CN118141555A

CN118141555A - Device, method and sensor assembly for tracking jaw movements

Info

Publication number: CN118141555A
Application number: CN202311669527.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李仁宰; 成文铉; 崔荣熙; 许准武; 金慜智; 郑原在; 金敬训; 康贤宇
Original assignee: Dentium Co Ltd
Current assignee: Dentium Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-12-07
Filing date: 2023-12-06
Publication date: 2024-06-07
Also published as: KR20240147061A

Abstract

The device for tracking jaw movement of the present invention comprises: a base capable of generating an electromagnetic field; a first sensor unit including a first sensor attached to teeth of a patient's upper jaw to sense an electromagnetic field generated by the base; a second sensor unit including a second sensor attached to teeth of the patient's mandible to sense an electromagnetic field generated by the base; and a control unit configured to receive the sensing signals from the first sensor and the second sensor, respectively, and calculate and provide a result of tracking the movement of the lower jaw relative to the upper jaw.

Description

Device, method and sensor assembly for tracking jaw movements

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device, method and sensor assembly for tracking jaw movements.

Background

Occlusion of teeth refers to the engagement of the upper jaw and the lower jaw, and it is important to achieve proper occlusion in straightening or repairing teeth. The movements of the lower jaw are compounded by the action of the jaw joints and the masticatory muscles innervated by the occlusion, etc., and the situation is very complex. Such movements of the mandible can be presented in three dimensions in a plane of movement, and can be divided into rotational movements (rotation movement) occurring around a limited axis, translational movements (translation movement) where a transition occurs, etc.

Temporomandibular joint (Temporomandibular joint; TMJ) can function to move the mandible (mandible; mandible), the most frequently moving joint in the body. The temporomandibular joint is also known as a "ball and socket" joint, with its rounded end or "ball" portion referred to as the mandibular condyle (condyle) and the fossa portion as the glenoid fossa (articular fossa). A joint disc (disc) composed of cartilage is arranged between the mandibular condyle and the glenoid fossa to play a role in absorbing pressure and buffering. In addition, the joint disc facilitates movement of the mandibular condyle when opening or closing the mouth.

Occlusion of teeth based on temporomandibular joint movement can be diagnosed or grasped in a variety of ways. For example, there is an articulator (Dental Articulator), which is a machine that fixes the upper/lower teeth model in the same three-dimensional positional relationship as the human body, reproducing/mimicking the movement of the lower jaw. Dental articulators are used to hold plaster (correct) of the upper jaw and the lower jaw in a patient state, to simulate movement of the chin and to diagnose the occlusion state of natural teeth and artificial teeth, or to correct based on a dentition relationship between natural teeth and artificial teeth, and the like.

The human maxilla (Maxilla) and mandible (Mandible) are not separated from each other, but are connected by the temporomandibular joint of the skull. Some patients have a tilted temporomandibular joint, with the incisors gapping as the temporomandibular joint moves to a stable position.

To prevent dentition disorder, the correcting physician needs to predict temporomandibular joint changes and movement up the center and evaluate them before corrective treatment. For correction diagnosis, an occluder is used to confirm the position of the temporomandibular joint.

In order to grasp the temporomandibular joint disorder diagnosis process and the result after treatment, the mandibular movement range is also checked using an occluder. As a method for checking the movement range of the lower jaw, a method of dynamically visualizing the displacement of a 3D model by optical scanning and combining the image analysis result of characteristic points such as incisor teeth points or overspray (Dondyle) or measuring the movement of the lower jaw by ultrasonic waves has been proposed. The former is affected by dead zones or the use of markers is increased to overcome these, the latter requires a complicated preparation process and the patient needs to wear a huge device, which hinders convenience.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved

The present invention is directed to a device and method for tracking jaw movements, which constitute a sensor for detecting an electromagnetic field in the form of a small sensor unit attached to teeth of the upper jaw and the lower jaw, thereby simply constructing a device, and can accurately analyze the natural movements of the lower jaw without being affected by dead zones.

Another object of the present invention is to improve the utilization rate of the device by generating a crown from the derivation of the exact position and shape of the occlusal surface when the upper jaw and the lower jaw are occluded.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sensor assembly capable of minimizing inconvenience caused by a cable connected to the sensor while accurately detecting mandibular movement of a patient. The sensor for sensing an electromagnetic field using such a sensor assembly is attached to teeth of the upper jaw and the lower jaw in the form of a small tray, so that the device is simply constructed, and the natural movement of the lower jaw can be accurately analyzed without being affected by dead zones.

The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned ones, and other technical problems different from the above-mentioned ones can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

Means for solving the problems

As an example relating to the present invention, the first sensor unit includes a first fixing portion attached to teeth of the upper jaw and a first sensor portion detachably formed with respect to the first fixing portion; the second sensor unit includes a second fixing portion attached to teeth of the lower jaw and a second sensor portion detachably formed with respect to the second fixing portion.

As an example relating to the present invention, the first fixing portion includes a first bonding surface to be attached to the teeth of the upper jaw by an adhesive for correction, and the second fixing portion includes a second bonding surface to be attached to the teeth of the lower jaw by an adhesive for correction.

As an example of the present invention, the first sensor portion includes a first sliding groove slidably inserted into the first fixing portion, and the second sensor portion includes a second sliding groove slidably inserted into the second fixing portion.

As an example of the present invention, the first fixing portion may be formed with a first protruding portion protruding toward the first sliding groove, and the second fixing portion may be formed with a second protruding portion protruding toward the second sliding groove.

As an example of the present invention, a first through hole is formed behind the first protrusion, and a second through hole is formed behind the second protrusion.

As an example of the present invention, a pair of first openings communicating with the first through hole are formed on both sides of the first protrusion, and a pair of second openings communicating with the second through hole are formed on both sides of the second protrusion.

As an example of the present invention, a first engagement groove in which the first protrusion is engaged with the first protrusion in a snap-fit manner is formed in the first sliding groove, and a second engagement groove in which the second protrusion is engaged with the second protrusion in a snap-fit manner is formed in the second sliding groove.

As an example of the present invention, a plurality of first magnetic beads having magnetism are provided to the first sensor portion so as to be spaced apart from each other, and a plurality of second magnetic beads having magnetism are provided to the second sensor portion so as to be spaced apart from each other.

As an example of the present invention, a plurality of third magnetic beads having magnetism are provided to the first fixing portion so as to be spaced apart from each other, and a plurality of fourth magnetic beads having magnetism are provided to the second fixing portion so as to be spaced apart from each other. In this case, the plurality of third magnetic beads and the plurality of fourth magnetic beads may be photographed by an imaging device, and the control section may generate the reference position based on the plurality of third magnetic beads and the plurality of fourth magnetic beads photographed by the imaging device.

As an example of the present invention, when the first sensor portion is inserted into the first fixing portion, the plurality of third magnetic beads are overlapped with respect to the plurality of first magnetic beads at positions on a front view, and when the second sensor portion is inserted into the second fixing portion, the plurality of fourth magnetic beads are overlapped with respect to the plurality of second magnetic beads at positions on a front view.

As an example of the present invention, each of the main bodies constituting the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion is formed of a nonmagnetic material, and each of the housings supporting the components included in the first sensor portion and the second sensor portion is formed of a nonmagnetic material.

The method for tracking jaw movement related to the invention comprises the following steps: providing a base capable of generating an electromagnetic field; attaching a first sensor that senses an electromagnetic field generated by the base to teeth of a patient's upper jaw; attaching a second sensor that senses an electromagnetic field generated by the base to teeth of the patient's mandible; and receiving the sensing signals of the first sensor and the second sensor respectively, and calculating a tracking result of the movement of the lower jaw relative to the upper jaw.

As an example related to the present invention, the method of tracking jaw movement may further include the steps of: and automatically generating the dental crown according to the result of the position and the shape of the occlusal surface when the upper jaw and the lower jaw are engaged.

Also, the present invention provides a sensor assembly for tracking jaw movement, comprising: a first sensor unit attached to teeth of a maxilla of a patient, sensing an electromagnetic field generated by the base; a first cable for transmitting a sensing signal of the first sensor unit; a second sensor unit attached to teeth of a mandible of the patient, sensing an electromagnetic field generated by the base; a second cable for transmitting a sensing signal of the second sensor unit; the neck strap can be hung on the neck of the patient and is used for bearing the first cable and the second cable; and an interface section located at a portion of the neck strap such that the cable is connected to an external processing device.

As an example of the present invention, the neck strap is formed in a C-shape that can be wound around the back of the patient and supported, and has a first end portion connected to the first cable and a second end portion connected to the second cable.

As an example of the present invention, the neck strap is formed such that the first end portion and the second end portion of the first cable and the second cable follow the neck strap from the front or are disposed inside the neck strap, respectively.

As an example relating to the present invention, the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are detachably coupled with fixing portions attached to teeth of a patient, respectively.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the apparatus and method for tracking movement of a jaw of the present invention, a sensor unit sensing a magnetic field or an electromagnetic field of a base is attached to teeth of a maxilla and teeth of a mandible, respectively, to sense positions of the maxilla and the mandible in real time without being affected by dead zones, and accurately analyze movement of the mandible relative to the maxilla. The miniaturized sensor unit for sensing magnetic fields is different from the optical mode, does not need additional marks, can simplify the device, reduces the influence of oral cavity activities to the greatest extent, and enables the joint movement of a patient to be free. Also, in addition to attaching the small sensor unit to the teeth, fewer preparation processes are required, convenience is improved, and it is not necessary to construct a complicated system separately for each patient.

As an example of the present invention, the sensor unit includes a sensor portion that is detachably fastened (e.g., by sliding or dovetail engagement, snap-fit) to a fixed portion attached to a tooth, and the fixed portion is miniaturized to a bracket form, so that the sensor portion can be easily fastened while minimizing the influence or interference on the oral cavity activity of a patient.

As an example relating to the present invention, with a first sensor unit of magnetic or electromagnetic type attached to the upper jaw and a second sensor unit of magnetic or electromagnetic type attached to the lower jaw, it is possible to derive an accurate position and shape of the occlusal surface when the upper jaw and the lower jaw are bite, and generate a crown based on the result, maximizing the utilization rate of the device.

Also, the sensor assembly according to the present invention adopts a structure in which a cable connecting the sensor unit is carried by a neck strap hung on the neck of a patient and connected to an external processing device through an interface part, can neatly arrange the cable of the sensor unit without inconveniencing the patient or doctor, and allows the patient to move the body, thereby enabling improvement of convenience.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an apparatus for tracking jaw movement according to an example of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing a state in which respective fixing portions constituting the sensor unit related to the present invention are exemplarily attached to teeth of the upper jaw and the lower jaw, respectively.

Fig. 3 is a front view exemplarily showing a state in which the sensor parts are mounted to the respective fixing parts in the state of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a pattern of side sections corresponding to fig. 3 (a) and (b), respectively.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view conceptually showing attachment of a fixing portion constituting a sensor unit related to the present invention to a tooth.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the fixing portion is separated from the sensor portion in order to explain the attachment of the sensor portion to the fixing portion.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the sensor unit and the fixing unit are separated from each other in order to show the arrangement of a plurality of magnetic beads included in the sensor unit and a plurality of magnetic beads included in the fixing unit, as an example of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a sensor assembly for tracking jaw movement of one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 9 shows a state in which the sensor assembly of fig. 8 is worn by a patient, and the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are attached to teeth of the upper jaw and the lower jaw, respectively.

Fig. 10 is a front view illustrating an exemplary state in which the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are attached to teeth of the upper jaw and the lower jaw, respectively, of fig. 9.

Fig. 11 shows a state in which the fixing portion and the sensor unit are separated in order to explain the mounting of the sensor unit to the fixing portion in fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing a state in which the sensor unit is separated from the fixing portion in order to show the arrangement of a plurality of magnetic beads included in the sensor unit and a plurality of magnetic beads included in the fixing portion.

Detailed Description

The following detailed description refers to the apparatus, method and sensor assembly for tracking jaw movements according to the present invention. The terms used in the specification and claims are not limited to dictionary meanings, and can be appropriately defined and understood for describing the present invention in the best way.

Figure 1 conceptually illustrates a device 100 for tracking jaw movement related to the present invention. As shown in fig. 1, a device 100 for tracking jaw movement has a base 110 capable of generating an electromagnetic field. The base 110 may generate a magnetic field (MAGNETIC FIELD) or an electromagnetic field (Electromagnetic Field; EM). The base 110 is provided at a predetermined height on one side (for example, 750 mm) of a chair or a bed where a patient is located.

In order to measure the movements of the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20 of the patient in real time, the first sensor unit 120 and the second sensor unit 140 are provided to the teeth 11 of the upper jaw 10 and the teeth 21 of the lower jaw 20, respectively.

The first and second sensor units 120 and 140 may include respective magnetic or electromagnetic sensors for sensing a magnetic or electromagnetic field of the base 110. The first sensor unit 120 senses the transition of the movement or posture of the upper jaw 10 (Roll, pitch, yaw, etc.) independently of the second sensor unit 140 (based on the coordinate system defined by the X1, Y1, and Z1 axes), and the second sensor unit 140 senses the transition of the movement or posture of the lower jaw 20 independently of the first sensor unit 120 (based on the coordinate system defined by the X2, Y2, and Z2 axes).

The first sensor unit 120 and the second sensor unit 140 take the form of being attached to the respective teeth 11, 21 of the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20, and are similar to the teeth 11, 21 as a whole or have a relatively small size within 2 to 3 times of the teeth 11, 21.

The first sensor unit 120 and the second sensor unit 140 are connected to the control part 180, and the control part 180 receives and calculates the signals sensed by the first sensor unit 120 and the second sensor unit 140, respectively, to determine in real time the direction and distance of the movement of the patient's lower jaw 20 relative to the upper jaw 10 and the position and shape of the occlusal surface, and visually outputs the same through the display 160.

The jaw movement tracking device 100 of the present example has an imaging device 170 for photographing a portion to which the sensor units 120, 140 are attached in order to confirm the reference positions of the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20 or the bite state of the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20 of the patient. The imaging device 170 corresponds to various devices for acquiring images including a computed tomography device, an oral scanner, and the like.

Fig. 2 to 4 show a state in which the first sensor part 121 and the first fixing part 130 constituting the first sensor unit 120, the second sensor part 141 and the second fixing part 150 constituting the second sensor unit 140, which are related to the present invention, are attached to the teeth 11 of the upper jaw 10 and the teeth 21 of the lower jaw 20, respectively, and the patient moves the lower jaw.

As shown in fig. 2, the first fixing portion 130 included in the first sensor unit 120 (fig. 1) and the second fixing portion 150 included in the second sensor unit 140 (fig. 1) are relatively smaller in size than the teeth 11, 21 to which they are attached. The fixing parts 130, 150 may be attached to front teeth or incisors or teeth-care teeth of the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20, and may be attached to molar teeth as appropriate. The fixing portion 130, 150 can be attached to either the front or side of the tooth 11, 21 without surrounding the tooth 11, 21, and then has a structure that is easily fastened to the small sensor portion 121, 141 (fig. 3 (b)). As shown in fig. 2, a plurality of magnetic beads 138 and 158 are provided to the first fixing portion 130 and the second fixing portion 150, respectively, while being spaced apart from each other. Such magnetic beads 138, 158 are formed of a metal bead form having magnetism. In the case where the sensor portions 121 and 141 are not fastened, the plurality of magnetic beads 138 and 158 can integrate measurement data only by the magnetic beads 138 and 158 of the fixing portions 130 and 150. That is, the plurality of magnetic beads 138 and 158 can be imaged by the imaging device 170 (fig. 1), and the control unit 180 controls the plurality of magnetic beads 138 and 158 imaged by the imaging device 170 to generate the reference positions.

As shown in fig. 3, the first sensor part 121 having the first cable 122 and the second sensor part 141 having the second cable 142 are respectively mounted to the first and second fixing parts 130 and 150 in a state in which the first and second fixing parts 130 and 150 are attached to the respective teeth 11 and 21. The first sensor unit 121 and the second sensor unit 141 are provided with a plurality of magnetic beads 128 and 148 spaced apart from each other for integrating measurement data. The magnetic beads 128 and 148 are in the form of magnetic metal beads, and have a triangular layout with a certain height difference in relation to the respective sensors inside. In order to minimize magnetic interference, each of the main bodies constituting the first and second fixing portions 130 and 150 may be formed of a non-magnetic material (e.g., titanium, synthetic resin, ceramic, etc.), and each of the housings supporting the components included in the first and second sensor portions 121 and 141 may be formed of a non-magnetic material.

Accordingly, in a state where the first sensor part 121 and the second sensor part 141 are attached to the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20, respectively, when the patient moves the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20, the measured values of the first sensor part 121 and the second sensor part 141 are transferred to the control part 180 to obtain their accurate positions and directions and moving distances in real time.

As shown in fig. 4a, as the patient opens the mouth, the first and second sensor parts 121 and 141 attached to the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20, respectively, will move together, and the first and second sensor parts 121 and 141 transmit sensing data for grasping a change in the relative position between the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20 in real time to the control part 180.

As shown in fig. 4b, when the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20 are engaged with each other, in order that the first sensor unit 120 and the second sensor unit 140 do not interfere with each other by the width VO by which the teeth 11 of the upper jaw 10 and the teeth 21 of the lower jaw 20 naturally overlap, the first sensor unit 120 and the second sensor unit 140 have a separation distance to the extent that they do not interfere with each other when the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20 are engaged.

Fig. 5 shows the attachment of the first fixture 130 to the tooth 11. The first fixing portion 130 has an adhesive face 131 to be attached to the surface of the tooth 11 by an adhesive for correction. On the opposite sides of the adhesive surface 131, sliding protrusions 132 for insertion-coupling the first sensor portion 121 are formed on the left and right sides.

In a state where the first fixing portion 130 is attached to the tooth 11 with the adhesive for correction, as shown in fig. 6, the first sensor portion 121 is slid upward to be fastened. This manner of securing the first sensor portion 121 is referred to as a dovetail joint (dovetail) manner. The first sensor portion 121 is formed with a sliding groove 125 corresponding to the sliding protrusion 132 of the first fixing portion 130.

In order to maintain the state in which the first sensor part 121 is inserted into the first fixing part 130, a protrusion 133 protruding toward the sliding groove 125 is formed on the first fixing part 130. The sliding groove 125 is formed with a locking groove 126 to lock the protruding portion 133 in a snap fit or dovetail engagement. In order to elastically deform and support the protruding portion 133 during this process, a rear part Cheng Guan of the protruding portion 133 is formed with a through hole 134, and a pair of openings 135 communicating with the through hole 134 are formed at both sides of the protruding portion 133. Such a protruding portion 133, the through hole 134, and the pair of openings 135 form a structure capable of easily fastening the first sensor portion 121 to the first fixing portion 130 in a snap-fit manner. In order to limit the final position when the first sensor portion 121 is inserted into the first fixing portion 130, the sliding groove 125 is formed in a closed upper end.

As shown in fig. 7, the plurality of magnetic beads 128 are provided on the surface of the first sensor portion 121. In addition, a plurality of magnetic beads 138 having the same layout as the magnetic beads 128 of the first sensor section 121 are also provided on the first fixing section 130. The plurality of magnetic beads 138 of the first fixing portion 130 can be photographed by the imaging device 170 (fig. 1) in the form of magnetic metal beads. The imaging device 170 is a Computed Tomography (CT) device, an oral scanner (IOS), or the like. The control unit 180 (fig. 1) controls the generation of the reference positions by the plurality of magnetic beads 138 of the first fixing unit 130 photographed by the imaging device 170. When the first sensor portion 121 is inserted into the first fixing portion 130, the plurality of magnetic beads 138 of the first fixing portion 130 are opposite to the plurality of magnetic beads 128 of the first sensor portion 121, and positions on the front view are overlapped with each other.

Similar to the first sensor portion 121 and the first fixing portion 130 described with reference to fig. 5 to 7, the second sensor portion 141 and the second fixing portion 150 also include members corresponding to the first sensor portion 121 and the first fixing portion 130. In this regard, reference is made to the description of the first sensor portion 121 and the first fixing portion 130.

As described above, the first and second sensor units 120 and 140, which sense the magnetic or electromagnetic field of the base 110, are attached to the teeth 11 of the upper jaw 10 and the teeth 21 of the lower jaw 20, respectively, to sense the positions of the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20 in real time without being affected by dead zones, and accurately analyze the movements of the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20.

When the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20 are engaged, an accurate position and shape of the occlusal surface upon engagement can be obtained by the first sensor unit 120 attached to the upper jaw 10 and the second sensor unit 140 attached to the lower jaw 20. The jaw movement tracking device 100 of the present example automatically generates a crown from the real-time analysis of the occlusal surface based on the control unit 180 (fig. 1), and the doctor can immediately confirm or plan the operation by the display 160 (fig. 1).

The diagram following fig. 8 shows an exemplary sensor assembly for tracking jaw movements in accordance with the present invention. An exemplary sensor assembly 200 that may be employed with the foregoing apparatus 100 for tracking jaw movement of fig. 1 is described below.

