KR102594091B1 - Non-contact intraoral nerve examination system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for examining the nerves inside the oral cavity, for example, teeth or gingiva, and specifically, to determine whether the patient's nerves are activated by inducing stimulation inside the patient's oral cavity using a magnetic field generating means. It is about a system and method that allows you to determine whether or not something is happening.

Description

Non-contact intraoral nerve examination system and method {NON-CONTACT INTRAORAL NERVE EXAMINATION SYSTEM AND METHOD}

The present invention relates to a system and method for examining the nerves inside the oral cavity, for example, teeth or gingiva, and specifically, to determine whether the patient's nerves are activated by inducing stimulation inside the patient's oral cavity using a magnetic field generating means. It is about a system and method that allows you to determine whether or not something is happening.

Dental hospitals often perform a so-called dental nerve test to check whether a patient's tooth nerve is alive. This dental nerve test is generally performed by applying a current to the surface of the patient's tooth with a device for pulp testing. In a dental nerve test, the current flowing on the tooth surface starts at a very low value and is controlled to gradually increase in value. If the patient shows a reaction such as pain or tingling in response to the gradually increasing current value, the reaction is checked. The test is performed to check whether the nerves are alive.

However, the conventional dental nerve examination method involves contacting a metallic probe directly with the patient's body and passing an electric current directly through the probe, so even if the current is of a microscopic size, it can pose a very serious threat to some patients. there is. In particular, if the patient has a pacemaker or other electronic device inside the body, it may cause malfunction of the electronic device, and even if such electronic device is not present, a large amount of current may suddenly flow into the body due to a malfunction of the testing device. Conventional dental nerve examination methods and dental nerve examination devices have many problems, such as the risk of electric shock when flowing.

Despite the existence of these various problems, the device for examining dental nerves has been used to this day without any particular improvement. The present invention was developed with an eye on this problem, and not only can solve the technical problems discussed above, but also provide additional technical elements that cannot be easily invented by those skilled in the art. It has been done.

Public Patent Publication No. 10-1581763 (registered on December 24, 2015)

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a system and method for examining the nerves inside a patient's oral cavity, and, unlike the prior art, to provide an environment in which the examination is possible in a non-contact manner.

In particular, the purpose of the present invention is to enable a non-contact testing environment to be implemented by inducing a fine electric current to the cells in the user's oral cavity through a magnetic field.

Additionally, the purpose of the present invention is to prevent the patient from feeling uncomfortable when touched by a cold metallic substance by preventing direct metal contact with the patient's body parts.

In addition, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a safer examination environment by generating only a small induced current without flowing current directly to the patient's body.

Meanwhile, the technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

The present invention is intended to solve the above problems. The nervous examination system for examining the inside of the oral cavity in a non-contact manner according to the present invention includes a coil unit that generates a magnetic field according to supplied power; A power supply unit that supplies power to the coil; and a housing having a predetermined thickness and having a space therein in which the coil unit and the power supply unit can be installed; Including, the non-contact intraoral nerve test for the user is, when the coil unit generates the magnetic field while facing the teeth or gingiva of any subject, the microcurrent induced by the magnetic field is the dimension or gingiva of the subject. It can be characterized as being achieved by activating gingival nerve cells.

In addition, the neurological examination system may further include a control unit that adjusts the parameters of the magnetic field generated by the coil unit by controlling the power supplied to the coil unit.

Additionally, in the neurological examination system, the housing includes a handle that can be held by a user; And it may include a magnetic field generating end, which is directed toward the oral cavity of the subject and has a coil portion inside.

Additionally, the neurological examination system may further include a soft cap that can be attached and detached to the magnetic field generating end and is made of a material having elasticity and restoring force.

Additionally, the neurological examination system may be characterized in that it is possible to arbitrarily set the type of sensation induced in any subject.

Additionally, in the neurological examination system, a parameter that can be adjusted by the controller may be a magnetic field frequency within the range of 10Hz to 50Hz.

Additionally, in the neurological examination system, the parameter adjustable by the controller may be a magnetic field frequency within the range of 60Hz to 200Hz.

Meanwhile, in a method for controlling a nerve examination system according to another embodiment of the present invention, the nerve examination system includes: a coil that generates a magnetic field according to supplied power; A power supply unit that supplies power to the coil; And a housing having a predetermined thickness and having a space inside which the coil unit and the power supply unit can be provided. Generating the magnetic field in a state facing; and a step of inducing sensation in the subject by activating nerve cells in the dental pulp or gingiva of the subject by the microcurrent induced by the magnetic field.

In addition, in the method for controlling the nerve test system, the nerve test system further includes a control unit that controls the parameters of the magnetic field generated by the coil by controlling the power supplied to the coil, and the method for controlling the nerve test system includes: , a step of inducing a sense of touch to the stimulation point of the subject by changing at least one parameter among the parameters of the magnetic field.

In addition, the method for controlling the neural examination system may further include setting magnetic field parameters corresponding to input received from the subject as driving parameters.

