Inventors:
Charles H. Gibbs - Gainesville FL
Stephen Keeling - late of Gainesville FL
Glenn S. Dean - Gainesville FL
Yossi Bar-Zion - Gainesville FL
Hoyt Howard Plumley - Gainesville FL
Assignee:
University of Florida - Gainesville FL
International Classification:
A61C 300
Abstract:
A removable orthodontic appliance includes a first force applicator spring and a data storage device that stores data corresponding to the force being applied by the spring. A potentiometer serves as a force measurer to indicate the magnitude of the extra-oral corrective forces applied to the teeth of a patient. A bending switch is operable connected between the potentiometer and the data storage device. The bending switch indicates whether the appliance is on a patient by sensing whether it is bent.