KR102201816B1 - Oral monitoring apparatus and oral monitoring method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an oral monitoring device and an oral monitoring method. The oral monitoring device of the present invention includes a body assembly 100 positioned in the oral cavity, a bad breath gas measuring member 200 provided in the body assembly 100 to measure bad breath gas to generate bad breath gas information, and the body assembly ( 100), a wireless transmitter 300 for transmitting the bad breath gas information generated from the bad breath gas measuring member 200 to the outside, the bad breath gas measuring member 200 and the wireless installed in the body assembly 100 It consists of a battery B that supplies power to the transmitter 300, and a terminal 400 that receives bad breath gas information from the wireless transmitter 300, analyzes and displays the degree of bad breath of the user and a health state accordingly. According to the oral monitoring device and oral monitoring method configured as described above, after mounting the body assembly on the tooth, the health status of the oral cavity can be monitored through the terminal by measuring volatile sulfur compound in the mouth. Since it can be easily worn and used without visiting a hospital, there is an advantage of improving convenience and portability.

Description

Oral monitoring device and oral monitoring method {ORAL MONITORING APPARATUS AND ORAL MONITORING METHOD}

The present invention relates to an oral monitoring device, and more particularly, an oral monitoring device configured to monitor the health of the oral cavity through a terminal by measuring a volatile sulfur compound in the mouth after being installed on the teeth and It relates to the monitoring method.

In general, halitosis is a symptom of an unpleasant odor in the mouth due to a volatile sulfur compound that occurs when bacteria in the mouth break down proteins. A large amount of bacteria that inhabit the inside of the tongue cause the smell of rotten eggs in the process of decaying food debris, dead cells, and runny nose remaining in the mouth.

Conditions that cause bad breath are very diverse, such as when the inside of the mouth is not clean, dry mouth, periodontitis, tonsillitis, tonsillitis, etc. In addition, bronchitis, pneumonia, nephritis, kidney disease (ammonia smell) , Cancer, diabetes (acetone smell), metabolic dysfunction, liver disease (amine smell), and other systemic diseases can cause bad breath, but bad breath from systemic diseases appears only when the severity of the disease is very severe. Therefore, it can be said that most bad breath is caused by problems in the mouth.

And types of bad breath gas include ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and dimethyl sulfide. Among them, dimethyl sulfide is found in bad breath gas with a low frequency and low concentration. In bad breath analysis, three types of gases are mainly analyzed: ammonia hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan.

Gas chromatography with a fluorescence photodetector (FPD) is used as standard measurement equipment to analyze the quality and quantity of these gases. However, this equipment is operated by specialized personnel, and the purchase cost and maintenance cost are very expensive, so its use is limited to a few research groups.

In order to overcome the practical limitations of gas chromatography, table-top halitosis meters provided to clinicians and hospitals have been devised. For example, gas analysis devices such as Hallimeter (Interscan, USA) are widely used. Is being used.

However, since such a gas analyzer must be measured by visiting a hospital, it is not only cumbersome, but, in particular, in most cases, you do not know whether you have bad breath.

Therefore, there is a need for an oral monitoring device and an oral monitoring method configured to easily monitor the health condition of the oral cavity without visiting a hospital.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-1650760 (registered on August 18, 2016) Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-1121525 (registered on January 29, 2012)

The present invention was invented to improve the above problems, and the problem to be solved by the present invention is to monitor the health of the oral cavity through a terminal by measuring a volatile sulfur compound in the mouth after mounting on a tooth. It is to provide an oral monitoring device and oral monitoring method configured to be able to.

The technical problem of the present invention is not limited to those mentioned above, and another technical problem that is not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to the oral monitoring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in order to achieve the above object, the body assembly positioned in the oral cavity; A bad breath gas measuring member provided in the main body assembly to measure bad breath gas to generate bad breath gas information; A wireless transmitter provided in the main body assembly and transmitting the bad breath gas information generated from the bad breath gas measuring member to the outside; A battery installed in the main body assembly to supply power to the bad breath gas measuring member and the wireless transmitter; And a terminal that receives bad breath gas information from the wireless transmitter and analyzes and displays the degree of bad breath of the user and a health condition according thereto.

