Link motion-based food swallowing simulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11594152-B2
Application number	US-201816754376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2018
Priority date	Jun 11, 2018
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

The present invention discloses a link motion-based food swallowing simulator comprising a swallowing module including a bionic oral cavity assembly, a shred collecting assembly and a supporting assembly wherein two side plates of a maxillary base of the bionic oral cavity assembly connect to a mounting plate of the supporting assembly, wherein the shred collecting assembly is positioned on a mounting base of the supporting assembly; an adjusting module, positioned under the mounting base, includes a bearing assembly and an adjusting assembly wherein the bearing assembly is disposed on the adjusting assembly, achieving the simulation of the food swallowing mechanism from static to dynamic. The adoption of the driving module realizes the swallowing action through link motion simulation, simulating the swallowing process of the human body and the swallowing process of the patient lying on the back through adjusting modules, improving the swallowing situation with higher adaptability.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A link motion-based food swallowing simulator, comprising:
a swallowing module including a bionic oral cavity assembly ( 101 ), a shred collecting assembly ( 102 ), and a supporting assembly ( 103 ), wherein two side plates of a maxillary base ( 101 a ) of the bionic oral cavity assembly ( 101 ) connect to a mounting plate ( 103 a ) of the supporting assembly ( 103 ), wherein the shred collecting assembly ( 102 ) is positioned on a mounting base ( 103 b ) of the supporting assembly ( 103 );
a driving module ( 200 ), positioned in a mounting chamber (N 1 ) of the mounting base ( 103 b );
an adjusting module ( 300 ), positioned under the mounting base ( 103 b ), including a bearing assembly ( 301 ) and an adjusting assembly ( 302 ), wherein the bearing assembly ( 301 ) is disposed on the adjusting assembly ( 302 ); and
a base ( 400 ), including a protective housing ( 401 ) and a base plate ( 402 ), wherein the protective housing ( 401 ) is positioned on the base plate ( 402 ), and the protective housing ( 401 ) is positioned on a periphery of the adjusting assembly ( 302 ).

2. The link motion-based food swallowing simulator of claim 1 , wherein the bionic oral cavity assembly ( 101 ) further comprises a tongue base ( 101 b ), wherein the tongue base ( 101 b ) is positioned on an inner side of the maxillary base ( 101 a ).

3. The link motion-based food swallowing simulator of claim 1 , wherein an inner side of the maxillary base ( 101 a ) is equipped with a sensor ( 101 a - 2 ).

4. The link motion-based food swallowing simulator of claim 3 , wherein the tongue base includes a tongue-shaped soft pad ( 101 b - 1 ) and a support member ( 101 b - 2 ), wherein the tongue-shaped soft pad ( 101 b - 1 ) is mounted on the support member ( 101 b - 2 ).

5. The link motion-based food swallowing simulator of claim 4 , wherein the shred collecting assembly ( 102 ) includes a first collection box ( 102 a ), a second collection box ( 102 b ), a bottom slide ( 102 c ), and a guiding slit ( 102 d ), and wherein the first collection box ( 102 a ) is positioned at one end of a tongue tip of the tongue-shaped soft pad ( 101 b - 1 ), the bottom slide ( 102 c ) is positioned between the second collection box ( 102 b ) and a base of the tongue-shaped soft pad ( 101 b - 1 ), and the guiding slit ( 102 d ) is positioned at two sides of the tongue base ( 101 b ).

6. The link motion-based food swallowing simulator of claim 4 , wherein the driving module ( 200 ) includes a driving unit ( 201 ), and one end of a first connecting rod ( 201 a ) of the driving unit ( 201 ) is connected with a support member ( 101 b - 2 );
wherein the driving unit ( 201 ) further comprises a second connecting rod ( 201 b ) and a connecting rod base ( 201 c ), and two ends of the second connecting rod ( 201 b ) are respectively hinged with the other end of the first connecting rod ( 201 a ) and a notch ( 201 c - 1 ) of the connecting rod base ( 201 c ).

7. The link motion-based food swallowing simulator of claim 6 , wherein the driving unit ( 201 ) further comprises a stabilizing shaft ( 201 d ) and a bearing seat ( 201 e ), one end of the stabilizing shaft ( 201 d ) passes through the first connecting rod ( 201 a ), and the other end is mounted on the bearing seat ( 201 e ), wherein the bearing seat ( 201 e ) is fastened on the mounting plate ( 103 a ).

8. The link motion-based food swallowing simulator of claim 7 , wherein the driving module ( 200 ) further comprises a power unit ( 202 ) and a position limiting unit ( 203 ), wherein a lead screw ( 202 a ) of the driving unit ( 202 ) is connected with a support side bearing seat ( 203 b ) through a fixed side bearing sear ( 203 a ) of the position limiting unit ( 203 ), and the lead screw ( 202 a ) is connected with an internal thread hole ( 201 c - 2 ) of a connecting rod base ( 201 c ) by screwing;
wherein the power unit ( 202 ) further comprises a motor ( 202 b ), and the motor ( 202 b ) passes through a fixing plate ( 103 b - 1 ) of the mounting base ( 103 b ) and is connected with the lead screw ( 202 a ) via a coupler.

9. The link motion-based food swallowing simulator of claim 8 , wherein the bearing assembly ( 301 ) includes a supporting frame ( 301 a ) and a rotating seat ( 301 b ), wherein one end of the supporting frame ( 301 a ) is hinged with the rotating seat ( 301 b ).

10. The link motion-based food swallowing simulator of claim 9 , wherein the adjusting assembly ( 302 ) includes a primary adjusting unit ( 302 a ) and an auxiliary adjusting unit ( 302 b ), wherein a third connecting rod ( 302 a - 1 ) of the primary adjusting assembly ( 302 ) is connected with a frame ( 301 a - 1 ) of a supporting frame ( 301 a ), and wherein a first fixing seat ( 302 b - 1 ) of the auxiliary adjusting unit ( 302 b ) is connected with a lower partition of the mounting base ( 103 b );
wherein the primary adjusting unit ( 302 a ) further comprises a fourth connecting rod ( 302 a - 2 ), a slide groove ( 302 a - 4 ), a lever ( 302 a - 5 ) and a linear actuator ( 302 a - 6 ), wherein a push lever of the linear actuator ( 302 a - 6 ) is connected with the lever ( 302 a - 5 ), and the linear actuator ( 302 a - 6 ) is fastened to the protective housing ( 401 ) of the base ( 400 ) through a bolt, wherein a sliding block ( 302 a - 3 ) is positioned in two ends of the lever ( 302 a - 5 ), and the sliding block ( 302 a - 3 ) is embedded in a slide groove ( 302 a - 4 ), wherein two ends of the fourth connecting rod ( 302 a - 2 ) are respectively connected with the lever ( 302 a - 5 ) and the third connecting rod ( 302 a - 1 );
wherein the auxiliary adjusting unit ( 302 b ) further comprises a gas spring ( 302 b - 2 ) and a second fixing seat ( 302 b - 3 ), wherein two ends of the gas spring ( 302 b - 2 ) are respectively connected with the first fixing seat ( 302 b - 1 ) and the second fixing seat ( 302 b - 3 ).

Assignees

• Univ Jiangnan

Inventors

• Qian Shanhua
• Feng Wenshu
• Wu Yue
• Yu Jinghu
• Ni Zifeng

Classifications

• A61B5/4205

  Evaluating swallowing · CPC title

• G09B23/32 Primary

  with moving parts · CPC title

• G09B23/28 Primary

  for medicine · CPC title