Patent Application
20090017422
Various embodiments described herein relate generally to treating teeth and related gum tissue, including systems, and methods used in treating teeth and related gum tissue.
It may be desirable to treat teeth and related gum tissue, the present invention provides such treatment.
The treatment system 10 may be configured to fit over or engage one or both arches of a user's teeth. The divider or center section 12 may have a curved or “U” shape from a top profile. The system 10 may be configured as a single arch, where the horizontal cross section would resemble the letter “U” for an upper arch and an inverted “U” for a lower arch. As shown in
In an embodiment the system 10 the divider 12, the labial guard 16A, and the lingual guard 16B may include a soft or pliable material such as silicon, nylon, or flexible plastic. The divider 12, the labial guard 16A, and the lingual guard 16B may be light permeable or transparent. Further the divider 12, the labial guard 16A, and the lingual guard 16B may be formed from a single material. The inner section 20 may be formed from a second material. The divider 12, the labial guard 16A, and the lingual guard may be integrally formed or may be fused together so as to form a single continuous layer.
Further the divider 12, the labial guard 16A, the lingual guard 16B, and the inner section 20 may be formed from a single material. The divider 12, the labial guard 16A, the lingual guard 16B, and the inner section 20 may be integrally formed or may be fused together so as to form a single continuous layer or outer section. The inner section 20 may be relatively soft and able to conform to the shape of teeth when worn or engaged. In an embodiment the outer section (the divider 12, the labial guard 16A, the lingual guard 16B) may be less compliant than the inner section to maintain the general shape of the tray in use.
The system 10 may be configured to enable dentition of upper and lower teeth arches simultaneously. The system 10 may be configured as part of a teeth or gum treatment modality. The system may include light sources 32A, 32B, 332 such as
The divider layer 12 may enable light to pass from the labial side 16A toward the lingual side 16B of the system 10. The divider may be have varying thickness to vary the amount of light able to propagate there through. The divider 12 may be able 1 to 3 mm thick in an embodiment. The divider may have a wedge or modified wedge shape which may catch and disperse light in an optimal pattern. The divider 12 may be composed of a material different than the rest of the tray. The divider 12 optical qualities, such as clarity or refractive index may be correlated to the rigidity or deformability of the material.
In an embodiment, the inner section 20, 21 may include a deformable silicon putty-like material, wax, or a foam materials such as memory foam. The inner section 20, 21 material volume may be sufficient to deform in use to closely conform to the outer shape of teeth when teeth are inserted into inner section 20, 21 volume. The inner section 20, 21 may keep its shape when teeth were inserted and removed thereafter. The inner section 20, 21 may retain a teeth impression inside the inner section 20, 21 volume for a period of time.
In an embodiment The system 10 may be easily attached to a lighting source. As shown in
The inner section 20 may be employed to apply therapy to teeth or gums. The inner section 20 may have several layers 20A, 20B, 20C where the layers may be have different flexibility and may contain one or more chemicals that are activated by light, water, and other forces when in operation. For example, the system 10 may be employed to visually whiten a user's teeth. In such an embodiment a whitening agent may be employed in one or more layers 20A, 20B, 20C of the inner section (20, 21). In another embodiment, a whitening agent may be placed in the intaglio of teeth when removed from a users mouth and thereafter placed in contact with the same teeth/gums to apply therapy to them. As noted, the inner section 20, 21 may form a negative impression of teeth when the teeth are pressed into the section 20, 21. In an embodiment teeth may be withdrawn from the tray easily where the inner section 20, 21 does not adhere to the teeth.
A thin treatment layer may be effectively applied to teeth or gums via the system 10. In a method, the system 10 may be placed into the mouth. A user may bites gently into the inner section 20, 21 until they reach a stop. At that point, the inner section 20, 21 may have conformed to teeth, gum surfaces. The system 10 may then be removed leaving a negative impression of the teeth/gums pushed into the inner section 20 of the system 10. The inner section 20 intaglio may be loaded or coated with a thin layer of some treatment agent such as a peroxide containing gel and placed back into the mouth. A small treatment agent volume may be comfortably held in intimate contact with teeth/gum surface to increase treatment effectiveness while minimizing total body dosage. In an embodiment the system 10 may be rocked slightly back and forth before removal to create a slight void between the inner tray material and teeth/gums, permitting larger dosage of treatment agents.
For tooth whitening applications, the agents may include dry hydrogen peroxide precursors such as calcium percarbonate impregnated into an inner layer 20B of the inner section 20. When a user bites into the inner section 20, a peroxide precursor may be spread onto the surface of the inner section 20 where a user's saliva may initiate the breakdown of the calcium percarbonate into active hydrogen peroxide. Other agents may include calcium peroxide, sodium percarbonate, sodium perborate, alkali metal peroxides, alkali metal percarbonates, and alkali metal perborates.
