Mandible Teeth Fixing Oral Device Jaw Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional oral appliances fixed to the lower jaw can cause stiffness and pain in the temporomandibular joint and related muscles due to restricted jaw movement, and may not effectively prevent snoring and sleep apnea, especially when the upper jaw teeth arrangement is compromised.
Innovation Solution
An oral appliance with upper and lower teeth recesses designed to allow for smooth vertical and horizontal movement of the lower jaw, featuring a horseshoe-shaped body with strategically placed guide parts and recesses to accommodate the natural movement of the jaw, reducing muscle and ligament stiffness and preventing malocclusion, while facilitating airway expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lower jaw is fixed forward by an oral appliance, then the airway is widened and snoring is prevented, but the temporomandibular joint and related muscles become stiff and painful
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by designing the oral appliance with a movable connection structure between the upper and lower jaw components. Instead of rigidly fixing the lower jaw forward, the connection allows controlled movement through a predetermined range, enabling the lower jaw to dynamically adjust its position while maintaining airway patency and reducing joint stiffness
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the upper and lower jaw components are separated to allow jaw movement, then joint stiffness is reduced, but the effectiveness in preventing snoring and sleep apnea decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the oral appliance into separate upper jaw and lower jaw components that are connected through a movable connection structure. This segmentation allows the lower jaw to move independently within controlled limits, reducing joint stiffness while maintaining the forward positioning needed for snoring prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The movable connection between separated components introduces dynamic adjustment capability, allowing the lower jaw to move within a predetermined range while maintaining effective forward positioning for airway patency and snoring prevention
3Stability of the object's composition
If the oral appliance is fixed to upper jaw teeth, then the appliance is stable, but it cannot be used when upper molars are missing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the oral appliance to be adaptable to different tooth arrangements. The appliance can be fixed to either upper or lower jaw teeth depending on which teeth are present, making it universally applicable to patients with various dental conditions including missing molars
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
AI summary
An oral appliance fixed to lower jaw teeth comprises a body having a shape corresponding to a teeth arrangement, a lower teeth recess formed in a lower portion of the body to allow lower jaw teeth to be inserted therein, an upper teeth recess formed in an upper portion of the body to allow upper jaw teeth to be inserted therein and allowing the lower jaw to move backward by a predetermined distance, and an upper teeth guide part formed to extend from the body to face a side of the upper jaw teeth. The lower teeth recess further comprises a lower molar fixing recess formed to strongly engage with at least a portion of left and right molars of the lower jaw teeth by frictional force, and a lower incisor recess formed to allow other lower jaw teeth except the left and right molars to position therein.