| 主权项 |
1. A method for determining or measuring values of one or more than one temporomandibular joint position or movement of a patient having a cranium with eyes, a nose with a bridge, an auricle with a superior aspect, an upper face, a maxilla with maxillary teeth and an inferior anterior portion, and a mandible with mandibular teeth and a superior anterior portion, the method comprising:
a) providing a mandibular/maxillary reference device, the device comprising:
i) a mouthpiece configured to fit the inferior anterior portion of the maxilla of the patient or the superior anterior portion of the mandible of the patient, the mouthpiece comprising an anterior end and a posterior end, and a plane ‘p’ passing from the anterior end of the mouthpiece to the posterior end of the mouthpiece;ii) one or more than one support comprising a first posterior end, a second posterior end, an axial length ‘l’ from the first posterior end to the second posterior end, and one or more than one attachment position;iii) one or more than one attachment element attaching the one or more than one support to the mouthpiece, where the one or more than one attachment element attaches the support to the mouthpiece at the one or more than one attachment position along the length ‘l’;iv) one or more than one marker attached to the one or more than one support;where the mouthpiece is configured to interchangeably and reversibly fit both the inferior anterior portion of the maxilla of the patient and the superior anterior portion of the mandible of the patient by rotating the mandibular/maxillary reference device around an axis passing from the anterior end of the mouthpiece to the posterior end of the mouthpiece in plane ‘p’ and applying the mandibular/maxillary reference device to the mandibular teeth of the patient; b) providing an upper face reference device, the device comprising:
i) a frontal section configured to fit over the eyes and the bridge of the nose of the patient, the frontal section comprising two lateral ends and a length ‘l’ between the two lateral ends, and a plane ‘p’ passing equidistantly between one lateral end of the frontal section and the other lateral end of the frontal section;ii) two lateral sections, each lateral section configured to fit between the superior aspect of the auricle and the cranium of the patient, where each lateral section comprises an anterior end and a posterior end, where the anterior end of each lateral section is attached to one of the two lateral ends of the frontal section; andiii) one or more than one marker attached to the frontal section, or to one or both of the lateral sections, or to both the frontal section and to one or both of the lateral sections;and applying the upper face reference device to the upper face of the patient; c) reflecting electromagnetic radiation off of one or more than one of the one or more than one marker of the mandibular/maxillary reference device and one or more than one of the one or more than one marker of the upper face reference device, or emitting electromagnetic radiation from one or more than one of the one or more than one marker of the mandibular/maxillary reference device and one or more than one of the one or more than one marker of the upper face reference device, or both reflecting electromagnetic radiation off of one or more than one of the one or more than one marker of the mandibular/maxillary reference device and the one or more than one marker of the upper face reference device and emitting electromagnetic radiation from one or more than one of the one or more than one marker of the mandibular/maxillary reference device and the one or more than one marker of the upper face reference device; and d) providing a detecting device, and detecting the electromagnetic radiation reflected off of or emitted from the one or more than one marker of the mandibular/maxillary reference device and the one or more than one marker of the upper face reference device is detected by the detecting device, where the detecting device converts the detected electromagnetic radiation to discrete or real time electronic or printed information. |
