Mandibular Advancement Selector With Curved Jaw Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mandibular advancement devices for treating snoring and sleep apnea lack precision in simulating jaw movement, often causing unnecessary stress on the temporomandibular joint and failing to adapt to individual patient anatomy, leading to inefficient treatment selection and potential jaw damage.
Innovation Solution
A mandibular advancement selector that allows controlled, gradual jaw movement through a curved guide mechanism, incorporating a sprocket and rack system with a braking/locking mechanism, and adaptable mouth holders to fit various patient anatomies, ensuring natural jaw rotation and precise measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a rack and pinion/sprocket system is used to achieve controlled mandibular advancement, then precision and reliability of jaw movement are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The selector is divided into two independent segments: a first segment that receives the upper jaw and a second segment that receives the lower jaw. This segmentation allows each segment to be controlled independently, enabling precise measurement of mandibular advancement while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
A curved guide acts as an intermediary element between the two segments, defining the natural path of mandibular movement. This intermediary component translates complex jaw movements into measurable linear displacement along the curved path, improving measurement precision without requiring overly complex direct coupling mechanisms.
2Ease of manufacture
If manual displacement is used to overcome friction between parts, then ease of manufacture is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to user skill dependency
Solution Approach 1:
The selector employs a self-adjusting friction mechanism where the user simply applies pressure to push or pull one segment relative to the other. The friction between the segments automatically regulates the movement, eliminating the need for complex control mechanisms or high user skill while maintaining ease of manufacture through simple component design.
3Device complexity
If jaws are forced apart in a strictly perpendicular manner, then device complexity is reduced, but harmful factors increase due to unnatural stress on the temporomandibular joint
Solution Approach 1:
The curved guide incorporates the natural rotational path of the temporomandibular joint, allowing the lower jaw to rotate naturally while being advanced. This curvature accommodates the biological reality of jaw movement, eliminating unnatural stresses on the joint while the overall device structure remains relatively simple.
4Reliability
If a braking/locking system is added to secure relative displacement, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The friction-based coupling between segments provides inherent stability and positioning without requiring additional braking or locking mechanisms. The friction force naturally maintains the relative position of segments during measurement, achieving reliability through the basic operational principle rather than supplementary complex systems.
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
Enables accurate simulation of mandibular advancement, minimizing stress on the temporomandibular joint and improving treatment efficacy by adapting to individual patient needs, thus optimizing the selection and fabrication of mandibular advancement devices.
Implementation Method 1
those which are disclosed in Spanish utility models with numbers ES1213585U, ES1220435U and ES1221934, as well as in the international application WO2019219998A1. The first three documents, in addition to detailing the problems associated with snoring and OSA, disclose mandibular advancement selectors that allow the controlled and regulated displacement of one part of the selector relative to the other due to the rack and pinion/sprocket system that guarantees said gradual displacement.
Implementation Method 2
The selector of the present invention achieves mandibular separation by helping this rotation from outside the mouth, thus preventing unnecessary stresses in the separation mechanism of the selector, as well as preventing the transmission of these unnatural stresses to the jaws.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention (mandibular advancement selector) relates to a device for measuring mandibular advancement and opening and to a simulator of the effect of a mandibular advancement device (MAD), assisting in the selection of patients who may be candidates to be treated for snoring, sleep apnoea syndrome or obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) using a MAD. The selector of the invention allows the controlled opening and closing of a patient's jaws, following the natural rotation and opening movement of the mouth, thus preventing unnecessary stresses on the selector and the transfer of same to the jaws.