According to the present invention, when conducting a nerve test inside a patient's oral cavity, it is possible to induce intracellular current for nerve test even without contacting the surface of the teeth or gingiva with a metallic probe, thereby creating a non-contact test environment. There is an effect.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of increasing the safety of the patient and the overall examination because it does not apply electric current directly into the body.

Additionally, the present invention allows patients to eliminate their fear of testing, thereby enabling a smoother test.

Meanwhile, the effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

Figure 1 shows the examination of a tooth nerve according to a conventional method.
Figure 2 briefly shows the configuration of a neurological examination system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a diagram to explain the process by which touch is induced on human skin through a magnetic field.
Figure 4 shows an example of stimulation.
Figure 5 shows a soft cap that can be fitted on the end of the coil portion of the housing.
Figure 6 shows the configuration of a neurological examination system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 shows the implementation of a tactile guidance system by generalizing each configuration of the controller according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 shows the supporter in FIG. 7 composed of a plurality of supporting members.
Figure 9 shows a method for inducing tactile sensation and determining the type of induced tactile sensation.
Figure 10 shows the types of tactile sensations that a user can feel when stimulation in the low-frequency range is given and the scoring of the degree to which the user feels each tactile sensation.
Figure 11 is a graph showing the score of the degree to which the user felt the sense of touch according to the intensity of the stimulus or magnetic field frequency when stimulation in the low-frequency range was given.
Figure 12 shows the results of an experiment on tactile sensations that are classified as strongly felt by the user when stimulation in the low-frequency range is given.
Figure 13 shows the types of tactile sensations that a user can feel when stimulation in the high frequency range is given and the scoring of the degree to which the user feels each tactile sensation.
Figure 14 is a graph showing the score of the degree to which the user felt the tactile sensation according to the intensity of the stimulus or magnetic field frequency when stimulation in the high frequency range was given.
Figure 15 shows the results of an experiment on the tactile sensation that is classified as strong to the user when stimulation in the high frequency range is given.
Figure 16 sequentially lists a method for a user (or patient) to perform a test using the nerve test system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Details regarding the purpose and technical configuration of the present invention and its operational effects will be more clearly understood by the following detailed description based on the drawings attached to the specification of the present invention. Embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

The embodiments disclosed herein should not be construed or used as limiting the scope of the present invention. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the description, including embodiments, of this specification has various applications. Accordingly, any embodiments described in the detailed description of the present invention are illustrative to better explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to the embodiments.

The functional blocks shown in the drawings and described below are only examples of possible implementations. Other functional blocks may be used in other implementations without departing from the spirit and scope of the detailed description. Additionally, although one or more functional blocks of the present invention are shown as individual blocks, one or more of the functional blocks of the present invention may be a combination of various hardware and software components that perform the same function.

Additionally, the expression including certain components is an “open” expression and simply refers to the presence of the components and should not be understood as excluding additional components.

Furthermore, when a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it should be understood that although it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, other components may exist in between. do.

Figure 1 shows auditing the nerves on the tooth surface according to a conventional method.

Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional inspection device 10 consisted of a handle and a metallic probe 11 provided at one end of the device, and the method of testing using this was to bring the probe into contact with the surface of the patient's teeth. It has been done by allowing a very small current to flow on the surface of the tooth and examining the patient's response as the size of the small current is increased. At this time, the patient's response refers to the subjective movements shown by the patient as the intensity of stimulation increases, for example, the patient saying "It hurts" while gradually increasing the size of the microcurrent, or the button the patient was holding in his/her hand. This may mean pressing , etc., but since these patient reactions depend solely on the individual's subjective feelings, there has been a problem that the test results cannot be fully trusted. In particular, patients may feel fear just by being aware that they are undergoing a dental nerve test, and as a result, their teeth may feel achy or painful even when the slightest stimulus is applied or even when no stimulus is applied. Even considering the special nature of the dental examination environment at the dentist, the problem that conventional differential nerve examination devices and examination methods cannot guarantee the objectivity of the results has continued to arise.

On the other hand, as can be seen in Figure 1, the conventional inspection device applies a small current to the surface of the tooth with a probe, so the above small current inevitably flows throughout the body. In other words, since there is no separate probe for grounding and the human body itself is used as grounding, even if it is a minute current, there is a risk that it can pose a fatal threat to patients who have electronic devices inside the body, such as a pacemaker.

The present invention relates to a new inspection system that can replace such conventional inspection devices, and will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 2 conceptually illustrates a neurological examination system according to the first embodiment to be proposed in this detailed description, which basically includes a coil unit 110, a power supply unit 120, a control unit 130, and a housing ( 140) may be included.

