Device for measuring the wearing time of removable orthodontic appliances

Abstract

Encourage the proper fitting of removable orthodontic appliances. [Solution] An attachment part for attaching to a removable orthodontic appliance, A removable orthodontic appliance fitting time measuring device is used to measure the time the removable orthodontic appliance is fitted to a subject when the removable orthodontic appliance is fitted to the subject's oral cavity, the fitting sensing unit having one or more of the following: (1) a saliva detection unit which is a part that detects the subject's saliva, (2) a pressure sensing unit for detecting pressure, and (3) a position sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a device for measuring the wearing time of a removable orthodontic appliance.

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent No. 6986254 describes a removable orthodontic appliance. It is desirable for users of the removable orthodontic appliance to wear it for an appropriate period of time. For this reason, a system that can easily measure the wearing time of the removable orthodontic appliance has been desired.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of this invention is to provide a device that enables objectively measuring the time for which a subject wears a removable orthodontic appliance.

[0005] Another object of this invention is to provide a device for measuring the wearing time of a removable orthodontic appliance that allows a subject to use the device with interest.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] Basically, this invention is based on the finding that a device for measuring the wearing time of a removable orthodontic appliance having a wearing detection unit including any one or two or more of (1) a saliva detection unit, (2) a pressure sensing unit, and (3) a position sensor enables objectively and easily measuring the time for which a subject wears the removable orthodontic appliance.

[0007] This invention is based on the realization that a removable orthodontic appliance can be used in games and applications, and that by having a mechanism that can detect from the outside when the appliance comes off the user, it is possible to provide a device for measuring the wearing time of a removable orthodontic appliance that allows the user to use the appliance with interest.

[0008] The first invention relates to a device for measuring the wearing time of a removable orthodontic appliance. This device has a fitting section and a fitting sensing section. The attachment part is an element for attaching this device to a removable orthodontic appliance. The fitting detection unit is an element that detects whether a removable orthodontic appliance is fitted to a person when the removable orthodontic appliance is fitted to the person's oral cavity. The attachment sensing unit includes one or more of the following: (1) a saliva detection unit which is a part that detects the subject's saliva, (2) a pressure sensing unit for detecting pressure, and (3) a position sensor.

[0009] Another invention, separate from the above, relates to a removable orthodontic appliance inspection system. The removable orthodontic appliance inspection system includes the above-described apparatus and is a system for determining whether or not a removable orthodontic appliance is fitted to a subject, or for calculating the duration for which the removable orthodontic appliance has been fitted to a subject. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] This invention enables the objective and easy measurement of the time a person wears a removable orthodontic appliance by having a fitting detection unit that includes one or more of the following: (1) a saliva detection unit, (2) a pressure sensing unit, and (3) a position sensor.

[0011] One aspect of this invention can detect whether a removable orthodontic appliance has been worn for an appropriate amount of time. The data associated with this detection can then be used in games or applications, thereby providing a removable orthodontic appliance wearing time measuring device that allows users to use the device with interest. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a patch-type device having a saliva detection unit. Figure 1(a) is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the device of the present invention at the start of use. Figure 1(b) is a conceptual diagram showing an example where the subject wears the device of the present invention for a period of time not exceeding the target wearing time. Figure 1(c) is a conceptual diagram showing an example where the subject wears the device of the present invention for a period exceeding the target wearing time. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing how the device of the present invention is attached to a removable orthodontic appliance. Note that the device shown is a simplified version, a part of a removable orthodontic appliance, and does not represent the entire orthodontic appliance. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example where, if a subject continues to wear a removable orthodontic appliance, the saliva detection unit changes, and the identification image printed on the substrate gradually becomes visible. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of how the present invention system can be used. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the management screen of the system of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of how the system of the present invention can be used. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a photograph, which serves as an alternative to a diagram, showing the changes that occur when the obtained film is brought into contact with saliva or water. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The following describes a device for measuring the wearing time of a removable orthodontic appliance. The device for measuring the wearing time of a removable orthodontic appliance (the device of the present invention) is a device that enables a person to measure the amount of time they wear a removable orthodontic appliance. The device of the present invention may measure the wearing time itself, or the person or system may assist in measuring the wearing time. The device of the present invention is basically attached to a removable orthodontic appliance and placed in the oral cavity of the person.

