WO2022139381A1

WO2022139381A1 - Mandible protrusion length measurement tool

Info

Publication number: WO2022139381A1
Application number: PCT/KR2021/019433
Authority: WO
Inventors: 이승규
Original assignee: 주식회사 에스엔알바이오
Priority date: 2020-12-22
Filing date: 2021-12-20
Publication date: 2022-06-30
Also published as: KR20220089960A

Abstract

The disclosed content relates to a mandible protrusion length measurement tool by which the degree of a vertical separation between upper teeth and lower teeth can be selectively adjusted according to the condition of a subject when measuring an optimal protrusion length of the mandible of the subject, and whether the maxillary and the mandible are centered can be easily checked with naked eye in order to prevent a horizontal misalignment of the maxillary and the mandible when measuring the optimal protrusion length of the mandible, and which comprises: a gauge body having a lower surface with which the front tooth side of lower teeth is to be engaged, having a front end wall formed at the front end thereof to protrude downward, having a central partition wall formed at the center thereof to protrude downward while being spaced apart from the front end wall toward the rear side thereof, having a thick part and a thin part partitioned in the front and the rear thereof with reference to the central partition wall, and having an upper surface on which the front tooth side of upper teeth is movably seated; a bite part which extends from the rear side of the gauge body in an arc shape and is bitten by the molar side and the canine side of upper teeth and lower teeth; and a grip handle part connected to opposite sides of the lower end of the front end wall of the gauge body.

Description

mandibular protrusion length measurement

The disclosed content relates to the protrusion of the mandible for measuring the optimal protrusion length of the mandible for each subject prior to the manufacture of an anti-snoring device that expands the airway during sleep by keeping the mandible more protruding forward than the maxilla while the upper and lower teeth are spaced apart from each other. It is about the length measuring sphere.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the contents described in this identification are not prior art to the claims of this application, and the description in this identification is not admitted to be prior art.

In general, snoring occurs when the throat through which air passes before it enters the airway during respiration is narrowed so that air cannot easily pass in and out.

Normally, during inhalation or exhalation, air passes through flexible human organs such as the roof of the mouth, tongue, uvula, and tonsils. During non-sleep, as the above-mentioned human organs maintain their functions with the help of surrounding muscles, the air passages are not blocked during breathing, so there is almost no sound. The air passage is partially narrowed, and when air passes through this part, the surrounding flexible body organs vibrate, causing snoring.

On the other hand, among patients with very severe form of snoring, the air passage is temporarily blocked due to severe muscle relaxation during sleep or due to severe obesity, which prevents air from flowing into the lungs at all. This symptom is called obstructive sleep apnea.

When sleep apnea continues, fresh air is not supplied to the lungs, and the brain senses this to wake up the body and contract the muscles to reopen the air passages. Only at this time does the patient take a deep breath and then start breathing again.

If this sleep apnea phenomenon is repeated every day, you will feel very drowsy and tired during the day. In addition, if sleep apnea continues for a long time, it may increase the burden on the heart or lungs and cause serious diseases such as high blood pressure, arrhythmia, and myocardial infarction.

In order to treat such sleep apnea, medical procedures such as nasal surgery, laser surgery for pharyngeal removal, pillows for preventing snoring, mouthpiece-type anti-snoring devices, etc. are used.

First of all, medical procedures such as nasal surgery and laser surgery for pharyngeal removal can temporarily improve snoring symptoms, but there is a disadvantage that the symptoms improved after surgery may worsen over time.

In addition, the pillow for preventing snoring has the advantage of not requiring medical treatment, but has a disadvantage in that it is easy to dislodge from the original position during sleep and often fails to function properly.

On the other hand, the mouthpiece-type anti-snoring device that sleeps in the mouth is mounted in the oral cavity similar to the mouthpiece and keeps the mandible more protruding than the upper jaw, so that the soft palate and connected uvula, tongue root, and tonsils are further separated. It prevents snoring by making it farther away so that the airway through which air passes becomes much wider.

Due to the airway expanded by the mouthpiece-type snoring prevention device, the air inhaled during sleep passes freely through areas such as the uvula, root of the tongue, and tonsils, and vibration of the soft palate and tonsils due to air passage is blocked. This symptom can be alleviated or prevented.

As described above, a mouthpiece-type anti-snoring device that sleeps with one's mouthpiece has been widely used in recent years as snoring is alleviated or prevented while the airway is maintained in an expanded state during sleep without requiring a separate medical treatment.

