KR20190060459A - Oral cleaner and control method for the oral cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

A mouth cleaner and a control method thereof are disclosed. The mouth cleaner according to an embodiment comprises: a head unit having a brush; a main body to which the head unit is coupled; a detection unit provided at one side of the head unit and including a plurality of sensors for detecting a user′s oral condition; an analyzing unit for calculating an index using a result measured by the detection unit; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the main body using the index calculated by the analyzing unit. The present invention can effectively manage the oral condition.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to an oral cleanser,

The following embodiments relate to an oral cleanser and its control method.

Generally, a toothbrush used for removing food residue, plaque, and calculus which are caught between teeth after eating food has played an important role in preventing tooth decay, periodontal disease and gingivitis as an oral hygiene appliance.

Background Art [0002] A toothbrush is a tool used for brushing teeth with toothpaste for health care and hygiene cleansing of teeth, and includes a stick-like handle and a brush formed at the tip of the handle and having a mother member closely attached. When the tooth is cleaned, the brush of the toothbrush is rubbed against the tooth, and the action of removing the tooth in the mouth is repeated. When the brush is finished, the mouth is washed with the cleansing water and the tooth is spit out.

In order to clean the inside of the oral cavity after the gargle is finished, it is troublesome to the user because it needs to drink the cleansing water and spit it out several times. In particular, it is sometimes difficult to brush the teeth of a handicapped person, an elderly person, or a serious patient who is uncomfortable in his or her mobility. Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to brush the teeth with the help of somebody. In this way, when a person brushes teeth with the help of another person, the toe tooth may fall over the throat. In the case of a patient with swallowing disorder, the toe tooth may be transferred to the esophagus, which may cause inconvenience when brushing teeth. Therefore, there is a need for a more convenient, hygienic and safe way of brushing teeth.

In this regard, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0999270 discloses a powered toothbrush having a flat vibration motor between a toothbrush plate on which bristles are planted and a toothbrush head.

According to embodiments, there is provided a mouth washer capable of indexing information about tooth cleaning and a method of controlling the same.

The tasks to be solved in the embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned tasks, and other tasks not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a mouth washer includes a head having a brush; A main body to which the head portion is coupled; A detector provided at one side of the head portion and including a plurality of sensors for detecting a user's oral condition; An analyzer for calculating an exponent using a result measured by the detector; And a control unit for controlling the operation of the main body using the index calculated by the analysis unit.

According to one aspect, the analyzing unit may include a state index for the oral condition and an operation index for the oral cleaning operation. The analyzer may calculate the state index and the operation index by assigning weights to the results measured by the detector. Wherein the detecting unit includes at least one or more oral condition detecting units for detecting a user's oral condition, and the oral condition detecting unit includes a sensor for detecting plaque or tartar, a sensor for detecting bacteria or virus in the oral cavity, a blood glucose measuring sensor, At least one of a pH sensor for detecting the pH in the oral cavity, an odor sensor for detecting odor, a color sensor for detecting color such as a tooth or a tongue, and a residue detecting sensor for detecting residues such as toothpaste or bubbles in the oral cavity And the analyzing unit may calculate the state index using the result detected by the oral condition detecting unit.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the oral condition detecting unit may further include an imaging unit for photographing an oral image of a user. The image sensing unit may include at least one of an image sensor including a first image sensor for photographing in a visible light region and a second image sensor for irradiating light of a specific wavelength band including infrared rays or ultraviolet rays. The imaging unit may further include a light source for irradiating light of the specific wavelength band inside the user's mouth.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the detection unit includes at least one motion detection unit for detecting user's oral cleaning action information, and the motion detection unit detects whether the head unit is inserted into the user's mouth, And a timer for counting the time of the brushing operation, and the analyzing unit can calculate the operation index using the result detected by the operation detecting unit.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the detecting unit may be provided at least at one or more positions in the head unit.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the communication unit further includes a communication unit that enables bi-directional communication between the main body unit and the external organ, and the communication unit transmits a result of measurement by the detection unit to an external organ, .

