JPS6211447A - Non-ivasive diagnosis of tooth jaw structure and its apparatus and determination of calorie intake amount relating thereto - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention A0 Purpose of the Invention (1) Industrial Field of Use The present invention is for dental measurements, particularly for measuring and analyzing the growth of the first dentition in infants immediately after birth, and for controlling nutritional intake. This paper relates to a mechanism for controlling growth based on

(2) Conventional technology If dental crowding (malocclusion) is detected during infancy, a medical practitioner can provide appropriate treatment before the crowding progresses to an obvious malocclusion; is important and effective.

Therefore, a method using radiation is currently being used to investigate the development of dental crowding during infancy, and this includes
involves the use of radiation techniques, exposing newborns and young children to ionizing radiation.

(3) Problems to be Solved by the Invention Concerns about the possible negative effects of exposing children to X-rays in such a manner are increasing day by day.

Even if the above risks can be avoided, the next problem is how to deal with infants who are at risk of developing malocclusion, a physical hump, due to the size of the jaw being too small compared to the size of the teeth. This symptom appears when the distance between the teeth in the primary dentition is not sufficient for the eruption of larger permanent teeth, and this is known as incisor tendency. There is. Considering that the increase in the width of the alveolar arch is only seen in the first few months after birth, the question is how to promote such growth in the jaws of infants diagnosed with dental crowding. Or so. Once an infant's genetic potential for growth has been determined by measuring late-stage dentition, it is possible to provide nutritional means to reach the genetically correct amount of growth. However, it is necessary to control and periodically modify the amount of calories ingested based on the changing amount of growth and the remaining time allowed for growth of the alveolar arch. Furthermore, approximately 40% require large amounts of nutritional intake due to the serious risk of dental crowding.
There is a need to provide a way to automatically control feeding for infants.

An important clinical problem of nutritional administration to which the present invention relates is hospital care for premature infants. Once the immediate major crisis is averted by intensive feeding, the practicing physician needs quantitative criteria to establish the desired caloric flow rate for a particular premature infant.

Another important practical issue for physicians is
Acceptance that can convince the infant's next of kin to follow professional feeding instructions without being influenced by immediate family enthusiasm or superstition, so that the infant does not become overnourished (obesity) or malnourished. Sometimes we use possible standards. Such criteria are essential to the invention.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a device for measuring the growth and development of orthognathic structures without the use of X-rays or other ionizing radiation films. The term "bignathic structure" used here refers to the general physical structure of the patient, including the gingival region, and by irradiating the gingival region, the outline of the unerupted teeth existing within the gingival region can be seen. You can get it.

For the above purpose, we further transilluminated the bignathic structure with non-ionizing photons,
Detecting the photons transmitted through the bignathic structure is then an important objective of the present invention.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the photon source for transillumination must be strong enough to penetrate and traverse the anatomical region of interest. Incandescent light bulbs produce such photons. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a convenient means of using an incandescent light source is a reflector type lamp housed in a light beam projector. Fiber optic light beam projectors also provide this functionality. The lamp can be fitted with a focusing lens, with or without the fiber optic element described above. The advantage of such light sources is their low operating voltage and current. Light emitting diodes using infrared light are advantageous because their infrared photons create a good contrast to the orthognathic structure or other structures. Infrared light-emitting diodes are also advantageous in this respect, since they can be detected by photodetectors, which are primarily sensitive to the infrared part of the spectrum and thus limit the negative effects of ambient light. Since high intensity light sources are useful for transillumination, laser photon sources are particularly useful because of their high intensity.

Furthermore, an infrared light source is combined with a photodetector to produce a device that emits infrared light in the form of a light emitting diode, and therefore has high luminous intensity, excellent contrast, low voltage and current requirements, and the above-mentioned immunity to ambient light. things are available.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for measuring dimensions, spacing and distances in bignathic structures. This is accomplished by using a photodetector and a linear motion transducer in integral combination with the light source and beam projector described above. A photodetector detects photons that illuminate the anatomical region of interest. Transillumination of the bignathic structure will block the transmission of light from the integral light source, whether the teeth are in late protrusion or protrusion. A photodetector senses changes in the intensity of the transmitted photons. Although the photodetector used in the preferred embodiment described below is a phototransistor, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that a variety of photodetectors may be used within the scope of the present invention.

Examples include, but are not limited to, photodiodes, multiplier phototubes, photoconductive cells, photovoltaic devices, vidicon tubes, charge coupled devices, and the like.

Nuclear magnetic resonance can also be used instead of light.

In this case, a fixed magnetic field is applied to the target tissue, and a small radio transmitter emits an oscillating electromagnetic field.
A small radio receiver detects the re-radiation from the tissue.

The position of the radio receiver is transformed to measure the desired tooth width and spacing.