Before giving a full explanation of each component, we will first briefly explain the principle of how the present invention can induce a sense of touch on the user's skin with reference to FIG. 3. As mentioned in the background art, the basic principle of the present invention is to enable the user to feel the sense of touch through a magnetic field. In other words, the present invention generates a time-varying magnetic field whose size can change with time, and when the time-varying magnetic field is transmitted to the human body as a stimulus, an induced current is generated within the human body, ultimately The basic principle is that the user can feel any kind of tactile sensation. Figure 3 is intended to explain this principle, and shows that when the stimulation generator (S) generates a time-varying magnetic field of arbitrary frequency and size, a sense of touch can be induced in the hand of a user (P) located at a distance. will be. Looking at this process in more detail, first, power is supplied to the stimulation generator (S), a time-varying magnetic field is generated by the supplied power, and a magnetic field is applied to a specific tissue of the user's skin by the generated time-varying magnetic field. Energy is transmitted through the medium. When energy by a magnetic field is delivered to the specific tissue, an induced current is generated inside the specific tissue. The induced current causes nerve cells within the specific tissue to have an action potential. As a result, biological receptors can be activated by the action potential, and thus a random sense of touch can be induced in the user.

Meanwhile, nerve testing on the tooth surface is done on the premise that ion changes across the nerve membrane are induced by electrical stimulation and an action potential is generated. At this time, in the test using a general probe, the current is transmitted through the prism of tooth enamel. , it can be transmitted to the tooth nerve through the dentinal tubule structure of dentin. However, the inspection system according to the present invention is characterized in that the sensory receptors present in the dentin can be activated with action potentials by induced current, which allows the patient to feel the sensation in the teeth. For reference, since enamel is an insulator through which electricity does not flow, even if a magnetic field is generated by the inspection system according to the present invention, no electrical signal is generated in the enamel, and the sensory receptors in the dentin beyond the enamel are immediately connected to the enamel. , or in some cases, understand that the tooth nerve (pulp) can be stimulated immediately.

Referring again to FIG. 2, each detailed configuration will be described. For reference, in this detailed description, the term neural testing system will be used throughout, but at this time, it will be understood that the term system is used in the sense of a system (SYSTEM) including a plurality of components, and the neural testing system is actually can also be implemented as a single device.

When continuing the explanation of each detailed configuration, first, the coil unit 110 is a component that plays the same role as the magnetic pole generator (S) in FIG. 3 and can generate a magnetic field when power is applied from the outside. Although there may be more diverse means for generating a magnetic field, this detailed description will be explained on the premise that the magnetic field is generated by the coil unit 110, and even when discussing parameters to be described later, the premise is that the magnetic field It is understood that this is generated by the coil unit 110. The coil portion 110 is preferably made of metal, but the material is not necessarily limited. In addition, there is no particular limitation on the size or shape of the coil unit 110, but preferably, it may be a copper wire with a rectangular cross-section shaped into a spiral shape. In addition, the size is 3 cm to 15 cm, preferably 10 cm to 14 cm, more preferably 12.8 cm, and the thickness of the coil portion 110 is 8 mm to 10 mm, more preferably 9 mm. It can be formed to be .

For reference, the location of the coil unit 110 shown in FIG. 2 is only shown as an example, and the location of the coil unit 110 is not particularly limited as long as it can transmit magnetic field energy to the inside of the patient's oral cavity. . In addition, although FIG. 2 shows that only one coil unit 110 is provided, the number of coil units 110 may be plural.

The power supply unit 120 supplies power to the coil unit 110. Strictly speaking, the power supply unit 120 provides power to the coil unit 110 through the wire 121, and in the process, current may be supplied to the coil unit 110. Additionally, as long as the power supply unit 120 can supply power to the coil unit 110, there is no limit to the method of implementing the configuration. Although the power supply unit 120 is shown in FIG. 2 as being located inside the housing 140, this is only one embodiment and the power supply unit 120 may be implemented to be provided outside the housing 140. The power supply unit 120 provided inside the housing 140 shown in FIG. 2 is in a form that can supply power by inserting a battery, or when the system is turned on after storing power by a charging means. It can be implemented in a form that can supply power.

On the other hand, the power supply unit 120 can be connected to the control unit 130, which will be described later, and can adjust the power or current supplied to the coil unit 110 according to control commands from the control unit 130. In particular, the current supplied from the power supply unit 120 to the coil unit 110 plays a large role in controlling various parameters of the time-varying magnetic field, such as the size of the current, the frequency of the current, the current waveform, the interval of the pulse, and the phase. The parameters of the equal current have a great influence in determining the physical properties of the time-varying magnetic field.

Next, the control unit 130 is configured to provide control commands for generating a magnetic field through the coil unit 110 and control commands for adjusting the properties of the time-varying magnetic field, such as the frequency of the generated magnetic field. In some cases, the control unit 130 may be an operation means equipped with a central processing unit and memory, and in this case, the central processing unit is a controller, microcontroller, microprocessor, or microcomputer. It can also be called etc. Additionally, the central processing unit may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. When implemented using hardware, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a digital signal processor (DSP) is used. , DSPD (digital signal processing device), PLD (programmable logic device), FPGA (field programmable gate array), etc., if implemented using firmware or software, a module, procedure or function that performs the above functions or operations. The firmware or software may be configured to include. In addition, memory includes ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), flash memory, SRAM (Static RAM), It can be implemented with HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. On the other hand, the control unit 130 may be connected to an input means for receiving arbitrary input from the user and an output means for displaying arbitrary information to the user. Types of input means may include a keyboard, mouse, and/or joystick, and a display having a touch-sensitive surface may also be included as a type of input means. The output means may include any display that can output arbitrary text, images, videos, etc., without limitation.

