WO2020259846A1

WO2020259846A1 - Dental patient feedback and notification system

Info

Publication number: WO2020259846A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/067326
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tijl Henri VAN DEN BERG
Original assignee: Sedatie Centrum Nederland B.V.
Priority date: 2019-06-28
Filing date: 2019-06-28
Publication date: 2020-12-30

Abstract

The invention relates to a dental patient feedback and notification system and method. The system comprises an optical feedback device, an optical notification device, and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to send a first output signal to the optical feedback device and to send a second output signal to the optical notification device, based on at least a signal received from an input device; the input device being suitable for being operated by a dental patient during treatment, and the input device comprising one or more input mechanisms capable of sending at least two distinct input signals, each of the distinct input signals indicating a distinct intensity value or a distinct change in an intensity value. The optical feedback device is suitable for being positioned in the field of view of the dental patient during treatment, is configured to receive the first output signal from the processing unit, and comprises one or more optical feedback mechanisms, each of the one or more optical feedback mechanisms being configured to display one of more than two feedback output states based on the received first output signal, each of the feedback output states corresponding to an intensity value. The optical notification device is suitable for being positioned in or near the field of view of a dentist during treatment, is configured to receive the second output signal from the processing unit, and comprises one or more optical notification mechanisms, each of the one or more optical notification mechanisms being configured to display one of more than two notification output states based on the received second output signal, each of the notification output states corresponding to an intensity value. The invention furthermore relates to a computer program product enabling a computer system to perform said method.

Description

Dental patient feedback and notification system

Field of the invention

The disclosure relates to providing immediate and detailed feedback from a dental patient to a dentist; and, in particular, though not exclusively, to systems and methods for providing immediate and detailed feedback from a dental patient to a dentist, and to a computer program product enabling a computer system to perform such methods.

Background of the invention

While patients are being treated by a dentist, they typically have very limited speech options, and consequently, very limited options to provide feedback to the dentist. At the same time, it is not uncommon for patients to experience various (unpleasant) sensations such as pain, fear, and/or other mental or physical discomfort. Patient and dentist may agree on certain signs indicating the patient is experiencing such sensations, e.g. hand

movements, to overcome some of these limitations. However, these signs may be difficult to remember for a patient, especially one experiencing severe pain or fear. Moreover, a patient’s hand is often outside the dentist’s field of view and a manual sign may therefore go unnoticed. Additionally, the use of manual signs may make it difficult to distinguish between e.g. pain and fear, while these different complaints may require different reactions from a dentist. The dentist may therefore be forced to pause his treatment and remove e.g. jaw clamps to allow the patient to speak, causing patients unnecessary pain or discomfort, and losing valuable treatment time.

US 2018/00 33 261 A1 ,‘Dental pain and discomfort notification system’ discloses a system for providing immediate visual feedback from a patient to a dentist. The system may comprise a patient-held controller to activate the system, a patient notification system providing feedback to the patient, and a dentist notification system providing feedback to the dentist. It may comprise separate controls and feedback options for dental pain and for discomfort.

A drawback of the system disclosed in US 2018/00 33 261 A1 is that it only notifies the dentist after the patient indicates that he experiences substantial pain or discomfort, but cannot warn the dentist of unpleasant sensations that are growing worse.

This way, the dentist is not enabled to take preventive action to avoid causing the patient substantial pain or discomfort. There is therefore a need in the art for a dental notification system that enables a dental patient to notify a dentist not only when he experiences substantial pain or discomfort, but also when he feels substantial pain or discomfort may be imminent.

Summary of the invention

It is a first object of the invention to provide a system enabling a dental patient to provide immediate and detailed feedback to a dentist during treatment. It is a second object of the invention to provide a method enabling a dental patient to provide immediate and detailed feedback to a dentist during treatment.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a dental patient feedback and notification system, comprising an optical feedback device, an optical notification device, and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to send a first output signal to the optical feedback device and to send a second output signal to the optical notification device, based on at least a signal received from an input device; the input device being suitable for being operated by a dental patient during treatment, and the input device comprising one or more input mechanisms capable of sending at least two distinct input signals, each of the distinct input signals indicating a distinct intensity value or a distinct change in an intensity value. The optical feedback device is suitable for being positioned in the field of view of the dental patient during treatment, is configured to receive the first output signal from the processing unit, and comprises one or more optical feedback mechanisms, each of the one or more optical feedback mechanisms being configured to display one of more than two feedback output states based on the received first output signal, each of the feedback output states corresponding to an intensity value. The optical notification device is suitable for being positioned in or near the field of view of a dentist during treatment, is configured to receive the second output signal from the processing unit, and comprises one or more optical notification mechanisms, each of the one or more optical notification mechanisms being configured to display one of more than two notification output states based on the received second output signal, each of the notification output states corresponding to an intensity value.

The input device is controlled by the dental patient, and may send signals representing the intensity or change in intensity of a sensation experienced by the patient, e.g. the patient’s pain, fear, or (other) discomfort level. The output states (both for the feedback device and for the notification device) should preferably be intuitively or numerically ordered, and should be capable of displaying a plurality of levels; e.g. colours (green: little pain,“I’m fine” - orange: moderate pain,“be careful” - red: severe pain,“please stop”), a numerical indicator (e.g. a seven-segment display, with 0: no pain - 9: unbearable pain), or a light strip with a varying number of illuminated lights, according to the intensity level of the sensation reported by the patient.

The feedback mechanism and the notification mechanism may employ the same mechanism or different mechanisms, e.g. a number (0-9) for the patient, and a colour (green: <6, orange: 6-8, red: >8) for the dentist. Especially in an embodiment with more than one feedback mechanism and more than one notification mechanism, the mechanisms may e.g. be labelled according to the sensation that they represent, or may employ different colours, e.g. a red light strip representing the pain level experienced by the patient and a blue light strip representing the fear level experienced by the patient.

The input device may send the signals to the processing unit through a wired or wireless connection. The system may be implemented as a fully analogue system, as a fully digital system, or as a hybrid system.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention may distinguish at least between varying intensity levels of pain and fear, but intensities of other sensations may equally well be communicated to the dentist. The patient may indicate e.g. that pain or fear levels are rising, allowing the dentist to react before the pain or fear has become unbearable; or indicate that pain or fear levels are lowering, showing the dentist that he can safely proceed or that his adjustments to limit pain or fear were successful.