In a preferred embodiment, the integral linear displacement transducer is a linear output Hall effect device. This magnetically sensitive device is used in conjunction with a magnet to vary its output as a function of distance from the magnet, and the magnet provides the magnetic field for the Hall sensor as well as the reference data for determining the distance from the magnet to the photodetector. It has two functions: The magnets are generally rare earths, in particular samarium cobalt magnets. This type of magnet has a very stable magnetic field strength and high energy that can produce an accurately measurable magnetic field over the distance required to perform measurements. Other magnets may also be used within the scope of this invention.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mechanism of the above type which is electronically isolated from the physician and patient and is therefore not susceptible to electric shock. This is accomplished through the use of opto-isolators and insulated shielded wires.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the above type with means for processing the output of the linear displacement transducer and photodetector in such a way as to obtain the measurements desired by the physician.

This feeds the signal into a subsystem consisting of sample-and-hold amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, display electronics, storage electronics, signal processing electronics, and power supplies that energize their signal acquisition and processing electronics. achieved by. There are various means that can perform the above function, and the present invention is not limited to them, but they include multiplexer circuits, sample-and-hold amplification circuits, analog-to-digital conversion circuits, and means for causing subsequent processing to be performed by a computer mechanism. Data translation methods include data acquisition modules consisting of interface circuits.

The computer system can be based on a microprocessor, microcomputer, minicomputer, or main frame central processing unit. Such data acquisition and signal processing subsystems may also incorporate signal conditioning circuitry and software to obtain the desired analysis and results. Such circuits include, but are not limited to, the present invention.
Analog multipliers, root-mean-square converters, active filters, digital filters, digital signal processing devices can be used, such as Texas Instruments™
S320. TRW TD1023J, Intel 292
0. American Microsystem 5281.1,
Furthermore, there are NEC7720 and the like.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the software that operates in conjunction with data acquisition, conditioning, and processing circuits and subsystems includes programmable read-only storage devices, erasable programmable read-only storage devices, the digital signal processing devices described above, and magnetic tape. It will be clear that a disk drive or other data storage device/mechanism could alternatively be used. Algorithms for such processing subsystems include image processing methods, such as skeletonization,
Algorithms in the present invention include, but are not limited to, inverse skeletonization, feature extraction, content addresses, lookup tables, federated addresses, spectral analysis, fast Fourier transform, inverse fast Fourier transform, convolution, and deconvolution. isn't it. These algorithms can be obtained as an integrated unit by incorporating them into the above-mentioned digital signal processing device when they are manufactured. “Another important object of the invention is to carry out the analysis of the data obtained during and after the use of the above-mentioned mechanism by other means not disclosed, and the above-described method is only a specific example of the analysis. , should not be construed as limiting the several analysis methods described above for bignathic structures.

B8 Structure of the invention (1) Means for solving the problems In order to achieve the above object, according to the first invention, an energy beam belonging to infrared rays, visible light, magnetic waves, electromagnetic waves or ultrasonic waves other than X-rays is used. means for generating an energy beam, and said energy beam generating means such that the energy beam illuminates the orthognathic structures of the patient and varies depending on the size and position within said orthognathic structures of unerupted teeth, if present. a support means provided on the support means for receiving the energy beam after the energy beam has irradiated the orthognathic structure or after re-radiation by the orthognathic structure; receiver means for producing characteristics of the unerupted tooth; and locator means connected to the receiver means for indicating the position of the receiver means such that the characteristics of the unerupted tooth are spatially related. A non-invasive diagnostic device for jaw structure is proposed.

According to the second invention, there is provided a support means that can be placed adjacent to a specific anatomical structure of a patient to be diagnosed, and an energy beam that is provided on the support means and that generates an energy beam consisting of non-ionizing radiation other than X-rays. An energy beam generating means for irradiating a specific anatomical structure, and a fixed relative position of the energy beam generating means are provided on the support means, and after irradiating the specific anatomical structure or after the specific anatomical structure is receiver means for receiving said energy beam after it has been re-radiated from the optical structure; and locator means provided on said support means in association with said energy beam generating means and receiver means for indicating the spatial position of said receiver means. and processing means for receiving outputs from said receiver means and locator means and providing information regarding said particular anatomical structure, without using ionizing radiation such as X-rays. A non-invasive diagnostic device for structural parts is proposed.

Further, according to the third invention, the bignathic structure is irradiated with a non-ionizing energy beam emitted from a non-X-ray source during its development, and the bignathic structure is irradiated or re-radiated from the bignathic structure. growth of the primary dentition by subsequently receiving the energy beam and providing information indicating the presence or absence of unerupted teeth in the gingival region of the bignathic structure and the size, spacing, and position of such unerupted teeth; A method for measuring the growth of the primary dentition during the development of the bignathic structure without using X-rays is proposed.

