck tumor radiotherapy according to claim 4, characterized in that: Two sleeve rods are fixedly installed on the side of the support block near the mouthpiece body. A telescopic rod is installed inside the sleeve rod. One end of the telescopic rod passes through the sleeve rod and extends to the outside. One end of the telescopic rod is fixedly installed at one end of the mouthpiece body.

6. The head and neck tumor radiotherapy mouthpiece according to claim 5, characterized in that: An air pipe is fixedly installed on the side of the support block near the rotating block. One end of the air pipe passes through the support block and communicates with the air chamber. A valve stem is installed inside the air pipe. One end of the valve stem passes through the air pipe and extends to the other end. One end of the valve stem is fixedly installed on the side of the control block near the support block.

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