GB2094949A - Improvements in or relating to aids for humans - Google Patents

Abstract

An aid for humans comprising an intra-oral device including transducer means adapted to fit within the mouth and to transmit responsively to predetermined muscular operation in or around the mouth a signal for apparatus external of the mouth. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to aids for humans This invention relates to aids for humans. The aids may be used by disabled persons or they may be used as accessory controls for the physically normal person.

Most man-controlled equipment for the disabled is operated by hand or foot. The needs of disabled people have stimulated searches for other methods and recently controls have been devised which are activated externally of the body by movements of the head, face or disabled limbs or which utilise the energy of suck and/or blow.

Their most useful application is to electric wheelchairs and communication equipment.

Mouth painting and page turning aids by which an implement is held between the jaws or temporarily affixed teeth have been used to work a switch external of the body but can be cumbersome in this respect. These known methods are not all always efficient and the skill to use them is denied to many, especially those severely handicapped. The present invention seeks to provide an aid which facilitates precise control of equipment independently of any gross anatomical movement.

According to the present invention an aid for humans comprises an intra-oral device including transducer means adapted to fit within the mouth and to transmit responsively to predetermined muscular operation in or around the mouth a signal for apparatus external of the mouth.

The transducer means may comprise a housing or base adapted to be secured to a tooth, teeth or a denture.

The transducer means may comprise at least one electrical switch contained within or secured to the housing, a signal from the switch or switches being transmitted via conductors for operating apparatus external of the mouth consequent upon production of the predetermined muscular operation.

The switch or switches may comprise a button or a lever operatively associated with each switch.

Each button or lever may be arranged to operate the switch with which it is associated in response to tongue or cheek pressure or in response to movement between the jaws.

The switch or switches may be operated by a switch actuator or actuators, the switch or switches being secured to the tooth, teeth or denture of one jaw and the actuator or actuators being likewise secured.

In one embodiment of the invention the transducer means may comprise one or more pressure sensitive hydraulic or pneumatic devices adapted to produce a hydraulic or pneumatic signal for apparatus external of the mouth responsive to the production of the predetermined muscular operation.

In another embodiment of the invention the transducer may comprise one or more piezoelectric devices responsive to pressure produced consequent upon production of the predetermined muscular operation for generating an electrical signal or signals for apparatus external of the mouth.

As operation depends solely upon muscular energy provided within the mouth and as this is often still available even in the most severely disabled person, use is practical for a wide range of purposes and can extend the number of controls a person can safely operate. It will be appreciated that a small device worn in the mouth is less obtrusive than a pipe and being anatomically fitted to the wearer it is rendered safe from accidential dislodgement.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 a is a generally schematic perspective view of a tongue activated button switch fitted to the upper teeth; Figure 1 b is a sectional side view of the switch shown in Figure 1 a; Figure 2 is a sectional side view of a tongue activated lever switch fitted to lateral tooth surfaces only; Figure 3a is a side view of a miniature two tooth appliance; Figure 3b is a plan view of the appliance shown in Figure 3a, Figure 4 is a plan view of an appliance fitted to teeth of the upper jaw and comprising a number of electrical switches; Figure 5 is a plan view of an appliance fitted to teeth of the lower jaw and incorporating a tongue operated button switch; Figure 6 is a sectional side view of a bulb switch;; Figure 7 is a side view of a pneumatically operated appliance; Figures 8a, 8b and 8c are perspective views of an appliance operating pneumatically and arranged to cover the lower teeth; and Figure 9 is a somewhat perspective side view of a pneumatically operated appliance.

The intra-oral devices or appliances hereinafter described are appliances fitted and operated within the mouth and functioning to control equipment remote from the mouth independently of hand, foot or head movement. The device or appliance may comprise a base into which is incorporated transducer means to initiate a signal which is conveyed beyond the mouth to control apparatus for aiding the disabled. The base may be a splint or cap fitted to natural or artificial teeth or forming a part of a denture. The fit of the base should be precise and may be achieved by specialised techniques of dental or oral surgery to conform to individual oral anatomy. The size and shape of the base will vary according to its location and it may include one or more actuators by means of which a signal can be initiated by the wearer.The actuators may comprise switches, levers, pressure conveyors or pneumatic and hydraulic chambers. The signal may comprise any form of energy produced to activate apparatus for aiding the disabled. Transmission of such signals from within to without the mouth may be achieved by narrow flexible wires or through tubes traversing the lips and thence either directly or by other mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, sonic or radio means to equipment for aiding the disabled. Activation of the intra-oral devices hereinafter described is achieved by energy evoked within the mouth by the operator. Forces are obtained by voluntary contraction of the muscles of the tongue, cheek or floor of the mouth.These can produce either direct mechanical pressure on the appliance as with a tongue controlled switch or can evoke a pneumatic pressure change ranging from voluntary expiration of air to smaller scales of pressure change obtained in local areas within the mouth as for example when areas of the lips or cheek are separately inflated or deflated the latter being used to activate air switches. The base or splint may be fabricated using clinical impression and measurement techniques as used in oral surgery for construction of splints to treat fractured jaw and in dental surgery to construct crowns, bridges and dentures. An accurate model may be made of the teeth jaws and surrounding tissue for such procedures.A cap or splint is then designed and constructed on this model and the shape and size of the splint is determined by (a) the measurement of the relationship the upper and lower jaws have to each other as they open and close to avoid impeding their natural closing movements; (b) location of the most efficient site for the devices to be worked by the wearer; estimation of the number of these which can be used competently; and (c) consideration of safety factors ensuring least risk of dislodgement and least interference with naturally existing spaces essential to speech, swallowing or other physiological activity.