Furthermore, according to the fourth invention, a non-ionizing energy beam is generated from a non-X-ray source, the energy beam is irradiated to a gingival region including unerupted teeth of a patient, and the gingival region is irradiated with the energy beam. information indicating the presence or absence of the unerupted teeth in the gingival region, and the size, spacing, and position of the unerupted teeth; A non-X-ray, first-generation procedure that determines discrepancy and harmonious caloric intake and modifies the patient's caloric intake while continuously examining these parameters to obtain the ideal interproximal distance. A method is proposed for determining the degree of harmonious growth of the dentition and the caloric intake necessary to obtain harmonious jaw structure or favorable interproximal distance.

Still further, according to the fifth invention, the orthognathic structure of the patient is irradiated with an energy beam from an energy source during its development process, and the energy beam after irradiation of the orthognathic structure or after being re-radiated from the orthognathic structure is provided. receives an energy beam, measures parameters including the presence or absence of unerupted teeth in the gingival region of the bignathic structure, and the size, spacing, and position of such unerupted teeth; and calculates the patient's calories according to the measured parameters. A method for controlling the growth of a patient's first dentition during the development process of the tooth surface structure is proposed, in which the growth of the first dentition is regulated by controlling the amount of intake, thereby obtaining a desired distance between ridges.

In addition, according to the sixth invention, an energy beam is generated from an energy source, the energy beam is irradiated to the gingival region of the patient including unerupted teeth, the gingival region receives the energy beam after irradiation, and the gingival region is irradiated with the energy beam. information indicating the presence or absence of the unerupted teeth in the patient's body, as well as the size, spacing, and position of the unerupted teeth, and calculates the actual body length percentile, body length percentile discrepancy, and harmonious caloric intake based on the patient's age and theoretical body length percentile. the degree of harmonious growth of the primary dentition, which determines these parameters, continuously examines these parameters, and controls the patient's caloric intake according to the measured parameters to obtain a desired interdental distance;
and a method for determining the caloric intake necessary to achieve bimaxillary structural harmony or a desirable interproximal distance.

Preferably, the support means in the device of the invention comprises a portable hand-held unit that can be placed in close proximity to the bijaw structure.

In a preferred embodiment, the energy beam generating means is a light source that illuminates the orthognathic structure, and the receiving means includes a photodetector;
The locator means is a linear displacement transducer.

(2) Function The present invention uses a predetermined mechanism to measure, analyze, and predict the state of nutritional intake, to control the intake in order to prevent or reduce tooth crowding, and to further improve the dental health of infants. promote growth. In particular, these operations are performed by a specially programmed computer or microprocessor-based mechanism according to the invention.

According to one aspect of the present invention, if the infant to be examined is at risk of developing malocclusion due to malnutrition, the risk thereof is determined. This can be associated with the extreme decrease in nutritional intake seen around 2 months of age, which is an extremely important period for whether the infant's jaw can adopt a favorable pregrowth pattern.

In the present invention, we believe that this decrease in nutritional intake is the primary environmental factor behind the development of the alveolar arch in multifenestrated infants, and the infants exhibit harmonious growth. The amount of food intake required for this purpose is derived from the genetic growth potential essentially expressed by the tooth dimensions and their dimensional changes, as will be explained later. In actual application, the infant's age and body length are measured and input into the computer during the initial diagnosis, and then the sensor measures the tooth width and interdental distance from the gingival radiation, and these measurements are also input manually to the computer. be done. The computer will have a real-time clock calendar so there is no need to re-enter the infant's age at subsequent follow-ups.

Measurement of tooth width in follow-up surveys is also optional. This is because once a tooth is completely mineralized, it does not change its width, and in the case of the upper central first incisor, such mineralization occurs before the age of two months. Regarding the measurement of body length, an infant's growth can be determined by measuring the interdental distance using an intraoral sensor, so once the initial value is input, subsequent inputs are arbitrary.

According to another aspect of the invention, the information obtained from the computer analysis described below is used to determine each infant's risk of developing dental crowding, which results in the use of infant feeding tubes to The flow rate of the applied mobile nutrients is controlled. This nutritional supplement is administered by a doctor through the nose and into the stomach.
Alternatively, it can be administered orally or parenterally. The flow rate may be controlled by an Oriel precision motor driven micrometer or other suitable computer controlled means known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, if the infant's growth discrepancy is small, a computer can create a schedule for breast or bottle feeding.

The present invention utilizes a multitasking computer capable of monitoring and controlling the feeding status of numerous infants simultaneously through a local area network automatic controller.

The present invention also includes the assessment of the degree of harmony of tooth growth and the recommendation regarding nutritional support to correct the actual disharmony condition, taking into account the following elements that are incorporated into existing computer programs: 1. Measure the infant's body length and determine the body length percentile according to age on the basis of growth percentile values obtained from a standard table already programmed into the computer in the form of a look-up table.

2. Measure the width of the infant's teeth and multiply this value in millimeters by the factor K to arrive at the theoretical body length percentile. The element is the ratio of the maximum body length percentile for a given population to the maximum tooth width for that population, and the value of the element can change accordingly for different populations. Typical values will be in the range of 10-15.

