Dysphagia rehabilitation mask and dysphagia rehabilitation apparatus using thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9889341-B2
Application number	US-201514764947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2015
Priority date	May 12, 2014
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

The present description relates to a dysphagia rehabilitation apparatus to help tongue muscle rehabilitation exercise during dysphagia rehabilitation. More particularly, it relates to a device that when a patient wearing the dysphagia rehabilitation device contacts the tongue to a position sensing unit configured on the front of a mask, a sensing single according to a change of a physical value of resistance corresponding to the tongue's touching position from the position sensing unit. Then a control unit of a remote device generates a control signal through the transmitted sensing signal, thereby the remote device controls rehabilitation, games and programs of similar functions thereof and induce patient's interest of rehabilitation. Thus, effect of rehabilitation is improved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dysphagia rehabilitation mask comprising:
a front plate with a position sensing unit configured to generate a sensing signal regarding a contact position of a tongue and,
a control unit that determines exercise state of the tongue according to the sensing signal generated from the position sensing unit,
wherein the position sensing unit comprises one or plurality of contact sensors with a hole that the tongue can perforate and arranged according to a circular or oval shape around the hole.

2. The dysphagia rehabilitation mask of claim 1 , wherein the contact sensor is configured to sense at least four directions according to circular or oval shape around the front plate.

3. The dysphagia rehabilitation mask of claim 1 , wherein the contact sensor is arranged on at least one side of front, side and back of the front plate.

4. The dysphagia rehabilitation mask of claim 1 , wherein the contact sensor outputs a sensing signal corresponding to a contact position of a tongue by sensing physical value that is changed by a touch of the tongue.

5. The dysphagia rehabilitation mask of claim 4 , wherein the contact sensor includes a protection film of thin layer form that is harmless to a human body and exchangeable.

6. The dysphagia rehabilitation mask of claim 1 , wherein the front plate is formed in a curve shape corresponding with the shape of patient's oral cavity and,
further comprising a supporter configured on both sides of the front plate and worn on a special part of the body, thereby the front plate is formed separated in a reference distance from the front of the patient's oral cavity.

7. The dysphagia rehabilitation mask of claim 1 , wherein an output unit configured to form and outputs image or vocal information regarding exercise state of the tongue and oral structure that are determined from the control unit.

8. The dysphagia rehabilitation mask of claim 7 , wherein the output unit executes rehabilitation, games and programs of similar functions according to a control signal transmitted from the control unit.

9. The dysphagia rehabilitation mask of claim 7 , wherein a communication unit configured to transmit a sensing signal that is transmitted from the position sensing unit to a remote device is further comprised and, the output unit and control unit are formed on the remote device.

10. The dysphagia rehabilitation mask of claim 9 , wherein the remote device is a portable device or PC.

Assignees

• Univ Inje Ind Acad Coop Found
• Inje Univ Industry—Academic Corporation Foundation

Inventors

• Mun Chi Woong
• Kang Min Jae
• An Sun Joung
• Han Yong Hee
• Kim Tae Hyung

Classifications

• A63B21/00047

  Exercising devices not moving during use (benches A63B21/4029; isometric exercising devices A63B21/0023; step exercisers A63B23/0458; walk exercisers A63B23/0464) · CPC title

• A61B5/11

  Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb {(A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721)} · CPC title

• A63B2071/063

  Spoken or verbal instructions · CPC title

• A63B2225/50

  Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry · CPC title

• A63F13/00

  Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions · CPC title