Oral appliances

Abstract

To provide oral appliances that can be used to treat sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) ranging from mild to severe. [Solution] One embodiment of an oral appliance for sleep apnea is an oral appliance that is fitted into the user's oral cavity. The oral appliance comprises an upper jaw portion, a lower jaw portion, and a drive unit. The upper jaw portion has a shape that mimics the user's upper teeth and contacts the upper teeth. The lower jaw portion has a shape that mimics the user's lower teeth and contacts the lower teeth. The drive unit connects the upper jaw portion and the lower jaw portion so as to be able to change the relative position of the lower jaw portion with respect to the upper jaw portion, and drives the lower jaw portion. The drive unit has a control circuit that determines whether the user is in a state of apnea based on sensor information obtained from a sensor that detects the user's apnea state, and if the user is in a state of apnea, drives the lower jaw portion toward the user's forward position, and if the user is not in a state of apnea, drives the lower jaw portion to return to the user's resting position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an oral appliance for the treatment of sleep apnea syndrome.

Background Art

[0002] Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS) is a disease in which apnea occurs repeatedly during sleep. Typical symptoms of SAS include snoring, apnea or disorder of breathing, waking up many times at night, headache upon waking up, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, loss of concentration, and deterioration of work efficiency. Daytime sleepiness and decreased work efficiency due to the progression of SAS also affect daily life. Furthermore, SAS may cause complications such as hypertension and diabetes, and if severe SAS continues, it may cause diseases related to life prognosis such as serious arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and stroke.

[0003] In the case of mild SAS, treatment with an oral appliance is possible. As an oral appliance for SAS treatment, an oral appliance called a sleep splint is known. A sleep splint is a mouthpiece for the upper and lower jaws fixed with the lower jaw protruding slightly forward. The lower jaw of a person wearing a sleep splint is fixed in a forward-protruded state. Thereby, the sinking of the tongue during sleep is suppressed, the airway is secured, and normal breathing is maintained even during sleep.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Conventional sleep splints are considered difficult to use for treating more severe sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) than mild cases. This is because the burden they place on the user makes it impossible to fix the mandible forward for extended periods. Considering the burden on the user, it is believed that approximately 10 mm of forward movement is the upper limit for continuous use at night. Since movement of around 10 mm is insufficient to treat moderate to severe SAS, conventional sleep splints are mainly used for treating mild SAS.

[0006] Severe sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). However, CPAP requires continuous mask use at night.

[0007] The embodiment provides an oral appliance that can be applied to the treatment of sleep apnea ranging from mild to severe. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One embodiment of an oral appliance for sleep apnea is an oral appliance worn in the user's oral cavity. The oral appliance comprises an upper jaw portion, a lower jaw portion, and a drive unit. The upper jaw portion has a shape that mimics the user's upper teeth and contacts the upper teeth. The lower jaw portion has a shape that mimics the user's lower teeth and contacts the lower teeth. The drive unit connects the upper jaw portion and the lower jaw portion so as to change the relative position of the lower jaw portion with respect to the upper jaw portion, and drives the lower jaw portion. The drive unit has a control circuit that determines whether the user is in a state of apnea based on sensor information obtained from a sensor that detects the user's apnea state, and if the user is in a state of apnea, drives the lower jaw portion toward the user's forward position, and if the user is not in a state of apnea, drives the lower jaw portion to return to the user's resting position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In one embodiment, an oral appliance is provided that can be applied to the treatment of sleep apnea ranging from mild to severe. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the oral appliance according to this embodiment. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A shows an example of the configuration of the drive mechanism of the drive unit. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B shows an example of the configuration of the drive mechanism of the drive unit. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of a control circuit. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the oral appliance. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of data collected on the terminal. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is an external perspective view of an oral appliance according to an embodiment. The oral appliance 1 shown in Figure 1 is worn in the user's mouth during sleep for the treatment of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). The oral appliance 1 has an upper jaw portion 2, a lower jaw portion 3, and a drive unit 4. The upper jaw portion 2 is constructed by, for example, molding resin to have a curved shape that mimics the upper teeth of a human, and contacts the user's upper teeth when the oral appliance 1 is worn. The lower jaw portion 3 is constructed by, for example, molding resin to have a curved shape that mimics the lower teeth of a human, and contacts the user's lower teeth when the oral appliance 1 is worn. The upper jaw portion 2 and the lower jaw portion 3 can be formed, for example, by taking impressions to fit the upper and lower teeth of a human, respectively. In this embodiment, the lower jaw portion 3 is connected to the upper jaw portion 2 via the drive unit 4 so that it can move relative to the upper jaw portion 2 in the direction of arrow A shown in the figure, either forward or backward. The drive unit 4 is provided on both sides of the oral appliance 1 and includes the housing shown in Figure 1 and a drive mechanism provided inside the housing. Since the oral appliance 1 is intended to be worn in a person's oral cavity, it is desirable that the housing of the drive unit 4 be treated with antibacterial treatment, waterproofing treatment, wear-resistant treatment, etc. Furthermore, the shape of the housing of the drive unit 4 is not limited to the rectangular prism shape shown in Figure 1.