Other agents such as amino acids and amino acid oxidases (such as proline, alanine, methionine, leucine, glutamic acid, glutamine, aspartic acid, phenylalanine, cysteine, lysine, histidine, asparagines, serine, tyrosine, cystine, arginine, tryptophane, glycine, or hydroxyproline) may be employed to accelerate a teeth/gum bleaching effect in combination with a peroxide gel in the inner section 20. Another accelerators may be employed. The inner layer 20B may include these chemicals and the layer 20A may be coated with an accelerator including pH adjusters such as sodium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, tris amino (Angus Chemical), AMPD (Angus Chemical) and sodium tripoly phosphate, copper gluconate, magnesium gluconate, manganese gluconate, tyrosine, cystine, arginine, tryptophane, glycine, or hydroxyproline.
Other treatment agents may include fluoride, coloring agents, antibacterials, desensitizers and other hard tissue treatment agents. The system 10 may also be used to deliver dosages of soft tissue treatments including vitamin D and E, aloe vera, antibacterials, emollients and other treatment agents. The systems 10 may also be used as a quick method of taking impressions of dentition, which may then be used in as an impressions, such as to create plaster casts of the teeth as a diagnostic tool. In addition, the system may be used as a protective device against fracture and displacement of teeth during sports or other activities. The inner section 20 may absorb greater shock and force compared to a conventional stiff or hard device. Traditionally it has been necessary to heat up a standard mouthguard in extremely hot water in order to get the tray to mold to the teeth. The system 10 may include one or more airways 10 that may enable a user to wear the system 10 while sleeping. The system 10 may hold a user's jaws in a proper alignment during sleep to possibly reduce snoring and reduce sleep apnea.
As shown in the figures, the system 10 may include a plurality of embedded LEDs 32A, 32B, a battery 52, a controller 54, and an antenna 56. In an embodiment the LED 32A may be configured to emit energy of a first particular frequency range and the LED 32B may be configured to emit energy of a second particular frequency range. The surface 22 may be embedded with a chemical 22A that may be used to treat teeth and related gum cells. The chemical 22A may be reactive to the first and the second frequency ranges. Further teeth and related gum cells may be reactive to the first and the second frequency ranges. In addition, the combination of the chemical 22A and the application of the first and the second frequency ranges to the chemical 22A and teeth and related gum cells may have a synergetic effect.
In an embodiment the chemical 22A may be applied directly to the teeth and related gum cells to be treated. In a further embodiment a chemical 22A may not be employed in addition to the system 10. The teeth and related gum treatment system 10 may include a single translucent layer 66 such as shown in
In an embodiment a local controller 54 and battery 52 may also be embedded in one the layers 66, 12, 16A, 16B. The controller 54 may be electrically coupled to the one or more LEDS 32A, 32B. The controller 54 may also be coupled to a battery 52. The controller 54 may generate one or more signals for LEDs 32A, 32B as a function of a user switch 56. The signals may vary as a function of the first and second frequency ranges. The controller 54 may include one or more timers 58 that may limit the application of energy to the LEDs 32A, 32B to predetermined time intervals. In an embodiment the controller may also be coupled to an antenna 56 to receive or transmit one or more signals related to the transmission of energy to one or more LEDs 32A, 32B. As shown in
In
In an embodiment the invention may employ the algorithm 340 shown in
In another embodiment the invention may employ the algorithm 350 shown in
In another embodiment the invention may employ the algorithm 360 shown in
The systems 10 may be used to employ cosmetic or medications or other chemicals directly on teeth and related gum cells with the addition of light of specific frequencies for treatment and healing of cells of tissue with the object of assisting the agents used in delivery, uptake, action and function more effectively. The LEDs 32A, 32B may create the specific frequencies of light. The system 10 light application may enable cosmetic or medication or other active chemicals 22A on teeth and related gum cells for longer time periods while preventing dehydration of the applied substances. Such light application may improve the efficacy of cosmetic or medication or other active chemical as a function of the selected wavelengths or frequencies.
Further the teeth and related gum system application may increase cellular activity and help heal tissue faster and facilitate the delivery, uptake and use in the cell of the cosmetics, medications, or chemicals 22A used. The LED light of specific frequencies can increase fibroblast production and collagen as well as other activities of the cell including stimulating the organelles and mitochondria to produce ATP for cell energy for functioning, decreasing treatment time and facilitate healing. The system 10 make the agents used on the body more efficacious and useful to the body on a cellular level.