In this disclosure, dentist may refer to any type of dental professional or practitioner, including but not limited to, dentists, dental surgeons, oral surgeons,

orthodontists, periodontists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, et cetera. Similarly, dental patient may refer to any person being treated by a dentist as used in this disclosure.

In an embodiment, the invention may relate to a dental patient feedback and notification system wherein at least one of the at least two distinct input signals corresponds to an increase in intensity and at least another one of the at least two distinct input signals corresponds to a decrease in intensity; wherein the processing unit comprises a memory unit storing an intensity value; wherein the processing unit is configured to increase, respectively decrease, the intensity value stored in the memory unit based on a received input signal corresponding to an increasing, respectively decreasing, intensity value, resulting in a new stored intensity value; and wherein the processing unit is configured to send a first output signal to the optical feedback device and to send a second output signal to the optical notification device, the first and second output signals corresponding to the new stored intensity value.

One of the one or more input mechanisms may e.g. comprise more than two buttons, each button corresponding to a different intensity value; or a potentiometer, the output voltage corresponding to an intensity value. However, in a preferred embodiment, the input mechanism registers an increase or decrease in intensity, implying a stationary level when there is no increase or decrease. The input mechanism may e.g. comprise digital directional buttons (e.g.‘up’ for an increasing intensity and‘down’ for a decreasing intensity). Alternatively, the input mechanism may be e.g. a kind of joystick or control stalk; in such an embodiment, the direction (e.g. front or back) may indicate an increase or decrease, while the activation angle may indicate the rate of increase or decrease. An advantage of such an embodiment is that the patient does not need to think about e.g. an abstract pain level, but only needs to indicate whether e.g. the level of pain he is experiencing is increasing, decreasing, or mostly stable, which may be easier for many patients.

In an embodiment, the invention may relate to a dental patient feedback and notification system wherein: one of the at least two distinct input signals corresponds to an instantaneous increase to maximum intensity value; and the processing unit is configured to, responsive to receiving a signal corresponding to an instantaneous increase to maximum intensity value, send output signals corresponding to the maximum intensity value to the optical feedback device and to the optical notification device.

The input mechanism may e.g. comprise an additional button, or a push functionality on the joystick, to immediately increase the reported intensity level to its maximum value, to quickly and clearly indicate e.g. sudden sharp pain or overwhelming fear. This may be especially relevant in embodiments which otherwise indicate the intensity level of the reported sensation by a relatively slow increase/decrease mechanism. Alternatively, this functionality may be activated by a so-called double click, i.e. two signals sent by an input mechanism in rapid succession; in such an embodiment, the input signal is considered to comprise a collection of (partial) input signals within a predetermined amount of time.

In an embodiment, the invention may furthermore relate to a dental patient feedback and notification system wherein: the processing unit is further configured to store, responsive to receiving the signal corresponding to an instantaneous increase to maximum intensity value, a further intensity value; another one of the at least two distinct input signals corresponds to an instantaneous return to the stored further intensity value; and the processing unit is configured to, responsive to a signal corresponding to instantaneous return to the stored further intensity value, send an first output signal to the optical feedback device and send a second output signal to the optical notification device, the first and second output signals corresponding to the stored further intensity level.

This method may be invoked by a separate button, but will typically be invoked by the same button or push functionality on the joystick as is used to indicate the immediately increase to maximum level. The stored further intensity value typically corresponds to the last, i.e. most recent, intensity value that was determined, stored, or gave rise to an output signal before the input signal corresponding to an instantaneous increase to maximum intensity value was received or processed by the processing unit. As e.g. a sudden sharp pain often quickly subsides, the patient may use this functionality to quickly let the dentist know that the pain has subsided and that the dentist may proceed with the treatment.

In an embodiment, the invention may relate to a dental patient feedback and notification system wherein: at least one of the one or more feedback mechanisms comprises a multitude of feedback lights; and the optical feedback device is configured to, responsive to the first output signal, illuminate zero or more of the multitude of feedback lights, the zero or more illuminated feedback lights defining a feedback output state. The number of illuminated feedback lights is typically proportional to an intensity value.

Although many different types of feedback mechanisms are possible, in a preferred embodiment, the feedback device comprises one or more LED strips with a large number of LEDs (at least 10, preferably about 50-100, depending i.a. on the size of the LEDs and the LED strip), with which the patient can play around a bit. The feedback system may be labelled to help a patient understand how the dentist is likely to interpret a certain intensity level, e.g. one end may be labelled“no pain”, the other end“very severe pain”, and some points in between“unpleasant”,“moderate pain”, and“severe pain”. The lights should preferably be placed on a straight or slightly curved line, but other configurations are also possible. In embodiments in which there are several feedback mechanisms, each feedback mechanism may have its own colour LED, and optionally its own label, e.g. a blue LED feedback mechanism for fear and a red LED feedback mechanism for pain.

The feedback device may typically be attached to the ceiling, and its dimensions and the brightness of any lights should take the distance between patient and feedback mechanism into account: the feedback should be clearly visible, also for e.g.

patients with reduced vision. Alternatively, the feedback device may be attached to the dental chair. In some embodiments, the feedback device may comprise several physically disjunct parts.

In certain embodiments, the processing unit of the system may be centralized; in these embodiments, there is a single processing unit receiving and interpreting the input signal and directly controlling the feedback and notification devices, e.g. determining for each individual LED on a LED strip whether it should be lit. In other embodiments, the processing unit may be distributed; in such embodiments, a first processing unit may receive the input signal and determine and send a first output signal to the feedback device, while the feedback device may comprise a second processing unit translating the first output signal to e.g. a number of illuminated LEDs on a LED strip.

In an embodiment, the invention may relate to a dental patient feedback and notification system wherein: at least one of the one or more notification mechanisms comprises a multitude of notification lights, and the optical notification device is configured to, responsive to the first output signal, illuminate zero or more of the multitude of notification lights, the zero or more illuminated notification lights defining a notification output state. The number of illuminated notification lights is typically proportional to an intensity value.

In an embodiment, the invention may relate to a dental patient feedback and notification system wherein: the quantity of notification output states is smaller than the quantity of feedback output states. Typically, the maximum level of the notification output states coincides with the maximum level of the feedback output states.