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling an oral cleanser, the method comprising: detecting a user's oral condition information and operation information in a detector provided in the oral cleanser; The operation index is calculated using the detected operation information, and the operation of the oral cleanser is controlled using the state index and the operation index.

According to one aspect, the state index may be calculated by weighting the oral condition information.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the state index and the operation index are transmitted to a database and an external organization via a communication unit provided in the oral cleaner, feedback information is received from the external organ through the communication unit, And controlling the operation of the oral cleanser using the information. And the communication unit transmits the state index and the operation index continuously or at predetermined time intervals after the user completes the tooth cleaning or the oral cleaner is operated.

The oral cleanser according to one embodiment can more effectively manage the oral condition by evaluating the cleansing state of the teeth and oral cavity and indexing the evaluation results.

The effects of the oral cleanser according to one embodiment are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned may be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to further the understanding of the technical idea of the invention, It should not be construed as limited.
1 is a perspective view of an oral cleanser according to one embodiment.
FIGS. 2 and 3 are block diagrams for explaining the operation of the oral cleanser according to one embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. It should be noted that, in adding reference numerals to the constituent elements of the drawings, the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference symbols as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. In the following description of the embodiments, detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the best of an understanding clear.

In describing the components of the embodiment, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are intended to distinguish the constituent elements from other constituent elements, and the terms do not limit the nature, order or order of the constituent elements. When a component is described as being "connected", "coupled", or "connected" to another component, the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, Quot; may be " connected, " " coupled, " or " connected. &Quot;

The components included in any one embodiment and the components including common functions will be described using the same names in other embodiments. Unless otherwise stated, the description of any one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted in the overlapping scope.

Hereinafter, the oral cleaner 10 according to the embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.

1 is a perspective view of an oral washer 10 according to one embodiment. 2 and 3 are block diagrams for explaining the operation of the oral cleanser 10 according to one embodiment.

Referring to the drawings, an oral cleanser 10 according to an embodiment includes a body 11 and a head 12, which cleans the user's teeth and mouth.

The main body 11 may include a housing 111 forming an external appearance of the mouth washer 10 and a main body side engaging portion 112 on which the head portion 12 is mounted.

The housing 111 is formed to have a predetermined size and a cross-sectional area so that the housing 111 can be held by the user. For example, the housing 111 may have various shapes such as a surface or a cross-sectional shape of the housing 111 for gripping, a variety of shapes formed on the surface of the housing 111, A material may be provided.

Inside the housing 111, an operating module 16 for the operation of the oral cleaner 10 may be provided. For example, the operation module 16 includes a PCB circuit board (not shown) on which various electric circuits and parts for operating the oral cleaner 10 and controlling its operation are mounted, a battery City), and the like. In addition, the oral cleaner 10 may generate vibration or sound waves, and the operation module 16 may include a structure such as a motor or a vibrator for generating vibrations or sound waves in the oral cleaner 10 as described above. However, this is merely an example, and the actuation module 16 for operation of the oral cleaner 10 may include various schemes and configurations that are substantially usable.

The main body side engaging portion 112 is provided on the upper side of the main body 11 and can be formed as a shaft having a predetermined length so that the head portion 12 can be detached.

The head portion 12 includes a head 121 for fixing the brush 121 and a head side engaging portion 123 for engaging the main body 11 and the brush 121 for cleaning the teeth and the oral cavity, do.

The brush 121 is formed to include a plurality of bristles for cleaning the user's teeth or oral cavity.

The head side engaging part 123 is formed to have an empty space therein so that the main body side engaging part 112 is inserted therein and is fixed to the main body side engaging part 112 on the inner side surface thereof.

The head portion 12 is inserted into the mouth of the user to be cleaned, so that the head portion 12 is formed of a suitable size and material. In addition, the size, shape, material, strength, etc. of the brush 121 can be substantially varied.

Although the main body 11 and the head portion 12 are formed as separate entities and are removable, the main body 11 and the head portion 12 may be integrally formed.