[0014] A removable orthodontic device means a removable dental orthodontic device as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6986254. The removable orthodontic device may be one that can be attached or embedded with the device of the present invention as long as it can be worn. This invention can be applied to known removable orthodontic devices that can be installed in the oral cavity of the subject. Examples of orthodontic devices in removable orthodontic devices include mouthpiece-type orthodontic devices (aligners, positioners), retention mouthpieces (clear retainers), floor orthodontic devices, bite raising plates, bite inclined planes, bite jumping appliances, activators, bionators, function regulators, bio blocks, expansion floors, twin blocks, Hawley retainers, Beg retainers, spring retainers, etc.

[0015] The device of the present invention has a mounting portion and a mounting sensing portion. The mounting portion is an element for mounting the device of the present invention on a removable orthodontic device. The device of the present invention may be attached to the removable orthodontic device by the mounting portion. The device of the present invention may be, for example, seal-shaped. The device of the present invention may be attached to the removable orthodontic device, or the device of the present invention may be integrally formed with the removable orthodontic device at the stage of manufacturing the removable orthodontic device. In this case, a part of the removable orthodontic device functions as a part for attaching the device of the present invention to the removable orthodontic device, so a part of the removable orthodontic device functions as the mounting portion.

[0016] Next, a patch-type device of the present invention will be described. In this case, an example of the attachment part 3 is one having a base material and an adhesive layer. The attachment part may be a so-called seal. The adhesive layer may be covered with a coating layer, and the coating layer may be peeled off when in use. Examples of base materials are film, paper, and substrate. Known films (e.g., PET film, PP film, polyurethane film) can be used as appropriate. It is preferable to use a flexible film. However, from the viewpoint that the device of the present invention will not have adverse effects on the body even if accidentally ingested by the target person, it is preferable to use alginate film, casein film, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose film, cellulose film, pullulan film, gelatin film, Japanese paper, and paper as the base material. Considering strength and biocompatibility, it is preferable to use a high-strength alginate film (e.g., calcium alginate film) or polyurethane film as the base material. Alginate film can be made by appropriately mixing a salt of alginate with a secondary material that has excellent biocompatibility, such as glycerin. Polyurethane films are also used in orthodontic materials, and are useful because they have biocompatibility and high dimensional stability even in contact with saliva. The size and thickness of the substrate can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the application. An example of a substrate area is 0.5 cm². 2 More than 10cm 2 The following is 1cm 2 More than 50cm 2 The following are also acceptable: The shape of the base material may be circular, oval, egg-shaped, rectangular, a rectangle with rounded corners, or the outline of a character.

[0017] The adhesive layer only needs to have a certain adhesive force. If the base material itself has adhesiveness, the base material will also serve as the adhesive layer, and thus there is no need to provide a separate adhesive layer. Known materials can be appropriately used as the adhesive layer. Examples of the material for the adhesive layer include acrylic adhesives, dextrin adhesives, gum arabic, pullulan adhesives, alginate adhesives, and gelatin adhesives. As the material for the adhesive layer, those that do not cause adverse effects to the body even if a person accidentally eats the device of the present invention (for example, dextrin adhesives, alginate adhesives, and gelatin adhesives) are preferred. The coating layer covers the adhesive layer and only needs to be removable during use.

[0018] The wearing detection unit is an element for detecting that the removable orthodontic device is worn by the subject when the removable orthodontic device is worn in the subject's oral cavity. The wearing detection unit may also be configured to detect that the device of the present invention has come off the removable orthodontic device. As described above, the person who detects may be the subject, a third party other than the subject, or another device having a photographing unit or the like.

[0019] Examples of the wearing detection unit include (1) a saliva detection unit that is a site for detecting the subject's saliva, (2) a pressure sensing unit for detecting pressure, and (3) any one or two or more of position sensors. In addition to these, known sensors may be appropriately used as the wearing detection unit.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an example of an adhesive-type device having a saliva detection unit. FIG. 1(a) is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the device of the present invention at the start of use. FIG. 1(b) is a conceptual diagram showing an example when the subject wears the device of the present invention for a wearing time that has not reached the target wearing time. FIG. 1(c) is a conceptual diagram showing an example when the subject wears the device of the present invention for a time longer than the target wearing time. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing how the device of the present invention is attached to a removable orthodontic device (partially shown). FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an example in which when the subject continues to wear the removable orthodontic device, the saliva detection unit changes and the identification image printed on the base material can be gradually visually recognized.

[0021] In the example shown in Figure 1, the removable orthodontic appliance fitting time measuring device 1 uses a sealing material printed with a QR code (registered trademark) as the base material 3, a saliva reaction layer 5a is formed on the base material 3, and a time adjustment layer 5b is formed so as to cover the saliva reaction layer 5a. The saliva reaction layer 5a and the time adjustment layer 5b are elements for sensing that the removable orthodontic appliance is fitted to the subject, and therefore function as a fitting sensing unit 5. The base material 3 supports the fitting sensing unit 5. An example of the base material 3 is a polyurethane film. An example of the saliva reaction layer 5a is a layer that becomes more transparent when it reacts with saliva. A specific example of the saliva reaction layer 5a is a starch material layer that has undergone an iodine-starch reaction. As a base material for film molding of the saliva reaction layer 5a, a film can be made by mixing starch and sodium alginate, drying the film, and then crosslinking it with calcium chloride to produce a film that does not dissolve even when in contact with moisture. Such a saliva reaction layer 5a is initially colored, but as it reacts with saliva, the starch decomposes and decolorizes, making the underlying substrate 3 visible. The reaction time may be adjusted by adjusting the film thickness and composition of the saliva reaction layer 5a. In other words, the film thickness and composition of the saliva reaction layer 5a may be adjusted so that the time the device of the present invention is attached to the subject is approximately the same as the decomposition and dissolution time of the saliva reaction layer 5a. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 1, a time adjustment layer 5b may be formed to cover the saliva reaction layer 5a. The time adjustment layer 5b may be a polyvinyl alcohol, acrylic resin, dextrin resin, gum arabic, pullulan resin, alginic acid resin, or gelatin resin layer. Furthermore, the time adjustment layer 5b may be an alginic acid film, casein film, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose film, cellulose film, pullulan film, or gelatin film. In addition, the time adjustment layer 5b may have a structure that includes a porous polyurethane film.

[0022] In the example shown in Figure 1, when the device 1 of the present invention is attached to a removable orthodontic appliance 9, or when a person wears a removable orthodontic appliance with the device of the present invention attached, the saliva reaction layer 5a and the time adjustment layer 5b are present, so the identification image (QR code®) 7 printed on the base material is not visible (Figure 1(a). On the other hand, after a predetermined time has elapsed, in the example of Figure 1, the time adjustment layer 5b dissolves, exposing the saliva reaction layer 5a. The material and thickness of the time adjustment layer 5b should be designed so that the time it takes for the time adjustment layer 5b to dissolve is a predetermined time. In the example of Figure 1, the identification image (QR code®) 7 printed on the base material is covered by the saliva reaction layer 5a and is not visible. However, the saliva reaction layer 5a may be semi-transparent, and the identification image (QR code®) printed on the base material may be visible, albeit not completely. In the example of Figure 1, when the intended wearing time When the device of the present invention is worn by a subject for a certain period of time or longer, the saliva reaction layer 5a dissolves due to saliva or the like. This exposes the identification image (QR code®) printed on the substrate. In this state, the subject, a third party, and a measuring device can fully see the identification image (QR code®). In this example, it can be said that when the removable orthodontic appliance is worn by a subject for a predetermined time or longer, the wearing detection unit changes to a state in which it can detect the identification image printed on the substrate or the identification image that will be displayed on the wearing detection unit. In this example as well, for example, the subject or a third party can evaluate the wearing time of the removable orthodontic appliance as ○ (Figure 1(c)), △ (Figure 1(b)), × (Figure 1(a)). However, a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as will be described later, is to photograph the identification image (QR code®) and process it using a computer.

