RU2783057C1 - Method and system for improved resistance to movement during measurement of localized inflammation of oral cavity - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: method for determination of a location of gum inflammation in the user’s mouth is implemented using a device for oral care. At the same time, light is emitted by light emitters of the device for oral care. A value of measurement of a reflective capacity for locations in the user’s mouth is obtained with the first frequency by light detectors for the formation of the first data of the reflective capacity for each location. It is determined for each location by means of a controller of the device for oral care, using the first data of the reflective capacity, whether the specified location contains the gum. A value of measurement of the reflective capacity for each location defined as gum-containing is obtained with the second frequency by light detectors for the formation of data of the reflective capacity of the gum, wherein the second frequency is more than the first frequency. It is determined by means of the controller, using data of the reflective capacity of the gum, whether the gum is inflamed in this location.

EFFECT: scanning of an area of high interest with a higher frequency than an area of a low interest is achieved, which allows for obtaining values of measurement of a reflective capacity for these places with a frequency sufficient for determination of a condition of gum health, for example, by oxygenation of tissue, even in the presence of any fast movements of a probe relatively to the gum, such as small tremors of muscles in the arm installing the probe in the required position, and, respectively, allows for detection of localized inflammation of the gum, when performing oral care, taking into account the movement of a user’s hand.

15 cl, 6 dwg, 1 tbl

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to methods and systems for improved detection of localized gingival inflammation using an oral care device.

State of the art

[0002] Proper brushing of teeth, including brushing duration and coverage, helps promote long-term dental health. Many dental problems occur in people who brush their teeth irregularly or not properly, especially in a particular area or part of the mouth. In people who brush regularly, the habit of improper brushing can result in poor brushing coverage, and therefore surfaces not cleaned properly during a brushing session, even when following a standard brushing regimen such as brushing for two minutes. twice a day.

[0003] Indeed, it is estimated that 50% of the US adult population suffers from periodontal disease, with the severity of the disease ranging from gingivitis to periodontitis. However, consumers often fail to detect early signs of periodontal disease. Accordingly, such diseases can only be detected during visits to the dentist, when the disease is already advanced and is much more difficult to treat.

[0004] Inflammation of the tissues in the mouth is one of the key signs of periodontal disease. The detection of inflammation indicates the presence of a disease state and serves as a warning to the person that treatment is needed to correct the problem. For example, gum disease can be reversible with proper home care if detected, while bone loss from periodontitis will require professional treatment. However, existing methods and devices fail to properly detect or quantify tissue inflammation, in particular localized inflammation. For example, hand-held devices provide poor detection of gingival inflammation because these devices either analyze large areas of the mouth, resulting in a high signal-to-noise ratio that hinders detection, or require so many measurements that are inconvenient for the user.

In addition, the movement of the user's hand can lead to artifacts and poor reading of data by the handheld device. As a result, periodontal disease is often not detected.

[0005] US 2016/0270716 discloses a system and method for detecting periodontal disease. WO 2016/140199 discloses an optical measuring device and a toothbrush provided therewith.

Accordingly, there remains a pressing need in the art for methods and devices for oral care that take into account the movement of the user's hand during the detection of localized gingival inflammation.

Disclosure of the essence of the invention

[0006] The present invention relates to inventive methods and systems for detecting tissue inflammation using an oral care device. Various embodiments and implementations herein relate to an oral care device configured to obtain measurement values of gingival tissue in order to detect localized gingivitis. The oral care device comprises a sensor configured with one or more light emitters and one or more photodetectors or imaging means to obtain information about gingival tissue at a plurality of tested locations. The device receives sensor data at a first rate to determine which of the tested locations contains gingiva and then receives sensor data at a second, faster rate for areas determined to contain gingiva. The device uses this data to determine if the gum is inflamed at that location. In accordance with an embodiment, the oral care device alerts the user in real time or through a post-cleaning report that inflammation exists and may optionally provide location information to the user.

