US 4,673,352 A · Device for measuring relative jaw positions and movements

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a first holder (10) fixed stationarily relative to the upper jaw to the patient's head, and a second holder (16) which is secured to the lower jaw. The second holder contains a number of distributed transmitters (S1, S2, S3) which successively supply stepwise ultrasonic pulses. A supplied ultrasonic pulse is successively received by all of the receivers (E1, E2, E3) of the other holder (10). By the transit times, the distances between the receivers and the activated transmitter may be noted. Changes of the sound velocity are detected by a reference path (S4R, E3; S3, E4R) and used for the correction of the transit time signals. By means of an additional, freely movable holder which also carries a number of transmitters and which contains a scanning tip, the position, data of individual teeth or of other points of the mouth may be imputted into the computer.

Claims6

Dependent claims

Apparatus for measuring the positions and movements of the lower jaw relative to the upper jaw,

comprising a rigid first holder to be secured in a fixed relationship to the upper jaw to the patient's head, a rigid second holder to be secured to the lower jaw and a plurality of distance measuring devices including a respective transmitter and receiver which are provided at the holders to determine the positions of the holders relative to each other,
wherein at one of said first and second holders, there are fixed at least three successively activatable transmitters for ultrasonic signals,
at the other holder there are mounted at least three receivers for ultrasonic signals, means for activating the transmitters in succession with intervals therebetween that are longer than the maximum transit time of the ultrasonic signals between a transmitter and a receiver, and each of said at least three receivers having means for receiving the ultrasonic signals of all the transmitters of the one holder, whereby a distance value between a transmitter and each of the receivers can be determined for each of the transmitters.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Device for measuring relative jaw positions and movements

Life of this patent

Device for measuring relative jaw positions and movements

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6