[0023] Another example, different from the one shown in Figure 1, is one in which a material that becomes transparent when it reacts with components contained in saliva (e.g., enzymes such as amylase) is used as the saliva reaction layer 5a. Alternatively, an identification image (QR code®) may be drawn on the saliva reaction layer 5a itself, and the identification image (QR code®) may be visible only for a predetermined period of time. Such an identification image can be drawn, for example, by forming a layer mainly composed of starch and adding iodine only to the necessary parts.

[0024] Next, an example of a fitting sensing unit having a pressure sensing unit for detecting pressure will be described. Examples of pressure sensing units include pressure sensors and strain gauges. Conceptually, these sensors can be installed in positions such as 5a in Figure 1. Then, the sensors can measure the pressure between the removable orthodontic appliance and the device of the present invention. The measurement data measured by the sensor may be output as a wireless signal by a wireless unit in the pressure sensing unit. The output measurement data can be received by a receiving device having a receiving unit, and various analyses can be performed. An example of a receiving device is a mobile terminal (smartphone). Pressure sensors in the oral cavity are known, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7700965. The receiving device, such as a mobile terminal, has an analysis processor that analyzes the fitting status of the removable orthodontic appliance based on the measurement data and determines the time the subject wore the removable orthodontic appliance.

[0025] Next, an example of a device where the fitting detection unit is a position sensor will be described. The position sensor outputs information regarding the position of the position sensor itself. The position sensor may use a combination of a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope, and a proximity sensor as appropriate. Conceptually, the position sensor may be installed in a position such as 5a in Figure 1. Then, the sensor can measure the position of the device of the present invention. The position data measured by the sensor may be output as a wireless signal by the wireless unit of the position sensor. The output position data can be received by a receiving device having a receiving unit, and various analyses can be performed. An example of a receiving device is a mobile terminal (smartphone). Position sensors in the oral cavity are known, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7700965. The receiving device, such as a mobile terminal, has an analysis processor that analyzes the fitting status of the removable orthodontic appliance based on the position data and determines the time the subject wore the removable orthodontic appliance.

[0026] The wear detection unit may have two or more of the above-described measurement systems. Furthermore, the wear detection unit may also have a temperature sensor. However, the inventors' experiments showed that a temperature sensor-based wear time detection system had a higher probability of misjudgment compared to the wear detection unit described above. This is thought to be because the temperature sensor is affected by various factors, such as the effects of the subject eating or drinking.

[0027] Next, the removable orthodontic appliance inspection system (the system of the present invention) will be described. The system of the present invention includes the apparatus of the present invention as one element. The system of the present invention is used to determine whether or not a removable orthodontic appliance is fitted to a subject, or to calculate the duration for which the removable orthodontic appliance has been fitted to a subject. The system of the present invention performs various processes using a computer.

[0028] A computer has an input unit, an output unit, a control unit, an arithmetic unit, and a memory unit, and each element is connected by a bus or the like to enable the exchange of information. For example, the memory unit may store a control program or various kinds of information. When predetermined information is input from the input unit, the control unit reads the control program stored in the memory unit. The control unit then reads the information stored in the memory unit as appropriate and transmits it to the arithmetic unit. The control unit also transmits the input information to the arithmetic unit as appropriate. The arithmetic unit performs calculations using the received information and stores it in the memory unit. The control unit reads the calculation results stored in the memory unit and outputs them from the output unit. In this way, various processes and steps are executed. Each unit and each means is responsible for executing these various processes. A computer may have a processor, and the processor may implement various functions and steps. A computer may be standalone. A computer may have some of its functions distributed between a server and terminals. In that case, it is preferable that the server and terminals can exchange information via a network such as the internet or an intranet. A computer may include a processor and memory connected to the processor. The memory may store instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the computer to perform various processes or to function as various components. The computer may build a learning model by providing various training data and perform various calculations through machine learning. In this case, the computer may perform various analyses and interpretations using the learning model created by AI (artificial intelligence) machine learning and deep learning.