[0007] Generally, in accordance with one aspect, there is provided a method for locating gingivitis in a user's mouth using an oral care device. The method includes: (i) emitting light from one or more light emitters of the oral care device; (ii) obtaining at a first frequency by one or more light detectors a reflectivity measurement value for a plurality of locations in the user's mouth to generate first reflectance data for each of the plurality of locations; (iii) determining, for each of the plurality of locations, by the oral care device controller, using the first reflectance data, whether said location contains a gingiva; (iv) obtaining, at a second frequency, one or more light detectors, reflectance measurement values for each location determined to contain gingiva to generate gingival reflectance data, the second frequency being greater than the first frequency; and (v) determining by the controller, using the gingival reflectance data, whether the gingiva is inflamed at that location.

[0008] In accordance with an embodiment, the method also includes the step of providing information as to whether the gum is inflamed at the location.

[0009] According to an embodiment, the method also includes the step of determining from the first frequency generated reflectance data whether the oral care device has been moved. According to an embodiment, the step of determining whether the oral care device has been moved includes comparing the reflectance data generated at the first frequency with the first reflectance data for one or more of the plurality of locations.

[0010] According to an embodiment, the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is 1:3. According to an embodiment, the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is 1:10.

[0011] According to an embodiment, the step of determining if the gingiva is inflamed at a location includes determining the approximate level of gingival tissue oxygenation at each of the remaining multiple locations, where low tissue oxygenation is indicative of gingival inflammation.

[0012] According to an embodiment, one or more light emitters and one or more light detectors are arranged such that the surface at each of the plurality of locations is not directly illuminated by one or more light emitters.

[0013] In accordance with one aspect, a device is provided that is configured to locate gingivitis in a user's mouth. The device comprises: (i) a light emitter configured to emit light; (ii) a light detector configured to obtain, at a first frequency, reflectance measurement values for a plurality of locations in the user's mouth to generate first reflectance data for each of the plurality of locations; and (iii) a controller configured to determine from the first reflectance data for each of the plurality of locations whether said location contains a gingiva; wherein the light detector is also configured to obtain, at a second frequency, reflectance measurement values for each location determined to contain gingiva to generate gingival reflectance data, the second frequency being greater than the first frequency; and the controller is also configured to determine from the gingival reflectance data whether the gingiva is inflamed at that location.

[0014] In accordance with an embodiment, the device also includes a user interface configured to provide information as to whether a gum is inflamed at a location.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the controller is also configured to determine from the first frequency generated reflectance data whether the oral care device has been moved. According to an embodiment, the controller is configured to determine if the oral care device has been moved by comparing the reflectance data generated at the first frequency with the first reflectance data for one or more of the plurality of locations.

[0016] Used for the purposes of this description, the term "controller" is used, as a rule, to describe various devices related to the operation of the device, system or method for oral care. The controller can be implemented in a variety of ways (eg, using dedicated hardware) to perform the various functions discussed herein. A "processor" is one example of a controller using one or more microprocessors that can be programmed using software (eg, microcode) to perform the various functions discussed herein. The controller may be implemented with or without the use of a processor, and may also be implemented as a combination of specialized hardware to perform some functions and a processor (eg, one or more programmable microprocessors and associated circuitry) to perform other functions. Examples of controller components that may be used in various embodiments of the present invention include, without limitation, conventional microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0017] As used herein, the term "user interface" refers to an interface between a human user or operator and one or more devices that allows the user and device(s) to communicate. Examples of user interfaces that can be used in various implementations of the present invention include, without limitation, switches, potentiometers, buttons, rotary knobs, sliders, trackballs, display screens, graphical user interfaces (GUIs) of any type, touch screens, microphones, and sensors. other types that can take some sort of human-generated stimuli and produce a signal in response.

[0018] It should be understood that all combinations of the above concepts and additional concepts discussed in more detail below (provided that such concepts are not mutually incompatible) are considered as part of the subject matter of the present invention described in this application. In particular, all combinations of the claimed subject matter at the end of this specification are considered to be part of the patentable subject matter described in this application.