Referring to FIG. 2, the control unit 130 is connected to a control button (not shown) that may be provided on the outer surface of the housing 140, and when the control button operation input is received from the user, the control unit 130 responds thereto. It can be run accordingly. Types of control buttons may include a button for turning the power on/off, a button for turning on/off magnetic field generation, a button for adjusting the magnetic field intensity, or a button for adjusting the magnetic field frequency. In addition, the button for the operation may not necessarily be in a form that can be pressed by the user, but may be implemented in various forms and methods, such as a dial method or a touch method.

Meanwhile, in relation to the function of the control unit 130, the control unit 130 can receive input from the user and transmit a control command to control the power supply unit 120, and the power supply unit 120 responds to the control command. Accordingly, it can be implemented to adjust the properties of the current applied to the coil unit 110. That is, since the properties of the time-varying magnetic field generated by the coil unit 110 can be determined by the power and current supplied by the power supply unit 120, the control unit 130 may issue a control command to the power supply unit 120. By lowering , it is possible to control the properties of the time-varying magnetic field.

For reference, Figure 4 shows an example of a current signal applied by the power supply unit 120. In the case of the current signal, it is preferably an inactive section for a preset time, and an active section (active section) for a preset time. is shorter than the inactive section), and more preferably, one current signal can be formed by repeating the inactive section of 10 seconds and the active section of 0.1 seconds. Regarding the active section, although the present invention does not directly irradiate a laser or apply physical contact to the user's skin, but rather transmits energy through a magnetic field, the present invention is limited to energy transfer to the human body. Since this is for the purpose, it is necessary to make every effort to ensure safety. Therefore, in the present invention, considering the need to transmit energy as little as possible to cause damage to the human body, the active section is set to less than 1 second, and preferably, only the active section is 0.1 second.

The housing 140 has a predetermined thickness and may be a structure equipped with control means that can be operated by the user, and a space formed therein where a coil unit, a power supply unit, etc. can be installed. The material of the housing 140 is not limited to metal, plastic, or other organic-based polymer materials, and the material of the housing 140 is such that the magnetic field energy generated by the coil portion 110 provided inside can pass through. There are no particular restrictions as long as possible.

Additionally, in relation to the structural shape of the housing 140, one end of the housing 140 may be configured as a handle that the user (or patient, as the case may be) can directly hold with his or her hand, and the other end of the housing 140 (for convenience) (hereinafter referred to as “magnetic field generating end”) may be manufactured in a curved shape or “ㄱ” shape compared to the handle so that it can face the inside of the oral cavity. In addition, the magnetic field generating end may be further equipped with a separate light emitting means (not shown), and the inside of the patient's oral cavity can be viewed more brightly through the light emitting means.

With reference to FIG. 2 , detailed configurations of the neurological examination system according to the first embodiment of the present invention were examined.

Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the soft cap 200 that can be inserted into the magnetic field generating end of the housing 140. When conducting a nerve examination inside the oral cavity, especially on the teeth or gingiva, it is necessary to maintain a constant examination environment. Among these, the distance between the stimulation source that generates the magnetic field and the stimulation point where the actual stimulation is induced must not be kept constant. If not, correct results cannot be obtained, so it is desirable to keep this constant.

One purpose of the soft cap 200 shown in FIG. 5 is to enable a nerve examination to be performed while maintaining a constant distance between the stimulation source and the stimulation point, and also on the surface of the patient's teeth or gingiva. Another purpose is to prevent the magnetic field generating end from coming into direct contact. The soft cap 200 may be made of an elastic material, for example, a material that can be restored even when pressure is applied, such as rubber or silicone. Such a soft cap 200 may be formed in a form that can be inserted into the magnetic field generating end of the housing 140, as shown in (a) of FIG. 5. In some cases, the soft cap 200 may be 1 It can also be manufactured for disposable use so that it can be discarded after a single neurological examination.

Meanwhile, with the soft cap 200 inserted, the user can perform a nerve test by positioning the soft cap 200 so that it touches a stimulation point in the patient's mouth and then turning on the power. Since the soft cap 200 itself creates a soft touch, it can reduce the patient's fear compared to being touched by a conventional metallic probe. Additionally, by covering the soft cap 200, the distance between the stimulation source and the stimulation point can be kept relatively constant. You can also achieve the effect of being able to perform a nerve test while maintaining it.

Figure 6 shows a conceptual diagram of a neurological examination system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the neurological examination system according to the second embodiment is connected to a separate control device 300 that exists outside the housing 140, and the power supply unit 120 and the control unit within the control device 300. 130 is provided, and the control device 300 may also be implemented as being connected to the display device 400. In this case, only the coil unit 110 that generates a magnetic field may be provided within the housing 140, and the control device 300 and the housing 140 may be connected with a wire to supply power or current.

