Abstract: Method and apparatus for sensing jaw position and movements and for converting the sensed data to dental articulator settings for simulating said movement are disclosed. Included are a pair of clutches which are fitted to the patient's maxillary and mandibular teeth. The respective clutch plates are removably secured to the housing of a jaw movement recording device and to a movable indicia-bearing arm. At least three indicia are mounted at the inner end of the arm in a manner such that they are viewable from three mutually orthogonal directions. Photoresponsive means are included for sensing and/or recording the indicia during and/or following displacement of the indicia-bearing arm during and/or following condyle movements of the patient's mandible. By this means, information as to the position and skew angle of the indicia in three dimensions is provided.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 18, 1979
Date of Patent:
November 18, 1980
Assignee:
HBTI
Inventors:
James H. Hamada, Jeffrey R. Bender, Earl T. Price, Dennis A. Ingebretsen