Apparatus for acoustically determining periodontal health

Claim 2

A periodontometric instrument for non-destructively measuring the periodontal health of a patient in terms of the degree of firmness of his teeth in his periodontium, comprising a housing, a microphone secured to and extending from said housing so as to be readily adapted to be positioned adjacent to but not in contact with the lingual side of a patient''s tooth, a plunger means movably mounted in said housing and extending therefrom with one end of the plunger adapted to be positioned adjacent the facial surface of the same tooth so that when released from an energy-loaded position it moves rapidly to strike a measured blow on the tooth thereby to cause the tooth to vibrate and emit sounds therefrom which can be picked up by said microphone, and a frequency analyzer means attached to said microphone for measuring the frequency of sounds thus picked up, the degree of resonant frequency thus determined being useful for comparison with other such determinations from time to time so as to identify changes in the resonant frequencies of the periodontium, the measurement of such changes amounting to a measurement of the changes in the degree of firmness of the tooth in its periodontium.

Claim 3

The instrument of claim 1 additionally incorporating a sound level recorder electrically connected to said frequency analyzer so as to receive and record the level of sounds which are picked up said microphone, transmitted to said frequency analyzer and then to said recorder.

Claim 4

The instrument of claim 1 in which the plunger is spring-loaded.

Claim 5

The instrument of claim 1 in which the plunger is activated by air pressure.

Claim 6

The instrument of claim 1 in which the housing has the general configuration of a pistol containing a tRigger means for cocking and firing the plunger, an abutment depending from said housing, a spring retaining member depending from the plunger, a compression spring surrounding the plunger secured at one end to said retaining member and having its movement restricted at its other end by said abutment, said trigger means including a trigger having a finger grip, a latch member and a tension spring holding member pivotably secured to said housing, a lock flange depending from said plunger rearwardly of said abutment so as to be releasably engageable by said trigger''s latch member, a tension spring secured at one end to said housing and at its other end to said trigger''s tension spring holding member, and a plunger cocking handle for pulling the plunger rearwardly away from the patient''s tooth thereby to load the plunger against said compression spring and enable said lock flange on the plunger to be positioned rearwardly a sufficient distance to become engaged by said trigger''s latch member and held there by the force of said tension spring until such time as an operator''s rearward pressure on said trigger''s finger grip overcomes that force sufficiently to disengage the latched trigger and enable the plunger to plunge forward rapidly into contact with the patient''s tooth with the aid of the energy supplied by the released compression spring.

Claim 7

A periodontometric instrument for non-destructively measuring the periodontal health of a patient in terms of the degree of firmness of his teeth in his periodontium, comprising a housing, a microphone secured to and extending from said housing so as to be readily adapted to be positioned adjacent to but not in contact with the lingual side of the patient''s tooth, a piston means including a plunger mounted in said housing so that one end of the piston means is adapted to be positioned adjacent the facial surface of the same tooth and including means providing oscillatory movement of said plunger so that when released said plunger moves rapidly to strike a succession of measured blows on the tooth thereby to cause the tooth to vibrate and emit sounds therefrom which can be picked up by said microphone, a frequency analyzer means attached to said microphone for measuring the frequency of the sounds thus picked up, said means providing oscillatory movement includes an armature member secured to and movable with said piston, an electrical circuit make-break mechanism, an electromagnetic coil component of said armature member having a first end which serves as part of an electrical switch and having its other end connected to said make-break mechanism, an electrical switch contact element attached to said piston which element together with said electromagnetic coil component''s first end forms a complete electrical on-off switch mechanism, electrical wire leads extending from said make-break mechanism and from said electrical switch mechanism for connection to a source of direct electrical current, and a compression spring having one end attached to said piston and the other end attached to said housing, whereby upon connecting the wire leads to an electric current source and closing said make-break mechanism the electromagnetic coil is energized thereby to turn on the electrical switch mechanism and cause the piston to be given a thrust in a direction away from the patient''s tooth to load a force onto the compression spring and at the same time open the switch mechanism so as to de-energize the coil and permit the load compression spring to drive the piston in the opposite direction into contact with the patient''s tooth and simultaneously to close the switch mechanism again, the piston thereby being made to oscillate back and forth into and out of contact with the patient''s tooth as long as the make-break mechanism is caused to close the electrical circuit.

Claim 8

A periodontometric instrument for non-destructively measuring the periodontal health of a patient in terms of the degree of firmness of his teeth in his periodontium, comprising a housing, a microphone secured to and extending from said housing so as to be readily adapted to be positioned adjacent to but not in contact with the lingual side of the patient''s tooth, a piston means including a plunger mounted in said housing so that one end of the piston means is adapted to be positioned adjacent the facial surface of the same tooth and including means providing oscillatory movement of said plunger so that when released said plunger moves rapidly to strike a succession of measured blows on the tooth thereby to cause the tooth to vibrate and emit sounds therefrom which can be picked up by said microphone, a frequency analyzer means attached to said microphone for measuring the frequency of the sounds thus picked up, said means providing oscillatory movement includes an armature member secured to and movable with said piston, an electrical circuit make-break mechanism, an electromagnetic coil component of said armature member having a first end which serves as part of an electrical switch and having its other end connected to said make-break mechanism, an electrical switch contact element attached to said piston which element together with said electromagnetic coil component''s first end forms a complete electrical on-off switch mechanism, electrical wire leads extending from said make-break mechanism and from said electrical switch mechanism for connection to a source of direct electrical current, and a compression spring having one end attached to said piston and the other end attached to said housing, whereby upon connecting the wire leads to an electric current source and closing said make-break mechanism the electromagnetic coil is energized thereby to turn on the electrical switch mechanism and cause the piston to be given a thrust in a direction away from the patient''s tooth to load a force onto the compression spring and at the same time open the switch mechanism so as to de-energize the coil and permit the load compression spring to drive the piston in the opposite direction into contact with the patient''s tooth and simultaneously to close the switch mechanism again, the piston thereby being made to oscillate back and forth into and out of contact with the patient''s tooth as long as the make-break mechanism is caused to close the electrical circuit.

Claim 9

The instrument of claim 6 additionally incorporating a regulating screw movably secured by a threaded attachment to said housing, the end of the compression spriNg not attached to the piston being attached to an end of said regulating screw rather than to the housing, whereby upon moving the regulating screw in one direction the stretch distance of the spring is lengthened thereby to increase the energy which can be loaded onto the spring, and upon moving the screw in the opposite direction the stretch distance of the spring is shortened and thereby decreases the energy which can be loaded onto the spring, these variations in the load given the spring in turn regulating the force of the blows which the piston strikes the patient''s tooth.