The control device 300 in FIG. 6 may be a device capable of performing calculations, that is, a computer, and the display device 400 may be a monitor connected to the computer. The display device 400 may display an interface for adjusting magnetic field parameters, that is, frequency or intensity, and an interface for inputting the degree when a patient responds to a specific stimulus. For example, in a dental hospital, the above display device 400 can be placed in front of a dentist, the magnetic field parameters can be adjusted according to the dentist's manipulation, and when the magnetic field is generated by driving the coil unit 110, the patient If you show signs of pain, you can ask about the intensity of the pain and then record the intensity numerically.

Meanwhile, the nerve testing system according to the present invention is also characterized in that the user (dentist, etc.) can preset the type of touch that can be induced in the patient. The type of tactile sensation induced by the magnetic field may be predetermined according to frequency or intensity, and the user can determine which tactile sensation is suitable for the patient by generating a magnetic field on the surface of the user's body in advance.

Below, we will briefly explain what type of tactile sensation can be induced in what environment when a user's tactile sensation is induced using a magnetic field.

Figure 7 shows an environment in which various tactile sensations can be induced, that is, an arbitrary tactile sensation induction system, and it can be confirmed that this includes the detailed configuration of the neural testing system described above. That is, the tactile induction system of FIG. 7 may include a coil unit 110, a power supply unit 120, a control unit 130, and a supporter 145 that can be compared to the housing 140 or soft cap 200. , Incidentally, a wire 121 connecting the power supply unit 120 to the coil unit 110 may be further included.

For reference, the supporter 145 may be arranged so that the user's skin surface can be placed and may be used to adjust the distance between the coil unit 110 and the stimulation point (a point on the user's skin surface where touch is induced). Adjustment of the distance can be achieved by combining a plurality of supporting members 141 to 143 as shown in FIG. 8. For example, the coil portion ( 110) and the stimulation point can be adjusted as desired. In addition, the supporter 145 in FIG. 7 may correspond to the housing 140 in the previous embodiments, and when applying this to a neurological examination system, each housing 140 is a supporter in an environment that will be described later. 145) Understand that it can be formed to the same thickness as the thickness.

FIG. 9 lists in order the method of determining the type of tactile sensation induced to the user when tactile sensation is induced to the user using the tactile induction system of FIG. 7, under conditions to be described later (frequency and separation of magnetic field parameters). If the distance (intensity) is applied equally to the previously described nerve testing system, the same and similar types of tactile sensations can be induced to the user, and users of the neural testing system (dentists, etc.) can use the method for determining the type of tactile sensation in FIG. We will keep in mind that it is possible to set the environment so that the user's preferred tactile sensation can be induced through a similar process.

Referring to FIG. 9, the method of inducing tactile sensation and determining the type of induced tactile sensation can be largely comprised of three steps, which include generating a magnetic field (S101) and receiving a selection input of the type of tactile sensation from the user (S103). ), and a step (S105) of classifying the tactile type selected by the user into a tactile sensation corresponding to a specific parameter may be included.

The first step of generating a magnetic field (S101) is to generate a magnetic field with arbitrary properties by driving the power supply unit 120 and the coil unit 110 while the user's skin is placed on the supporter 145 of the tactile induction system. This is the stage where it occurs. For reference, the magnetic field frequency may be included among the arbitrary properties of the magnetic field, and the magnetic field frequency may be adjusted in 10 Hz increments in the range of 0 to 200 Hz through the control unit 130. In addition, the arbitrary properties of the magnetic field may further include magnetic field intensity, and the actual magnetic field intensity is proportional to the magnitude of the charging voltage of the capacitor (not shown) electrically connected to the coil unit 110, but in the system environment of FIG. 7 In order to secure more stable and objective parameters, it is decided to replace the magnetic field intensity with the separation distance, that is, the distance between the coil unit 110 and the stimulation point (user's skin), as one of the magnetic field parameters. In summary, in the tactile sensation induction and tactile sensation determination method according to FIG. 9, at least two parameters are used to determine the type of tactile sensation, namely, the magnetic field frequency and the separation distance from the coil unit 110 to the stimulation point (user's skin). We understand that it has been adjusted, and in the following, we understand that various types of tactile sensations can be determined or defined based on these two parameters.

After step S101, a step (S103) of receiving a selection input of the type of touch from the user who feels the touch by the magnetic field may be performed. This step can be performed, for example, by having a user select a specific tactile type or tactile types using an input means while a plurality of predefined tactile types are displayed on the output means (monitor) of the tactile induction system. .

At this time, the types of tactile sensations that can be displayed on the output means include “pressing feeling,” “tapping feeling,” “blunt feeling,” “stiff feeling,” “tapping feeling,” “soft feeling,” and “chilling feeling.” feeling", "tickling feeling", "quivering feeling", "tingling feeling", "gritty feeling", "dull feeling", "thin feeling", "stiff feeling", "poking feeling", "tingling feeling", At least one of a “tingling feeling” and a “tapping feeling” may be included, and the user can select at least one type of touch that he or she thinks he or she felt among these predefined types of touch. Also, at this time, the output The tactile types displayed on the means may be randomly arranged and displayed on the output means for objectivity of the environment.