As shown in fig. 8, the sensor assembly 200 may include a first sensor unit 220 attached to the teeth 11 of the upper jaw 10 and a second sensor unit 240 attached to the teeth 21 of the lower jaw 20. The first and second sensor units 220 and 240 may include respective magnetic or electromagnetic sensors for sensing the magnetic or electromagnetic fields of the aforementioned base 110 (refer to fig. 1). The first sensor unit 220 supplies a sensing signal for determining the transition (Roll, pitch, yaw, etc.) of the movement or posture of the upper jaw 10 to the control part 180 (refer to fig. 1) independently of the second sensor unit 240 (based on the coordinate system defined by the X1, Y1, and Z1 axes), and the second sensor unit 240 supplies a sensing signal for determining the transition of the movement or posture of the lower jaw 20 to the control part 180 independently of the first sensor unit 220 (based on the coordinate system defined by the X2, Y2, and Z2 axes). The sensor assembly 200 may include a first cable 221 connected to the first sensor unit 220, a second cable 241 connected to the second sensor unit 240, a neck strap 260 carrying the first and second cables 221 and 241, and an interface portion 270 disposed at one portion of the neck strap 260.

The sensor assembly 200 of this example has a first cable 221 that is organized to connect to a first sensor unit 220 attached to the teeth 11 of the upper jaw 10 and a second cable 241 that is connected to a second sensor unit 240 attached to the teeth 21 of the lower jaw 20 and provides a particular structure of patient convenience, namely a neck strap 260. The neck strap 260 is formed in a ' C ' -shape that can be supported by being wound around the patient's back neck, and has a plurality of ends 261, 262 at the front that connect the cables 221, 241. The cables 221, 241 are connected to one of these ends 261, 262, or as in fig. 8, the first cable 221 is connected to the first end 261 and the second cable 241 is connected to the second end 262.

Neck strap 260 can be hung on the neck while allowing cables 221, 241 to pass through to connect to the implement of interface 270. That is, neck strap 260 of the present invention may 'carry cart' cables 221, 241. Where 'carrying' means that the cables 221, 241 can be passed or supported. For this, the inside of the neck strap 260 has a passage hole structure for the passage of the cables 221, 241 or a clip-like structure for fixing the cables 221, 241. The cables 221, 241 are electrically/physically connected to the ends 261, 262 of the neck strap 260, enter the inside of the neck strap 260 in a length direction or are connected to the neck strap 260 in a plug-in type.

The neck strap 260 may be configured as an appliance that can be elastically unfolded with a small amount of force (in this case, the shape returns to the original shape when the force is removed), or a material or a structure that can maintain a specific shape when the force is applied.

The interface 270 has a connector structure having a plurality of pins and a substrate for electrically connecting with a cable of an external processing device. In addition, the interface 270 may have communication means for wireless connection to an external processing device, as necessary.

Fig. 9 shows a state in which the patient P wears the sensor assembly 200 relating to the present invention. As a method for the patient P to wear the sensor assembly 200, the patient P first wears the neck band 260 and then attaches the first sensor unit 220 and the second sensor unit 240 to the teeth 11 of the upper jaw 10 and the teeth 21 of the lower jaw 20, respectively, and conversely, the patient P first attaches the first sensor unit 220 and the second sensor unit 240 and then wears the neck band 260.

The cables 221, 241 may be connected to the respective sensor units 220, 240 from the side, so that discomfort of the face of the patient, etc. can be minimized when connected to the respective sensor units 220, 240. However, the connection portions of the sensor units 220, 240 to the cables 221, 241 may be changed or adjusted according to the treatment portion, the operation plan, or the like.

As shown in fig. 10, on the first sensor unit 220 and the second sensor unit 240, similarly to the description of fig. 3 described above, a plurality of magnetic beads 228, 248 are provided for integration of measurement data. However, for ease of understanding, the reference numerals of the magnetic beads 228, 248 denote only one of the plurality of magnetic beads 228 included in the first sensor unit 220 and the plurality of magnetic beads 248 included in the second sensor unit 240.

The magnetic beads 228, 248 are in the form of magnetic metallic beads, and have a triangular layout with a certain height difference in relation to the respective sensor boards (not shown) inside. The respective housings or fixing mechanisms constituting the first sensor unit 220 and the second sensor unit 240 may be formed of a non-magnetic material (e.g., titanium, synthetic resin, ceramic, etc.) in order to minimize magnetic interference. Accordingly, in a state where the first sensor unit 220 and the second sensor unit 240 are attached to the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20, respectively, when the patient moves the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20, the measured values of the first sensor unit 220 and the second sensor unit 240 are transferred to the control part 180, and accurate positions and directions thereof and moving distances thereof can be obtained in real time.

The first sensor unit 220 and the second sensor unit 240 have a separation distance that does not interfere with each other by the width by which the teeth 11 of the upper jaw 10 and the teeth 21 of the lower jaw 20 naturally overlap when the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20 are engaged, or as in fig. 4, a method of arranging the teeth to be fixed in a staggered manner up and down.