3. The degree of dental and jaw harmony is determined by subtracting the actual body length percentile from the theoretical body length percentile to obtain the body length percentile discrepancy. If the actual body length percentile is equal to or exceeds the theoretical body length percentile and only small fractions are obtained, no change in caloric intake is required, but follow-up may be helpful. Generally, the theoretical body length percentile is the maximum growth percentile that can be reached, so if it is not reached, dental crowding will likely occur to varying degrees.

4. It was found that the relationship between the degree of discrepancy and the interdental distance was expressed by the following empirical regression equation: +0.440
7 This formula is additive. This is because dentomaxillary harmony or lack thereof (i.e., crowding) is adequately represented by body length percentile discrepancy, and interproximal distances can be directly measured by the intraoral metrology sensor of the present invention.

5. The theoretical daily caloric intake based on the theoretical body length percentile for a particular age can be obtained from various look-up tables programmed into the computer. When determining the daily caloric intake for treatment with a target growth value indicated, the present invention adds a discrepancy factor, that is, a body length percentile discrepancy degree, to the theoretical body length percentile. The result is a therapeutically administered amount of calories per day.

6. The position of the motor-driven micrometer or other means to obtain the desired flow rate of nutrients corresponding to the calculated theoretical daily caloric intake can be automatically determined by the means described above or by means known to those skilled in the art. adjusted.

The tooth width, and therefore the theoretical body length percentile, does not change as the infant ages, and the body length percentile does not usually change either, but when the body length percentile is below the theoretical value,
Therefore, if an infant with a risk of dental crowding is given a corrective caloric regimen and the necessary nursing care, the infant's body length percentile will increase and approach the theoretical value, and at the same time the jaws, that is, the alveolar arch, will increase. It is predicted that the growth rate will increase until about 6 months after birth, and the risk of tooth crowding will decrease.

7. Therefore, it is desirable to continuously track infant growth as many times as deemed necessary to measure percentile length discrepancy and reduction in the risk of dental crowding. You can calculate a corrected calorie intake for each age and modify your regimen to find the "critical bath" that will help you reach the correct calorie intake and ideal interdental distance. The ideal interdental distance is 0.44 mm plus the value ±sb obtained from the intercept of the "fitness" line shown by the above-mentioned empirical regression equation. This critical path method takes into account the time element, which is important because the alveolar arch only increases until about 6 months of age. Only nutritional supplementation and related measures can be an effective way to reduce crowding within this critical period.

8. Another effective regression formula is: Interdental distance -〇, 0668 x J(-Se:z+I) It is impossible to defeat tooth width 1(10 +0.0684).

9. When applying the present invention to premature infants, the tooth width at birth is transilluminated and measured using an intraoral sensor or analyzer. An operating subprogram of the computer multiplies the tooth width value by the reciprocal of a known function representing crown completion at birth. From this result, the mechanism coordinates the growth of teeth in these premature infants by determining the caloric value and setting the flow rate of nutrients through the feeding tube.

The present invention is based on controlling the flow rate of nutrients to the infant and setting the feeding schedule for the infant, thereby preventing the infant's parents' immediate family members from raising health problems that may result in obesity and dehydration. You should be able to get rid of enthusiasm and superstition.

The on-site physician or dentist is the final decision maker in all aspects of operation according to the present invention, and therefore it is their professional responsibility to exercise judgment to accept, modify, or reject the information or circumstances provided by the device. owed.

(3) Examples The drawings illustrate some embodiments of the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 are simplified illustrations of one embodiment of the analyzer or sensor according to the present invention, which measures the width of unerupted teeth and their spacing without using X-rays. In the drawings, the teeth of a bimaxillary structure are numbered according to the terminology used by the American Dental Association and are designated with E, F, and G.

The analyzer consists of a portable handheld unit 3 placed adjacent to the bijaw structure l. Specifically, the hand-held unit 3 is configured and arranged such that the front branch part 4 and the rear branch part 5 straddle the bijaw structure 1 as shown in FIG. The anterior branch part 4 is arranged facing the bignathic structure 1 on the outside thereof, and the posterior branch part 5 is arranged in the oral cavity facing the inner surface of the bignathic structure 1.

A light source 6 for illuminating the bijaw structure 1 is attached to the rear branch 5 of the hand-held unit 3. This light source 6 emits an energy beam different from X-rays so as not to expose the infant being examined to ionizing radiation. This energy beam is limited to infrared, visible, or ultrasonic wavelengths. As schematically illustrated in FIG. 2, the energy beam 7 emitted by the light source 6 impinges on a photodetector 8 mounted on the front branch 4. As shown schematically in FIG. The photodetector 8 acts as a receiver means for receiving the energy beam 7, and when the energy beam 7 passes through the bignathic structure 1, it is modified according to the presence or absence of unerupted teeth in the structure, and the size and position of these unerupted teeth. The light reaches the photodetector 8 while being moved. The information received by the photodetector 8 is used to determine the characteristics of the unerupted teeth within the orthognathic structure 1, as described below.

