Gum massaging device and method for massaging gum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10195104-B2
Application number	US-201514597280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2015
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A gum massaging device includes a sheet member closely attachable to a gum, a gum-condition sensor disposed on the sheet member, and a massaging element disposed on the sheet member at a position corresponding to a position at which the gum-condition sensor is disposed, the massaging element operating in accordance with a detection result from the gum-condition sensor. The gum-condition sensor detects, for example, a color tone of a portion of the gum adjacent to the gum-condition sensor. The massaging element provides, for example, a pinching massage to a portion of the gum adjacent to the massaging element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gum massaging device, comprising:
a sheet member attachable to a gum, a cross section of the sheet member having a hook-shape;
gum-condition sensors disposed on the sheet member; and
massaging elements disposed on the sheet member, the massaging elements being operated in accordance with detection results from the gum-condition sensors,
wherein the gum-condition sensors and the massaging elements are disposed in sections into which the sheet member is divided,
wherein the gum massaging device further comprises an operation determining unit that, in operation, determines, section by section, an operation of at least one of the massaging elements disposed in each section on the basis of a detection result from at least one of the gum-condition sensors disposed in the section,
wherein a first section of the sections corresponds to a first portion of the gum, and a second section of the sections corresponds to a second portion of the gum and a first portion of an inner side of cheeks, the first section touches the second section, a border is provided between the first section and the second section, a cross section of the second section includes a curved portion of the hook-shape, and a cross section of the first section includes a generally straight portion of the hook-shape excluding the curved portion,
wherein the massaging elements include a first group of massaging elements disposed in the first section and a second group of massaging elements disposed in the second section, the first group of massaging elements includes a first group border massaging element positioned nearest to the border among the first group of massaging elements, and the second group of massaging elements includes a second group border massaging element positioned nearest to the border among the second group of massaging elements,
wherein the operation includes a first operation and a second operation, the first operation and the second operation are not performed at a same period,
wherein, under the first operation,
the first group of massaging elements repeat a first massage, the first massage being provided by activating each of the first group of massaging elements sequentially one time,
the second group of massaging elements repeat a second massage after a completion of the repeat of the first massage, the second massage being provided by activating each of the second group of massaging elements sequentially one time, and
wherein, under the second operation,
the first group of massaging elements excluding the first group border massaging element and the second group of massaging elements excluding the second group border massage element repeat a third massage, the third massage being provided by activating each of the first group of massaging elements excluding the first group border massaging element sequentially one time and then by activating each of the second group of massaging elements excluding the second group border massage element sequentially one time.

2. The gum massaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the gum-condition sensors detects information related to a condition of a portion of the gum that the gum-condition sensor is disposed to, the portion of the gum corresponding to a section included in the sections, and the condition including at least one of a color tone, a tension, a temperature, a blood pressure, a blood flow, and a water content.

3. The gum massaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the gum-condition sensors detects information related to a condition specifying a level of a blood circulation of a portion of the gum that the gum-condition sensor is disposed to, the portion of the gum corresponding to a section included in the sections, and
each of the massaging elements operates in such a manner that each of the massaging elements provides a massage with a higher strength when the level of the blood circulation is lower.

4. The gum massaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet member has such a three-dimensional shape as to be capable of being fitted into an upper or lower oral vestibule.

5. The gum massaging device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the massaging elements stops providing the massage when a degree to which the detection result from the gum-condition sensor has changed from a start of the massage arrives at a predetermined threshold.

6. A method for massaging a gum, comprising:
operating massaging elements, disposed on a sheet member attachable to the gum, in accordance with detection results from gum-condition sensors disposed on the sheet member,
providing the sheet member with a cross section having a hook-shape,
wherein the gum-condition sensors and the massaging elements are disposed in sections into which the sheet member is divided,
wherein the gum massaging device further comprises an operation determining unit that, in operation, determines, section by section, an operation of at least one of the massaging elements disposed in each section on the basis of a detection result from at least one of the gum-condition sensors disposed in the section,
wherein a first section of the sections corresponds to a first portion of the gum, and a second section of the sections corresponds to a second portion of the gum and a first portion of an inner side of cheeks, the first section touches the second section, a border is provided between the first section and the second section, a cross section of the second section includes a curved portion of the hook-shape, and a cross section of the first section includes a generally straight portion of the hook-shape excluding the curved portion,
providing the massaging elements to include a first group of massaging elements disposed in the first section and a second group of massaging elements disposed in the second section, the first group of massaging elements includes a first group border massaging element positioned nearest to the border among the first group of massaging elements, and the second group of massaging elements includes a second group border massaging element positioned nearest to the border among the second group of massaging elements,
wherein the operation includes a first operation and a second operation, the first operation and the second operation are not performed at a same period,
wherein, under the first operation,
the first group of massaging elements repeat a first massage, the first massage being provided by activating each of the first group of massaging elements sequentially one time,
the second group of massaging elements repeat a second massage after a completion of the repeat of the first massage, the second massage being provided by activating each of the second group of massaging elements sequentially one time,
wherein, under the second operation,
the first group of massaging elements excluding the first group border massaging element and the second group of massaging elements excluding the second group border massage element repeat a third massage, the third massage being provided by activating each of the first group of massaging elements excluding the first group border massaging element sequentially one time and then by activating each of the second group of massaging elements excluding the second group border massage element sequentially one time.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ajiki Kaori
• Minowa Toshimitsu

Classifications

• A61H23/02

  with electric or magnetic drive · CPC title

• A61H2201/165

  Wearable interfaces · CPC title

• A61H2230/255

  used as a control parameter for the apparatus · CPC title

• A61H2230/085

  used as a control parameter for the apparatus · CPC title

• A61H2201/5002

  Means for controlling a set of similar massage devices acting in sequence at different locations on a patient · CPC title