The oral cleanser 10 detects the user's oral and dental condition and exposes the detected result so that the oral condition can be managed. To this end, the oral cleanser 10 comprises a detector 13 for measuring the state of the user's teeth and mouth, an analyzer 14 for indexing the detected result, And a control unit 15 for controlling the operation.

The detecting unit 13 is provided at one side of the head unit 12 and at least one or a plurality of positions in the head unit 12. [ For example, the detection unit 13 includes a plurality of sensors, and a plurality of sensors may be provided at the same position or at different positions. The detecting unit 13 includes an oral condition detecting unit 131 for measuring the state of the user's teeth and oral cavity, an operation of the head unit 12, and an operation detecting unit 132 for detecting a user's oral cleaning action .

The oral condition detecting unit 131 may include at least one sensor for detecting the oral condition of the user. For example, the oral condition detecting unit 131 may include a sensor for detecting plaque or tartar, a sensor for detecting bacteria or virus in the oral cavity, a blood glucose measuring sensor, a pH sensor 311 for detecting the pH in the oral cavity, A sensor 312, a color sensor 313 for detecting color such as a tooth or a tongue, and a residue detection sensor 314 for detecting residues such as toothpaste or foam inside the oral cavity. And may include at least one of the various sensors. The oral condition detecting unit 131 is provided at an appropriate position in the head unit 12 according to the characteristics of the sensor.

In addition, the oral condition detecting unit 131 can detect an oral condition by capturing an image in the oral cavity of the user. The oral condition detecting unit 131 includes at least one or more imaging units 315 for imaging an image of the inside of the oral cavity. For example, the imaging unit 315 may be a CCD or a CMOS device, have. The image pickup section 315 is provided with a first image sensor (not shown) for photographing an image in the visible light region, a second image sensor (not shown) for radiating light of a specific wavelength band such as infrared ray or ultraviolet ray, And an image sensor (not shown). When a second image sensor is provided, a light source such as an LED for irradiating a light of a specific wavelength band for using the second image sensor may be provided on one side of the head unit 12.

Here, the oral condition detecting unit 131 is merely an example, and the type and number of the oral condition detecting unit 131 can be variously changed practically.

The motion detection unit 132 may include a position sensor 321 for confirming the operation in which the user is using the oral cleaner 10. [ For example, various sensors capable of detecting the absolute position of the head portion 12 can be used as the position sensor 321. Or the position sensor 321 detects the position or rotational angle of the head portion 12 or the sensor for detecting whether the head portion 12 is inserted into the mouth or not even if the position of the head portion 12 is not detected Can be used. Various means for detecting the position and posture of the head portion 12 may be used.

The position sensor 321 can detect whether the head part 12 is inserted into the user's mouth or detect the position of the head part 12 in the oral cavity. Also, by using the position sensor 321, it is possible to compare the relative position in the tooth or section with the head 12 to determine whether or not the user is properly brushing the teeth.

Further, the operation detecting unit 132 may be provided with a timer 322 for the user to detect the operation time of the oral care cleanser 10. For example, the timer 322 is provided on one side of the main body 11 to measure an operation time of the oral care cleanser 10 to generate an alarm action such as vibration when a predetermined time elapses, And may be configured to turn off the operation of the mouth washer 10 after a certain period of time has elapsed since the operation. However, the operation of the timer 322 is merely exemplary and may include various schemes and configurations in which the configuration and operation of the timer 322 may be substantially utilized.

The analysis unit 14 analyzes the oral condition information and the operation information detected by the detection unit 13 to calculate the state index for the oral condition and the operation index for the oral cleaning operation. Here, the results detected by the detecting unit 13 are detected in different units according to the respective sensors, and are not integrated into one unit. Therefore, it is necessary to standardize the detected result and quantify it as one or more representative values. For example, the results detected in association with the oral condition are converted into a state index, and the results detected in association with the operation are converted into an operation index . The state index can be calculated by converting the state information such as cleanliness, calculus, plaque, and smell in the teeth and oral cavity into one numerical value among the results detected by the detecting unit 13. [ The operation index can be calculated by converting the operation information such as the operation time and the number of operation times of the oral cleanser 10 into one numerical value among the results detected by the detection unit 13. [ Here, the state index and the operation index are numericalized so that they can be easily grasped by a user or an administrator. For example, the state index and the operation index can be digitized in steps of 1 to 10. However, this is merely an example, and the state index and the operation index can be numerically expressed in various ways.