The bad breath gas measuring member is installed in the main body assembly, a membrane filter integrated in a nonwoven fabric form including a plurality of pores, and is provided between the main body assembly and the membrane filter to measure bad breath gas passing through the membrane filter. It is configured to include a bad breath gas sensor, and the membrane filter is characterized in that a porous structure formed by nanofibers prevents foreign matters such as water or dust from passing through, and allows gas to permeate.

The bad breath gas sensor is configured to measure the type and concentration of bad breath gas, generate bad breath gas information, and output it to the wireless transmitter.

The bad breath gas sensor is characterized in that the semiconductor gas sensor.

The main body assembly is characterized in that it is formed of at least one material selected from synthetic resin material, rubber, latex, and silicone.

The main body assembly is positioned at a predetermined distance from the ceiling of the mouth, the bad breath gas measuring member, the wireless transmitter, and the main body on which the battery is installed, one side is respectively connected to both sides of the main body, the other side is separated from each other It is configured to include a support extending in a direction, and an attachment forceps provided on the other side of the support and formed to surround a part of a tooth, and an accordion-shaped corrugation part is formed in the support to change the length of the support. To do.

The main body assembly is formed in a mouthpiece shape so as to be attachable to the teeth, and includes a main body on which the bad breath gas measuring member, the wireless transmitter, and the battery are installed, and the bad breath gas measuring member is located inside the tooth It is characterized by being.

On the other hand, according to the oral monitoring method using the oral monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention, measuring the bad breath gas in the bad breath gas measuring member; Generating, by the bad breath gas measuring member, bad breath gas information by analyzing the bad breath gas; Transmitting the bad breath gas information to a terminal; Including the step of outputting the bad breath gas information from the terminal, the step of measuring the bad breath gas, by measuring ammonia, hydrogen sulfide (Hydrogen Sulfide) and methyl mercaptan (Methyl mercaptan) of the bad breath gas, bad breath gas It comprises a bad breath gas type and concentration measuring step of measuring the type and concentration, and characterized in that it further comprises a bad breath concentration output step of outputting the change of the measured type and concentration of the bad breath gas.

In the outputting of the bad breath gas information from the terminal, the user's health status is analyzed and displayed by comparing the reference bad breath gas information previously stored in the terminal with the bad breath gas information measured by the bad breath gas measuring member.

In the measuring of the bad breath gas, the bad breath gas is introduced into the bad breath gas sensor and measured for a period of time during which the bad breath gas is adsorbed to the bad breath gas sensor, and an output graph versus time is obtained. It characterized in that it comprises the step of calculating the adsorption amount, and measuring the concentration of the bad breath gas using the calculated adsorption amount.

The halitosis concentration output step is characterized in that the halitosis concentration pattern is displayed in a spectrum manner.

Details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

According to the oral monitoring device and oral monitoring method according to an embodiment of the present invention, after mounting the body assembly on the tooth, the health state of the oral cavity can be monitored through a terminal by measuring a volatile sulfur compound in the mouth. have. Therefore, since it can be easily worn and used without a separate hospital visit, convenience and portability are improved.

According to the oral monitoring device and oral monitoring method according to an embodiment of the present invention, since the body assembly is mounted on the teeth and the bad breath gas can be measured in a sleeping state, a sufficient amount of exhalation is supplied to the bad breath gas sensor for accurate measurement. There is an effect that can be achieved.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an oral monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial configuration of an oral monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an oral monitoring device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flow chart showing a method of monitoring oral cavity according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a graph of output versus time of a bad breath gas sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a spectrum of a halitosis concentration pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to the extent that those of ordinary skill in the art can easily implement the present invention.

