Tongue Separation Device for Radiation Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
During radiation therapy, especially for head-and-neck cancers, radiation often inadvertently damages healthy tissues such as the tongue and oral mucosa due to variations in patient body shape and treatment machine uncertainties, leading to unnecessary radiation exposure.
Innovation Solution
A tongue separation device that includes a body unit with a contact surface inserted into the mouth to fix the tongue in one direction, a support unit outside the mouth, a tooth mounting unit to secure the teeth, and a tongue position checking unit to ensure proper tongue positioning, minimizing radiation exposure by maintaining a safety distance from the treatment area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If radiation therapy is performed on a target region in the mouth, then the malignant tumor can be treated, but the tongue and oral mucosa are damaged due to unnecessary radiation irradiation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a tongue separation device as an intermediary between the radiation source and the tongue. This device includes a body unit with a contact surface that directly contacts the tongue, a support unit that supports the body unit, and a separation surface that creates a physical barrier. The device pushes the tongue in a first direction (e.g., downward) to create a safety distance from the radiation beam path, thereby protecting the tongue and oral mucosa from unnecessary radiation exposure while allowing the radiation to effectively treat the target region.
2Device complexity
If the tongue is not separated during radiation therapy, then the treatment can proceed without additional devices, but the tongue receives unnecessary radiation exposure causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue separation device is divided into multiple functional segments: a body unit that contacts and pushes the tongue, a support unit that provides structural support from outside the mouth, a tooth mounting unit that secures the device to the patient's teeth, and a tongue position checking unit with an opening to verify proper tongue positioning. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while working together as an integrated system to protect the tongue during radiation therapy.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a tongue separation device is introduced, then radiation exposure to the tongue is minimized, but the treatment setup becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue separation device is designed with multi-functionality to reduce overall complexity. The body unit serves both as a pushing mechanism to separate the tongue and as a positioning structure. The support unit provides both structural support and a mounting platform for the tooth mounting unit. The tooth mounting unit not only secures the device but also helps with patient positioning. The tongue position checking unit integrates verification functionality into the existing structure. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall treatment setup.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a tongue separation device including: a body unit including a contact surface fixing a tongue; a support unit arranged at one end portion of the body unit and supporting the body unit from outside a mouth; a tooth mounting unit arranged at one surface of the support unit adjacent to a first region of the body unit, mounting the teeth in a state where the body unit is inserted into the mouth, and including an upper surface mounting upper teeth among the teeth and a lower surface mounting lower teeth among the teeth; and a tongue position checking unit including an opening formed at the support unit to check a position of the tongue from outside the mouth.