When the analyzing unit 14 exposes the detected oral condition information and the operation information, the analyzing unit 14 may calculate a state index and an operation index by assigning a predetermined weight to each piece of information. Here, the weight value may be appropriately set according to the oral condition of the user, or may be set arbitrarily by the user. For example, the weights may be set higher in the oral state, or the weights may be set higher in the behavior information. In addition, it is also possible to set a weight on the part to be managed with more care of the oral condition. These examples are merely illustrative, and the weights can be set and applied substantially in various ways.

By analyzing the oral condition information and the operation information in the analyzing unit 14, the oral cleaning action can be evaluated by using this index, and the oral cavity of the user can be more effectively managed using the evaluation result.

The control unit 15 controls the operation of the oral care cleanser 10 through the operation module 16 using the state index and the operation index detected by the analysis unit 14. For example, if the state index is bad, the control unit 15 controls the operation of the oral care appliance 10 in order to improve the oral condition, increase the operation time of the oral care appliance 10, can do. If the operation index is bad, the control unit 15 generates an alarm so as to keep the operation time and the number of times of operation of the oral cleaner 10 in order to improve the operation, or to generate an alarm It is possible to control the operation of the oral cleanser 100. However, this is merely an example, and the control unit 15 may perform various operation control for improving the oral condition and improving the operation using the state index and the operation index Can be performed.

The oral cleanser 10 may be provided with a communication unit 17 for performing communication with the external organ 30.

The communication unit 17 is configured to enable bidirectional communication based on internet of things (IOT). The communication unit 17 can perform communication using various communication networks in addition to the object Internet. The communication unit 17 transmits the oral condition information detected by the detecting unit 13 to the external organ 30 or the database 20 as described later and outputs feedback information from the database 20 and / Information is received.

For example, the oral cleanser 10 transmits information, such as the operation time or the number of times of operation of the oral cleanser 10, to the external organ 30, in addition to information on the measured oral condition. Based on the information transmitted from the oral cleanser 10, the external organ 30 can determine whether the oral cleansing method has been correctly performed, such as the oral cleansing time or the number of times the oral cleansing has been performed, a management method such as the life of the oral cleanser, Information about whether or not to visit the external institution 30 or the hospital is fed back to the oral cleanser 10 for transmission. Such feedback information may be transmitted to the oral cleanser 10 at real time or at predetermined time intervals. Using the feedback information, the user can effectively manage the oral condition using the oral cleanser 10.

The feedback information received via the communication unit 17 is provided to the oral cleanser 10 or the user or the caregiver or controls the operation of the oral cleanser 10 through the operation module 16. [ In addition, the oral cleanser 10 can easily check and continuously check the oral condition of the user through the feedback information, thereby effectively cleaning and managing the teeth.

Here, the term " communication network " means a high-speed period network of a large communication network capable of a large capacity, long-distance voice and data service, and may be a wired and wireless network for providing the Internet or a high-speed multimedia service. For example, the communication network may be a synchronous and asynchronous mobile communication network, and may also be a mobile communication network including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), 3G LTE network, 4G network and other wired and wireless communication networks.

The database 20 stores the results detected by the detecting unit 13.

The external organization 30 includes a medical institution such as a dental clinic, an insurance company or a medical institution or a database of the institution or an individual or terminal such as a guardian or a user terminal. For example, the protector and user terminal may be substantially any of a variety of means for receiving data from the mouthwasher 10, such as a PC, laptop, PDA, mobile terminal, smart TV, and the like. Here, the external organ 30 is merely an example, and may include substantially various organs, individuals, devices, etc. that can receive data from the oral cleaner 10.

The external organ 30 can monitor the oral condition of the user using the oral cleanser 10 based on the data received from the oral cleanser 10 and provide a solution such as a management method as feedback information.