In describing the embodiments, descriptions of technical contents that are well known in the technical field to which the present invention pertains and are not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. This is to more clearly convey the gist of the present invention by omitting unnecessary description.

For the same reason, some components in the accompanying drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated. In addition, the size of each component does not fully reflect the actual size. The same reference numerals are assigned to the same or corresponding components in each drawing.

1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an oral monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the oral monitoring apparatus is composed of a main body assembly 100, a bad breath gas measuring member 200, a wireless transmitter 300, a battery B, and a terminal 400.

The body assembly 100 is located in the oral cavity. The body assembly 100 may be made of one or more materials selected from synthetic resin (plastic), rubber, latex, and silicone having predetermined elasticity and ductility. This is to minimize the user's feeling of foreign objects by the body assembly 100.

On the other hand, the body assembly 100 is made of at least one material selected from charcoal powder and silver nano made with a particle size of 400 mesh (400 MESH) or less in one or more materials selected from synthetic resin (plastic), rubber, latex, and silicone. It can be prepared by blending up to 50% by weight. This is because negative ions and far-infrared rays generated in the mouth are released into the oral cavity to relieve fatigue and stabilize the autonomic nervous system and mental stability.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 1, the exterior and skeleton of the main body assembly 100 are formed by the main body 110. The main body 110 is positioned to be spaced apart from the ceiling of the mouth by a predetermined distance.

In this embodiment, the main body 110 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, but is not limited thereto. For example, when viewed in a plan view, it may be formed in various shapes such as approximately oval and circular.

Supports 120 may be provided on both sides of the main body 110. One side of the support 120 is connected to both sides of the main body 110, and the other side extends in a direction away from each other.

A corrugated portion 122 may be formed on the support 120. The corrugated portion 122 is formed in an accordion shape, so that the length of the support 120 can be varied.

Attachment tongs 130 may be provided on the other side of the support 120. As shown in Figure 1, the attachment forceps 130 is preferably formed to surround a portion of the tooth (T). In this embodiment, the attachment forceps 130 may be formed in an approximately'U' shape and may be fixed to the tooth T by being fitted to surround a portion of the tooth T. In this case, the attachment forceps 130 may be formed to have a predetermined elastic force. Therefore, it can be easily attached and detached to the tooth (T) by the attachment forceps 130.

As shown in FIG. 1, a power button 150 may be provided on the main body 110. The power button 150 may be electrically connected to the battery B. That is, power may be supplied from the battery B to the bad breath gas measuring member 200 and the wireless transmitter 300 or stopped by the operation of the power button 150.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 1, the main body 110 is provided with a bad breath gas measuring member 200. The bad breath gas measuring member 200 serves to generate bad breath gas information by measuring the bad breath gas of the oral cavity.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bad breath gas measuring member 200 may include a membrane filter 210 and a bad breath gas sensor 220.

The membrane filter 210 may be integrated into a nonwoven fabric including a plurality of pores. In this embodiment, the membrane filter 210 has a property of preventing passage of foreign matters such as water or dust, and allowing gas to pass through due to a porous structure formed by nanofibers.

In addition, the membrane filter 210 may be made of a polymer having excellent hydrophobicity, chemical resistance, heat resistance, and processing properties, and specifically, for example, polyamide, polyester, polyolefin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF , polyvinylidene difluoride), tetrafluoroethylene hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene (perfluoro acrylic) vinyl ether copolymer (PFA) or fluoropolymer such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), It may be made of a polyimide polymer such as polyimide (PI), polyetherimide (PEI), and polyamideimide (PAI), polyethersulfone (PES), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and the like.

The membrane filter 210 may have a gas permeability of 0.1 CFM to 20 cubic feet per min (CFM), a water repellency grade of 4 or higher, and specifically a water repellency grade of 4 to 5.

The gas permeability of the membrane filter 210 may be measured by applying the ASTM D 737 method.