The front branch 4 also supports four-cage means 9 which are fixed relative to the photodetector 8 . The locator means 9 displays the position of the photodetector 8 as a receiver means,
This allows the characteristics of the unerupted teeth to be spatially related.

In particular, the locator means 9 are configured as linear distance or linear displacement transducers, which will be described below.

The linear displacement transducer is a conventional linear output Hall effect device, such as a commercially available Honeywell Microswitch 9SS (Lohet™). The locator means 9 is a magnet sensitive device using a magnet 10, and the magnetic field produced by the magnet 10 causes the locator means 9 to vary its output as a function of distance from the magnet 10. It thus performs the dual function of creating a magnetic field for the locator means or sensor 9 of the magnet 10 and providing reference data for determining the distance from the magnet 10 to the photodetector 8. As is well known, the magnet 10 can be a rare earth magnet, in particular a samarium cobalt magnet.

This type of magnet has a very stable magnetic field strength and high energy that can produce a magnetic field that allows accurate measurements to the distance required for the analyzer of the present invention to function.

The hand-held unit 3 could be powered by a battery, in which case the battery would be built-in and no cables would be used, making it completely portable. hand held unit 3
can also be connected to a suitable power source via a cable 11 to receive power supply from the outside, for example. The hand-held unit 3 can be provided with a switch 12 for energizing only the light source 6 and for energizing both the further light source 6 and the linear displacement transducer.

In operation, the hand-held unit 3 is moved along the bimaxillary structure 1 and the light beam 7 is directed to the unerupted teeth, E, F.

G crosses the bignathic structure 1 without changing according to the size and position of G.

An actuation mechanism 13 as shown in FIG. 3 is provided.

The receiver means 8 is, for example, Vactec VTB 9413.
It is a photodiode like B, and a micro switch 9SS.
It is mounted on a mobile linear displacement transducer 9, such as a Hall effect device. The central processing unit 29 is, for example, a Motorola 68
It is an 8-bit microprocessor such as 09, which is controlled by a hesic interpreter stored in a read-only storage device 26 through a port of the cassette input/output device 25, and is loaded with appropriate data processing software. The signal sent from the photodetector 8 and the linear movement converter 9 is processed and commanded to be converted into a measurement value indicating a meaningful tooth width and its spacing. The signals of the photodetector 8 and the linear displacement converter 9 as receiver means are input to each sample-and-hold amplifier 21 and 30, and these amplifiers 2
1.30 supply signals of acceptable characteristics to analog-to-digital converters 23.31 each having a resolution of 12 bits. Analog digital converter 23
．． The digitized signal output from 31 is connected to data bus 2.
2 through the dedicated address space 27 of the central processing unit 29.
sent to. Central processing unit 29 then processes those output signals as follows. That is, the digitized output values from the analog-to-digital converters 23 and 31 are stored in a random access memory 24 under software control, and from these values the central processing unit 29 converts them into standard data known to those skilled in the art. A value determined to apply to the edge of an unerupted tooth using signal processing techniques is subtracted.

The resulting measured values of tooth width and interdental distance are displayed on the cathode ray tube 28 for the operator.

A person skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications to the analyzer described above, and in particular the linear displacement transducer can be implemented in many different ways. For example, in each of the embodiments shown in Figures 4-5,
A unit 3' is provided which slidably supports a photodetector 8' and a transducer 9' along a curved support 33. The transducer 9' operates according to the Hall effect, but has been modified to obviate the use of a magnet 10, which is located independently of the device, as shown in FIG. 4-5.

In FIG. 4, the transducer 9' moves along the curved support 33 in response to the alveolar arch, and together with the magnet 39 forms a magneto-generator.

Photodetector 8' in FIG. 5 is provided integrally with magnet 39'. The magnet 39' can be a rare earth magnet or an electromagnet, and is preferably encapsulated in plastic.

The transducer as a sensor is fixed to a curved support 33 as indicated by the reference numeral 9'', and a magnet 39' along the support 33 is attached.
emits a signal in relation to the amount of movement. The signal emitted by the sensor 9'' is digitized and sent to the random access memory 24 of the actuating mechanism 13 in FIG. 3.The light source 6' is also curved to match the alveolar arch.

As the magnet 39' moves along the curved support 33 during operation, the sensor 9'' generates an output signal in accordance with the relative positional relationship between itself and the magnet 39'.

A photodetector 8' receives the light beam that has passed through the bignathic structure 1, which sends a signal to the sample-and-hold amplifier 21 of the actuation mechanism 13 in FIG. The output display after data processing provides numerical values for the tooth width and tooth distance.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5, the Hall effect device and the magnet are related to each other in a butt-like manner, but they can also be related in a side-slip manner, and as a further variation, one Hall effect device One could use multiple magnets or multiple Hall effect devices on one magnet. A soft positioning member 32 is attached to the end of the curved support 33 to hold the unit 3' stationary relative to the bijaw structure 1.
can be provided. Alternatively, the unit 3' can also be fixed relative to the infant being examined in any other suitable manner.