In summary, the oral cleanser 10 according to an embodiment calculates an index using the user's oral condition detected by the detecting unit 13 and the oral cleaning action of the user, and confirms the result of the oral cleansing using the index And can also effectively manage oral cleaning. The oral cleanser 10 is provided with the IOT-based communication unit 17 in the oral cleanser 10 so that the user can check the oral condition and the cleaning operation using the communication network, And / or the external organ 30, and receives the results from the database 20 and / or the external organ 30 so that the oral status can be continuously checked and managed. By so constituting, the oral cleanser 10 can be used not only for a general user but also for various users including an inconvenient user, an inexperienced user of the oral cleanser 10, or a user who cleans a mouth by a third person , The state of tooth cleaning can be easily confirmed, and the oral cavity can be efficiently managed using the result.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. For example, it is contemplated that the techniques described may be performed in a different order than the described methods, and / or that components of the described structures, devices, and the like may be combined or combined in other ways than the described methods, Appropriate results can be achieved even if they are replaced or replaced.

Therefore, other implementations, equivalents to other embodiments and the claims are also within the scope of the following claims.

10: Oral cleanser
11: Body
111: Housing
112: main body side engaging portion
12:
121: Brush
122: Head frame
123: head side engaging portion
13:
14: Analytical Department
15:
16: Operation module
17:
20: Database
30: External organization

Claims (14)

A head having a brush;
A main body to which the head portion is coupled;
A detector provided at one side of the head portion and including a plurality of sensors for detecting a user's oral condition;
An analyzer for calculating an exponent using a result measured by the detector; And
A control unit for controlling the operation of the main body using the index calculated by the analysis unit;
.
The method according to claim 1,
The analyzing unit,
A mouth rinse comprising a state index for the oral condition and an operating index for the oral rinse action.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the analyzer calculates the state index and the operation index by weighting the result measured by the detector.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the detecting unit includes at least one oral condition detecting unit for detecting a user's oral condition,
The oral condition detecting unit may include a sensor for detecting plaque or tartar, a sensor for detecting bacteria or virus in the oral cavity, a blood glucose measuring sensor, a pH sensor for detecting pH in the oral cavity, an odor sensor for detecting odor, And a residue detecting sensor for detecting residues such as toothpaste or foam in the oral cavity,
Wherein the analyzer calculates the state index using the result detected by the oral condition detector.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the oral condition detecting unit further comprises an imaging unit for taking an image of the user's mouth.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein,
A first image sensor for photographing in a visible light region; And
A second image sensor which irradiates light of a specific wavelength band including infrared rays or ultraviolet rays and photographs the light;
Wherein the image sensor comprises at least one of the image sensors.
The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the imaging unit further comprises a light source for irradiating the light of the specific wavelength band inside the mouth of the user.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the detection unit includes at least one motion detection unit for detecting information on oral cleaning action of the user,
Wherein the motion detection unit includes at least one of a position sensor that detects whether the head portion is inserted into the user's mouth or detects a position in the mouth, and a timer that counts the time of the brushing operation,
Wherein the analyzer calculates the operation index using the result detected by the operation detecting unit.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the detecting portion is provided at least at one or more positions in the head portion.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a communication unit for enabling bidirectional communication between the main body unit and the external engine,
Wherein the communication unit transmits the measurement result of the detection unit to an external organ and receives feedback from the external organ.
A detecting unit provided in the oral cleaning apparatus detects user's oral condition information and operation information,
Calculating a state index using the detected oral condition information,
Calculating an operation index using the detected operation information,
And controlling the operation of the oral cleaner by using the state index and the action index.
12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the state index is calculated by weighting the oral condition information.
12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the state index and the operation index are transmitted to a database and an external organization through a communication unit provided in the oral cleaner,
Receives feedback information from the external organization through the communication unit,
And controlling the operation of the mouth washer using the feedback information received from the communication unit.
14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein,
And transmitting the state index and the operation index continuously or at predetermined time intervals after the user completes the tooth cleaning or while the oral cleaner is operating.

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