Flexible Intraoral Light Guide for Precise Phototherapy Dose Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current phototherapy methods for treating oral mucositis, such as low level laser therapy and LED arrays, face challenges including high costs, labor intensity, interoperator variability, discomfort for patients, and difficulty in achieving accurate dose control and reaching all oral cavity regions.
Innovation Solution
An intraoral phototherapy device featuring a light guide made of optically transparent, flexible biocompatible material that conforms to the oral cavity, with side wings and a center flap to direct light to targeted areas, utilizing LEDs or a laser light source, and incorporating features like reflective coatings, tapered light channels, and a controller for controlled light delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If LED arrays are used to irradiate larger areas externally, then the treatment area is increased and patient comfort is improved, but dose control accuracy deteriorates and accessibility to all oral cavity regions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide is divided into multiple separate light-emitting segments or zones along its length, each capable of delivering controlled light doses to specific regions of the oral cavity. This segmentation allows the device to maintain large area coverage while preserving dose control accuracy for each individual region through independent light delivery pathways.
2Measurement precision
If spot laser systems are used for precise light delivery, then dose control accuracy is improved, but treatment time increases and patient comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device combines the precision of spot laser delivery with the efficiency of multi-point simultaneous treatment by integrating multiple light-emitting elements into a single intraoral light guide. This allows precise dose control at each emission point while treating multiple regions concurrently, thereby maintaining accuracy without sacrificing treatment speed.
3Ease of operation
If the light guide material is made soft and flexible for patient comfort, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide employs a flexible polymeric shell or film structure that can be molded with precise internal light channel geometries while maintaining softness and flexibility for patient comfort. The flexible material allows the device to conform to oral cavity contours while the molded channels preserve accurate light propagation pathways through precision molding techniques.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides precise and comfortable phototherapy by directly delivering light to targeted oral cavity regions, overcoming the limitations of existing methods with improved dose control and accessibility to all areas, enhancing treatment efficacy and patient comfort.
Implementation Method 1
intraoral phototherapy devices for receiving light from an associated light source and propagating the light into the oral cavity of a patient by total internal reflection and emission
Data Source
AI summary
Intraoral phototherapy devices receive light from an associated light source and propagate the light into an oral cavity of a patient. The device comprises a light guide that receives light from an external light source. The light guide comprises a main body portion made of an optically transparent soft flexible biocompatible polymeric material sized and shaped to conform to contours of the oral cavity when inserted therein to direct the light to targeted regions of the oral cavity. The main body portion comprises a pair of spaced apart side wings sized and shaped to be received between a patient's teeth and cheeks on opposite sides of the oral cavity and a center flap intermediate the side wings for transmitting and directing the light to targeted regions of the oral cavity. A controller delivers light to the light guide in a controlled manner.