As an example of such a mouthpiece-type snoring prevention mechanism, Patent Registration No. 10-0787188 (published on December 21, 2007) has an upper mouthpiece that is detachably fitted to the subject's upper teeth, and protrudes downward with respect to the upper mouthpiece. An upper hook coupled to the upper mouthpiece as possible, a lower mouthpiece removably fitted to the subject's lower teeth, and coupled to the lower mouthpiece so as to protrude upward with respect to the lower mouthpiece and secured to the upper hook An anti-snoring mechanism comprising a lower hook is disclosed.

Such a snoring prevention device may be manufactured as follows.

First, a plaster model of the subject's maxilla and mandible is produced, and then an upper mouthpiece detachably attachable to the upper teeth and a lower mouthpiece detachably attachable to the lower teeth are manufactured based on the plaster model.

Next, the optimal protrusion length of the mandible that protrudes forward with respect to the maxilla is measured and quantified in consideration of the subject's symptoms and characteristics, and then this optimal protrusion length is implemented with the plaster model.

After that, the pre-fabricated upper and lower mouthpieces are inserted into the gypsum model, and then the upper and lower hooks are connected to the upper and lower mouthpieces so that they are hooked to each other, respectively, to complete the manufacture of the snoring prevention device. .

The most difficult part in the manufacturing process of the aforementioned anti-snoring device is the task of determining the optimal mandibular position by measuring the optimal protrusion length of the mandible according to the symptoms and characteristics of the subject. To do this, first measure the maximum protrusion length of the mandible that allows the subject to protrude the mandible to the maximum compared to the maxilla. After finding the length, the protrusion length of the mandible is implemented on the plaster model.

As an example of a mandibular protrusion length measuring tool that enables this operation, in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0043960 (published on April 28, 2011), which the inventor of the present patent application has applied for, the state in which the upper and lower teeth are spaced apart from each other In the mandibular movement distance measuring tool for manufacturing a snoring prevention mechanism capable of preventing snoring by projecting the mandible in which the lower teeth are formed in It includes a main body that can be moved together with the lower teeth when caught on the lower teeth, and the upper side of the main body is in contact with the upper teeth, but a sliding surface that is relatively slidable with respect to the upper teeth is formed, and the thickness of the main body is, the snoring When this prevention mechanism is inserted between the upper and lower teeth, it corresponds to the distance the upper and lower teeth are separated from each other, and a scale for measuring the length in the front-rear direction is displayed on the sliding surface, and the scale is the same for the upper and lower teeth. The mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere is disclosed, characterized in that the state placed in the upper and lower positions is the zero point.

On the other hand, in the case of the conventional mandibular protrusion length measuring tool, a scale is formed in the case of the conventional mandibular protrusion length measurement tool, although the upper and lower teeth should be implemented differently depending on the condition of the subject such as the degree of snoring or anatomical structure for measurement of the mandibular protrusion length. As the thickness of the main body is formed to be the same, there is a problem in that it is difficult to adjust the vertical spacing between the upper and lower teeth when measuring the optimal protrusion length of the mandible.

In addition, although the optimal protrusion length of the mandible should be measured with the center of the maxilla and mandible positioned at the center of the mandibular protrusion length measuring tool so that the maxilla and the mandible do not turn left and right, the subject can use the conventional mandibular protrusion length measuring tool. When measuring the optimal protrusion length of the mandible in the state of being in the mouth, there is a difficulty in that the operator has to look up at the operator's lower teeth from a position lower than the mandibular protrusion length measuring tool to determine whether the maxilla and mandible are centered.

The purpose of this study is to provide a snoring prevention device that allows the vertical separation between the upper and lower teeth to be selectively adjusted according to the patient's condition when the optimal protrusion length of the mandible is measured.

In addition, it is intended to provide a mandibular protrusion length measuring tool that allows the centering of the upper and lower jaws to be easily checked with the naked eye so that the upper and lower jaws do not turn left and right when measuring the optimal protrusion length of the mandible.

In addition, it is not limited to the technical problems as described above, and it is obvious that another technical problem may be derived from the following description.