[0019] These and other features of the present invention are apparent from the embodiments described hereinafter and will be explained with reference to these embodiments.

Brief description of the drawings

[0020] In the drawings, like reference numerals generally refer to the same parts in all the various representations. In addition, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but instead the emphasis is primarily on illustrating the principles of the invention.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an oral care device according to an embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an oral care device head according to an embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the head of an oral care device in accordance with an embodiment.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of an inflammation locating system in accordance with an embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for locating gingival inflammation in accordance with an embodiment.

[0026] FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of parts of an oral care device in accordance with an embodiment, located in the mouth.

Implementation of the invention

[0027] Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a method and apparatus for detecting gingivitis using an oral care device. In particular, the Applicant recognized and understood that it would be useful to provide a system for detecting localized tissue inflammation. Accordingly, the methods described or otherwise implied herein provide a device, such as an oral care device, capable of obtaining measurement values of gingival tissue. The oral care device comprises one or more of various types of sensor arrays having at least one light source and at least one photodetector or imaging means for obtaining information about gingival tissue at a plurality of measured locations. The device receives sensor data at a first frequency to determine which of the tested locations contains gingiva and then receives sensor data at a second, higher frequency for areas determined to contain gingiva. The device uses this data to determine if the gum is inflamed at that location. Thereafter, the oral care device may communicate this information to the user or a third party.

[0028] The embodiments and implementations disclosed or otherwise implied herein may be used in conjunction with any oral device, including, without limitation, a toothbrush, flossing device, oral sprinkler, or any other oral device. mouth. For example, one application of the embodiments and implementations set forth herein is to assess gingival inflammation using a specialized hand-held oral inflammation detection device. Another application is the assessment of gingival inflammation using an oral care device. However, the invention is not limited to a device such as described herein, and thus the invention and embodiments disclosed herein may encompass any oral device.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows an oral care device 10 used in one embodiment with a body portion 12 and a nozzle member 14 mounted on the body portion. According to an embodiment, the nozzle element 14 may be configured to allow pressurized fluid and/or air to pass from the reservoir in the body 12 (not shown) to the nozzle head where it is applied to the user's interproximal regions. The nozzle member 14 can be detachably mounted to the body portion 12 so that the nozzle can be periodically replaced with a new nozzle when a device component is worn or otherwise needs to be replaced.

[0030] The body portion 12 is also provided with a user input means 26 . The user input means 26 allows the user to operate the oral care device 10, such as turning the oral care device on and off. The user input means 26 may, for example, be a button, a touch screen, or a switch.

[0031] Oral care device 10 optionally includes one or more sensors 28. In FIG. 1, sensor 28 is shown within housing 12, but may be located anywhere in the device. The sensor 28 can be used to determine the orientation and displacement of the device. According to an embodiment, these sensors provide information about the position of the device relative to the user's body part, fixed point, and/or one or more other positions. In accordance with an embodiment, the sensor 28 is located at a predetermined position and orientation in the oral cleaner 10, and the nozzle is at a fixed spatial position relative to the sensor 28. Therefore, the orientation and position of the nozzle can be easily determined based on the known orientation and position of the sensor 28.

[0032] The information generated by the first sensor 28 is provided to the controller 30. The controller 30 may be formed by one or more modules and configured to actuate the oral cleaner 10 in response to an input, such as an input provided by the user interface 26. input. In accordance with an embodiment, the sensor 28 is an integral part of the controller 30. The controller 30 may include, for example, at least a processor 32, a memory 34, and a communications module 38. Processor 32 may take any suitable form, including but not limited to a microcontroller, multiple microcontrollers, circuitry, a single processor, or multiple processors. Memory 34 may take any suitable form, including non-volatile memory and/or RAM. The non-volatile memory may include a read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid state drive (SSD). The memory can store, among other things, an operating system. RAM is used by the processor for temporary storage of data. According to an embodiment, the operating system may contain code that, when executed by the controller 30, controls the operation of the hardware components of the oral cleaner 10. In accordance with an embodiment, communication module 38 transmits the collected sensor data and may be any module, device, or means capable of transmitting a wired or wireless signal, including, without limitation, a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, short range communication, and/or cellular module.