[0012] Figures 2A and 2B show an example configuration of the drive mechanism of the drive unit 4. Figures 2A and 2B show the oral appliance 1 shown in Figure 1 viewed from the right side, respectively. As mentioned above, the drive mechanism is located inside the housing of the drive unit 4. For the purpose of explaining the drive mechanism, the housing is not shown in Figures 2A and 2B. Hereafter, the right direction in Figures 2A and 2B may be referred to as the front of the oral appliance 1, the left direction as the rear of the oral appliance 1, the upward direction as the top of the oral appliance 1, and the downward direction as the bottom of the oral appliance 1.

[0013] The drive mechanism includes a support member 41, a ball screw 42, a motor 43, a support member 44, a support member 45, a support member 46, and a control circuit 47.

[0014] The support member 41 is a substantially L-shaped member having a first portion formed along the lateral portion of the maxilla 2 and a second portion formed downward from the posterior end of the first portion. The first portion of the support member 41 is fixed to the maxilla 2, for example, by a screw 41a. On the other hand, the second portion of the support member 41 is in contact with the mandible 3. The second portion of the support member 41 is held by the mandible 3 so as to be slidable and so as not to separate from the mandible 3.

[0015] The ball screw 42 is supported by a second portion of a support member 41 so that it can rotate around a rotation axis along the front-rear direction. A motor 43 is attached to the ball screw 42 and rotates the ball screw 42 around the rotation axis in response to a drive command from a control circuit 47. The motor 43 is, for example, a stepping motor.

[0016] The support member 44 is a member that extends downward and has a threaded hole, and is attached to the ball screw 42. The support member 44 can move forward or backward as the ball screw 42 rotates. The support member 45 is a member that extends forward and is attached to the support member 44, for example, by a screw. The support member 45 can move forward or backward as the support member 44 moves forward or backward. The support member 46 is a member that extends in the vertical direction and is attached to the support member 45, for example, by a screw, and is fixed to the lower jaw portion 3 by a screw 46a. The support member 46 can move forward or backward together with the lower jaw portion 3 as the support member 44 moves forward or backward.

[0017] The control circuit 47 is a control circuit of the oral appliance 1 including a drive circuit for driving the motor 43.

[0018] With the above configuration, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the oral appliance 1 is configured to be able to change the relative position in the front-rear direction of the oral appliance 1 between the upper jaw portion 2 and the lower jaw portion 3. For example, the initial state of the relative position in the front-rear direction of the oral appliance 1 between the upper jaw portion 2 and the lower jaw portion 3 is a resting position state where the relative position in the front-rear direction of the oral appliance 1 between the upper jaw portion 2 and the lower jaw portion 3 is the same position, as shown in FIG. 2A. In the state of FIG. 2A, even when the oral appliance 1 is worn in the oral cavity during the user's sleep, the burden on the user is small. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2B, in a state where the lower jaw portion 3 protrudes forward in the direction of arrow A with respect to the upper jaw portion 2, the user's lower jaw also protrudes forward. As the user's lower jaw protrudes forward, the root of the tongue is pulled forward, thereby suppressing the sinking of the root of the tongue and securing the airway. As a result, the apnea state is alleviated. However, continuously protruding the lower jaw portion 3 forward for a long time increases the burden on the user. Therefore, in the embodiment, the lower jaw portion 3 is driven forward only when necessary, thereby achieving both the alleviation of the user's apnea state and the reduction of the burden on the user.

