Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Time interval – Electrical or electromechanical
Patent
1992-02-21
1993-09-14
Roskoski, Bernard
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Time interval
Electrical or electromechanical
368 10, 368 90, 368202, 433 6, 433 5, G04F 700
Patent
active
052455920
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention is directed to a wearing time measuring device for a removable medical apparatus, particularly for an orthodontic or a dental prosthetic apparatus.
DE 28 20 358 C3 describes an orthodontic apparatus containing a measuring unit comprising a clock generator and an electronic counter. The clock generator and the counter are activated by a sensor detecting the presence of the apparatus in the mouth. During the wearing times, the clock generator delivers pulses to the counter. In this manner, the wearing times are accumulated. By occasionally checking the counted value by an external evaluating unit, the wearing time can be detected and displayed. The wearing time measuring device enables the physician in charge to control the wearing time of the apparatus in the patient's mouth so that the physician can judge the therapeutical results with greater precision.
Also in the time measuring device for medical apparatus known from DE 32 44 695 C2, the wearing time is detected by counting the pulses of a clock generator. Another counter is provided for counting the number of daily applications. This known time measuring device further includes a temperature sensor and a moisture sensor for detecting the presence of the apparatus in the mouth and for initiating the operation of the time measuring device.
The known wearing time measuring devices have a battery-powered measuring means provided as a small-sized electronical unit to be fastened in encapsulated form on the apparatus within the patient's mouth. The logic components of such a measuring unit can be realized by integrated circuit technology without difficulties. Also the sensors, responding to pressure, moisture or temperature, can be provided in miniature sizes. Batteries of sufficiently small sizes are available as well. However, the clock generator poses difficulties in realizing a correspondingly small-sized and encapsulated time measuring device. When clock generators or oscillators are realized in integrated circuit technology or thick film technology, the precision of the clock frequency will be very limited only. The clock frequency is influenced by manufacturing parameters, resulting in considerable manufacturing tolerances. Further, the clock frequency is impaired by environmental and temperature influences and by aging.
Clock generators offering high precision of the clock frequency, such as quartz generators, are not available in the required small constructional size. The precision of the clock measurement is directly dependent on the accuracy of the clock generator. However, provision of a highly precise clock generator within the miniaturized measuring unit is extremely difficult.
It is the object of the invention to provide a wearing time measuring device of the type indicated in the preamble of claim 1 which allows highly accurate time measurement and wherein the measuring unit, having the usual tolerances of constructional units, can be realized in a very small size in integrated circuit technology.
In the wearing time measuring device of the invention, a comparatively inaccurate clock generator, e.g. an RC oscillator, can be used. When the counted value is transmitted from the measuring unit to the external evaluating unit, there is transmitted also a reference time along with it, corresponding to a predetermined number of pulses of the clock generator. In this manner, the frequency generated by the clock generator can be measured in the measuring unit and taken as a basis in evaluating the value of the counter. Thus, not only manufacturing tolerances of the clock generators are taken into consideration, but also environmental and aging influences are included into the evaluation. This provides for highly precise time measurement also for clock generator frequencies varying in a wide range. It is only to be observed that the frequency of the clock generator is largely constant during the wearing time to be measured. Influences of temperature on the frequency of the clock generator can be eliminated by establishing a connection o
REFERENCES:
patent: 3885310 (1975-05-01), Northcutt
patent: 4255138 (1981-03-01), Frohn
patent: 4629424 (1986-12-01), Lauks et al.
patent: 4764111 (1988-08-01), Knierim
Knoerzer Gerhard
Kuemmel Dietmar
Wurst Juergen
Frohn Hermann-Josef
Roskoski Bernard
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