Meanwhile, in step S103, in addition to receiving an input for selecting a specific tactile type or types of tactile sensations from the user, an input regarding how clearly the selected tactile sensation was felt can also be received. For example, if the degree of tactile sensation was very clearly felt, an input of 5 could be received, and if the degree of tactile sensation was barely felt, an input of 1 could be received. Depending on the degree, inputs of 2 to 4 could also be received. . And if there is no feeling, you can input up to 0. In this way, in the tactile sensation induction method according to the present invention, the user can input what type of tactile sensation and how well he or she felt it when stimulated by the magnetic field.

After step S103, a step (S105) of classifying the tactile sensation type into a tactile sensation corresponding to a specific parameter may be performed based on receiving the user's input. In practice, this step can be implemented by storing the tactile type in a database (not shown) by matching it with parameters defining the magnetic field generation environment when a specific tactile type is selected by the user. For example [magnetic field frequency: 20Hz; Separation distance: 20cm; Type of touch: Tapping feeling; Degree: 3], [Magnetic field frequency: 100Hz; Separation distance: 40cm; Type of touch: sore feeling; Data in any format, including information such as [Level: 5], can be stored in the database.

Meanwhile, steps S101 to S103 may be repeated several times and for several users, and when the steps are repeated, at least one parameter of the magnetic field frequency and the separation distance may be changed. After data corresponding to the parameter(s) and a specific tactile type is accumulated through this method, the parameter(s) necessary to induce a specific tactile type can be defined, and the parameter(s) information defined in this way They can be used to induce a specific tactile sensation in the user.

Figure 10 is a table showing the average value and standard deviation of data corresponding to parameters and specific tactile types obtained by repeating steps S101 to S103. More specifically, FIG. 10 shows users in a system environment defined by parameters of three types of separation distance (10 cm, 20 cm, and 30 cm) and four types of magnetic field frequencies (10 Hz, 20 Hz, 30 Hz, 50 Hz; low frequency). This shows the results of repeated two-way ANOVA on the type and degree of tactile sensation felt.

Referring to FIG. 10, when the magnetic field frequency is in the range of 10Hz to 50Hz and the separation distance from the coil unit 110 to the stimulation point (user's skin) is 10 to 30cm (in the table of FIG. 10, the separation distance is 10cm is indicated as Lev 3, 20cm is indicated as Lev 2, and 30cm is indicated as Lev1) Types of tactile sensations that can be induced by the user include “tickling feeling,” “trembling feeling,” and “pressing feeling.” , it can be confirmed that it is one of the following: “tingling feeling,” “tingling feeling,” “knocking feeling,” “tapping feeling,” “blub feeling,” “stiff feeling,” or “poking feeling.”

Meanwhile, in Figure 11(a), "trembling feeling", "tapping feeling", "tingling feeling", "poking feeling", "tingling feeling", "stiff feeling", and "knocking feeling" are separated by the separation distance ( A graph showing a significant difference depending on (or magnetic field strength) is shown. According to this, it can be seen that the difference in the degree to which users feel the tactile sensations according to the separation distance between the above-mentioned tactile sensations is relatively large. In addition, FIG. 11(b) shows a graph showing that the “trembling feeling” and “tapping feeling” show significant differences depending on the magnetic field frequency.

FIG. 12 shows a graph to check how the separation distance and magnetic field frequency relate to the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user in relation to the “trembling feeling” and “tapping feeling.” When referring to the data, in the case of "quivering feeling", the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 30Hz is the tactile sensation felt by the user when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 10Hz. There was a relatively large difference with the degree of, and it can be seen that there was a large difference both when the separation distance was 20cm (Lev2) and the frequency was 30Hz and when the separation distance was 30cm (Lev1) and the frequency was 30Hz. From this, it can be seen that the “trembling feeling” is relatively clearly perceived by the user when the separation distance is at least 10 cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 30 Hz. Through this, under the above parameter conditions, the “quivering feeling” is induced in the user. You can see that it can be done.

Meanwhile, in the case of "tap feeling", the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 10Hz is the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 50Hz. It can be seen that there is a relatively large difference compared to when the separation distance is 30cm (Lev1) and the frequency is 10Hz. From this, it can be seen that the “tap-tap feeling” is relatively clearly perceived by the user when the separation distance is at least 10 cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 10 Hz. Through this, under the above parameter conditions, the “tap-tap feeling” is induced in the user. You can see that it can be done.

Figure 13 is a table similar to Figure 10 described above, but the table in Figure 13 shows three types of separation distances (10cm, 20cm, 30cm) and five types of magnetic fields (80Hz, 100Hz, 130Hz, 160Hz, 200Hz; high frequency). There are some differences in that it is the result of analyzing the type and degree of tactile sensation felt by users in a system environment defined by parameters called frequency.