[0019] Here, as described above, the configurations of FIGS. 2A and 2B are examples. The embodiments can be applied to an oral appliance having a drive mechanism of any configuration that can relatively move the lower jaw portion 3 with respect to the upper jaw portion 2 by a motor or the like.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an example of the control circuit 47. An example of the control circuit 47 includes a processor 471, a memory 472, a drive circuit 473, a wireless circuit 474, an antenna 475, a switch 476, a power supply circuit 477, and a power supply 478.

[0021] The processor 471 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls each circuit of the control circuit 47 such as the drive circuit 473 and the wireless circuit 474. Here, the processor 471 is not limited to the CPU. Also, an ASIC (Application Specific IC) or the like may be used instead of the processor.

[0022] The memory 472 is, for example, a semiconductor memory that stores programs for controlling each circuit of the control circuit 47 executed by the processor 471 and various parameters necessary for controlling each circuit. The parameters may include, for example, the driving amount of the motor 43, that is, the driving amount of the lower jaw portion 3. Also, the parameters may include the ID of the oral appliance 1 or the like.

[0023] The drive circuit 473 is a drive circuit for driving the motor 43. An example of the drive circuit 473 includes a pulse generation circuit or the like that generates a drive pulse for driving the motor according to a motor drive command from the processor 471.

[0024] The wireless circuit 474 is a circuit that performs wireless processing for the control circuit 47 to communicate with external devices of the oral appliance 1. The external devices include, for example, an apnea sensor 100 and a terminal 200. The wireless circuit 474 converts various data generated in the control circuit 47 into wireless signals and transmits the wireless signals from the antenna 475. The wireless circuit 474 also extracts data from the wireless signals received from the antenna 475 and transfers the extracted data to the processor 471. The wireless circuit 474 may be, but is not limited to, a wireless circuit compliant with the Bluetooth® Low Energy standard. The antenna 475 may be, but is not limited to, a chip antenna. Here, the control circuit 47 may have transmitting and receiving electrodes for human body communication instead of the wireless circuit 474 and the antenna 475. In this case, the control circuit 47 can communicate with the user between its own transmitting and receiving electrodes and transmitting and receiving electrodes attached to the user's face.

[0025] Switch 476 is, for example, the power switch for the control circuit 47. Switch 476 may also include switches other than the power switch, such as a drive speed setting switch for the motor 43. Furthermore, as will be explained later, if a wireless power supply circuit is used as the power supply 478, the power to the control circuit 47 may be determined to be turned on when wireless power supply begins. In this case, the power switch as switch 476 may be omitted.

[0026] The power supply circuit 477 includes a transformer circuit that converts the power supply voltage supplied from the power supply 478 into a voltage suitable for each circuit of the control circuit 47. The power supply 478 is, for example, a secondary battery loaded into the control circuit 47. The secondary battery, which serves as the power supply 478, may be installed outside the user's mouth. In this case, the power supply 478 can be electrically connected to the power supply circuit 477 via wiring from outside the user's mouth to inside the oral cavity. Furthermore, the power supply 478 does not necessarily have to be a battery. Various wireless power supply circuits utilizing electromagnetic induction or the like may be used as the power supply 478. For example, in the case of electromagnetic induction, the power supply 478 may be, for example, a secondary coil that receives a magnetic field from a primary coil attached to the user's face.

[0027] The apnea sensor 100 is a sensor that detects the user's apnea state. In this embodiment, the apnea sensor 100 is equipped with a wireless circuit and can transmit various detected data to the wireless circuit 474 of the control circuit 47. The apnea sensor 100 may be any sensor capable of detecting the user's apnea state. For example, the apnea sensor 100 may be a flow sensor attached to the nose and mouth that detects the user's apnea state based on the state of airflow in the user's nose and mouth. Alternatively, the apnea sensor 100 may be a pulse oximeter attached to the user's fingertip that detects the user's apnea state based on the oxygen saturation of the user's arterial blood. In addition, the apnea sensor 100 may be a sensor that detects the user's apnea state using a human presence sensor, a camera, etc. Furthermore, the apnea sensor 100 may be a sensor that combines the sensors described above.