Fig. 11 illustrates the use of the fixing part 230 in order to fix the first sensor unit 220 to the tooth 11. The fixing portion 230 is first fixed to the surface of the tooth 11 by means of an adhesive means (for example, a photo-polymerization resin, etc.), and the first sensor unit 220 is inserted and fixed to the fixing portion 230. The second sensor unit 240 may be fixed by the fixing method of the first sensor unit 220. That is, in order to fix the second sensor unit 240, there is the same fixing portion (not shown) as the fixing portion 230 of the first sensor unit 220. In this regard, reference is made to the description of the method of fixing the first sensor unit 220.

In order to fix the first sensor unit 220 to the fixing part 230, the rear surface of the first sensor unit 220 forms a fastening shape part 223 corresponding to the fixing part 230. The fastening shape portion 223 is in the form of a square groove, and can be inserted into the substantially cubic fixing portion 230. In order to maintain the fastening shape 223 in a firm fixed state to the fixing portion 230, the fastening shape 223 has cut grooves 224 and 225 formed at the upper and lower sides thereof, respectively, and engagement grooves 226 and 227 formed at the inner sides of the cut grooves 224 and 225 are engaged with locking protrusions 236 and 237 formed at the upper and lower sides thereof, respectively, of the fixing portion 230.

As shown in fig. 12, the surface of the first sensor unit 220 is provided with the aforementioned plurality of first magnetic beads 222. In addition, the fixing portion 230 is also provided with a plurality of magnetic beads 238 having the same layout as the first magnetic beads 222. The plurality of magnetic beads 238 are in the form of magnetic metal beads and can be imaged by a computer tomography apparatus. The control unit 180 (fig. 1) controls the generation of the reference position based on the plurality of magnetic beads 238 of the fixed unit 230 photographed by the imaging device 170. When the first sensor unit 220 is inserted into the fixing portion 230, the plurality of magnetic beads 238 of the fixing portion 230 are opposite to the plurality of first magnetic beads 228 of the first sensor unit 220, and positions on the front view overlap each other. As described above, although not shown in the drawings, the fixing portion (not shown in the drawings) for fixing the second sensor unit 240 also has a plurality of magnetic beads (not shown in the drawings), and for this reason, reference is made to the description of the plurality of magnetic beads 238 for fixing the fixing portion 230 of the first sensor unit 220.

As described above, the first and second sensor units 220 and 240, which sense the magnetic or electromagnetic field of the base 110, are attached to the teeth 11 of the upper jaw 10 and the teeth 21 of the lower jaw 20, respectively, and sense the positions of the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20 in real time without being affected by dead zones, accurately tracking and analyzing the movements of the upper jaw 10 and the lower jaw 20. Wherein the cables 221, 241 connecting the sensor units 220, 240 are carried by the neck strap 260 of the patient's neck, and are connected to an external processing device through the interface part 270, so that the cables 221, 241 of the sensor units 220, 240 can be neatly tidily arranged without causing inconvenience to the patient or doctor.

The apparatus, methods, and sensor assemblies thereof described above for tracking jaw movement are not limited to the components and methods of the various embodiments described. All or part of each of the plurality of embodiments may be selectively combined to achieve various modifications to alternative equivalents.

Claims

1. A device for tracking jaw movement, comprising:

A base capable of generating an electromagnetic field;

A first sensor unit including a first sensor attached to teeth of a patient's upper jaw to sense an electromagnetic field generated by the base;

A second sensor unit including a second sensor attached to teeth of the patient's mandible to sense an electromagnetic field generated by the base; and

And a control unit configured to receive the sensing signals from the first sensor and the second sensor, respectively, and calculate and provide a result of tracking the movement of the lower jaw relative to the upper jaw.

2. The apparatus for tracking jaw movement of claim 1 wherein,

The first sensor unit includes a first fixing portion attached to teeth of the upper jaw and a first sensor portion detachably formed with respect to the first fixing portion;

the second sensor unit includes a second fixing portion attached to teeth of the lower jaw and a second sensor portion detachably formed with respect to the second fixing portion.

3. The apparatus for tracking jaw movement of claim 2 wherein,

The first fixing portion includes a first bonding surface to be attached to teeth of the upper jaw by an orthodontic adhesive,

The second fixture includes a second bonding surface to be attached to teeth of the mandible by an orthodontic adhesive.

