Automated, snore activated electro-mechanical mandibular advancement device

Abstract

An automated mandibular advancement device (MAD) is described for the treatment of sleep disorders involving the occlusion of upper airway gas flow during sleep; one example being obstructive sleep apnea. In embodiments, a MAD projects the lower jaw forward only after the patient has fallen asleep. Embodiments of the may track patient sleep parameters for later review by the patient and/or the treating physician to assess the quality of sleep and efficacy of the treatment regime. An actuator placed laterally within a band allows the integral microprocessor to actuate the lower jaw tray forward upon sensing of snoring activity (or upon exceeding a pre-set timer threshold).

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . An intra-oral system, wearable by the patient, for monitoring sleep disorders, the system comprising:
 an accelerometer;   a real-time clock; and   one or more processors and memory comprising executable instructions to cause the processor to:   (i) monitor respiratory measures of patient status; (ii) track initiation, duration and cessation times of system usage by the patient; and (iii) transmit by bi-directional means, said system usage and said patient status to a physician's computer through an intermediate smart phone.   
     
     
         16 . The intra-oral system of  claim 15  wherein the system tracks initiation, duration and cessation times of patient use by means of an integral microphone which is configured to monitor breathing noise and snoring sounds. 
     
     
         17 . The intra-oral system of  claim 15  wherein the system further comprises a means of tracking and quantifying snoring activity, 
     
     
         18 . The intra-oral system of  claim 15  wherein the system further comprises a wireless charging means. 
     
     
         19 . The intra-oral system of  claim 15  wherein the system further comprises a wireless charging means. 
     
     
         20 . The intra-oral system of  claim 15  wherein the system provides logged data to a remote physician through the cloud or internet for the purpose of evaluation, assessment and records keeping. 
     
     
         21 . The intra-oral system of  claim 15  wherein the system provides a remote means for a physician to set therapeutic delivery limits. 
     
     
         22 . A method for monitoring a patient, the method comprising:
 receiving intra-oral sensor data from one or more sensors configured to track, using a data logging and time-stamping means, at least one of: (i) patient's sleep performance including the frequency, severity, and timing of occlusive breathing events and (ii) initiation, duration and cessation times of patient's device usage;   relaying logged sensor data to a physician's computer through an intermediate smartphone; and   receiving configuration commands from a physician's computer through an intermediate smart phone.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising a means of tracking and quantifying snoring activity. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising a wireless charging means. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising a real-time clock means for timestamping data. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22  wherein logged data is provided, by bi-directional means, to a remote physician through the cloud or internet for the purpose of evaluation, assessment and records keeping. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising a remote means for physician to set therapeutic delivery limits. 
     
     
         28 . An intra-oral system, wearable by a patient, for monitoring sleep disorders, the system comprising:
 a first sensor configured to implement at least one of: (i) an accelerometric sensing of device movement wherein the initiation, duration and cessation times of accelerometric data is time-stamped and (ii) sonic sensing of patient breathing wherein the initiation, duration and cessation times sonic-based breathing data is time-stamped;   a second sensor for sensing and tracking patient therapeutic status including at least one of: (i) sensing snoring activity as measured using accelerometric or sonic means and (ii) sensing breathing activity as measured using accelerometric or sonic means;   a communications link configured to implement at least one of: (i) smartphone-mediated communications between an intra-oral system and the physician's computer and (ii) a means of accepting remote physician settings on the intra-oral system   
     
     
         29 . The intra-oral system of  claim 28  wherein the system further comprises a wireless charging means. 
     
     
         30 . The intra-oral system of  claim 28  wherein the system further comprises a real-time clock for timestamping data. 
     
     
         31 . The intra-oral system of  claim 28  wherein the system provides logged data to a remote physician through the cloud or internet for the purpose of evaluation, assessment and records keeping. 
     
     
         32 . The intra-oral system of  claim 28  wherein the system provides a remote means for a physician to set therapeutic delivery limits.