Intraoral appliance for sound transmission via bone conduction

Abstract

An intra-oral appliance for transmitting sound via bone conduction and optimized for comfort, safety, speech intelligibility, eating and drinking and extended wear by the user including an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission; a transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth of the user.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An intraoral appliance for sound transmission, comprising:
 a movable transducer vibratable against a first maxillary tooth and a second maxillary tooth, wherein the movable transducer is securable to the first and second maxillary teeth with a spring.   
     
     
         3 . The appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the movable transducer has a first configuration and a second configuration, and wherein when the movable transducer is in the first configuration, the movable transducer is closer to the first and second maxillary teeth than when the movable transducer is in in the second configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The appliance of  claim 2 , further comprising an amplifier or a driver coupled to the movable transducer to cause the movable transducer to move against the first and second maxillary teeth. 
     
     
         5 . The appliance of  claim 4 , further comprising a wireless receiver coupled to the amplifier or the driver. 
     
     
         6 . The appliance of  claim 2 , wherein when the device is worn by a user, the spring on a lingual side and a buccal side of the first and second maxillary teeth. 
     
     
         7 . The appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the first maxillary tooth is a distal-most molar of a user, and wherein when the device is worn by the user, the spring extends around a distal end of the first maxillary tooth. 
     
     
         8 . The appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the device has an occlusal opening. 
     
     
         9 . An intraoral appliance for sound transmission, comprising:
 a bone conductor vibratable against a first mandibular tooth and a second mandibular tooth, wherein the bone conductor is securable to the first and second mandibular teeth with a spring.   
     
     
         10 . The appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the bone conductor has a first configuration and a second configuration, and wherein when the bone conductor is in the first configuration, the bone conductor is closer to the first and second mandibular teeth than when the bone conductor is in in the second configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The appliance of  claim 9 , further comprising an amplifier or a driver coupled to the bone conductor to cause the bone conductor to move against the first and second mandibular teeth. 
     
     
         12 . The appliance of  claim 11 , further comprising a wireless receiver coupled to the amplifier or the driver. 
     
     
         13 . The appliance of  claim 9 , wherein when the device is worn by a user, the spring on a lingual side and a buccal side of the first and second mandibular teeth. 
     
     
         14 . The appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the first mandibular tooth is a distal-most molar of a user, and wherein when the device is worn by the user, the spring extends around a distal end of the first mandibular tooth. 
     
     
         15 . The appliance of  claim 9 , wherein when the device is worn by a user, the device has an occlusal opening. 
     
     
         16 . An intraoral appliance for sound transmission, comprising:
 a device first portion and a device second portion connected to the device first portion with a bridge; and   a vibrator moveable against a first tooth and a second tooth, wherein the vibrator is securable to the first and second teeth with the device first portion and the device second portion, wherein when the device is worn by a user, the device first portion is on a lingual side of the first and second teeth and the device second portion is on a buccal side of the first and second teeth, wherein when the device is worn by the user, the bridge extends around a distal end of the first tooth, and wherein when the device is worn by the user, the device first and second portions are biased toward each other.   
     
     
         17 . The appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the vibrator has a first configuration and a second configuration, and wherein when the vibrator is in the first configuration, the vibrator is closer to the first and second teeth than when the vibrator is in in the second configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second teeth are maxillary teeth. 
     
     
         19 . The appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second teeth are mandibular teeth. 
     
     
         20 . The appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the device has an occlusal opening. 
     
     
         21 . The appliance of  claim 16 , wherein a dimension between the device first portion and the device second portion is greater when the device is worn by the user than when the device is not worn by the user.