FIG. 6.7 shows another embodiment of a linear displacement transducer, which accommodates a primary coil 42 and two secondary coils 43, 43 arranged symmetrically around the primary coil 42. As the movable core 40 slides within the casing 41, an electrical output proportional to the sliding is generated. The movable core 40 is a magnetic core that moves freely within the coil arrangement and provides a path for the magnetic flux connecting the coils. The net output of the transducer is therefore the difference in induced voltages in the secondary coils 43, 43, which value is zero when the moving core 40 occupies the central null position. When the movable core 40 moves from its null position, the induced voltage in the secondary coil 43 in the direction toward which the movable core 40 approaches increases, and the induced voltage in the other secondary coil 43 decreases. This action creates a differential output voltage, which varies linearly as the position of the movable core 40 changes. The phase of this output voltage changes rapidly by 180 degrees when the movable core 40 moves from one side of the null position to the other side.

Therefore, in the operating state, the movement of the movable core 40 can represent a linear movement of the transducer.

The photodetector 8'' is fixed to the movable core 40 and attached to the casing 4.
It moves within the slot 44 provided in 1. This slot 4
4, the photodetector 8' can also be fixed to the movable core 40 through the outside from one open end of the casing 41, thereby leaving the casing 41 and the coil untouched. (It is possible. Light #6″ is a movable core 40
and casing 4I in a straight line parallel to the transducer. During operation, the photodetector 8 moves along the casing 41 integrated with the unit 3'', so the photodetector 8
'' is emitted from the light source 6゛° (in this case, the light surface), passes through the bimaxillary structure 1, and reaches the terminally erupted tooth, E.

It will receive a light beam changed by F and G. The signal emitted by the linear displacement transducer is sent to the actuating mechanism 13 in FIG.

An output indicating the widths of G's and their spacing is created after data processing.

Transducers such as those shown in Figures 6 and 7 are currently available from the Schaevitz Company.
) and is called a linear variable differential transformer (LVTD) type linear converter. When this type of transducer is used in its standard form, the photodetector can adjustably track the transilluminated outline of the gingiva and the relative position of the unerupted tooth being examined; It has the advantage of very good linearity and long component life.

Another embodiment, shown in FIG. 8, consists of a measuring mechanism with a Mitutoyo Series 543 decimate indicator 45 that measures the movement of the sensor by means of a photoelectric encoder. The digital output emitted by the display 45 is Mitutoyo series 2.
64 daisymatic ink miniprocessor 46, which has a remote switch jack 47 for initiating printing operations. Measurement of tooth width and interdental distance is carried out with an integrated light source 6″°, preferably made of autocretable fiber optics, and a blue-enhanced ultra-dark resistance photodiode, Vactec VTB 9413B. The integrated photodetector is preferably constructed 8''°. The output from this photodiode is sent to a buffer amplifier transimpedance circuit using a suitable buffer amplifier 48. The output voltage of this circuit is connected to a window comparator 49. Window comparator 49 is preferably a Burr-Brown model 4115.
At 104, the "go" output is provided with a normally open contact and connected to the remote switch jack 47 of the miniprocessor 46.
to the coil of a suitable relay 51 connected to. Since the anatomical ridges on the sides of the tooth are thinner than the rest of the tooth, by setting the upper and lower cutoff frequencies of the window comparator 49, the position of the periphery of the tooth can be determined by the miniprocessor 46.
printed on. It may be necessary to provide a short pause during the forward movement of the photodetector 8'' to allow the printer of the miniprocessor 46 sufficient time to print a number and enter the next printing operation. The desired measurement may be obtained by manually subtracting each adjacent value, or by combining the output of the DigiMachi Ink display 45 and the window comparator 4.
Subtraction can also be performed automatically by interfacing a suitably programmed computer with 9. The relationship between the calculated difference value and the corresponding tooth dimension and interdental distance can be easily inferred by the operator based on the scanning order from the fact that the interdental distance is smaller than the tooth width, or can be easily inferred by the operator based on the scanning order from the fact that the interdental distance is smaller than the tooth width. If the order is known, the computer will make the assignment under program control. This embodiment has the advantage that there is no need to set a zero position for distance measurements, and there is no need to check a distance scale.

Apart from having to scan at the widest position of each tooth, the operator is also relieved from manual measurements that require careful alignment. In operation, a suitable power supply is provided as required, and upper and lower critical voltages can be set with the potentiometer to detect the periphery of the teeth of the particular infant being examined.