[0033] According to an embodiment, oral care device 10 includes a user interface 46 configured to provide information to a user before, during, and/or after a care session. The user interface 46 can take many different forms, but is configured to provide information to the user. For example, the information may be readable, viewed, heard, felt and/or otherwise interpreted information relating to one or more tissues in the mouth. In accordance with an embodiment, the user interface 46 provides feedback to the user that includes information about where the tissues are inflamed and/or how extensive the inflammation is. Accordingly, the user interface may be a display that provides information to the user, a tactile mechanism that provides tactile feedback to the user, an acoustic system for providing sounds or words to the user, or any of a variety of other user interface mechanisms. For example, the system may provide feedback via a smartphone application, a website, or any other interface capable of exchanging information with a user.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows the nozzle 14 of an oral care device for one embodiment. The nozzle includes a nozzle head with a centrally located guide tip 18. In accordance with one embodiment, the nozzle head includes at least one light emitter 42 and at least one light receiver 40.

[0035] According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the light emitter 42 is an annular bundle of light emitting fibers or light emitting light guides. The light emitter 42 is any light source, such as an LED light source, that emits light that can assist in the detection of gingivitis. According to an embodiment, the light emitters comprise combined light from a plurality of LEDs and are connected by a light fiber or light guide from the LEDs to a light emitter on the surface of the oral care device. In accordance with an embodiment, the light source generates light at at least two wavelengths, such as 480 nm and 680 nm, which allows the characterization of oxygen saturation in human tissue and hence the detection of localized inflammation. Typically, tissues exhibiting low tissue oxygenation are indicative of gingival inflammation.

[0036] Similarly, the one or more light receivers 40 are any light receivers capable of providing gingival inflammation detection. For example, according to an embodiment, the light receivers are a photodetector or a photodiode or any other sensor capable of detecting light emitted by the light emitter 42 . According to an embodiment, the light receivers are photodiodes coupled to optical fibers or light guides. Each light receiver may be configured to detect two or more wavelengths, or alternatively, each light receiver may be configured to detect only one wavelength. In accordance with another embodiment, the light receiver 40 is a pixel array configured to acquire one or more images of tissue illuminated by light emitted from the light emitter 42. The light receiver may comprise a plurality of detector fibers that are used simultaneously or may be time multiplexed.

[0037] One advantage of the oral care device design shown in FIG. 2 is that the sensors can capture spatial information as well as information about gingivitis. Because the information associated with each transmitter-receiver pair comes from a unique tissue location, the location of the inflammation is known.

[0038] In this embodiment, the guide tip 18 provides tactile feedback to the user that facilitates correct interproximal positioning at the gums. According to an embodiment, when properly positioned in the mouth, each light receiver 40 measures a different portion of the tissue surface that is approximately located between the light emitter and the light receiver. For example, when placed at the junction between two teeth and the gingiva, the light emitter will illuminate the entire area and several light receivers 40 will be placed on the gingiva to detect inflammation, while the rest will be simultaneously placed on the teeth, which can be easily distinguished based on the measured spectral response.

[0039] In accordance with the embodiment, many other configurations of light emitters 42 and light detectors 40 are possible. For example, one possible configuration is a ring of three to twelve light detectors around a single light emitter, with perhaps six to eight detectors being optimal depending on the size of the oral care device head. In an alternative implementation, the device may include a ring of three to twelve light emitters around one light detector. Many other configurations are possible.

[0040] One or more light emitters 42 and light detectors 40 are positioned on the device 10 such that the surfaces of the gum tissue from which data is obtained are not directly illuminated by the light emitter. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the light emitter 42 emits light into the tissue in front of it, and the light detector 40 receives reflectance data from tissue located at or very close to the "X" point shown on the device, although the light detector may also receive reflectance data from tissue in front of this point. Therefore, according to an embodiment, light emitters and data receiving surfaces do not overlap. This is in contrast to a camera system in which the surfaces to be imaged are directly illuminated. When the surface is directly illuminated, for example, detection or imaging is affected by scattering from the near surface, which interferes with the analysis of gingival tissue as described herein.