4. The apparatus for tracking jaw movement of claim 2 wherein,

The first sensor part includes a first sliding groove inserted into the first fixing part in a sliding manner,

The second sensor part includes a second sliding groove inserted into the second fixing part in a sliding manner.

5. The apparatus for tracking jaw movement of claim 3 wherein,

A first protruding part protruding towards the first sliding groove is formed on the first fixing part,

The second fixing portion is formed with a second protruding portion protruding toward the second sliding groove.

6. The apparatus for tracking jaw movement of claim 5 wherein,

A first through hole is formed behind the first protruding part,

A second through hole is formed behind the second protrusion.

7. The apparatus for tracking jaw movement of claim 6 wherein,

A pair of first openings communicating with the first through hole are formed on both sides of the first protrusion,

A pair of second openings communicating with the second through holes are formed on both sides of the second protrusion.

8. The apparatus for tracking jaw movement of claim 5 wherein,

The first sliding groove is provided with a first clamping groove in which the first protruding part is clamped in a clamping mode,

The second sliding groove is provided with a second clamping groove in which the second protruding part is clamped in a clamping mode.

9. The apparatus for tracking jaw movement of claim 2 wherein,

A plurality of first magnetic beads having magnetism are provided to the first sensor part so as to be spaced apart from each other,

A plurality of second magnetic beads having magnetism are provided to the second sensor section so as to be spaced apart from each other.

10. The apparatus for tracking jaw movement of claim 9 wherein,

A plurality of third magnetic beads having magnetism are provided to the first fixing portion so as to be spaced apart from each other,

A plurality of fourth magnetic beads having magnetism are provided to the second fixing portion so as to be spaced apart from each other.

11. The apparatus for tracking jaw movement of claim 10 wherein,

Shooting the plurality of third magnetic beads and the plurality of fourth magnetic beads by an imaging device,

The control unit generates a reference position based on the plurality of third magnetic beads and the plurality of fourth magnetic beads photographed by the imaging device.

12. The apparatus for tracking jaw movement of claim 10 wherein,

When the first sensor part is inserted into the first fixing part, the positions of the plurality of third magnetic beads relative to the plurality of first magnetic beads on the front view are overlapped,

When the second sensor part is inserted into the second fixing part, the fourth magnetic beads are opposite to the second magnetic beads, and the positions on the front view are overlapped.

13. The apparatus for tracking jaw movement of claim 2 wherein,

Each body constituting the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion is formed of a nonmagnetic material,

Each of the housings supporting the components included in the first sensor portion and the second sensor portion is formed of a nonmagnetic material.

14. A method of tracking jaw movement, comprising the steps of:

Providing a base capable of generating an electromagnetic field;

attaching a first sensor that senses an electromagnetic field generated by the base to teeth of a patient's upper jaw;

attaching a second sensor that senses an electromagnetic field generated by the base to teeth of the patient's mandible; and

And respectively receiving the sensing signals of the first sensor and the second sensor, and calculating a tracking result of the movement of the lower jaw relative to the upper jaw.

15. The method of tracking jaw movement of claim 14 wherein,

The method also comprises the following steps: and automatically generating the dental crown according to the result of the position and the shape of the occlusal surface when the upper jaw and the lower jaw are engaged.

16. A sensor assembly for tracking jaw movement, comprising:

A first sensor unit attached to teeth of a maxilla of a patient, sensing an electromagnetic field generated by the base;

a first cable for transmitting a sensing signal of the first sensor unit;

A second sensor unit attached to teeth of a mandible of the patient, sensing an electromagnetic field generated by the base;

A second cable for transmitting a sensing signal of the second sensor unit;

the neck strap can be hung on the neck of the patient and is used for bearing the first cable and the second cable; and

An interface section located at a portion of the neck strap such that the cable is connected to an external processing device.

17. The sensor assembly for tracking jaw movements of claim 16 wherein,

The neck strap is formed in a ' C ' -shape that can be supported by being wound around the patient's back neck, and has a first end portion connected to the first cable and a second end portion connected to the second cable at the front.

18. The sensor assembly for tracking jaw movements of claim 17 wherein,

The neck strap is formed such that the first and second ends of the first and second cables follow the neck strap from the front or are disposed inside the neck strap, respectively.

19. The sensor assembly for tracking jaw movements of claim 16 wherein,

The first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are detachably coupled with fixing portions attached to teeth of a patient, respectively.