The disclosed content is that the incisors of the lower teeth are hung on the lower surface, the front end wall is formed to protrude downward at the front end, and the central partition wall is formed to protrude downward in a state spaced rearward from the front end wall in the center, and the central partition wall is the reference The thick part and the thin part are partitioned in the front and back with a gauge body, on the upper surface of which the incisors of the upper teeth are seated movably, and the gauge body is extended in an arc shape to the molar side and canine side of the upper and lower teeth. A mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere including a bite part to be bitten and a grip handle part connected to both sides of the lower end of the front end wall of the gauge body is presented as an embodiment.

According to a preferred feature of the disclosure, an opening for checking the first centering is formed in the front end wall of the gauge body.

According to a preferred feature of the disclosure, a second centering confirmation opening is formed in the central bulkhead of the gauge body.

According to a preferred feature of the disclosed subject matter, the thick portion is formed in the front with respect to the central partition wall to a thickness of 7 mm, and the thin portion is formed to have a thickness of 5 mm and is formed in the rear with respect to the central partition wall.

According to the mandibular protrusion length measuring tool according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the front end wall and the central partition wall protrude downward from the lower surface of the gauge body where the incisor side of the lower teeth is located, and the gauge body has a thick part and a thick part with respect to the central partition wall. As the thin part is partitioned, it has the advantage that the upper and lower teeth can be selectively adjusted by selectively positioning the lower teeth in the thick or thin part depending on the condition of the subject when measuring the optimal protrusion length of the mandible. .

Also, according to the mandibular protrusion length measuring tool according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the first centering confirmation opening is formed in the front end wall of the gauge body and the second centering confirmation opening is formed in the central partition wall of the gauge body, When measuring the optimal protrusion length of the mandible, it has the advantage that the centering of the upper and lower jaws can be easily checked with the naked eye through the first or second centering confirmation opening, and due to the specific shape of the grip handle that can be gripped on the side, the grip There is also an advantage that the opening for checking the first or second centering is not covered when the handle part is gripped.

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

1 is a perspective view of a mandibular protrusion length measuring device according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

Figure 2 is a bottom perspective view of the mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

3 is a state diagram of adjusting the vertical spacing between upper and lower teeth using a thick portion and a thin portion in the mandibular protrusion length measuring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 4 is a side view of the mandibular protrusion length measuring device according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

5 is a state diagram of the use of the mandibular protrusion length measuring device according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

- Description of the symbols in the drawings

3: resin composition

10: gauge body

10a: thick part

10b: thin part

11: front end wall

11a: opening for first centering confirmation

13: central bulkhead

13a: opening for second centering confirmation

15: slit for checking centering

17 : scale

20: byte part

21 : Home

30: grip handle part

31: side extension

31a: grip groove

33: connection part

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the configuration and effects of preferred embodiments will be described. For reference, in the following drawings, each component is omitted or schematically illustrated for convenience and clarity, and the size of each component does not reflect the actual size. In addition, the same reference numerals refer to the same components throughout the specification, and reference numerals for the same components in individual drawings will be omitted.

1 is a perspective view of a mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, and FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the mandibular protruding length measuring sphere according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

The mandibular protrusion length measuring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure maintains the mandible to protrude more forward than the maxilla in a state where the upper and lower teeth are spaced apart from each other, thereby expanding the airway during sleep. In order to measure the optimal protrusion length of the, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the gauge body 10 is largely engaged with the incisors of the subject's upper and lower teeth, and the molars and canines of the subject's upper and lower teeth. It includes a bite portion 20 bitten to the side, and a grip handle portion 30 for gripping the operator.

Here, the gauge body 10 corresponds to a kind of measuring gauge that is bitten on the incisor side of the subject to measure the optimal protrusion length of the mandible, and the incisors of the lower teeth are hooked on the lower surface to fix the position, and the incisors of the upper teeth are on the upper surface. The side is seated so that the position can be moved.

In addition, a front end wall 11 is formed to protrude downward from the front end of the gauge body 10. The front end wall 11 of this front end wall 11 moves the incisors of the lower teeth located in front of the central partition wall 13 further forward. It serves to support irreversibly and at the same time enables the connection of the grip handle part 30 to be installed later.

In addition, in the center of the gauge body 10, a central bulkhead 13 is formed to protrude downward in a state spaced apart from the front end wall 11 to the rear. The central bulkhead 13 also serves to support the incisor side of the lower teeth positioned at the rear of the central bulkhead 13 so that it cannot move forward any longer, and the incisors of the lower teeth positioned in front of the central bulkhead 13 are more It also serves to support so that it cannot be moved backwards.