Referring to FIG. 13, when the magnetic field frequency is in the range of 80 Hz to 200 Hz and the separation distance from the coil unit 110 to the stimulation point is 10 to 30 cm, the types of tactile sensation that can be induced to the user include "patting." feeling", "soft feeling", "chilling feeling", "tickling feeling", "trembling feeling", "tingling feeling", "gritty feeling", "dull feeling", "thin feeling", "stiff feeling", It can be identified as one of a “prickling feeling,” a “tingling feeling,” a “tingling feeling,” or a “knocking feeling.”

Meanwhile, in Figure 14(a), "tingling feeling", "soft feeling", "tingling feeling", "tingling feeling", "prickling feeling", "gritty feeling", "dull feeling", and "piercing feeling". A graph showing a significant difference depending on the separation distance is shown. According to this, it can be seen that the above tactile sensations are perceived relatively clearly by users depending on the separation distance. Additionally, Figure 14(b) shows a graph showing that “tingling sensation” and “soft sensation” show significant differences depending on the magnetic field frequency.

FIG. 15 shows a graph showing how the separation distance and magnetic field frequency relate to the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user in relation to the “tingling sensation.” When referring to the data, in the case of "tingling sensation", the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 200Hz is the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 80Hz, and when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 80Hz, and when the frequency is 130Hz. There was a relatively large difference in the degree of tactile sensation felt, and there was a large difference both when the separation distance was 20cm (Lev2) and the frequency was 200Hz and when the separation distance was 30cm (Lev1) and the frequency was 200Hz. You can. From this, it can be confirmed that the “tingling feeling” is clearly perceived by the user when the separation distance is at least 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 200Hz. Through this, under the above parameter conditions, a “tingling feeling” can be induced in the user. You can see that there is.

For reference, the tables in FIGS. 10 and 13 are a method of inducing repeated tactile sensation when the separation distance is 10 cm to 30 cm in the low frequency range of 10 Hz to 50 Hz, and when the separation distance is 10 cm to 30 cm in the high frequency range of 80 Hz to 200 Hz, respectively. These are data obtained through, and the specific frequencies within the standard separation distance range and frequency range will be determined by experimental steps performed prior to the steps described in FIG. 9, more precisely, before step S101. You can.

For example, the range of the separation distance is based on 50Hz, which is the highest frequency in the low frequency range, and the value of the separation distance is gradually lowered from the first separation distance for random users to the value at which the first sense of touch begins to be perceived. It can be determined by defining the maximum separation distance (distance in the farthest state) and the value that users begin to perceive as pain as the minimum separation distance (distance in the closest state). At this time, the point in time when the users begin to perceive the sense of touch or the point in time when they begin to perceive it as pain will be able to receive input from the user through an input means in the tactile induction system.

On the other hand, the values of specific frequencies within the low-frequency range allow users to clearly distinguish differences in tactile sensation among five frequencies in the range from 10Hz to 50Hz divided into 10Hz intervals, assuming that the user's stimulation point is at the minimum distance from the coil. It can be determined by the frequencies that do. For example, if, as a result of the actual prior experiment, it was determined that many users perceived tactile differences from other frequencies at 10Hz, 20Hz, 30Hz, and 50Hz excluding 40Hz, according to the results of the prior experiment, the remaining four frequencies excluding 40Hz Frequencies can be used to perform the tactile sensation induction method of FIG. 9 or the method of determining the type of induced tactile sensation.

Meanwhile, prior experiments can also be conducted in the high frequency range. For example, the range of the separation distance can be determined in the same manner as described above based on 200 Hz, the highest frequency in the high frequency range. In other words, the value at which users first begin to perceive a sense of touch can be determined as the maximum separation distance, and the value at which users begin to perceive pain can be determined as the minimum separation distance.

In addition, the values of specific frequencies within the high frequency range can also be determined in the same way. As a result of actual prior experiments, many users found that the range between 60Hz and 200Hz was divided into 10Hz intervals at 80Hz, 100Hz, 130Hz, 160Hz, and 200Hz. If a difference in tactile sensation between frequencies is felt and input through the input means, the above five frequencies can be used to perform the tactile sensation induction method or the induced tactile type determination method of FIG. 9.

With reference to FIGS. 9 to 15 , we have seen that various types of tactile sensations can be induced through the tactile induction system.

Meanwhile, it was previously mentioned that the user of the neurological examination system (dentist, etc.) can directly set the tactile sensation induced to the patient, and FIG. 16 sequentially shows a method for the user to directly set the type of tactile sensation.

Referring to FIG. 16, the neural testing system may receive a tactile setting input from the user (S201). At this time, the tactile setting input can be input by the user pressing the tactile setting menu through the screen of the display device 400.

After step S201, the neural testing system can be controlled to generate a magnetic field, that is, to generate a magnetic field by supplying power to the coil unit 110, and thereby generate a random tactile sensation on the user's stimulation point. This can be induced (S202).

