Apparatus for measuring tongue/hard palate contact pressure
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsJo Anne Robbins, Elan D. Bomsztyk, Angela L. Heppner, Christine L. Koranda, Aaron R. Kroner, Jon M. Kuchenreuther, David M. Meister, Bryan S. Staerkel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mouth supported tongue/hard palate pressure sensor allows pressures to be measured between the tongue and hard palate in an environment that closely approximates the configuration of the tongue and mouth during natural swallowing to provide diagnosis and therapy for swallowing disorders.
Claims26
An apparatus for measuring a pressure exerted by a client's tongue intra-orally comprising:
- a sensor support sized to fit closely adjacent to the palate;
- a mouth registration means attached to the sensor support and adapted to engage structure for reproducibly locating the sensor support within the client's closed mouth, the mouth registration means comprising an interdental plate to which the sensor support is attached as a cantilevered arm;
- at least one electronic pressure sensor positioned on a lower surface of the sensor support and adapted to fit wholly within the mouth and facing the tongue to be activated thereby;
- and
- an electronic annunciator communicating with the electronic pressure sensor to provide an indication to the client of the pressure measured by the electronic pressure sensor upon pressure by the tongue.
A method of strengthening tongue function comprising the steps of:
- (a) positioning a pressure sensor within the mouth of a client, the pressure sensor having a sensor support sized to fit closely adjacent to the hard palate, a mouth registration means attached to the sensor support and adapted to engage mouth structure to reproducibly locate the sensor support within the client's mouth, at least one electronic pressure sensor positioned on a lower surface of the sensor support and adapted to face the tongue to be activated thereby;
- and an electronic annunciator communicating with the electronic pressure sensor to provide an indication to the client of the pressure measured by the electronic pressure sensor upon pressure by the tongue;
- (b) causing the client to press upward on the electronic pressure sensor with the client's tongue at least once to establish a maximum tongue pressure;
- (c) adjusting the electronic annunciator to provide an indication to the client when a training pressure of the tongue against the electronic pressure sensor has been achieved, where the training pressure is a predetermined fraction of the maximum tongue pressure;
- and
- (d) gradually increasing the training pressure.
An apparatus for strengthening tongue pressure intra-orally comprising:
- a sensor support sized to fit closely adjacent to the palate;
- a mouth registration means attached to the sensor support and adapted to engage mouth structure to reproducibly locate the sensor support within the client's closed mouth;
- at least one electronic pressure sensor positioned on a lower surface of the sensor support and adapted to fit wholly within the mouth and facing the tongue to be activated thereby;
- and
- an electronic annunciator communicating with the electronic pressure sensor to provide an indication to the client when a pressure exerted on the pressure sensor exceeds a selected target pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.