A notification mechanism may have a much smaller range of displayable intensity values, lest the dentist be distracted by small, practically meaningless variations in signalled intensity. In some embodiments, low intensity values (e.g. everything less than half of the range available on the feedback device) may not be shown to the dentist at all. The notification mechanism is preferably also a LED strip, but typically with a smaller number of LEDs. The notification device should preferably be placed on or near the headrest or on or near a tool panel, where it can be easily seen by the dentist. It is therefore typically much closer to the dentist than the feedback device is to the patient, and may consequently be considerably smaller. While a feedback mechanism may have e.g. 50 LEDs, the number of illuminated LEDs being indicative for the intensity level of a sensation experienced by the patient, the corresponding notification mechanism may have e.g. only 5 lights, with relations between illuminated feedback lights and illuminated notification lights for instance similar to: <=25: 0, 26-30: 1 , 31-35: 2, 36-40: 3, 41-45: 4, 46-50: 5. Colours and labels matching the feedback system may be used.

In an embodiment, the invention may relate to a dental patient feedback and notification system, wherein the system further comprises an input device, suitable for being operated by a dental patient during treatment, the input device comprising one or more input mechanisms capable of sending at least two distinct input signals to the processing unit, each of the distinct input signals indicating a distinct intensity value or a distinct change in an intensity value.

In an embodiment, the invention may relate to a dental patient feedback and notification system, wherein the processing unit further comprises one or more

predetermined critical values; and wherein the system further comprises an acoustic notification mechanism, configured to create a sound when an intensity value is greater than or equal to one of the one or more predetermined critical values, and/or when the rate of change of the intensity value is greater than or equal to one of the one or more

predetermined critical values.

An additional buzzer or other acoustic notification mechanism may be added to the system, to ensure the dentist does not overlook the visual notification e.g. when the notification mechanism may be temporarily outside his field of view. This could for instance be a short beep when the pain level reaches“almost unbearable”, and a continuous beep or a series of beeps when the level reaches“unbearable”.

In an embodiment, the invention may relate to a dental patient feedback and notification system wherein one of the feedback mechanisms and one of the notification mechanisms represents pain levels, and another one of the feedback mechanisms and another one of the notification mechanisms signals represents fear levels. As pain and fear are very common (non-dental) problems in a dentist’s office, they are suitable candidates for sensations that a patient may want to communicate to his dentist during treatment.

In an embodiment, the invention may relate to a dental patient feedback and notification system wherein the processing unit is further configured to send data comprising the intensity value and/or data corresponding to the input signal and/or the first output signal and/or the second output signal to a storage device.

It may be useful to log the development of pain, fear and/or other discomfort levels. This information may be especially valuable when it is enriched with information about treatment details. In some embodiments, the processing unit may be configured to send data to the storage device periodically, in other embodiments, the processing unit may be configured to send data only when an input signal is received and/or when one or more output signals have been sent or are about to be sent.

In an embodiment, the dental patient feedback and notification system may further comprise an additional feedback mechanism, configured to successively display a plurality of feedback output states, the successive displaying of feedback output states comprising or suggesting a motion along an axis extending primarily in the left-right direction from the point of view of the dental patient in treatment position. Such an additional feedback mechanism may serve to distract the patient, possibly resulting in the patient experiencing less pain, fear, or other discomfort. This additional feedback mechanism may be especially effective when it incites the patient to repeatedly move his eyes in the patient’s left-right direction. The additional feedback mechanism may repeat the same set of successive feedback output states, or vary between multiple sets of successive feedback output states. The motion or suggested motion may be displayed repeatedly or continuously.

In an embodiment, the additional feedback mechanism is configured to display a feedback output state out of a plurality of feedback output states, responsive to a signal received from an additional input mechanism configured to be operated by the dental patient, the additional input mechanism communicatively coupled to the additional feedback mechanism. In an embodiment, the dental patient feedback and notification system may further comprise an additional feedback mechanism and an additional input mechanism configured to be operated by the dental patient, the additional input mechanism

communicatively coupled to the additional feedback mechanism, wherein the additional feedback mechanism is configured to, responsive to one or more input signals received from the additional input mechanism, indicate when a goal has been reached, or to indicate a level when a task has been accomplished.

The effect of the additional feedback device may be increased if an additional feedback device, possibly the additional feedback device displaying a (suggestion of a) motion in the patient’s left-right direction, is configured to be responsive to input from the patient, e.g. in the form of a game. Such a game could e.g. comprise temporarily stopping the suggested motion at a predetermined, preferable marked, location.

In a further aspect, the invention may relate to a dental patient notification method, comprising: a processing unit receiving one of at least two distinct input signals from an input device, each of the at least two distinct input signals indicating a distinct intensity value or a distinct change in an intensity value; the processing unit sending a first output signal to an optical feedback device, based on at least the received input signal; the processing unit sending a second output signal to an optical notification device, based on at least the received input signal; the optical feedback device receiving the first output signal from the processing unit and, using one or more optical feedback mechanisms, displaying one of more than two feedback output states, based on the received first output signal, each of the feedback output states corresponding to an intensity value; and, the optical notification device receiving the second output signal from the processing unit and, using one or more optical notification mechanisms, displaying one of more than two notification output states, based on the received first output signal, each of the notification output states corresponding to an intensity value.

In a further aspect, the invention may also relate to a computer program product comprising software code portions configured for, when run in the memory of a computer, executing the method steps according to any of the process steps described above.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a "circuit," "module" or "system”. Functions described in this disclosure may be implemented as an algorithm executed by a microprocessor of a computer. Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied, e.g., stored, thereon. Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non- exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fibre, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber, cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any

combination of one or more programming languages, including a functional or an object oriented programming language such as Java(TM), Scala, C++, Python or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer, or entirely on the remote computer, server or virtualized server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor, in particular a microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU), or graphics processing unit (GPU), of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. The invention will be further illustrated with reference to the attached drawings, which schematically will show embodiments according to the invention. It will be understood that the invention is not in any way restricted to these specific embodiments.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 depicts a schematic overview of a dental treatment room equipped with a dental patient feedback and notification system according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 depicts a block diagram of a dental patient feedback and notification system, according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 depicts a block diagram of the feedback device with an additional feedback mechanism, according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 depicts a flow diagram of an implementation of a dental patient feedback and notification method according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary data processing system for performing the methods of the invention.

Corresponding elements in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numeral.