After step S202, the neural testing system may be controlled (S203) to generate a magnetic field with different parameters than the preceding step S202. For example, the neurological examination system can generate magnetic fields with different frequencies and strengths by varying the size or frequency of the signal applied by the power supply unit 120 to the control unit 130. Meanwhile, when a magnetic field with changed parameter values is generated, different types of tactile sensations as discussed above may be induced at the user's stimulation point.

For reference, this step can be performed repeatedly by the user pressing any tactile button on the screen of the display device. For example, a magnetic field with preset parameter(s) can be generated whenever the user presses a button, or “Tactile 1”, “Tactile 2”, and “Tactile 3” can be displayed on the screen of the display device. After displaying the menu buttons, etc., it is possible to generate a magnetic field of the corresponding parameter whenever the user presses a menu button.

After step S203, an arbitrary tactile selection input can be received from the user, and magnetic field parameters corresponding to the selected tactile sensation can be set as driving parameters. In other words, this step can be understood as a step of setting parameters so that the patient can feel the tactile sensation desired by the user when the nerve testing system is driven.

Through this series of processes, users, i.e. dentists, can set the controller to induce the type of tactile sensation they want in patients.

We have looked at the system and method for examining the nerves in the oral cavity in a non-contact manner. Meanwhile, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments and application examples described above, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Of course, it is possible, but these modified implementations should not be understood separately from the technical idea or outlook of the present invention.

110 coil
120 Power supply 121 Electric wire
130 control unit
140 housing
145 supporter
141~143 Absence of support
200 soft cap

Claims (10)

In the nerve examination system for examining the inside of the oral cavity in a non-contact manner,
A coil unit that generates a magnetic field according to the power supplied;
A power supply unit that supplies power to the coil;
It has a predetermined thickness, and has a space formed inside where the coil unit and the power supply unit can be provided, a handle that can be held by the user, and a magnetic field in which the coil unit is provided inside as it is directed toward the oral cavity of the subject. a housing containing a generating stage; and
A disposable soft cap that can be attached and detached to the magnetic field generating end, is made of a material with elasticity and restoring force, touches the stimulation point of the subject during the test, and is discarded after the test;
Including,
The non-contact intraoral nerve test for the user is,
When the coil unit generates the magnetic field while facing the teeth or gingiva of a subject, the microcurrent induced by the magnetic field activates nerve cells in the pulp or gingiva of the subject,
In addition, the soft cap allows the intraoral nerve examination to be performed while maintaining a constant distance between the stimulation source generating the magnetic field and the stimulation point where the stimulation is induced while being inserted into the magnetic field generating end, and also allows the subject's teeth to be examined. Preventing the magnetic field generating end from directly contacting the surface or gingival surface,
Neurological examination system.
According to paragraph 1,
a control unit that adjusts the parameters of the magnetic field generated by the coil unit by controlling the power supplied to the coil unit;
Containing more,
Neurological examination system.
delete delete According to paragraph 1,
The neurological examination system,
Characterized in that the type of sensation induced in the subject can be arbitrarily set,
Neurological examination system.
According to paragraph 2,
Characterized in that the parameter adjustable by the control unit is the magnetic field frequency within the range of 10 Hz to 50 Hz.
Neurological examination system.
According to paragraph 2,
Characterized in that the parameter adjustable by the control unit is the magnetic field frequency within the range of 60 Hz to 200 Hz.
Neurological examination system.
In a method of controlling a nervous examination system,
The neurological examination system,
A coil that generates a magnetic field according to the power supplied;
A power supply unit that supplies power to the coil;
It has a predetermined thickness, and has a space formed inside where the coil unit and the power supply unit can be provided, a handle that can be held by the user, and a magnetic field in which the coil unit is provided inside as it is directed toward the oral cavity of the subject. a housing containing a generating stage; and
A disposable soft cap that can be attached and detached to the magnetic field generating end, is made of a material with elasticity and restoring force, touches the stimulation point of the subject during the test, and is discarded after the test;
Including,
The method for controlling the nervous examination system is:
Generating the magnetic field with the coil unit facing the teeth or gingiva of a random subject; and
Inducing sensation in the subject by activating nerve cells in the dental pulp or gingiva of the subject by the microcurrent induced by the magnetic field;
Includes,
The soft cap allows the oral nerve test to be performed while maintaining a constant distance between the stimulation source generating the magnetic field and the stimulation point where the stimulation is induced while being inserted into the magnetic field generating end, and also allows the oral nerve examination to be performed on the surface of the subject's teeth or Characterized in that the magnetic field generating end does not directly contact the gingival surface,
Neuroexamination system control method.
According to clause 8,
The neurological examination system is,
It further includes a control unit that adjusts the parameters of the magnetic field generated by the coil by controlling the power supplied to the coil,
The method for controlling the nervous examination system is,
inducing a sense of touch at a stimulation point of the subject by changing at least one parameter among the parameters of the magnetic field;
Containing more,
Neuroexamination system control method.
According to clause 9,
Setting magnetic field parameters corresponding to the input received from the subject as driving parameters;
Containing more,
Neuroexamination system control method.

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