# US 2018/0020710 A1 · Taste substance-supplying article > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0020710 A1 - Document ID: US20180020710A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/317,395 - Filed: 2015-06-03 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-11 - Assignees: Keio University - Applicants: Keio University - Inventors: Norihisa MIKI; Kazuhiko HIGASHI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180020710A1 ## CPC - A23L 27/88: {Taste or flavour enhancing agents} - A61J 7/0092: {for holding medicines in, or fixing medicines on, a tooth, e.g. holder containing medicines fixed on a tooth (medicament applicators for teeth or gums A61C19/063)} - A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs - A61C 7/10: Devices having means to apply outwardly directed force, e.g. expanders - A61C 7/12: Brackets; Arch wires; Combinations thereof; Accessories therefor - A61C 13/08: Artificial teeth; Making same (kilns for artificial teeth F27B) - A61C 19/063: {Medicament applicators for teeth or gums, e.g. treatment with fluorides} - A61M 31/002: {Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time (artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50)} - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) - A61J: CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE - A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract A taste substance-supplying article is provided with: a taste substance-supplying body having a taste substance that is brought into contact with taste receptors to produce a sense of taste, and a taste-releasing part that retains the taste substance and gradually releases the taste substance; and a fixing part that fixes the taste substance-supplying body to an oral cavity so that the taste-releasing part can be brought into contact with a portion of an area being a part of the oral cavity and having taste receptors. The taste-releasing part is brought into contact with taste receptors, and supplies and causes the taste substance to come into contact with the taste receptors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A taste substance-supplying article comprising: a taste substance-supplying body having a taste substance that is brought into contact with taste receptors to produce a sense of taste, and a taste-releasing part for retaining the taste substance and gradually releasing the taste substance; a fixing part that fixes the taste substance-supplying body to an oral cavity, so that the taste-releasing part can be brought into contact with a portion of an area being a part of the oral cavity and having taste receptors, wherein the taste-releasing part is brought into contact with the taste receptors and supplies and causes the taste substance into contact with the taste receptors. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 1, wherein said taste substance-supplying body comprises a taste substance reservoir part having a reservoir space in which said taste substance can be accommodated and said taste-releasing part, said taste-releasing part gradually releases said taste substance accommodated within said reservoir space from said reservoir space to the outside of said reservoir space, said fixing part is supported by a part of the oral cavity and comprises a reservoir part-supporting part that supports said taste substance reservoir part in the oral cavity, so that said taste-releasing part can be brought into contact with taste receptors of the oral cavity. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 2, wherein: said taste substance reservoir part has a reservoir having an opening, said reservoir space is composed of the internal space of said reservoir, and said taste-releasing part is disposed at said opening to cover said opening. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 3, wherein said taste-releasing part is composed of a porous material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 2, wherein: said taste substance reservoir part has a reservoir having an opening, and said reservoir space is composed of the internal space of said reservoir, said taste-releasing part is composed of said opening and a porous material disposed in said reservoir space, and said porous material is impregnated with a taste substance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 3, wherein said reservoir can be deformed so as to change the capacity of said reservoir space. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 3, wherein: said taste substance reservoir part is fixed to one end of said reservoir part-supporting part, and the other end of said reservoir part-supporting part is fixed to an attachment member that is fixed to a part of the oral cavity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 3, wherein: said taste substance reservoir part is fixed to the central part of said reservoir part-supporting part, and one end of said reservoir part-supporting part is fixed to an attachment member that is fixed to a part of the oral cavity, and the other end of said reservoir part-supporting part is fixed to an attachment member that is fixed to a portion other than the part of the oral cavity. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 7, wherein: said attachment member is composed of a dental brace to be fixed to the upper jaw, and said taste-releasing part is brought into contact with taste receptors of the palate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 7, wherein: said attachment member is composed of a false tooth that is fixed to the upper jaw, and said taste-releasing part is brought into contact with taste receptors of the palate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 3, wherein: said taste substance reservoir part is fixed to one end of said reservoir part-supporting part, and the other end of said reservoir part-supporting part is fixed to a part of the oral cavity. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 3, wherein: said taste substance reservoir part is fixed to the central part of said reservoir part-supporting part, and one end of said reservoir part-supporting part is fixed to a part of the oral cavity and the other end of said reservoir part-supporting part is fixed to a portion other than said part of the oral cavity. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 3, wherein: said reservoir part-supporting part is a cyclic part having one end and the other end, said taste substance reservoir part is fixed to the central part of the reservoir part-supporting part, said reservoir part-supporting part and said taste substance reservoir part are fixed to the tongue, so that said reservoir part-supporting part and said taste substance reservoir part wrap around the tongue, and said taste-releasing part is brought into contact with taste receptors on the top surface of the tongue. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 2, further comprising: a food or drink-detecting part capable of detecting the intake of a food or drink into the oral cavity by a user of a taste substance-supplying article through detection of at least one of the chewing by a user of the taste substance-supplying article, the intake of a food or drink into the oral cavity of the user of the taste substance-supplying article, a change in intraoral potential of the user of the taste substance-supplying article, and a change in intraoral temperature of the user of the taste substance-supplying article; and a control part for controlling said taste releasing part-changing drive part, so as to initiate the release of a taste substance accommodated within said reservoir space from said reservoir space to the outside of said reservoir space, when said food or drink-detecting part detects the intake of a food or drink into the oral cavity by the user of the taste substance-supplying article. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 1, wherein said fixing part is composed of a cohesive substance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 1, wherein said taste substance-supplying body is fixed to a portion of an area being the part of the oral cavity and having taste receptors to cover the portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 1, wherein said taste substance-supplying body is net-shaped. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The taste substance-supplying article according to claim 1, wherein said taste-releasing part can be disintegrated or dissolved in the oral cavity.