In addition, the above-described gauge body 10 has thick portions 10a in front and back based on the central partition wall 13 so that the vertical separation between the upper and lower teeth can be selectively implemented according to the condition of the subject, such as the degree of snoring or anatomical structure. ) and the thin portion 10b are partitioned. The thick portion 10a may have a thickness of 7 mm and may be formed on the front with respect to the central partition wall 13 , and the thin portion 10b may have a thickness of 5 mm and may be formed on the rear with respect to the central partition wall 13 .

At this time, the thick portion 10a can be formed to the thickness of the gauge body 10 , and the thin portion 10b can be formed by forming a groove in the lower surface of the gauge body 10 to be depressed in the upper direction.

3 is a diagram showing the adjustment state of the upper and lower teeth of the upper and lower teeth using the thick and thin parts.

3, depending on the condition of the subject, the front teeth of the lower teeth are positioned between the front end wall 11 and the central partition wall 13 and supported by the front end wall 11 while supporting the upper and lower teeth 7 They may be vertically spaced apart at an interval of mm.

In addition, as shown in the lower part of Figure 3, depending on the condition of the subject, the front teeth of the lower teeth are positioned at the rear of the central partition wall 13 and supported by the central partition wall 13, while the upper and lower teeth are separated by 5 mm from Shanghai may be intensified.

Therefore, in the mandibular protrusion length measuring tool according to the disclosure, the front end wall 11 and the central partition wall 13 protrude downward from the lower surface of the gauge body 10 where the incisor side of the lower teeth is located, and the gauge body 10 is the central partition wall. As the thick part 10a and the thin part 10b are divided based on (13), the lower teeth are placed in the thick part 10a and the thin part 10b according to the condition of the subject when the optimal protrusion length of the mandible is measured. By selectively positioning, the vertical spacing between the upper and lower teeth can be selectively adjusted.

In addition, when measuring the optimal protrusion length of the mandible using the mandibular protrusion length measuring tool, the center of the maxilla and the mandible should be positioned at the center of the mandibular protrusion length measuring tool (1) so that the upper and lower jaws do not turn left and right. do. To this end, a first centering confirmation opening 11a is formed in the front end wall 11 of the gauge body 10, and a second centering confirmation opening 13a is formed in the central bulkhead 13 of the gauge body 10. can be formed.

4 is a side view of the mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere according to an embodiment of the disclosure in which the first centering confirmation opening and the second centering confirmation opening are formed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere according to an embodiment of the disclosure has an opening 11a for checking the first centering on the front end wall 11 of the gauge body 10, and the gauge body 10 ), as the second centering confirmation opening 13a is formed in the central partition 13 of That is, the centering of the upper and lower jaws can be easily checked with the naked eye through the first and second centering

check openings

11a and 13a.

In addition, it is preferable that the centering check slit 15 is formed in the center of the gauge body 10 so that the centering of the upper and lower jaws can be easily determined through the first and second centering

check openings

11a and 13a. do.

In addition, it is preferable that the scale 17 is displayed on the upper surface of the gauge body 10 so that the position of the front teeth side of the upper teeth can be easily indicated. The scale 17 is preferably displayed on both sides on the slit 15 for centering confirmation and its extension line.

At the rear of the above-described gauge body 10, the bite portion 20 is formed to extend to both sides in an arc shape. The bite portion 20 is a portion that is bitten on the molar side and the canine side of the upper and lower teeth, and it is preferable that a plurality of grooves 21 for providing a resin composition for knitting a pattern of teeth are formed.

The grip handle part 30 is connected to both lower ends of the front end wall 11 of the above-described gauge body 10 . The grip handle part 30 corresponds to a grip part that allows the operator to easily grip the mandibular protrusion length measuring tool according to an embodiment of the disclosed contents, and is formed of the front end wall 11 of the gauge body 10. It is connected to both sides of the lower end and protrudes forward and includes a side extension 31 having a gripping groove 31a formed on the side thereof, and a connection portion 33 integrally connecting the front ends of the side extension 31 to each other.

Both side extensions 31 are connected by a connection portion 33, but due to the shape of the grip handle portion 30 in which gripping grooves 31a are formed on the outer surfaces of both side extensions 31, the thumb of one hand and When the grip handle portion 30 is gripped by bringing the index finger into contact with the gripping groove 31a, the first or second centering

check openings

11a and 13a are not covered by the grip handle portion 30, so that the first and second It is possible to easily check whether the upper and lower jaws are centered through the second centering

check openings

11a and 13a.