If the gas permeability is less than 0.1CFM, the permeability of the bad breath gas is lowered and the performance of the bad breath gas sensor may be deteriorated.If it exceeds 20 CPM, the water pressure is lowered, and moisture penetrates into the bad breath gas sensor, causing an error in the sensor. I can.

The water repellency grade of the membrane filter 210 may be measured by the method specified in KS K 0590. When the water-repellent grade of the membrane filter 210 is less than the 4th grade, the membrane filter 210 may become wet due to hydrophilicity with water or water infiltrates, resulting in a decrease in water pressure, which may degrade waterproof performance.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 2, the bad breath gas sensor 220 may be provided between the main body 110 and the membrane filter 210. The bad breath gas sensor 220 serves to measure the bad breath gas that has passed through the membrane filter 210. That is, the bad breath gas sensor 220 may be configured to measure the type and concentration of bad breath gas to generate bad breath gas information and then output it to the wireless transmitter 300.

In this embodiment, the bad breath gas sensor 220 may be a semiconductor gas sensor. The semiconductor gas sensor measures bad breath gas when the user's exhalation flows in. The bad breath gas identified through the bad breath gas sensor 220 may be transmitted to a bad breath measurement control unit (not shown) such as a microcomputer included in the bad breath gas sensor 220 to generate a signal proportional to the measured bad breath. . In addition, the signal generated from the bad breath measurement control unit can generate a signal suitable for each situation, such as when power is supplied to the main body assembly 100, when the bad breath gas measurement is ready, and when the bad breath gas measurement is finished. It may be designed in various ways, and may be displayed in the form of a light emitting diode (LED) or a liquid crystal display (LCD) on the display unit of the terminal 400 shown in FIG. 1.

In this embodiment, the bad breath gas sensor 220 measures ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan, and measures the type and concentration of bad breath gas.

In general, the measurement of bad breath gas measures the concentration of sulfides (VSC), which is the main cause of bad breath, but it can be applied not only to sulfur compounds but also to other components such as alcohol. It will be more helpful in prevention.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the bad breath gas sensor 220 is a semiconductor gas sensor, but is not limited thereto. For example, as long as the concentration of sulfur compounds (VSC), which is the main cause of bad breath, can be measured, other forms can be used, and the concentration of bad breath can be measured using the property of changing conductivity when the sulfur compounds are in contact. In addition, the bad breath gas sensor 200 may be implemented by MEMS.

Meanwhile, a wireless transmitter 300 is provided on the main body 110. The wireless transmitter 300 serves to transmit the bad breath gas information generated from the bad breath gas measuring member 200 to the outside.

A battery B may be installed in the main body 110. The battery B is built in the main body 110 and serves to supply power to the bad breath gas sensor 210 and the wireless transmitter 300. The battery B is preferably made of a material harmless to the human body, and may be charged by a wireless charging method.

Meanwhile, the terminal 400 receives bad breath gas information from the wireless transmitter 300 and analyzes and displays the degree of bad breath of the user and the corresponding health status. The terminal 400 may include a communication unit (not shown) for wireless communication with the wireless transmitter 300. In this embodiment, the communication unit receives bad breath gas information from the bad breath gas measurement member 200, compares the previously stored reference bad breath gas information with the bad breath gas information measured from the bad breath gas measurement member 200 Health status can be analyzed and displayed.

In addition, the terminal 400 may include a memory (not shown). The memory may store a plurality of application programs (applications) driven by the terminal 400, data for operation of the terminal 400, commands, and the like. Further, the application program may be stored in a memory, installed on the terminal 400, and driven to perform an operation (or function) of the terminal 400 by a process. In this embodiment, the power button 150 may be operated by the operation of the terminal 400.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 3, the main body assembly 100 ′ may be formed in a mouthpiece shape. The exterior and skeleton of the main body assembly 100 ′ is formed by the main body 110 ′. The main body 110 ′ may be fitted in a state covered with the tooth T with a predetermined self-elasticity. Therefore, it is very easy to attach and detach, and portability and management may be easy due to miniaturization.

