Method and apparatus for verifying compliance with dental appliance therapy

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for verifying compliance with a dental appliance therapy for a human patient is described. At least one parameter of a dental appliance worn by the human patient is periodically measured and compliance with the dental appliance therapy is determined by performing a spectral analysis of the measured parameter.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A dental appliance therapy compliance monitoring apparatus for use with a compliance verification processor, the apparatus comprising:
 a battery to power the apparatus;
 a temperature sensor to measure an ambient temperature of the apparatus; 
 a spatial orientation sensor to measure a spatial orientation of the apparatus; 
 a processor configured to control the temperature sensor and the spatial orientation sensor to periodically measure the ambient temperature and the spatial orientation to obtain a time-domain series of ambient temperature measurements and a time-domain series of spatial orientation measurements, respectively; 
 a memory operatively coupled to the processor to record the time-domain series of ambient temperature measurements and the time-domain series of spatial orientation measurements; and 
 a communication module operatively coupled to the processor to communicate the recorded time-domain series of ambient temperature measurements and the recorded time-domain series of spatial orientation measurements to the compliance verification processor for determining compliance with a dental appliance therapy. 
   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the temperature sensor is a thermistor. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the spatial orientation sensor is an accelerometer. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a clock to provide an on/off signal to a power switch, the power switch being operatively coupled to the clock and the processor and configured to periodically toggle the processor between an on-state and an off-state based on the on/off signal; and
 the processor configured to control the temperature sensor and the spatial orientation sensor during the on-state. 
   
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled)