Tooth-Attach Wearable Device for Orthodontic Compliance Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Patients using transparent orthodontic devices often fail to wear them appropriately, leading to degraded treatment effects and prolonged treatment durations due to the lack of monitoring and compliance verification.

Innovation Solution

A tooth-attach wearable device with a sensor system that senses biometric information from saliva and temperature, stores data, and remotely transmits it for monitoring, ensuring proper wear time and orthodontic compliance, utilizing a transparent orthodontic device made from reinforced plastic with embedded sensors and a communication controller.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a transparent orthodontic device is used to improve aesthetics and patient comfort, then the aesthetic property and ease of operation are improved, but the compliance monitoring capability deteriorates because the patient can freely remove and insert the device without detection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaesthetic propertyVSAvoidcompliance monitoring capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A sensor device acts as an intermediary between the transparent orthodontic device and the monitoring system. The sensor device detects whether the orthodontic device is properly worn by sensing biometric information (temperature, saliva presence) and transmits this compliance data remotely, enabling monitoring without compromising the aesthetic or comfort benefits of the transparent device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring wear status through sensors and transmitting compliance information to a remote server or healthcare provider. This feedback loop enables real-time tracking of device usage, allowing patients to maintain proper wear schedules while preserving the aesthetic advantages of transparent orthodontic appliances

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If biometric sensing capabilities are added to monitor compliance and improve treatment efficacy, then the measurement precision and reliability are improved, but the device complexity increases due to integrated sensors and communication systems

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebiometric information sensing accuracyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system is segmented into separate functional modules: a sensor device with biometric sensors (temperature, saliva detection), a communication controller for data transmission, and a remote server for data processing. This segmentation allows precise biometric measurement while managing complexity by distributing functions across multiple independent components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The sensor device performs multiple functions - detecting temperature, sensing saliva presence, determining orthodontic device wear status, and transmitting compliance data. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by consolidating multiple monitoring capabilities into a single integrated sensor device rather than requiring separate systems for each function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3656345B1Wearable apparatus attaching on tooth and the sensing device fixing at tooth
Publication Date: 2021.08.11 LEE IN OK
  • EP3656345B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3656345B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3656345B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is a tooth-attach wearable device. The tooth-attach wearable device includes a body configured to attach to a tooth; a sensor device provided to the body, and configured to sense biometric information of a patient; and a communication controller provided to the body, and configured to store the biometric information sensed at the sensor device as data, and to transmit the stored data.