At this time, the bad breath gas measuring member 200 installed in the main body 110 ′ is preferably positioned toward the inside of the oral cavity as shown in FIG. 3. This is to allow the bad breath gas to easily flow into the bad breath gas measuring member 200.

Hereinafter, since the power button 150, the wireless transmitter 300, the battery B, and the terminal 400 have the same configuration, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Hereinafter, a method of performing oral monitoring by linking the body assembly 100 and the terminal 400 described above will be described in detail.

First, the user places the main body assembly 100 in the oral cavity. In this state, the user directly presses the power button 150 or operates the power button 150 through the terminal 400.

In this way, the bad breath gas measuring member 200 measures the bad breath gas (S100). In the present embodiment, the step of measuring the bad breath gas comprises measuring ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan among bad breath gases, and measuring the type and concentration of bad breath gas. And it may include a concentration measurement step. And it may further include a bad breath concentration output step of outputting the change in the measured type and concentration of the bad breath gas.

For example, in the measuring step of measuring the bad breath gas, the output voltage (V) at both ends of the load resistance (not shown) connected in series with the bad breath gas sensor 200 or the inside of the bad breath gas sensor 200 Measuring resistance (hereinafter, the output voltage and internal resistance values are collectively referred to as'measured values') during the time when the bad breath gas is introduced, obtaining an output graph versus time (Fig. 5), and bad breath from the output graph versus time It may include calculating the adsorption amount of the gas and extracting the concentration of the bad breath gas using the adsorption amount calculated from the step of calculating the adsorption amount of the bad breath gas. In this embodiment, the bad breath gas measuring member 200 is measured in a sleeping state, and is measured for about 6 hours to obtain an output graph versus time.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, in the measuring step of measuring the bad breath gas, the internal resistance of the bad breath gas sensor 200 is measured during the time during which the bad breath gas is introduced, but is not limited thereto. For example, in the measuring step of measuring the bad breath gas, the bad breath concentration may be measured using a property of changing conductivity when a sulfur compound comes into contact with the bad breath gas sensor 200.

Next, the bad breath gas measuring member 200 analyzes the bad breath gas and generates bad breath gas information (S200). At this time, the bad breath gas information includes the user's bad breath gas components (eg, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, etc.), concentration, and measurement time.

And the bad breath gas information generated through the bad breath gas measuring member 200 is transmitted to the terminal 400 (S300).

Meanwhile, the terminal 400 outputs the bad breath gas information (S400). In the step of outputting the bad breath gas information, as shown in FIG. 6, a bad breath concentration pattern may be represented in a spectrum manner. At this time, the spectrum may be displayed on the terminal. In this embodiment, the halitosis concentration pattern (pattern), as in #1, is the lightest color since the inflow of bad odor gas is small in the starting stage, and as time passes, the amount of bad odor gas introduced increases. As the density is dark, the color can be expressed as darkest as #4. And it can be seen that the concentration of bad breath gas gradually decreases as shown in #5.

In this embodiment, the halitosis concentration pattern appears in a state in which ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methyl mercaptan are all mixed, but is not limited thereto. For example, each type of gas may be represented by a respective halitosis concentration pattern.

In this way, after mounting the body assembly 100 on the tooth T, the health status of the oral cavity can be monitored through the terminal by measuring the volatile sulfur compound in the mouth, so it can be easily worn without a separate visit to the hospital. Because it can be used, there is an effect of increasing convenience.

In particular, since it is possible to measure bad breath gas in a sleeping state after mounting the body assembly 100 on the teeth T, there is an effect that a sufficient amount of exhalation is supplied to the bad breath gas sensor 220 so that accurate measurement can be made. .