Detailed description

In this disclosure embodiments are described of systems and methods to facilitate dental patients to inform their dentist with sufficient accuracy and precision of the intensity of some of the sensations they experience. When a patient manipulates an input device, the patient receives feedback on the effect of his manipulation, and when necessary, the dentist is notified of the input provided by the patient. The systems and methods will be described hereunder in more detail.

Fig. 1 depicts a schematic overview of a dental treatment room equipped with a dental patient feedback and notification system according to an embodiment of the invention. A patient 170 holds and manipulates an input device 110 which communicates with a processing unit 120 using a first connection using (in this embodiment wireless) input signal 102a,b. Preferably, the input device 110 is included in the dental notification system, but in some embodiments, one or more separate input devices may be used. The processing unit 120 in turn communicates with a feedback device 130, attached to the ceiling within the patient’s field of view 172, using a second connection 104 (in this embodiment wired). The processing unit 120 communicates with a notification device 140, attached to a headrest 182 of a dental chair 180 using a third connection 106 (in this embodiment also wired). The dental patient feedback and notification system is shown in more detail with reference to Fig. 2.

In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises exactly two input mechanisms, two corresponding feedback mechanisms, and two corresponding notification mechanisms. An advantage of a system having two input mechanisms is that the patient 170 may operate one of the mechanisms with his right hand, and the other one with his left hand. As pain and fear are very common occurrences in a dentist’s office, preferably, one of the mechanisms is used to communicate the intensity of the patient’s pain level, and the other one is used to communicate the intensity of the patient’s fear level. When the dentist notices the fear or pain intensity rising, he may pause his activities, change his approach, calm the patient, or take similar actions.

At least one of the one or more input mechanisms may e.g. comprise more than two buttons, each button corresponding to a different intensity level; or a potentiometer, the output voltage corresponding to an intensity level. However, in a preferred embodiment, the input mechanism registers an increase or decrease in intensity, implying a stationary level when there is no increase or decrease. The input mechanism may e.g. comprise digital directional buttons (e.g.‘up’ for an increasing intensity and‘down’ for a decreasing intensity). Alternatively, the input mechanism may be e.g. a kind of joystick or control stalk; in such an embodiment, the direction (e.g. front or back) may indicate an increase or decrease, while the activation angle may indicate the rate of increase or decrease. An advantage of such an embodiment is that the patient 170 does not need to think about e.g. an abstract pain level, but only needs to say whether e.g. the level of pain he is experiencing is increasing, decreasing, or mostly stable, which may be easier for many patients. An input device may e.g. be similar to a game controller.

The feedback device 130 preferably comprises one or more LED strips with a large number of LEDs (at least 10, preferably about 50-100, depending i.a. on the size of the LEDs and the LED strip). An advantage of a large number of feedback output states, e.g. individually controlled LEDs in a LED strip, is that the patient will feel little hesitation to increase or decrease the reported sensation intensity, while in a system with only a few feedback output states, the patient may be in doubt whether a change in sensation is large enough to warrant a notification. An additional advantage is that manipulating the system with frequent small changes may serve to distract the patient, potentially reducing the experienced pain and/or fear intensity.

In an embodiment, the feedback device 130 may comprise labels to help a patient understand how the dentist is likely to interpret a certain intensity level, e.g. one end may be labelled“no pain”, the other end“very severe pain”, and some points in between “unpleasant”,“moderate pain”, and“severe pain”. The lights should preferably be placed on a straight or slightly curved line, but other configurations are also possible, e.g. a number of parallel lines. In embodiments in which there are several feedback mechanisms, each feedback mechanism may have its own colour, and optionally its own label, e.g. a blue feedback mechanism for fear and a red feedback mechanism for pain.

The feedback device 130 may typically be attached to the ceiling, and its dimensions should preferably take the distance between patient and feedback mechanism into account: the feedback should be clearly visible, also for e.g. patients with reduced vision. Alternatively, it may be attached to the dental chair 180.

In certain embodiments, the processing unit 120 of the system may be centralized; in these embodiments, there is a single processing unit receiving and

interpreting the input signal 102a,b and directly controlling the feedback device 130 and the notification device 140, e.g. determining for each LED on a LED strip whether it should be lit. In other embodiments, the processing unit 120 may be distributed; in such embodiments, the processing unit 120 may receive the input signal and determine and send a first output signal to the feedback device 130, while the feedback device 130 may comprise a second processing unit translating the first output signal to e.g. a number of illuminated LEDs on a LED strip. In an even different embodiment, there may be a first processing unit integrated in the feedback device 130, and a second processing unit in the notification device 140, each processing unit independently processing the input signal 102a,b received from input device 110.

In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the notification mechanisms may have a much smaller range of output states, i.e. distinct displayable intensity values, than the corresponding feedback mechanism, lest the dentist be distracted by small, practically meaningless variations in signalled intensity. In some embodiments, low intensity values (e.g. everything less than half of the range available on the feedback device) may not be shown to the dentist at all. The notification mechanism comprises preferably a LED strip or series of LEDs, typically with a not too large number of LEDs, e.g. about 10.

The notification device 140 should preferably be placed on or near the headrest 182 (as depicted) or on or near a tool panel, where it can be easily seen by the dentist. It is therefore typically much closer to the dentist than the feedback device 130 is to the patient 170, and may consequently be considerably smaller. Colours and labels matching the feedback device 130 and/or the input device 110 may be used to distinguish between several sensations.

While a high number of feedback output states, such as individually controlled LEDs, that the dental patient 170 may manipulate, can help to distract the patient and to give the patient a certain measure of a feeling of control, the dentist should be distracted as little as possible, and only be notified of important changes that may be an indication that he may have to change his approach. In particular, relatively low intensity levels of sensations experienced by the patient may be of little interest to the dentist, as that typically means that he is not causing the patient to experience any (strong) negative or unpleasant sensation, and that he may continue the treatment the way he does. On the other hand, high intensity levels of e.g. pain may signal a need for the dentist to for instance pause his treatment, change his approach or offer (additional) local anaesthesia or pain relief.

As an example, in an embodiment, a feedback mechanism may have e.g. 50 individually controlled LEDs, the number of illuminated LEDs being indicative for the intensity level of a sensation experienced by the patient. In that same embodiment, the corresponding notification mechanism may have e.g. only 5 lights, with relations between illuminated feedback lights and illuminated notification lights for instance similar to: <=25: 0, 26-30: 1 , 31-35: 2, 36-40: 3, 41-45: 4, 46-50: 5.