[0041] For example, in FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an oral care device 10 configured to primarily measure gingival inflammation. The oral care device comprises a head having one centrally located light emitter 42 and a plurality of light detectors 40. In accordance with a similar embodiment, the device may include one centrally located light detector 40 and one or more light emitters 42.

[0042] FIG. 4 for one embodiment, a system 400 for locating inflammation is shown. In accordance with an embodiment, the inflammation location system 400 includes a controller 30 including a processor 32 and a memory 34. The inflammation location system also includes one or more light emitters 42 with one or more light sources 48. The inflammation location system 400 includes one or more light detectors 40 that provide sensor data to the controller 30. The controller 30 of the inflammation location system 400 includes an inflammation detection and location module 410 . The inflammation detection and location module analyzes sensor data from one or more light detectors 40 and, if necessary, device location information from sensor 28, and determines if and where the analyzed tissue is inflamed. The inflammation location system also includes a user interface 46 that provides the user with information about the state and/or location of the tissue. The user interface 46 may be or include a feedback module that provides direct feedback to the user through a tactile signal, an audible signal, a visual signal, and/or any other type of signal.

[0043] According to an embodiment, inflammation location system 400 may be implemented in any device capable of approaching tissues to be quantified. For example, inflammation location system 400 may be implemented as another oral care device such as a toothbrush, mouth sprinkler, tongue cleaner, or any other oral care device.

[0044] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method 500 used in one embodiment for locating gingival inflammation in a user's mouth. At 510, a system for locating inflammation is provided. The system for locating inflammation can be any of the devices or systems described or otherwise contemplated herein. Typically, an inflammation location system will include one or more light emitters 42, one or more light detectors 40, and an inflammation detection and location module 410 configured to analyze data from the one or more light detectors. Many other components and configurations are possible. While method 500 has been described in terms of oral care device 10, the method may be implemented using any other system for analyzing the location of inflammation.

[0045] In step 520 of the method, one or more light emitters 42 emit light, each of which impacts the gum tissue. According to an embodiment, the emitted light only indirectly falls on the gum tissue, which is analyzed by the light detector 40 . The light emitted by the light emitter may be at one or more wavelengths. Accordingly, the light emitter may comprise one or more light sources. The light emitter may emit light intermittently or continuously, or may emit light only in response to a trigger signal.

[0046] At method step 530, at least one light detector 40 obtains reflectance data, such as reflectance from surfaces that reflect light emitted by light emitters 42. The light detector may acquire single data on a single point, or may acquire data on multiple points over time. The light detector may receive data continuously or may only receive data in response to a trigger signal. For example, the light detector may be operable to obtain sensor data in response to activation of the light emitter.

[0047] As discussed herein, the light detector 40 is located in a non-overlapping position relative to the light emitter 42 such that the tissue to be detected is only indirectly illuminated by light from the light emitter. This configuration of the light detector(s) and light emitter(s) results in a significant improvement in device and inflammation detection. For example, among other things, the advantage of the non-overlapping configuration described or otherwise implied herein is to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio and improve the detection of localized gingival inflammation by reducing near-surface scattering and other interfering factors.

[0048] According to an embodiment, the light detector 40 acquires more than one color or spectral region for each location to provide a measured spectrum from which oxygen saturation can be calculated, which in turn is indicative of a healthy gingiva (with higher oxygenation ) or gingivitis (with lower oxygenation). The number of color channels may be as little as two channels, or it may be a detailed spectrum containing hundreds of channels. According to one embodiment, four to eight channels may be optimal. Color channels can be formed by narrow band light sources such as LEDs combined with broad band detectors such as photodiodes. In an alternative implementation, among other possible system configurations, the color channels may be formed by broadband light sources such as LEDs combined with narrowband light detectors such as narrowband filter photodiodes, a color filter array, and other photodiode configurations.