5 is a state diagram of a mandibular protrusion length measurement tool according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter. Hereinafter, a method of using the mandibular protrusion length measuring tool according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 .

First, according to the condition of the subject, the vertical distance between the upper and lower teeth is selected as one of 7 mm and 5 mm, and accordingly, the incisor side of the subject's lower teeth is placed on the thick part 10a between the front end wall 11 and the central partition wall 13. ) or selectively positioned on the thin portion 10b of the rear of the central partition wall 13, and at the same time, seat the incisors of the upper teeth on the upper surface of the gauge body 10 so that the mandible does not protrude, and then mark the position of the upper teeth on the scale. (17) is indicated above. The scale in this state becomes the zero point. At this time, it is checked whether the centers of the upper and lower jaws are positioned at the center of the gauge body 10 through the first and second centering

check openings

11a and 13a and the centering check slit.

Then, by sliding the front teeth side of the upper teeth backward, the optimal protrusion length of the mandible that is most comfortable for the subject and can effectively relieve snoring is selected and marked on the scale (17). At this time, the distance between the scale and the zero point becomes the optimal protrusion length of the mandible. Also at this time, it is checked whether the centers of the upper and lower jaws are positioned at the center of the gauge body 10 through the first and second centering

check openings

11a and 13a and the centering check slit.

In this state, the tooth pattern is integrated on the mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere according to an embodiment of the disclosure by providing the resin composition 3 for creating a tooth pattern to the bite part 20 .

Although not shown, thereafter, the mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere according to an embodiment of the disclosure in which the resin composition 3 is integrated is applied to the pre-fabricated gypsum model for the upper and lower jaws of the subject to plaster the upper and lower jaws. After fixing the position of the model, the mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere according to an embodiment of the disclosure is removed, the pre-fabricated upper and lower mouthpieces are inserted into the plaster model, and the upper and lower mouthpieces are placed on the upper and lower mouthpieces. When the hook and the lower hook are connected to each other, the snoring prevention mechanism is completed.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and represent all of the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted for them at the time of filing the present application. Therefore, the embodiments described above are to be understood as illustrative and not restrictive in all respects, and the scope of the present invention is indicated by the following claims rather than the detailed description, and the meaning and scope of the claims and their All changes or modifications derived from the concept of equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

The disclosed content is mounted in the oral cavity and is applicable to the field of measurement gauges for the customized manufacture of an anti-snoring device that prevents or relieves snoring.

Claims

On the lower surface, the front teeth side of the lower teeth are hung, and the front end wall is formed to protrude downward at the front end, and the central partition wall is formed to protrude downward in a state spaced rearward from the front end wall in the center, and the front and back walls based on the central partition wall a gauge body in which the thick part and the thin part are partitioned, and the incisors of the upper teeth are movably seated on the upper surface;

a bite portion extending in an arc shape to the rear of the gauge body and being bitten on the molar side and canine side of the upper and lower teeth; and

The mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere including grip handle parts connected to both lower ends of the front end wall of the gauge body.
The method according to claim 1,

The mandibular protrusion length measuring instrument, characterized in that the thick portion is formed in the front with respect to the central partition wall to a thickness of 7 mm, and the thin portion is formed in the rear with the central partition wall to a thickness of 5 mm.
The method according to claim 1,

The mandibular protrusion length measuring tool, characterized in that the first centering confirmation opening is formed on the front end wall of the gauge body.
4. The method according to claim 3,

The mandibular protrusion length measuring tool, characterized in that the second centering confirmation opening is formed in the central partition wall of the gauge body.
5. The method according to claim 4,

The mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere, characterized in that a slit for checking centering is formed in the center of the gauge body.
The method according to claim 1,

Mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere, characterized in that the scale is displayed on the upper surface of the gauge body.
The method according to claim 1,

The mandibular protrusion length measuring tool, characterized in that the bite portion is formed with a plurality of grooves to which the resin composition for knitting the tooth pattern is coupled.
The method according to claim 1,

The grip handle portion is connected to both sides of the lower end of the front end wall of the gauge body and protrudes forward, and a side extension having a gripping groove formed on the side thereof, and a connecting portion integrally connecting the front end of the side extension to each other. Characterized by the mandibular protrusion length measuring sphere.