Fig. 2 depicts a block diagram of a dental patient feedback and notification system 200, according to an embodiment of the invention. In short, it may comprise an input device 110, a processing unit 120, an optical feedback device 130, an optical notification device 140, and an optional audio notification device 250. Optionally, the system may be connected or connectable to an external storage device or data processing system 260. The dental patient feedback and notification system may be implemented as a fully analogue system, as fully digital system, or as a hybrid system with both analogue and digital components.

The input device 110 may be operated by a dental patient during treatment. In the depicted embodiment, the input device 110 comprises two input mechanisms 212,214, but other embodiments may feature more or less than two input mechanisms. Each input mechanism may be used by the patient to provide information about a different sensation, e.g pain, fear, or some other form of discomfort. The input mechanisms may be marked or labelled with the sensation they may represent. Alternatively, they may be unmarked, but the patient may be instructed on their meaning prior to treatment. In some embodiments, the input device 110 may not be comprised in the dental patient feedback and notification system 200, the system instead using a separate, compatible device.

The depicted input mechanisms 212,214 may comprise joysticks, and the patient may have been told that the left (possibly unlabelled) joystick 212 should be used to provide information related to the pain experienced by the patient and the right (possibly unlabelled) joystick 214 should be used to provide information related to the fear experienced by the patient. Preferably, such oral instruction by the dentist should be supplemented with labels: joystick 212 may e.g. be labelled“pain”, and joystick 214 may e.g. be labelled“fear”. A different embodiment might for instance feature an input device with a single joystick, where the up-down direction may be labelled“pain”, and the left-right direction may be labelled“fear”. Alternatively, an input mechanism may, in addition to or instead of comprising a joystick, comprise a series of, preferably numbered or otherwise marked, buttons, and/or a set of digital directional buttons, and/or a mechanism similar to a (digital) conventional mouse wheel, and/or an (analogue) potentiometer. The input device is communicatively connected using a connection 102 to a processing unit 120. This may be a wired connection, or a wireless connection, e.g. using WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee or a different wireless communication protocol.

The processing unit 120 is at least communicatively connected 104 to a feedback device 130 and communicatively connected 106 to a notification device 140.

Optionally, the processing unit 120 may also be communicatively connected 208 to an audio notification device 250, and/or communicatively connected 209 to an external data processing or data storage device 260. The communicative connections 104,106,208 between the processing unit and the output devices may be wired, wireless, or a mixture thereof. The communicative connections 102,104,106,208 may all use the same

communication protocol, or some may be different than others. In some embodiments, the coupling 102,104,106,208 may also comprise an electric coupling to e.g. provide power. For instance, the processing unit 120 may comprise a power source, e.g. one or more batteries, which may also power the input device 110 and/or the feedback device 130 and/or the notification device 140. In a different embodiment, the system may for example be coupled to the power net, or each device may comprise its own power source.

In an embodiment, at least one of the input mechanisms 212,214 may send a signal to the processing unit 120, corresponding to an increase or decrease in intensity. In such an embodiment, the processing unit may comprise a memory unit 222 storing an intensity level. The processing unit 120 may be configured to increase, respectively decrease, the intensity level stored in the memory unit 222 based on a received input signal corresponding to an increasing, respectively decreasing, intensity level, resulting in a new stored intensity level. The processing unit may furthermore be configured to send a first output signal to the optical feedback device and to send a second output signal to the optical notification device, based on the new stored intensity level.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 120 may comprise digital signal processing means. The processing unit 120 may e.g comprise a so-called Arduino board. In other embodiments, the processing unit 120 may be a fully analogue electronics board. In yet other embodiments, the processing unit 120 may comprise both analogue and digital elements. At least one of the input mechanisms 212,214 may also comprise a

functionality to immediately increase the communicated intensity level to its maximum level; for ease of reference, this will be called the‘immediate to max’ functionality. This may for example be a double-click functionality of the‘increase’ button, or a separate button, e.g. labelled“max”, or it may be a push functionality of the joystick or similar input mechanism. This way, the patient may quickly and clearly indicate e.g. sudden sharp pain or

overwhelming fear. This may be especially relevant in embodiments which otherwise indicate the intensity level of the reported sensation by a relatively slow increase/decrease

mechanism.

The input device 110 may also comprise a functionality, coupled to the ‘immediate to max’ functionality, to revert to the last intensity before the‘immediate to max’ functionality was used; for ease of reference, this will be called the‘return to previous’ functionality. Typically, this will be invoked by the same button or joystick push input as the ‘immediate to max’ functionality, but in some embodiments, this may e.g. be a separate button. As a sudden sharp pain often quickly subsides, the patient may use this functionality to quickly let the dentist know that it has subsided and that the dentist may proceed with the treatment. Additionally, if a patient inadvertently invoked the‘immediate to max’ functionality, in this way he may quickly undo his error. In such an embodiment, the memory unit 222 may store the intensity level that was being shown on the feedback device 130 and/or notification device 140 at the moment the signal corresponding to the‘immediate to max’ functionality is received. When the‘return to previous’ signal is received, the processing unit 120 obtains the stored value from the memory element 222 and sends the corresponding signal to the feedback device 130 and notification device 140.

In an embodiment, the feedback device 130 comprises a first feedback mechanism 232, logically coupled (via the processing unit 120) to the first input mechanism 212, and a second feedback mechanism 234, logically coupled (via the processing unit 120) to the second input mechanism 214. Other embodiments may feature a different amount of feedback mechanisms. The feedback output states, i.e. the different optical properties of the feedback mechanism that are controlled by the processing unit 120 based on input from an input mechanism, and that represent an intensity level of a sensation experienced by the patient operating the input device 110, should preferably be intuitively or numerically ordered. Each output mechanism should be capable of displaying more than two feedback output states. Such output states may comprise e.g. colours (green: little pain,“I’m fine” - orange: moderate pain,“be careful” - red: severe pain,“please stop”), a numerical indicator (e.g. a seven-segment display, with 0: no pain - 9: unbearable pain), or a light strip with a varying number of illuminated lights, the proportion of illuminated lights proportional to the intensity level of the sensation reported by the patient. In the depicted embodiment, the first feedback mechanism 232 comprises a number of lights, preferably LEDs, some of which, at a certain moment during treatment, may be lit 238, while others may be unlit 236. By moving the input mechanism 212 in the‘up’ or ‘plus’ direction, the number of lit lights in feedback mechanism 232 will increase, while moving the input mechanism 212 in the‘down’ or‘minus’ direction, will decrease the number of lit lights.