[0028] Terminal 200 is a wireless communication device owned by the user, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. A control application for the oral appliance 1 may be installed on terminal 200. Based on information transmitted from the wireless circuit 474 of the oral appliance 1 to terminal 200, the control application for the oral appliance 1 calculates the amount of mandibular protrusion required to alleviate the user's apnea, i.e., the amount of drive of the mandibular portion 3, and causes the processor of terminal 200 to execute a process to transmit the calculated amount of drive to the oral appliance 1. Terminal 200 may be configured to communicate with a server (not shown). In this case, terminal 200 may also transmit information acquired from the oral appliance 1 to the server.

[0029] The operation of the oral appliance 1 in the embodiment will be described below. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the oral appliance 1. Prior to the process shown in Figure 4, the user turns on the power switch of the oral appliance 1, then places the oral appliance 1 in their mouth and goes to sleep.

[0030] In step S1, the processor 471 determines whether the power to the control circuit 47 is turned on or not. If it is determined in step S1 that the power to the control circuit 47 is not turned on, the process shown in Figure 4 ends. If it is determined in step S1 that the power to the control circuit 47 is turned on, the process proceeds to step S2.

[0031] In step S2, the processor 471 acquires sensor information from the apnea sensor 100 to determine whether or not the user is experiencing apnea. The apnea sensor 100 performs measurements, for example, at regular intervals, for example, every 30 seconds, and transmits the data obtained as a result of the measurements to the control circuit 47 as sensor information. The processor 471 acquires the sensor information received by the wireless circuit 474 via the antenna 475 at regular intervals. The sensor information for determining whether or not the user is experiencing apnea is flow rate if the apnea sensor 100 is a flow sensor, or oxygen saturation if it is a pulse oximeter.

[0032] In step S3, the processor 471 determines whether the user is experiencing apnea based on sensor information obtained from the apnea sensor 100. For example, if the flow rate remains below a threshold for a predetermined period of time, or if the oxygen saturation remains below a threshold for a predetermined period of time, the user is determined to be experiencing apnea. If the user is determined to be experiencing apnea in step S3, the process proceeds to step S4. If the user is determined not to be experiencing apnea in step S3, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0033] In step S4, the processor 471 inputs a drive command for the motor 43 to the drive circuit 473, causing the motor 43 to rotate and thus protrude the mandible 3 forward as shown in Figure 2B. The amount of drive of the mandible 3 is the relative position change of the mandible 3 with respect to the maxilla 2, and may be a predetermined amount such as 15 mm, or an amount specified by the terminal 200. The amount of drive of the mandible 3 can be set, for example, between 7 mm and 20 mm. If the amount of drive is specified by the terminal 200, the specified amount of drive is stored as a parameter in the memory 472.

[0034] In step S5, the processor 471 transmits the sensor information acquired from the apnea sensor 100 and the amount of movement of the mandible 3 to the terminal 200 via the wireless circuit 474. The process then proceeds to step S8.

[0035] In step S6, the processor 471 rotates the motor 43 by inputting a drive command to the drive circuit 473, thereby returning the mandibular portion 3 to the rear. After S, the process proceeds to step S7. The mandibular portion 3 may be returned to the initial state shown in Figure 2A, that is, until the user's mandible is returned to a resting position. Alternatively, the mandibular portion 3 may be returned to a position of about 7-8 mm from the initial state.

[0036] In step S7, the processor 471 transmits the sensor information obtained from the apnea sensor 100, along with the ID of the oral appliance 1 and the current date and time, to the terminal 200 via the wireless circuit 474. The process then proceeds to step S8.

[0037] In step S8, the processor 471 determines whether the power to the control circuit 47 has been turned off. For example, a user who has woken up removes the oral appliance 1 from their mouth and turns off the power switch of the oral appliance 1. As a result, the processor 471 determines that the power to the control circuit 47 has been turned off. If it is determined in step S8 that the power to the control circuit 47 has not been turned off, the process returns to step S2. If it is determined in step S8 that the power to the control circuit 47 has been turned off, the process in Figure 4 ends.

