IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,496,009
Granted Patent B2
US 12,496,009 · App. 17/427,115 · Granted Dec 16, 2025

System for visualizing patient stress

Inventors: André Koza (Worms, DE); Ronny Kucharczyk (Worms, DE)
Assignee: Dentsply Sirona, Inc.
A61B5/4824A61B5/01A61B5/021A61B5/024A61B5/0816A61B5/24A61B5/742
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,496,009
App. No.
17/427,115
Granted
Dec 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for visualizing patient stress or discomfort during dental treatment. By visualizing a patients changing stress conditions during treatment, a clinician may react accordingly such as by stopping a treatment activity, slowing a treatment activity, refreshing anesthesia, etc. in order to improve the patients experience.

Claims (26)

1 . A system comprising:

a display device for augmented visualization;

a biopotential sensor system adapted to retrieve patient biopotential information of a patient; and

at least one processor configured to:

obtain the patient biopotential information from the biopotential sensor system:

analyze the patient biopotential information to obtain a treatment regimen,

overlay the patient biopotential information and the treatment regimen as an augmentation on a predetermined site of the patient through the display device for augmented visualization such that the patient biopotential information and the treatment regimen appears directly superimposed on the predetermined site of the patient;

obtain, using artificial intelligence, an updated treatment regimen based on changes in the patient biopotential information, wherein the updated treatment regimen includes restoring anesthesia, stopping therapeutic activity, or slowing therapeutic activity based on changes in the patient biopotential information to take mitigating measures during dental treatment to improve patient experience; and

update the augmentation to display the updated treatment regimen, based on data selected from the group consisting of: (i) real-time data tracking changes in the patient biopotential information, (ii) real-time data tracking clinician movements, and (iii) real-time data tracking patient movements, wherein the biopotential sensor system comprises a handheld device through which the patient manually registers pain sensations or stress levels.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to analyze the patient biopotential information to obtain a change in the patient biopotential information by comparing a first biopotential data corresponding to a first stress/discomfort level of the patient at a first time period to a second biopotential data corresponding to a second stress/discomfort level of the patient at a second time period.

3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the first time period is a time period selected before treatment begins and the second time period is a time period selected after treatment begins.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined site is a site selected from the group consisting of the patient, a region of the patient, or site in a field of view of a user of the display device.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the patient biopotential information is obtained in real-time.

6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the patient biopotential information includes information selected from the group consisting of heart rate, blood volume pulse, cortisol levels in sweat, blood pressure, breathing frequency, body temperature, a signal that corresponds to the patient's heart rate, and a signal that corresponds to a stress level of the patient.

7 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a tracking system configured to offer real-time position data for a precise location, orientation and update of the patient biopotential information or treatment regimen in a common coordinate system, wherein the tracking system is sensor based or vision based.

8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the biopotential sensor system includes an electrode sensor, a cortisol measuring sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a breathing frequency sensor, a body temperature sensor or a sensor that provides a signal that is the patient's heart rate or corresponds to the patient's heart rate or stress level.

9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

monitor the patient biopotential information;

detect when the patient biopotential information exceeds a threshold; and

update the augmentation in response to detecting that the patient biopotential information exceeded the threshold.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

suspend monitoring of the patient biopotential information after updating the augmentation, until a user requests resuming the monitoring.

11 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

monitor the patient biopotential information;

detect when the patient biopotential information exceeds a threshold; and

transmit a control signal to a dental tool in use during the treatment regimen, the control signal to reduce power to the dental tool or deactivate the dental tool.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2023
From: KOZA, ANDRÉ; KUCHARCZYK, RONNY
To: DENTSPLY SIRONA INC.
Reel/Frame 063811/0402 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 19000054 · Jan 30, 2019 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220096004A1 · Mar 31, 2022
References Cited (45)
US 4127121A · Westenskow · 1978 [cited by examiner]
US 7914420B2 · Daly · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20020082498A1 · Wendt · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20070058035A9 · Hidehiro · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20120289788A1 · Jain · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 20130150684A1 · Cooner · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20130166317A1 · Beardall et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140039275A1 · Chang · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20150170546A1 · Kirenko · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150306340A1 · Giap · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20160191887A1 · Casas · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170000677A1 · Prince · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170069120A1 · Benner · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170119304A1 · Jeanne · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170202633A1 · Liu · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180032130A1 · Meglan · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180033261A1 · Mayers · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180082480A1 · White · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180120947A1 · Wells et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180168781A1 · Kopelman et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190206134A1 · Devam · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20210186658A1 · Salah · 2021 [cited by examiner]
CN 106725509A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
EP 0748611A2 · 1996 [cited by applicant]
EP 1470791 · 2004 [cited by applicant]
EP 2374883A1 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
EP 3274883 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
EP 3689229 · 2025 [cited by applicant]
JP 2003310584A · 2003 [cited by applicant]
WO 2017151778A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018085510A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018165767 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
WO 2020156979 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
Japanese Office Action dated Oct. 24, 2023 (English Translation). [cited by applicant]
International Search Report; PCT/EP2020/051879; Mar. 17, 2020 (completed); Mar. 25, 2020 (mailed). [cited by applicant]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability; PCT/EP2020/051879; Mar. 17, 2020 (completed); Mar. 25, 2020 (mailed). [cited by applicant]
Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority; ; PCT/EP2020/051879; Mar. 17, 2020 (completed); Mar. 25, 2020 (mailed). [cited by applicant]
Chinese Office Action dated Oct. 26, 2023 (English Translation). [cited by applicant]
“European Application Serial No. 19000054.7, Extended European Search Report mailed Jun. 25, 2019”, 10 pgs. [cited by applicant]
“Korean Application Serial No. 10-2021-7018064, Notice of Preliminary Rejection mailed Feb. 24, 2025”, w/ English Translation, 21 pgs. [cited by applicant]
“Canadian Application Serial No. 3,117,888, Office Action mailed Jan. 30, 2025”, 4 pgs. [cited by applicant]
“Canadian Application Serial No. 3,117,888, Response filed May 23, 2025 to Office Action mailed Jan. 30, 2025”, 18 pgs. [cited by applicant]
“European Application Serial No. 19000054.7, Communication Pursuant to Article 94(3) EPC mailed May 3, 2023”, 7 pgs. [cited by applicant]
“Korean Application Serial No. 10-2021-7018064, Response filed Apr. 11, 2025 to Notice of Preliminary Rejection mailed Feb. 24, 2025”, W/English Claims, 29 pgs. [cited by applicant]
“Brazil Application Serial No. BR112021008025-2, Office Action mailed Sep. 11, 2025”, w Informal English Translation, 5 pgs. [cited by applicant]