In an embodiment, the notification device 140 comprises a first notification mechanism 242, logically coupled (via the processing unit 120) to the first input mechanism 212, and a second notification mechanism 244, logically coupled (via the processing unit 120) to the second input mechanism 214. The first notification mechanism 242 comprises a number of lights, preferably LEDs, some of which, at a certain moment during treatment, may be lit 248, while others may be unlit 246. The notification mechanism 242 may have a smaller number of lights than the corresponding feedback mechanism 232. By moving the input mechanism 212 in the‘up’ or‘plus’ direction, the number of lit lights in notification

mechanism 242 may increase, while moving the input mechanism 212 in the‘down’ or ‘minus’ direction, may decrease the number of lit lights. In embodiments having more feedback output states than notification output states, the notification mechanism may react differently to an input signal than the feedback mechanism; e.g. a higher amount of‘increase’ input signals may be required for the notification output state to increase than for the feedback output state.

In the depicted embodiment, the notification device comprises 8 LEDs, and the feedback device comprises 12 LEDs, as the dentist may not need to be aware of the exact intensity level of a sensation experienced by the patient, as long as it is under a certain threshold: just knowing the level is low may be sufficient. As an example, the system may be configured such that at the start of treatment, all LEDs are unlit. When the patient moves the first input mechanism 212 in the‘up’ or‘plus’ direction, the first LED of feedback mechanism 130 is lit. Each subsequent instance of moving the first input mechanism 212 in the‘up’ or ‘plus’ direction increases the number of lit feedback LEDs by one (with a maximum of 12), while each instance of moving the first input mechanism 212 in the‘down’ or‘minus’ direction decreases the number of lit feedback LEDs 238 by one (with a minimum of 0). The number of lit notification LEDs 248 may then e.g. be equal to:

max (number of lit feedback LEDs - 4, 0)

The feedback mechanism and the notification mechanism may employ the same mechanism or different mechanisms, e.g. the feedback device may comprise a numerical feedback mechanism (e.g. a 7-segment display, showing numbers 0-9) for the patient, while the notification device comprises a corresponding colour notification

mechanism (e.g. green: <6, orange: 6-8, red: >8). Especially in an embodiment with more than one feedback and notification mechanism, the mechanisms may e.g. be labelled according to the sensation that they represent, and/or they may employ different colours, e.g. a red light strip representing the pain level experienced by the patient and a blue light strip representing the fear level experienced by the patient.

In the depicted embodiment, the processing unit 120 comprises a memory unit 222 which may store one or more predetermined critical intensity levels. The system may further comprise an acoustic notification mechanism 250, configured to create a sound when an intensity level is greater than or equal to one of the one or more predetermined critical intensity levels, and/or when the rate of change of the intensity level is greater than or equal to one of the one or more predetermined critical intensity levels. This acoustic notification mechanism 250 may be added to the system, to ensure the dentist does not overlook the visual notification e.g. when the notification mechanism may be temporarily outside his field of view. This could for instance be a short beep when the e.g. pain level reaches“almost unbearable”, and a continuous beep or a series of beeps when the level reaches

“unbearable”.

The audio notification device 250 preferably comprises a single audio notification mechanism, but may optionally comprise several mechanisms, e.g. one audio notification mechanism corresponding to each input mechanism 212,214.

As it may be useful to log the development of pain, fear and/or other discomfort levels, the processing unit 120 may optionally be communicatively connected 209 to an external storage and/or processing device 260, e.g. a personal computer, laptop, or similar. This connection 209 may be used to store e.g. the intensity levels corresponding to the feedback output states displayed by the feedback device, together with a time parameter. This information may be especially valuable when it is enriched with information about treatment details. In some embodiments, the connection will be‘always on’, and data may be transferred in real time. In other embodiments, the values may be stored in an internal memory 222 of the processing unit 120, the contents of which may be read by or transferred to the external storage and/or processing device 260 at a later moment in time. In such an embodiment, the link need only be present when data transfer is taking place. The link 209 may be either wired, e.g. using an USB-connection, or wireless, e.g. using WiFi or Bluetooth.

Fig. 3 depicts a schematic overview of a feedback device 130 with an additional feedback mechanism 302, according to an embodiment of the invention. The system may comprise an additional feedback mechanism 302, that changes its output state over time and that may serve to distract the patient. Such a change may comprise a successive displaying of a plurality of output states that, taken together, comprise or suggest motion. Preferably, the additional feedback mechanism 302 should be placed in such a way that it extends in the left-right direction from the point of view of a dental patient in treatment position. This is especially relevant for an additional feedback mechanism that extends substantially more in one direction than in another direction.

In a relatively simple embodiment, the additional feedback mechanism 302 comprises one or more light strips, where the lights in a light strip may be lit 306 or unlit 308 and may be configured to be switched on and off in such a way that a back-and-forth moving light or group of lights is suggested. In a more elaborate embodiment, the additional feedback mechanism may e.g. be similar to a news ticker. In such an embodiment, the text may also serve to distract the patient. Alternatively, the additional feedback device could comprise a display unit that mechanically moves along an axis primarily extending in the left- right direction.

In the embodiment displayed in Fig. 3, the additional feedback mechanism 302 may be communicatively coupled to an additional input mechanism, possibly via the processing unit. In such an embodiment, the system may comprise a game for the patient to play, e.g. a group of lights comprised in the additional feedback mechanism 302, configured to react to an input signal provided by the patient. For instance, the additional feedback mechanism 302 may comprise a number of lights 306 that are configured to light up in succession such that the impression of a back-and-forth moving group of lights is created, and that are furthermore configured to remain, at least temporarily, in their respective lit or unlit state, when the patient activates a feedback mechanism, e.g. presses a button. This causes the impression of a moving group of lights to stop. The patient’s task may then be to press the button when a predetermined group of lights, e.g. between a set or markers 304, is lit.

Embodiments comprising an element that, when activated, is movable in the patient’s left-right direction, or is capable of suggesting a motion in the patient’s left-right direction, are found to be especially effective in reducing the patient’s experienced fear, pain and/or other discomfort level. This effect may be similar to the effect employed in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. In some embodiments, the game element that may serve to distract the patient may incorporate this (suggested) left- right moving element, in other embodiment, the game element may be included in the dental patient feedback and notification system instead of or in addition to said (suggested) left-right moving element.