[0029] A computer typically has a display unit (not shown in the illustration). The display unit is an element used to display various types of information based on the computer. A monitor or display, which is a type of computer output unit, or a smartphone's touch panel, functions as a display unit. The display unit may also be a projector.

[0030] Next, an example of the system of the present invention having an imaging unit will be described. This example includes the apparatus of the present invention described above and a mobile terminal (smartphone). However, the imaging unit may be installed inside the oral cavity. The camera of the smartphone functions as the imaging unit. Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of the use of the system of the present invention. The subject or a third party takes a picture of a removable orthodontic appliance that has been installed inside the oral cavity or temporarily removed from the oral cavity with a smartphone. At that time, the area including the apparatus of the present invention is photographed. If the removable orthodontic appliance has not been worn by the subject for a predetermined time or longer (as in Figure 1(a)), the image taken by the smartphone may be processed as appropriate and analyzed by the smartphone or computer, or the necessary information may be transmitted to a server and the server may perform the analysis. The system of the present invention (smartphone or server) analyzes the wearing status of the removable orthodontic appliance based on the image information. Then, if the system of the present invention determines that the removable orthodontic appliance has not been worn for a predetermined time or longer, it outputs information for the smartphone or computer to display prompting the wearer to put it on. Then, information prompting the wearer to put on the removable orthodontic appliance is displayed on the display unit of the subject's terminal (smartphone or computer). On the other hand, if the system of the present invention determines that the removable orthodontic device has been worn for a predetermined time or longer, it may process the system so that information to that effect is displayed on the display of the user's terminal, or it may process the system so that rewards or points used in games or other information systems are issued. In this way, the user's attachment to the system can be increased. An example of a reward for a game is information about the development data or parameters of a character in the game. The system of the present invention may not only determine the state in which the removable orthodontic device is worn by the user, but may also use the information regarding the state in which the removable orthodontic device is worn by the user to determine the duration of the wear of the removable orthodontic device. Such calculations can be realized by having a clock unit that determines the start time and end time of wearing the device.

[0031] Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the management screen of the system of the present invention. The example in Figure 5 allows the user's daily wearing status of removable orthodontic appliances to be displayed on the display unit of a personal computer or a mobile device. Furthermore, it is preferable to make the application a web application so that the information displayed on these is automatically reflected to the orthodontist.

[0032] Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of the use of the system of the present invention. First, the user registers basic information (such as username) in the system. When the user places the removable orthodontic appliance fitted with the device of the present invention in their oral cavity, they remove the removable orthodontic appliance at any time and photograph the removable orthodontic appliance (the area including the device of the present invention) with their terminal. This is as shown in the example in Figure 3. The system automatically registers the information analyzed by the system of the present invention from the image of the removable orthodontic appliance (the area including the device of the present invention) photographed by the user into a calendar. This provides motivation for using the system every day. Examples of the analyzed information include information on whether the system was used and evaluation information (which may be displayed using color coding or patterns) on whether the removable orthodontic appliance was worn for the intended time. In this example of the system, tapping on a specific past date allows the image (or compressed image) of the removable orthodontic appliance (the area including the device of the present invention) taken on that day to be displayed on the mobile terminal's display along with the date and time of shooting. Furthermore, this system allows information on the time the removable orthodontic appliance was worn to be used as points in the corresponding game. In this example, points are awarded based on the user's evaluation of wearing the removable orthodontic appliance, and these points can be used to develop the character or purchase items for the character. This fosters a sense of attachment to the system. In particular, if the user is a child, they may have difficulty wearing the removable orthodontic appliance for the appropriate amount of time, but this system can provide motivation for them to wear the appliance for the correct amount of time.

[0033] If the fitting detection unit is a pressure detection unit or a position sensor, the system of the present invention may also include a fitting information receiving unit and a fitting time calculation unit. The fitting information receiving unit is for receiving fitting information from the fitting detection unit, which is information regarding whether or not the removable orthodontic device is being fitted to the subject. The fitting information includes pressure information, position information, and information regarding changes and transitions thereto. The system of the present invention may determine that the removable orthodontic device has come off the subject when the pressure decreases, or when the position changes. The fitting time calculation unit will determine the time the removable orthodontic device is fitted to the subject based on the fitting information received by the fitting information receiving unit.

[0034] The system of the present invention may include non-volatile memory and volatile memory as storage units for storing received mounting information, timestamps, calculation results, etc. The system of the present invention may also have a clock unit (real-time clock). The clock unit is a time source that provides time information and gives a reference time when calculating the mounting time. The system of the present invention may have an interface as an output unit / communication unit for transmitting notifications of calculated mounting time and status changes to an external terminal (smartphone, etc.) or a management server. The present invention may have device firmware. The device firmware is software that controls the mounting information receiving unit and acquires and preprocesses (filters, samples) raw data from sensors and imaging units. Parameters such as sampling frequency, data normalization, and low-pass / high-pass filters are set according to the embodiment. The system of the present invention may have a judgment algorithm (mounting judgment module). The judgment algorithm is software that takes preprocessed captured images, pressure information, position information, etc. as input and executes logic to determine whether the device of the present invention is mounted or not. This module may include threshold determination, debounce processing using a time window, a state transition model (state machine), and sensor fusion (confidence calculation combining both pressure and position information). For example, it is possible to implement a system that determines "detached" when the pressure falls below a preset threshold and that state continues for a predetermined time. The system of the present invention may also have an attachment time calculation algorithm (time calculation module). The attachment time calculation algorithm is software that uses the output of the attachment determination module (attachment start / end events) and the time information of the clock unit to calculate the actual attachment time of the device for the subject (cumulative time, daily wearing time, etc.). The attachment time calculation algorithm may also read the attachment time and detachment time from the storage unit and perform calculation processing to determine the attachment time. The system of the present invention may also have a log management algorithm. This algorithm is software for recording and managing received attachment information, determination results, calculated attachment time, error information, etc. This algorithm can compress and store information or encrypt and store information as needed.The system of the present invention may include a communication management algorithm. The communication management algorithm transmits calculation results and wear logs to an external application (e.g., a healthcare provider's dashboard or a user's smartphone app), and performs protocol control and data formatting for display to present to the user or healthcare professional.

[0035] The following shows an example of the system's operation when the device of the present invention is attached to a person. During installation, a pressure sensor detects contact pressure, and a position sensor detects that the device is in a predetermined position and orientation. This raw data is transmitted to the installation information receiving unit via an information transmission interface. The device firmware of the installation information receiving unit performs predetermined preprocessing (noise reduction, sampling, normalization, etc.) on the received raw data. The preprocessed data is then supplied to the judgment algorithm.

[0036] The determination algorithm analyzes the current and past changes in pressure and / or position information and transitions to either the "attached" or "unattached" state based on state transition rules. For example, rules can be implemented such as determining "unattached" when (1) the pressure falls below a threshold, or (2) the position fluctuates significantly, or determining "attached" when (3) the pressure is above a threshold and the position is stable. When combining multiple sensors, fusion based on weighting or confidence scores may be performed to reduce false detections.

[0037] The fitting detection module generates an event when a state transition occurs. The generated event is time-stamped and stored in the log management unit. The fitting time calculation unit calculates the time difference between the fitting start event and the fitting end event, or the cumulative time on a daily or weekly basis. The calculation results are stored in a memory or other storage unit and reported externally as needed. The calculation unit may also be configured to correct for noise and short-term interruptions (e.g., short periods of non-wearing due to false detection). The output / communication unit transmits the calculated fitting time and the latest fitting status to the user terminal or management server for user notification and clinical management. [Examples]

[0038] The wearing time of removable orthodontic appliances should be continuously recorded, and it is desirable that they remain in the oral cavity for a certain period of time or longer. The usage period of removable orthodontic appliances is relatively short, ranging from a few months to about 1.5 years. Therefore, the device of the present invention requires low cost, convenience, and a structure that has minimal impact on dental laboratory operations. Furthermore, it is desirable that a system that enhances patient motivation be adopted.