The system 10, 100, 200, 210, 300 may include a semi permanent flexible body masking for a teeth and related gum area to stop dehydration and maintain the proper dosage or amount of cosmetic, medication or other chemicals to affect the cells of the body while allowing exposure of the selected teeth and related gum cells to actinic light from LED or other actinic light source. It is noted that the chemical 22A may include a photo reactive substance such as a silver ion, PDT drugs, beta-carotenes, pigments or any other photo reactive substance that may increase energy states of molecules and/or an increase in the efficacy and reaction of the cells of the body when using LED or other light of certain wavelengths activate the substance that is kept on the body via the system 10, 100, 200, 210, 300 containing one or more LED's 32A, 32B or other light source. The system 10, 100, 200, 210, 300 may be used with a trans-dermal delivery substance, e.g., the Latitude Pharmaceutical Dermal Delivery System.
The ROM 406 is coupled to the CPU 382 and may store the program instructions to be executed by the CPU 382. The RAM 384 is coupled to the CPU 382 and may store temporary program data, overhead information, and the queues 398. The user input device 412 may comprise an input device such as a keypad, touch pad screen, track ball or other similar input device that allows the user to navigate through menus in order to operate the article 380. The display 388 may be an output device such as a CRT, LCD, LED or other lighting apparatus that enables the user to read, view, or hear user detectable signals.
The microphone 408 and speaker 402 may be incorporated into the device 380. The microphone 408 and speaker 402 may also be separated from the device 380. Received data may be transmitted to the CPU 382 via a bus 396 where the data may include signals for an LED 32A, 32B, 332 or optical module. The transceiver ASIC 416 may include an instruction set necessary to communicate data, screens, or signals. The ASIC 416 may be coupled to the antenna 404 to communicate wireless messages, pages, and signal information within the signal. When a message is received by the transceiver ASIC 416, its corresponding data may be transferred to the CPU 382 via the serial bus 396. The data can include wireless protocol, overhead information, and data to be processed by the device 380 in accordance with the methods described herein.
The D/A and A/D convertor 415 may be coupled to one or more optical modules to generate a signal to be used to energize one of the optical modules. The D/A and A/D convertor 415 may also be coupled to one devices such as LEDs 32A, 32B. Any of the components previously described can be implemented in a number of ways, including embodiments in software. Any of the components previously described can be implemented in a number of ways, including embodiments in software. Thus, the LEDs 32A, 32B, controllers 54, switch 56, timers 58, controller 320 may all be characterized as “modules” herein. The modules may include hardware circuitry, single or multi-processor circuits, memory circuits, software program modules and objects, firmware, and combinations thereof, as desired by the architect of the system 10, 30, 50, 60 and as appropriate for particular implementations of various embodiments.
The apparatus and systems of various embodiments may be useful in applications other than a sales architecture configuration. They are not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use of the structures described herein.
Applications that may include the novel apparatus and systems of various embodiments include electronic circuitry used in high-speed computers, communication and signal processing circuitry, modems, single or multi-processor modules, single or multiple embedded processors, data switches, and application-specific modules, including multilayer, multi-chip modules. Such apparatus and systems may further be included as sub-components within a variety of electronic systems, such as televisions, cellular telephones, personal computers (e.g., laptop computers, desktop computers, handheld computers, tablet computers, etc.), workstations, radios, video players, audio players (e.g., mp3 players), vehicles, medical devices (e.g., heart monitor, blood pressure monitor, etc.) and others. Some embodiments may include a number of methods.
It may be possible to execute the activities described herein in an order other than the order described. Various activities described with respect to the methods identified herein can be executed in repetitive, serial, or parallel fashion.
A software program may be launched from a computer-readable medium in a computer-based system to execute functions defined in the software program. Various programming languages may be employed to create software programs designed to implement and perform the methods disclosed herein. The programs may be structured in an object-orientated format using an object-oriented language such as Java or C++. Alternatively, the programs may be structured in a procedure-orientated format using a procedural language, such as assembly or C. The software components may communicate using a number of mechanisms well known to those skilled in the art, such as application program interfaces or inter-process communication techniques, including remote procedure calls. The teachings of various embodiments are not limited to any particular programming language or environment.
The accompanying drawings that form a part hereof show, by way of illustration and not of limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. The embodiments illustrated are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived there-from, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This Detailed Description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein individually or collectively by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept, if more than one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted to require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may be found in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
The present application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/959,357, entitled “Dual Mouth Piece for Whitening, Protection, Delivering Medications That is Formed Without Heat,” filed on Jul. 13, 2007, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60959357 | Jul 2007 | US |