Fig. 4 depicts a flow diagram of an implementation of a dental patient notification method according to an embodiment of the invention. A patient, undergoing dental treatment, may experience a change in a sensation (e.g. pain or fear or other discomfort) that he has preferably been instructed to monitor. When there is a noticeable change in the intensity level of that sensation, the patient signals that by manipulating an input mechanism, comprised in an input device. For example, the patient may push a button or move a joystick to indicate a new intensity level of a sensation, or to indicate a change in intensity level of a sensation.

Upon being activated 404, the input device sends a signal to a processing unit, which processes the signal 406. In an embodiment in which the patient signals a change in intensity rather than an absolute intensity level, the processing may comprise determining the current sensation intensity, based on at least the received signal and a stored sensation intensity. The processing unit sends a signal to a feedback device which causes the feedback device to visually represent the current sensation intensity 408.

In the depicted embodiment, the processing unit also determines whether the current sensation intensity is above a first predetermined threshold 410. If the current sensation intensity value is below the threshold value, the notification mechanism is not activated. An embodiment wherein intensity levels below a first threshold are not displayed, was also previously described with reference to Fig. 2. When the current sensation intensity value is equal to or above the threshold value, the processing unit sends a signal to the notification device which causes the notification device to visually represent the current sensation intensity 412. In some embodiments, the threshold value may be equal to the minimum intensity value. In some embodiments, no check is made and the processing unit always sends a signal to the notification device which may cause the notification device to visually represent the current sensation intensity 412.

In an embodiment including an acoustic notification device, the processing unit may additionally determine whether the current sensation intensity is above a second predetermined threshold 414. In some embodiments, the second threshold may be equal to the first threshold, and then this check may be skipped. However, typically the second threshold is set at a fairly high level, such that a sensation intensity greater than the second threshold level requires the dentist’s immediate attention. In such an embodiment, the processing unit sends a signal 416 to the acoustic notification device, e.g. a buzzer, causing the acoustic notification device to create a sound notifying the dentist that the second threshold has been crossed. Other embodiments may not comprise an acoustic notification device, and may skip steps 414,416.

The patient may monitor and give feedback on multiple sensations simultaneously. If the patient is to provide feedback on more than one sensation, e.g. pain and fear, the method may be implemented for each sensation separately.

In an implementation using as input changes in intensity rather than absolute intensity levels, the system may be initialised with a predetermined value, preferably 0. This value is stored in a memory unit coupled to the processing unit. Each time a signal is received, the value is updated according to the amount of change represented by the received signal. This new value may then be stored, replacing the previously stored value. If the stored or last known intensity value is equal to the minimum intensity value, typically 0, receiving a signal representing a decrease in intensity may have no effect. Similarly, if the stored or last known intensity value is equal to the maximum intensity value, receiving a signal representing an increase in intensity may have no effect; however, embodiments implementing an audio notification device may choose to activate the audio notification device when a signal representing an increase is received and the stored or last known intensity level is already at its maximum.

Fig. 5 depicts a block diagram illustrating an exemplary data processing system that may perform the method as described with reference to Fig. 4.

As shown in Fig. 5, the data processing system 500 may include at least one processor 502 coupled to memory elements 504 through a system bus 506. As such, the data processing system may store program code within memory elements 504. Further, the processor 502 may execute the program code accessed from the memory elements 504 via a system bus 506. In one aspect, the data processing system may be implemented as a computer that is suitable for storing and/or executing program code. It should be appreciated, however, that the data processing system 500 may be implemented in the form of any system including a processor and a memory that is capable of performing the functions described within this specification.

The memory elements 504 may include one or more physical memory devices such as, for example, local memory 508 and one or more bulk storage devices 510. The local memory may refer to random access memory or other non-persistent memory device(s) generally used during actual execution of the program code. A bulk storage device may be implemented as a hard drive or other persistent data storage device. The processing system 500 may also include one or more cache memories (not shown) that provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times program code must be retrieved from the bulk storage device 510 during execution.

Input/output (I/O) devices depicted as an input device 512 and an output device 514 optionally can be coupled to the data processing system. Examples of input devices may include, but are not limited to, a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, or the like. Examples of output devices may include, but are not limited to, a monitor or a display, speakers, or the like. Input and/or output devices may be coupled to the data processing system either directly or through intervening I/O controllers.

In an embodiment, the input and the output devices may be implemented as a combined input/output device (illustrated in Fig. 5 with a dashed line surrounding the input device 512 and the output device 514). An example of such a combined device is a touch sensitive display, also sometimes referred to as a“touch screen display” or simply“touch screen”. In such an embodiment, input to the device may be provided by a movement of a physical object, such as e.g. a stylus or a finger of a user, on or near the touch screen display.

A network adapter 516 may also be coupled to the data processing system to enable it to become coupled to other systems, computer systems, remote network devices, and/or remote storage devices through intervening private or public networks. The network adapter may comprise a data receiver for receiving data that is transmitted by said systems, devices and/or networks to the data processing system 500, and a data transmitter for transmitting data from the data processing system 500 to said systems, devices and/or networks. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are examples of different types of network adapter that may be used with the data processing system 500.

As pictured in Fig. 5, the memory elements 504 may store an application 518. In various embodiments, the application 518 may be stored in the local memory 508, he one or more bulk storage devices 510, or separate from the local memory and the bulk storage devices. It should be appreciated that the data processing system 500 may further execute an operating system (not shown in Fig. 5) that can facilitate execution of the application 518. The application 518, being implemented in the form of executable program code, can be executed by the data processing system 500, e.g., by the processor 502. Responsive to executing the application, the data processing system 500 may be configured to perform one or more operations or method steps described herein.