[0039] Based on the above requirements, a sticker for measuring oral wear time using the iodine-starch response was designed. The structure was such that the color disappears when the starch is broken down by amylase in saliva, and a mark (e.g., a micro QR code®) pre-printed on the base sticker appears when it has been worn for a certain period of time or longer. The sticker was intended to be used by attaching it to the resin base of orthodontic appliances. To improve water resistance in the starch response, RS4 (resistant starch and hydroxypropyl starch) was prepared, and sodium alginate was mixed as a film molding material to create a film. The thin film was immersed in a calcium chloride solution and then air-dried to produce a saliva-reactive layer with appropriate strength and water resistance. To induce coloration by the iodine-starch response, the base material was immersed in Lugol's solution for 10 seconds, and a uniform dark purple film was obtained.

[0040] Figure 7 is a photograph, instead of a diagram, showing the changes that occur when the obtained film is brought into contact with saliva and water. As shown in Figure 7, the obtained film exhibited excellent stability over time, and product storage was possible without any problems. This film completely decolorized in about 30 minutes when in contact with saliva, but showed almost no discoloration when in contact with water alone, indicating a film with high saliva specificity. As a method for delaying the reaction, it was possible to adjust the time by adjusting the film thickness or coating the film surface with a polyvinyl alcohol film or a pullulan film. Therefore, it was possible to manufacture customized devices considering the age, gender, and eating habits of the subjects. By using an acrylic adhesive (e.g., an acrylic ester polymer) as a sealing material, it was possible to firmly adhere it to the polished resin floor.

[0041] The device of the present invention may also have an illustration drawn on its surface layer to create a structure that will attract the interest of children.

[0042] This invention makes it possible to easily and accurately determine whether a removable orthodontic appliance has been continuously held in the oral cavity for a certain period of time or longer. This allows for quantitative and accurate management of wearing time, which previously relied on indirect indicators such as patient reports and tooth movement, significantly improving the accuracy of treatment evaluation. Furthermore, by linking the recorded information appearing on the sticker with an application, the recording, visualization, and behavioral feedback of wearing time can be automated, which is expected to particularly improve motivation among pediatric patients. Such a device has not existed on the market before, providing a new clinical indicator for the evaluation system of orthodontic treatment. Furthermore, because this seal is primarily composed of starch-responsive and alginate-based materials, the materials are extremely low-cost, and it can be used hygienically for single-use purposes. The seal has a thin-film structure and can be easily attached to existing removable devices (such as aligner plates), thus offering versatility regardless of the device configuration. Due to these characteristics, the present invention is expected to have expanded applications not only to orthodontic appliances but also to other intraoral devices. [Industrial applicability]

[0043] This invention can be used in the field of dentistry. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1. Device for measuring the wearing time of removable orthodontic appliances. 3 Base material 5. Attachment detection unit 5a Saliva reaction layer 5b Time adjustment layer 7 Identification Images 9 Removable orthodontic device

Claims

1. A mounting part for attaching to a removable orthodontic appliance, The device includes a fitting detection unit that detects when the removable orthodontic appliance is fitted to the subject's oral cavity, The aforementioned attachment sensing unit is It includes a saliva detection unit which is a part that detects the saliva of the subject, This is used to measure the time the removable orthodontic appliance is worn by the subject, The mounting portion has a base material that supports the mounting sensing portion. A device for measuring the wearing time of a removable orthodontic device, wherein the wearing detection unit changes to a state in which it can detect an identification image printed on the base material or an identification image displayed on the wearing detection unit when the removable orthodontic device has been worn by the subject for a predetermined time or longer.

2. A removable orthodontic appliance inspection system comprising a device for measuring the wearing time of a removable orthodontic appliance as described in Claim 1, and an imaging unit for capturing the identification image.

3. A removable orthodontic appliance inspection system according to Claim 2, further comprising a first wearing time calculation unit that determines the time the removable orthodontic appliance is worn on the subject based on the identification image captured by the imaging unit.

4. A device for measuring the wearing time of a removable orthodontic appliance according to claim 1, A fitting information receiving unit receives fitting information from the fitting detection unit, which is information regarding whether or not the removable orthodontic device is fitted to the subject. A removable orthodontic appliance inspection system further comprising a second wearing time calculation unit that determines the time the removable orthodontic appliance is worn on the subject based on the wearing information received by the wearing information receiving unit.

Images