It is clear that in the technique described above, the decimatic indicator 45 must be secured to the infant's upper gums. For this purpose, if the Decimatic display 45 is placed on the Mitutoyo 213-103P universal magnet stand 50, the infant's head can be fixed with strings extending from the infant restraint table, and an assistant can also You can also pinch its head to prevent it from moving. The assistant can then use two fingers at the same time to flip the upper lip away from the gums at the corner of the infant's mouth.

As a modification of the above embodiment, Mitutoyo series 542
It is also possible to connect the -323 linear gauge to a Mitutoyo 332-121 Optoeye AI, and attach the integrated light source and photodetector of the Opteye A1 to the axis of the linear gauge. A suitable power source is used to prevent unnecessary movement of the fixation means and the infant during measurements.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the mechanism showing the flow of data and control signals. The mechanism operates in a feedback manner to control infant feeding based on input data and control signals. As shown in the figure, the infant is first checked for age and weight, and these values are entered into a computer equipped with a real-time clock calendar and the parameter subprograms detailed above to calculate body length percentiles. Decisions are made regarding the theoretical body length percentile, growth discrepancy risk, and nutritional requirements for congruent growth; a controller is connected to the computer which, upon receiving a signal from the computer, connects to the infant. By controlling the flow of nutrients into feeding tubes, infant feeding can be regulated directly or an updated schedule can be provided for human feeding with breast milk or bottles.

In this way, the infant's caloric intake can be controlled according to the parameters obtained from the sensor or analyzer.
By regulating the growth of the first dentition, it is possible to obtain a desired interproximal distance or harmony between the teeth and the jaw.

Note that in the preferred embodiment described above, a custom window comparator is used whose output directly acts as a power source to drive a miniprocessor printer with a normally closed glue motor switch. There is also no need for separate power sources for relays or miniprocessor printers.

Effects of the C0 Invention As mentioned above, in the present invention, the presence or absence of unerupted teeth in the bignathic structure of an infant, their size, their mutual spacing,
The position can be measured safely and reliably, and by analyzing these values and the infant's age and body length and comparing them with theoretical values, it is possible to determine the caloric intake of each infant necessary for the development of appropriate speech structure. The amount can be set. Therefore,
It is possible to avoid or reduce the risk of developing dental crowding that may lead to future malocclusions. Furthermore, by linking the measurement, analysis, and control device of the present invention with a local area network, it becomes possible to control the nutritional intake of many infants simultaneously and individually, which greatly contributes to the healthy growth and social welfare of infants. This is something that can contribute.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing a state in which the device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is used for irradiation of bignathic structures; FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the actuation mechanism used in the device of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the second embodiment; FIG. A front view from above of the third embodiment in which the means are arranged interchangeably; FIG. 6 is a partially sectional side view of the fourth embodiment, which is a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 4; FIG. A plan view from above; FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an alternative actuation mechanism according to the invention; FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram depicting the mechanism of FIG. 8 in more detail; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the mechanism for obtaining growth. ■...Bijaw structure, 3.3', 3"...unit, 6
．． 6', 6"--Light source, 7--Energy beam, 8, 8', 8", 8"'--Photodetector, 9.9'. 9'"'--Locator means, 10,39.39'・
...Magnet, 13...Operating mechanism

Claims (21)