[0038] As described above, according to the embodiment, an oral appliance is fitted into the user's oral cavity, in which the mandibular portion is attached so as to be able to change its relative position to the maxilla. The mandibular portion is moved forward only when the user's apnea state is detected, and when the user's apnea state is not detected, the mandibular portion is moved backward until the user's mandible returns to a resting position.

[0039] In general sleep splints, the maximum forward protrusion of the mandible is considered to be around 10 mm. This is because the burden on the user makes it impossible to fix the mandible forward for extended periods. In mild cases of sleep apnea, a mandibular protrusion of about 7-8 mm is usually required to alleviate apnea, so general sleep splints can be used for mild cases of sleep apnea. However, while greater mandibular protrusion makes it easier to maintain an open airway, it also places a greater burden on the user. For this reason, general sleep splints are less effective in treating severe sleep apnea than in mild cases.

[0040] In contrast, in this embodiment, the mandibular portion 3 can be projected forward only when the patient is apnea. Since the projection is only for a short time, the burden on the user can be minimized. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to achieve mandibular projections of 15 mm or more, which are difficult to achieve with conventional sleep splints. As a result, the oral appliance according to this embodiment can be expected to be applicable to the treatment of sleep apnea ranging from mild to severe cases.

[0041] (Variation 1) Modifications of the embodiment are described below. In the embodiment, the support member 44 attached to the ball screw 42 may be configured to be pre-biased by an elastic member such as rubber and a spring.

[0042] For example, in the initial state shown in Figure 2A, a spring may be attached between the motor 43 and the support member 44 in an extended state so as to apply a forward biasing force to the support member 44, while being fixed so as not to compress. In such a configuration, when the mandible 3 is driven forward, the motor 43 is rotated and the spring is released. It is expected that the spring will compress due to the release of the spring's fixation and the motor 43 will rotate, causing the support member 44, i.e., the mandible 3, to be driven forward in a short time.

[0043] Alternatively, for example, the initial state may be as shown in Figure 2B, with a compressed spring attached between the motor 43 and the support member 44 so as to apply a rearward biasing force to the support member 44, while being fixed so as not to stretch. In such a configuration, when the mandible 3 is driven backward, the motor 43 is rotated and the spring is released. It is expected that the extension of the spring due to the release of the spring's fixation and the rotation of the motor 43 will drive the support member 44, i.e., the mandible 3, backward in a short time.

[0044] (Modification 2) In diagnosing sleep apnea syndrome (SAS), the severity is determined by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), which is the number of apneas and hypopneas per hour of sleep. Specifically, an AHI of less than 5 / hr indicates no SAS; an AHI of 5 / hr ≤ AHI < 20 / hr indicates mild SAS; an AHI of 20 / hr ≤ AHI < 40 / hr indicates moderate SAS; and an AHI of 40 / hr or more indicates severe SAS.

[0045] In this embodiment, sensor information measured by the apnea sensor 100 is sequentially transmitted from the oral appliance 1 to the terminal 200. As a result, the terminal 200 accumulates time-series sensor information for each oral appliance, as shown in Figure 5. Therefore, the terminal 200 may calculate the AHI from the time-series collected sensor information and make a simple diagnosis of the degree of sleep apnea from the calculated AHI. The terminal 200 may then calculate the amount of mandibular movement required for the user to alleviate the apnea state from the diagnosed degree of sleep apnea and notify the control circuit 47 of the oral appliance 1 of the calculated amount of movement. For example, the terminal 200 may calculate the amount of mandibular movement of the

[0046] In reality, it is assumed that there will be individual differences in the alleviation of apnea. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the amount of drive of the mandibular portion 3 for each oral appliance is also transmitted to the terminal 200. The terminal 200 can then determine from the sensor information whether or not the apnea has been resolved with the notified amount of drive of the mandibular portion 3, and may estimate the optimal amount of drive for each user by correcting the amount of drive: increasing the amount of drive if the apnea has not been resolved, and decreasing the amount of drive if the apnea has been resolved. The correction amount may be, for example, about 1-2 mm. By determining the amount of drive in this way, it is expected that the mandibular portion 3 will be driven with the minimum amount of drive necessary to resolve the apnea. By driving the mandibular portion 3 with such an amount of drive, it is expected that the burden on the user will be reduced while the user's apnea will be resolved.