Meanwhile, the present specification and drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the present invention, and although specific terms are used, these are merely used in a general meaning to easily explain the technical content of the present invention and to aid understanding of the present invention. It is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that other modifications based on the technical idea of the present invention may be implemented in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

100: main body assembly 110: main body
120: support 122: wrinkles
130: attachment clamp 150: power button
200: bad breath gas measuring member 210: membrane filter
220: bad breath gas sensor 300: wireless transmitter
400: terminal B: battery

Claims (11)

A body assembly positioned in the oral cavity;
A bad breath gas measuring member provided in the main body assembly to measure bad breath gas to generate bad breath gas information;
A wireless transmitter provided in the main body assembly and transmitting the bad breath gas information generated from the bad breath gas measuring member to the outside;
A battery installed in the main body assembly to supply power to the bad breath gas measuring member and the wireless transmitter; And
A terminal for receiving bad breath gas information from the wireless transmitter, analyzing and displaying a health condition according to the degree of bad breath of the user,
The bad breath gas measuring member,
A membrane filter installed in the main body assembly and integrated in a nonwoven fabric form including a plurality of pores, and
It is provided between the body assembly and the membrane filter and includes a bad breath gas sensor for measuring the bad breath gas passed through the membrane filter,
The membrane filter prevents water or dust from passing through by a porous structure formed by nanofibers, and allows gas to permeate,
The bad breath gas sensor oral monitoring device, characterized in that for measuring the bad breath gas containing sulfur compounds and alcohol. delete The method of claim 1,
The oral monitoring device, characterized in that the bad breath gas sensor is configured to measure the type and concentration of the bad breath gas to generate bad breath gas information and then output it to the wireless transmitter. The method of claim 3,
The oral monitoring device, characterized in that the bad breath gas sensor is a semiconductor gas sensor. The method of claim 4,
The main body assembly,
Oral monitoring device, characterized in that formed of at least one material selected from synthetic resin material, rubber, latex, silicone. The method of claim 5,
The main body assembly,
A main body positioned at a predetermined interval from the ceiling of the mouth, and in which the bad breath gas measuring member, the wireless transmitter, and the battery are installed,
One side is connected to both sides of the main body, respectively, the other side is a support extending in a direction away from each other, and
It is provided on the other side of the support and is configured to include an attachment forceps formed to surround a portion of the tooth,
Oral monitoring device, characterized in that the length of the support is variable by forming an accordion-shaped corrugated portion on the support. The method of claim 5,
The main body assembly,
It is formed in a mouthpiece shape so as to be attachable to the teeth, and includes a main body in which the bad breath gas measuring member, the wireless transmitter, and the battery are installed,
The oral monitoring device, characterized in that the bad breath gas measuring member is located inside the tooth. In the oral monitoring method using the oral monitoring device according to any one of claims 1, 3 to 7,
Measuring the bad breath gas in the bad breath gas measuring member;
Generating, by the bad breath gas measuring member, bad breath gas information by analyzing the bad breath gas;
Transmitting the bad breath gas information to a terminal;
Including the step of outputting the bad breath gas information in the terminal,
The step of measuring the bad breath gas,
Including the step of measuring ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methyl mercaptan among the bad breath gases to measure the type and concentration of bad breath gas,
Oral monitoring method, characterized in that it further comprises a bad breath concentration output step of outputting a change in the measured type and concentration of the bad breath gas. The method of claim 8,
The step of outputting the bad breath gas information from the terminal,
Oral monitoring method, characterized in that for analyzing and displaying a user's health status by comparing the reference bad breath gas information stored in the terminal with the bad breath gas information measured from the bad breath gas measuring member. The method of claim 9,
The step of measuring the bad breath gas,
A step of obtaining an output graph versus time by measuring for a period of time when bad breath gas is introduced into the bad breath gas sensor and adsorbed to the bad breath gas sensor
Calculating the adsorption amount of bad breath gas from the output graph versus time, and
Oral monitoring method comprising the step of measuring the concentration of the bad breath gas using the calculated adsorption amount. The method of claim 10,
The bad breath concentration output step,
Oral monitoring method, characterized in that to represent the halitosis concentration pattern (pattern) in a spectrum (spectrum) method.

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