[Claims] (1) Means for generating energy beams belonging to infrared rays, visible light, magnetic waves, electromagnetic waves, or ultrasonic waves other than X-rays, and when the energy beam irradiates the dental and jaw structure of the patient and there are unerupted teeth. a support means for positioning said energy beam generating means to vary according to its dimensions and position within said jaw structure; and support means provided on said support means for said energy beam to irradiate said jaw structure. receiver means for receiving said energy beam to produce characteristics of said unerupted tooth within said jaw structure after or after re-radiation by said tooth and jaw structure; locator means for indicating the position of said receiver means so as to be associated with said apparatus. (2) The support means is a portable hand-held unit disposed adjacent to the jaw structure.
) Non-invasive diagnostic device for tooth and jaw structure. (3) The energy beam generating means is a light source that illuminates the tooth and jaw structure, and the light source and the receiver means are spaced apart from each other on the support means so as to straddle the gingival region of the tooth and jaw structure of the patient. A non-invasive diagnostic device for a dental and jaw structure according to claim 1, wherein the device is disposed in a dental and jaw structure. (4) A non-invasive diagnostic device for dental and jaw structure according to claim (3), wherein the support means is a portable hand-held unit. (5) The non-invasive diagnostic device for tooth and jaw structure according to claim (4), wherein the energy beam generating means, the receiver means and the locator means are fixedly installed in the hand-held unit. (6) The locator means indicates the linear distance of the receiver means based on data.
5) A non-invasive diagnostic device for tooth and jaw structure as described in item 5). (7) The dental jaw according to claim 1, further comprising processing means for receiving output from the receiver means and the locator means and displaying the dimensions and spacing of the unerupted teeth. Non-invasive diagnostic device for structures. (8) The light source as the energy beam generating means is supported by the support so that it can be inserted into the oral cavity of the patient behind the tooth and jaw structure with the receiver means and the locator means arranged in front of the tooth and jaw structure. A non-invasive diagnostic device for dental and jaw structure according to claim 3, which is provided on a means. (9) a support means disposed adjacent to a specific anatomical structure of a patient to be diagnosed; and a support means provided on the support means for generating an energy beam consisting of non-ionizing radiation other than X-rays to An energy beam generating means for irradiating a structural part, and an energy beam generating means provided on the supporting means with the relative position of the energy beam generating means being fixed, and after irradiating the specific anatomical structure or after irradiating the specific anatomical structure. receiver means for receiving said energy beam after it has been re-radiated from said receiver means; locator means provided on said support means in association with said energy beam generating means and receiver means for indicating the spatial position of said receiver means; and processing means for receiving the output from the locator means and providing information regarding the specific anatomical structure of a patient without using ionizing radiation, such as X-rays. Invasive diagnostic equipment. (10) The support means comprises a portable hand-held unit that can be placed adjacent to the specific anatomical structure, and does not use ionizing radiation such as X-rays as set forth in claim (9). Non-invasive diagnostic device for specific anatomical structures. (11) The energy beam generating means, the receiver means, and the locator means are fixedly installed in the hand-held unit, and do not use ionizing radiation such as X-rays as set forth in claim (10). Non-invasive diagnostic device for specific anatomical structures. (12) A specific anatomy of a patient that does not use ionizing radiation such as X-rays according to claim (9), wherein the energy beam generating means comprises a light source and the receiver means comprises a photodetector. Non-invasive diagnostic device for medical structures. (13) The light source and the photodetector are spaced apart from each other on the support means so that the specific anatomical structure can be introduced therebetween. A non-invasive diagnostic device for specific anatomical structures in a patient that does not use ionizing radiation such as the described X-rays. (14) Said locator means indicates the linear distance of said receiver means based on data, said locator means does not use ionizing radiation such as X-rays as set forth in claim (9); Non-invasive diagnostic device for structural parts. (15) A non-ionizing energy beam emitted from a non-X-ray source is used to irradiate a tooth and jaw structure during its development, and the energy beam is applied after irradiation of the tooth and jaw structure or after re-radiation from the tooth and jaw structure. X A method for measuring the growth of the primary dentition during the development process of the jaw structure without using lines. (16) Information regarding the size, spacing, and position of the unerupted teeth is provided by measuring the position of the energy beam received after irradiation of the tooth and jaw structure. A method for measuring the growth of the primary dentition during the developmental process of the jaw structure. (17) Generate a non-ionizing energy beam from a non-X-ray source, irradiate the energy beam to the gingival area including unerupted teeth of the patient, receive the energy beam after irradiating the gingival area, and Generating information indicating the presence or absence of the unerupted teeth and the size, spacing, and position of the unerupted teeth, and determining the actual body length percentile, body length percentile discrepancy, and harmonious caloric intake based on the patient's age and theoretical body length percentile. The patient's caloric intake is modified while continuously examining these parameters to obtain the ideal interproximal distance. A method for determining the caloric intake necessary to achieve harmonious jaw structure or desired interproximal distance. (18) Information regarding the size, spacing, and position of the unerupted teeth is generated by measuring the position of the energy beam received after irradiation of the gingival area including the unerupted teeth. 17) The method for determining the degree of harmonious growth of primary dentition and the required caloric intake, as described in item 17). (19) irradiating the patient's orthognathic structure with an energy beam from an energy source during its development, receiving the energy beam after irradiation of the orthognathic structure or re-radiated from the jaw structure; The presence or absence of unerupted teeth in the gingival part of the jaw structure, and the dimensions and size of such unerupted teeth.
Teeth comprising measuring parameters including spacing and position, and regulating the growth of the primary dentition to obtain a desired interproximal distance by controlling the patient's caloric intake according to the measured parameters. A method for controlling the growth of a patient's first dentition during the development process of the jaw structure. (20) the parameters including the size, spacing, and position of the unerupted teeth are obtained by measuring the position of the energy beam received after irradiating the tooth and jaw structure;
A method for controlling the growth of a patient's first dentition during the development process of the tooth and jaw structure, as set forth in claim (19). (21) Generating an energy beam from an energy source, irradiating the energy beam to a gingival region including unerupted teeth of a patient, receiving the energy beam after irradiating the gingival region, and receiving the energy beam in the gingival region; information indicating the presence or absence of unerupted teeth, and the size, spacing, and location of such unerupted teeth, determines the actual body length percentile, body length percentile discrepancy, and harmonious caloric intake based on the age and theoretical body length percentile of the patient; The degree of growth harmony of the primary dentition, the harmony of both jaw structures, or preferred teeth, by continuously examining the parameters and controlling the caloric intake of the patient according to the measured parameters to obtain the desired interdental distance. How to determine the caloric intake needed to gain distance.