US 11,376,444 B1Granted

Intraoral phototherapy device

AssigneeMureva Phototherapy Inc.

InventorsVedang Kothari, Jordan W. Oja, Jason D. Lazzara, Samuel J. Shelnutt

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Abstract

An intraoral phototherapy device is provided that improves tissue illumination. Oral tissue illumination is particularly difficult inside of the teeth. That is, it is particularly difficult to illuminate the roof of the mouth, floor of the mouth, sides of the tongue, and/or ventral surface of the tongue. The intraoral phototherapy device improves illumination of these tissues using a bifurcated central projection that receives a portion of the tongue. An intraoral phototherapy device is also provided that includes a breathing tube to improve patient breathing and vocalization for enabling illumination of tissues at the back of the mouth. An intraoral phototherapy device is additionally provided that allows for separate control of light emission from different areas of the intraoral phototherapy device.

Claims29

Dependent claims

An intraoral phototherapy device for illuminating targeted regions of an oral cavity of a patient, the device comprising:

a main body portion shaped to conform to contours of the oral cavity when inserted therein to direct light to the targeted regions of the oral cavity, wherein the main body portion includes:
a pair of laterally spaced side wings sized and shaped to be received between teeth and cheeks of the patient on opposite sides of the oral cavity, the pair of laterally spaced side wings including an inner surface facing towards a tongue and an outer surface opposite the inner surface and facing towards the cheeks when inserted into the oral cavity;
and
a bifurcated central projection having a first projection and a second projection separated from the first projection, wherein:
the first projection and the second projection are sized and shaped to receive a portion of a tongue of the patient between the first projection and the second projection;
the received portion of the tongue is at least 25% of an oral tongue of the patient;
the first projection is an upper projection having an outer surface facing towards a roof of the oral cavity and an inner surface facing towards a top of the tongue when inserted into the oral cavity;
and
the second projection is a lower projection having an inner surface facing towards a bottom of the tongue and an outer surface facing towards a floor of the oral cavity when inserted into the oral cavity;
wherein the main body portion additionally includes bite pads located on the inner surfaces of the side wings comprising protrusions projecting inward from the inner surface and positioned on the side wings for engagement between upper teeth and lower teeth of the patient to:
secure the side wings in place when the main body portion is inserted into the oral cavity of the patient;
and
form a gap between the upper and lower teeth;
and
wherein the light emitters include lateral tongue light emitters positioned to emit light from at least one inner surface of the side wings or a distal surface of the bite pads, such that the light emitted by the tongue light emitters projects inward from the inner surface of the side wings or the distal surface of the size wings and passes between the teeth through the gap to illuminate a lateral surface of the tongue when the main body portion is inserter into the oral cavity.

12 more elements

An intraoral phototherapy device for illuminating targeted regions of an oral cavity of a patient, the device comprising:

a main body portion shaped to conform to contours of the oral cavity when inserted therein to direct light to the targeted regions of the oral cavity, wherein the main body portion includes:
a pair of laterally spaced side wings sized and shaped to be received between teeth and cheeks of the patient on opposite sides of the oral cavity, the pair of laterally spaced side wings including an inner surface facing towards a tongue and an outer surface opposite the inner surface and facing towards the cheeks when inserted into the oral cavity;
and
a bifurcated central projection having a first projection and a second projection separated from the first projection, wherein:
the first projection and the second projection are sized and shaped to receive a portion of a tongue of the patient between the first projection and the second projection;
and
the first projection and the second projection both include an inner surface;
at least one of the first projection or the second projection include on the inner surface a surface irregularity;
and
the surface irregularity is configured to aid in placement of the tongue between the inner surfaces of the first projection and the second projection by being positioned such that the surface irregularity interacts with the tongue when the tongue is inserted between the inner surfaces of the first projection and the second projection.

7 more elements

An intraoral phototherapy device for illuminating targeted regions of an oral cavity of a patient, the device comprising:

a main body portion shaped to conform to contours of the oral cavity when inserted therein to direct light to the targeted regions of the oral cavity, wherein the main body portion includes:
a pair of laterally spaced side wings sized and shaped to be received between teeth and cheeks of the patient on opposite sides of the oral cavity, the pair of laterally spaced side wings including an inner surface facing towards a tongue and an outer surface opposite the inner surface and facing towards the cheeks when inserted into the oral cavity;
and
a bifurcated central projection having a first projection and a second projection separated from the first projection, wherein:
the first projection and the second projection are sized and shaped to receive a portion of a tongue of the patient between the first projection and the second projection;
the main body portion additionally includes at least one inner channel;
each of the at least one inner channel extends between an interior opening on an interior surface of the main body portion and an exterior opening on an exterior surface of the main body portion, such that the inner channel provides an air path between the oral cavity and an environment outside of the oral cavity;
and
the interior opening of each of the at least inner channel is located on the inner surface of the pair of laterally spaced side wings.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.