The appliances may be constructed of transparent plastic material, (e.g. acrylic material), and they may be fitted to be worn on the upper or lower jaw covering any number of teeth.

Alternatively, they may lie below but attached to the teeth and conforming in shape to the adjacent soft tissue or be fitted on or within a denture when no teeth are present. Those devices which do not cover the tops of the teeth, or which are built in to a denture, permit complete natural closure of the teeth. Sneezing and coughing presents no hazard and electrical contacts and leads are designed to work at low voltage and are insulated.

Particular embodiments of the invention will now be considered and as shown in Figure 1 a base 1 is provided which is arranged to be fitted to the upper teeth and arranged to incorporate an electrical switch 2 electrical signals from the switch being transmitted via conductors 3. In order to provide an electrical signal on the conductors 3 the switch 2 is operated by tongue pressure.

Referring now to Figure 2 another tongue activated switch is shown comprising a base 4 which is fitted to the lateral tooth surfaces of the lower jaw only and it incorporates a switch lever 5 which is operated by means of tongue pressure.

Referring now to Figures 3a and 3b a miniature two tooth appliance is shown comprising a base 6 in the form of a cap which is arranged to embrace adjacent teeth 7 and 8, a transducer 9 comprising an electrical switch being fitted to the base 6. A conductor for the device 9 is fed through the base 6 and comprises wires 10.

Referring now to Figure 4 an appliance comprises a base 1 1 which is formed to fit on the upper teeth and has attached to it a number of electrical switches 12 which may be individually operated with the tongue.

Referring now to Figure 5 an alternative arrangement is shown wherein an appliance comprises a base 13 which incorporates on the inside thereof a button switch 14 which can be operated with the tongue and a lever switch 1 5 which might conveniently be operated by cheek pressure, each switch being arranged to control a different function in apparatus with which the device is connected by means of wires 16.

Referring now to Figure 6 a device is shown wherein the base comprises a cap 17 arranged to fit over a tooth 18, a bulb switch 19 including contacts being embodied in the cap 17 and positioned so that the bulb switch 19 can be operated by tongue pressure.

Referring now to Figure 7 a pneumatic device is shown comprising a base 20 which is arranged to fit over the lower teeth and incorporate a deformable pneumatic transducer 21 which in response to deformation as by means of pressure between the jaws provides a pneumatic signal on a a pneumatic line 22.

Referring now to Figures 8a, 8b and 8c an appliance is shown adapted to cover the lower teeth and comprising an inner chamber 23 which is arranged to communicate with apparatus remote from the mouth via a capillary tube 24 so that in response to pressure being produced between the jaws a signal is transmitted via the capillary tube 24 to apparatus (not shown) remote from the mouth.

Finally referring to Figure 9 a device is shown which is adapted to conform to the shape of the lower teeth and comprises a deformable pneumatic chamber 25 which is arranged to communicate via tube 26 with apparatus remote from the mouth.

As the devices or appliances hereinbefore described allow safe control of equipment without the use of conventional methods they will be of considerable use to handicapped people and in particular to those with multiple sclerosis, muscular distrophy, cerebrovascular injury or the like.

The primary value to the handicapped will be in supplying a means of unsupervised control for those incapable of using other means available to date. The simplest example is that they would afford a bed-ridden person in this group the means to attract attention and remove dependence upon constant visual nursing supervision. In others less disabled, it can extend their activities particularly with regard to electric chair control, leisure and communication equipment. In a person generally physiologically intact, it adds an additional means of control which any individual may competently manipulate to supplement the hand and/or the foot and this could apply to transport, industrial and other machinery.

The number of separate control mechanisms which can be built into one appliance is considerable being only restricted by (a) the number of pockets where pneumatic energy can be evoked and (b) the space intervals required between each switch for the tongue to register it separately. It is generally appreciated that most people can identify all but the smallest teeth by linguai palpatation.

Claims (9)

1. An aid for humans comprising an intra-oral device including transducer means adapted to fit within the mouth and to transmit responsively to predetermined muscular operation in or around the mouth a signal for apparatus external of the mouth.

2. An aid according to claim 1 in which the transducer means comprises a housing or base adapted to be secured to a tooth, teeth or a denture.

3. An aid according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the transducer means comprises at least one electrical switch contained within or secured to the housing, a signal from the switch or switches being transmitted via conductors for operating apparatus external of the mouth consequent upon production of the predetermined muscular operation.

4. An aid according to claim 3 and including a button or a lever for the or each switch.

5. An aid according to claim 4 in which the or each button or lever is arranged to operate the switch with which it is associated in response to tongue or cheek pressure or in response to movement between the jaws.

6. An aid according to claim 3 in which the or each switch is operated by a switch actuator, the or each switch being secured to the tooth, teeth o denture ofa jaw, and the or each switch actuator being likewise being secured to the tooth, teeth or denture of a jaw.

7. An aid according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the transducer means comprises one or more pressure sensitive hydraulic or pneumatic devices adapted to produce a hydraulic or pneumatic signal for apparatus external of the mouth responsive to the production of the predetermined muscular operation.

8. An aid according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the transducer means comprises one or more piezoelectric devices responsive to pressure produced consequent upon production of the predetermined muscular operation for generating an electrical signal or signals for apparatus external of the mouth.

9. An aid for humans, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.