Various embodiments of the invention, and in particular of the dental patient notification method as discussed e.g. with reference to Fig. 4, may be implemented as a program product for use with a computer system, where the program(s) of the program product define functions of the embodiments (including the methods described herein). In one embodiment, the program(s) can be contained on a variety of non-transitory computer- readable storage media, where, as used herein, the expression “non-transitory computer readable storage media” comprises all computer-readable media, with the sole exception being a transitory, propagating signal. In another embodiment, the program(s) can be contained on a variety of transitory computer-readable storage media. Illustrative computer- readable storage media include, but are not limited to: (i) non-writable storage media (e.g., read-only memory devices within a computer such as CD-ROM disks readable by a CD-ROM drive, ROM chips or any type of solid-state non-volatile semiconductor memory) on which information is permanently stored; and (ii) writable storage media (e.g., flash memory, floppy disks within a diskette drive or hard-disk drive or any type of solid-state random-access semiconductor memory) on which alterable information is stored. The computer program may be run on a processor comprised in processing unit 120 as described herein. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims

1. A dental patient feedback and notification system, comprising an optical feedback device (130) , an optical notification device (140), and a processing unit (120), wherein:

the processing unit (120) is configured to send a first output signal to the optical feedback device (130) and to send a second output signal to the optical notification device (140), based on at least a signal received from an input device (110), the input device being suitable for being operated by a dental patient (170) during treatment, and the input device comprising one or more input mechanisms (212,214) capable of sending at least two distinct input signals, each of the at least two distinct input signals indicating a distinct intensity value or a distinct change in an intensity value;

the optical feedback device (130) is suitable for being positioned in the field of view of the dental patient (170) during treatment, is configured to receive the first output signal from the processing unit (120), and comprises one or more optical feedback mechanisms (232,234), each of the one or more optical feedback mechanisms being configured to display one of more than two feedback output states based on the received first output signal, each of the feedback output states corresponding to an intensity value;

the optical notification device (140) is suitable for being positioned in or near the field of view of a dentist during treatment, is configured to receive the second output signal from the processing unit (120), and comprises one or more optical notification mechanisms (242,244), each of the one or more optical notification mechanisms being configured to display one of more than two notification output states based on the received second output signal, each of the notification output states corresponding to an intensity value.

2. The dental patient feedback and notification system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

at least one of the at least two distinct input signals corresponds to an increase in intensity and at least another one of the at least two distinct input signals corresponds to a decrease in intensity;

the processing unit comprises memory for storing an intensity value;

the processing unit is configured to increase, respectively decrease, the intensity value stored in the memory unit responsive to a received input signal corresponding to an increasing, respectively decreasing, intensity value, resulting in a new stored intensity value; and the processing unit is configured to send a first output signal to the optical feedback device and to send a second output signal to the optical notification device, the first and second output signals corresponding to the new stored intensity value.

3. The dental patient feedback and notification system as claimed in claim 1 or

2, wherein:

one of the at least two distinct input signals corresponds to an instantaneous increase to maximum intensity value; and

the processing unit is configured to, responsive to receiving a signal corresponding to an instantaneous increase to maximum intensity value, send output signals corresponding to the maximum intensity value to the optical feedback device and to the optical notification device.

4. The dental patient feedback and notification system as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the processing unit is further configured to store, responsive to receiving the signal corresponding to an instantaneous increase to maximum intensity value, a further intensity value;

another one of the at least two distinct input signals corresponds to an instantaneous return to the stored further intensity value; and

the processing unit is configured to, responsive to a signal corresponding to an instantaneous return to the stored further intensity value, send a first output signal to the optical feedback device and send a second output signal to the optical notification device, the first and second output signals corresponding to the stored further intensity value.

5. The dental patient feedback and notification system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein:

at least one of the one or more optical feedback mechanisms comprises a multitude of feedback lights; and

the optical feedback device is configured to, responsive to the first output signal, illuminate zero or more of the multitude of feedback lights, the zero or more illuminated feedback lights defining a feedback output state.

6. The dental patient feedback and notification system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein:

at least one of the one or more optical notification mechanisms comprises a multitude of notification lights, and the optical notification device is configured to, responsive to the second output signal, illuminate zero or more of the multitude of notification lights, the zero or more illuminated notification lights defining a notification output state.

7. The dental patient feedback and notification system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein:

the quantity of notification output states is smaller than the quantity of feedback output states.

8. The dental patient feedback and notification system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, further comprising:

an input device, suitable for being operated by a dental patient during treatment, the input device comprising one or more input mechanisms capable of sending at least two distinct input signals to the processing unit, each of the distinct input signals indicating a distinct intensity value or a distinct change in an intensity value.

9. The dental patient feedback and notification system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein:

the processing unit comprises memory for storing one or more predetermined critical values; the system further comprising:

an acoustic notification mechanism, configured to create a sound when an intensity value is greater than or equal to one of the one or more predetermined critical values, and/or when the rate of change of the intensity value is greater than or equal to one of the one or more predetermined critical values.

10. The dental patient feedback and notification system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein:

the processing unit is further configured to send data comprising the intensity value and/or data corresponding to the input signal and/or the first output signal and/or the second output signal to a storage device.

1 1. The dental patient feedback and notification system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein:

one of the optical feedback mechanisms and one of the optical notification mechanisms represents pain levels, and another one of the optical feedback mechanisms and another one of the optical notification mechanisms signals represents fear levels.

12. The dental patient feedback and notification system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, further comprising:

an additional feedback mechanism, configured to successively display a plurality of feedback output states, the successive displaying of feedback output states comprising or suggesting a motion along an axis extending primarily in the left-right direction from the point of view of the dental patient in treatment position.

13. The dental patient feedback and notification system as claimed in claim

12, wherein:

the additional feedback mechanism is configured to display a feedback output state out of a plurality of feedback output states, responsive to a signal received from an additional input mechanism configured to be operated by the dental patient, the additional input mechanism communicatively coupled to the additional feedback mechanism.

14. A dental patient feedback and notification method, comprising:

a processing unit receiving one of at least two distinct input signals from an input device, each of the at least two distinct input signals indicating a distinct intensity value or a distinct change in an intensity value;

the processing unit sending a first output signal to an optical feedback device, based on at least the received input signal;

the processing unit sending a second output signal to an optical notification device, based on at least the received input signal;

the optical feedback device receiving the first output signal from the processing unit and, using one or more optical feedback mechanisms, displaying one of more than two feedback output states based on the received first output signal, each of the feedback output states corresponding to an intensity value; and,

the optical notification device receiving the second output signal from the processing unit and, using one or more optical notification mechanisms, displaying one of more than two notification output states based on the received second output signal, each of the notification output states corresponding to an intensity value.

15. A computer program or suite of computer programs comprising at least one software code portion or a computer program product storing at least one software code portion, the software code portion, when run on a computer system, being configured for performing the method of claim 14.