[0047] Here, the minimum amount of drive required to resolve the apnea state may be estimated not by the simple method described above, but by a regression model that regressively calculates the minimum amount of drive required to resolve the apnea state from the relationship between the amount of drive of the user's mandible 3 of the oral appliance 1 and the sensor information of the apnea state sensor 100. Furthermore, the minimum amount of drive required to resolve the apnea state may also be estimated using a trained machine learning model that regressively estimates the minimum amount of drive required to resolve the apnea state using the user's physical data and the relationship between the amount of drive of the user's mandible 3 of the oral appliance 1 and the sensor information of the apnea state sensor 100 shown in Figure 5 as training data, and the user's name, etc., as input.

[0048] Furthermore, the operation of Modification Example 1 is said to be performed at terminal 200. In contrast, the same operation as in Modification Example 1 may be performed by the processor 471 of the control circuit 47.

[0049] (Variation 3) At terminal 200, time-series data showing the relationship between the amount of movement of the mandibular portion 3 of the oral appliance 1 and the sensor information from the apnea sensor 100 is collected, as shown in Figure 5. As explained in Modification 2, it is possible to determine from the sensor information whether or not the user is experiencing apnea. Furthermore, it is possible to determine from the amount of movement of the mandibular portion 3 whether or not the user's apnea has been alleviated by the movement of the mandibular portion 3. The relationship between the amount of movement of the mandibular portion 3 and the sensor information from the apnea sensor 100 for a large number of users is expected to be used as data for creating upper and lower jaw integrated or upper and lower jaw separate sleep splints that do not have a drive unit 4. Thus, the oral appliance 1 can be used not only as an intraoral device for treating SAS in users, but also as a measuring device for creating sleep splints. Here, the data on the relationship between the amount of movement of the mandibular portion 3 and the sensor information from the apnea sensor 100 for a large number of users may be managed not at terminal 200, but on a server that can communicate with terminal 200. In this case, the oral appliance 1 may be configured to communicate directly with the server.

[0050] (Other variations) The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways during implementation without departing from its essence. Furthermore, each embodiment may be combined as appropriate, and in that case, the combined effects can be obtained. Moreover, the above embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by selecting combinations from the multiple constituent elements disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and effects obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment, then the configuration with these deleted constituent elements can be extracted as an invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1 Oral appliance, 2 Maxillary part, 3 Mandibular part, 4 Drive unit, 41 Support member, 41a Screw, 42 Ball screw, 43 Motor, 44 Support member, 45 Support member, 46 Support member, 46a Screw, 47 Control circuit, 100 Apnea sensor, 200 Terminal, 471 Processor, 472 Memory, 473 Drive circuit, 474 Wireless circuit, 475 Antenna, 476 Switch, 477 Power supply circuit, 478 Power supply.

Claims

1. An oral appliance that is fitted into the user's mouth, Having a shape that mimics the user's upper teeth, and comprising an upper jaw portion that contacts the upper teeth, Having a shape that mimics the user's lower teeth, and a mandibular portion that contacts the lower teeth, A drive unit connects the upper jaw and the lower jaw so as to be able to change the relative position of the lower jaw with respect to the upper jaw, and drives the lower jaw. It is equipped with, The aforementioned drive unit is Based on sensor information obtained from a sensor that detects the user's apnea state, it is determined whether or not the user is experiencing apnea. If the user is in a state of apnea, the mandible is driven forward toward the user; if the user is not in a state of apnea, the mandible is driven to return to the user's resting position. Having a control circuit, Oral appliances.

2. The drive unit further includes a wireless circuit that transmits the sensor information and the amount of drive of the mandible to an external device. The oral appliance according to claim 1.

3. The amount of movement of the mandible is 15 mm. The oral appliance according to claim 1.

4. The control circuit is configured to operate by wireless power transfer. The oral appliance according to claim 1.

5. The amount of drive of the mandible is estimated based on the sensor information. The oral appliance according to claim 1.

6. The amount of movement of the mandible is estimated based on whether or not the user is in a state of apnea when the mandible is moved forward of the user. The oral appliance according to claim 1.

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