[0049] However, many microcontrollers typically have only one analog-to-digital converter, so in the case of wideband source and narrowband detection, sequential sampling may be required to avoid increased component costs, additional space required for analog sample and hold circuits, and/ or additional channels of the analog-to-digital converter.

[0050] Accordingly, the at least one light detector 40 may be configured, programmed, or configured to obtain first frequency reflectance measurement values to determine if the surface contains gingiva. FIG. 6, for example, shows a schematic representation of the user's teeth 60 and gum tissue 62. An oral care device (not shown) with a plurality of light detectors 40a-f and a light emitter 42 is aligned above the gum and dental tissue. FIG. 6 depicts an example of approximate locations where a light emitter will emit light into tissue and light detectors will detect the emitted light. In method step 530, each light detector 40a-f acquires, at a first frequency, reflectivity measurement values for a location corresponding to the location of the light detector. FIG. 6, for example, the light detectors 40a and 40f are located above the gum, while the remaining light detectors are located above the teeth.

[0051] In method step 540, the controller 30 of the oral care device 10 analyzes the acquired reflectance data to determine which of the many analyzed locations are and/or are not the gingiva. For example, light detectors 40 provide the acquired reflectance data to controller 30 where it is analyzed by processor 32 and/or inflammation detection and location module 410 and/or stored in memory 34 for later analysis.

[0052] In accordance with one embodiment, inflammation detection and location module 410, which may be implemented as an algorithm, analyzes the acquired reflectance data in one or more steps. For example, as an initial step, the module rejects potential outliers in the data. Outliers can include questionable measurement values as well as reflectance data from objects that do not appear to be gum tissue, such as food debris, teeth, or other objects. Since the absorption spectra of objects such as teeth and food debris differ significantly from the absorption spectra of gum tissue, they can be distinguished from each other. According to an embodiment, outliers are detected at points with an absorption spectrum that does not correspond to gingival tissue, essentially showing no distinct absorption spectral characteristics of hemoglobin.

[0053] According to an embodiment, inflammation detection and location module 410 determines the ratio of reflectances at two different wavelengths. For example, if using spectrum sampling data obtained at 550 nm and 660 nm, the reflectance ratio would be 2.38 for gingival tissue and 1.21 for teeth. Similarly, the ratio of reflectances for blue light wavelength (400 nm to 480 nm) and green light wavelength (480 nm to 550 nm) would give values of 5.96 for gum tissue and 1.44 for teeth. Therefore, inflammation detection and location module 410 can be configured with or programmed with predetermined thresholds for detecting gingival tissue. According to an embodiment, the system compares the reflectance ratio with a predetermined threshold value and determines the place as gingiva or non-gingiva based on whether the determined reflectance ratio exceeds the predetermined threshold value or not. As just one example, a threshold value of 2 in both of the above examples will distinguish gingiva from non-gingiva; a reflectance ratio above 2 is defined as gum, and a reflectance ratio below 2 is defined as non-gingiva. Thus, the system will discard non-gingival data and continue to analyze only the data acquired for the gingiva.

[0054] According to another embodiment, at method step 540, the system analyzes the received reflectance data to determine which of the many analyzed locations are and/or are not gingiva by assigning weights to the reflectance data. For example, the system may assign high weight to gingival-specific reflectance data and/or may assign low weight to non-gingival reflectance data. During analysis, a system capable of weighting reflectance data may weight only gingival-specific reflectance data, may only weight non-gingival reflectance data, or may weight both. The weight assignment process may be a programmed or predetermined weight assignment process, or may be a machine learning based weight assignment process. Using a weighting process, the system can use one or more weights to focus further analysis, including analysis for possible inflammation, on gingival-specific reflectance data.

[0055] In addition to removing non-gingival reflectance data and assigning weights to gingival and/or non-gingival reflectance data, other methods of determining which of the many analyzed locations are gingiva are possible.

[0056] In method step 550, after the locations are identified as gingival or non-gingival, at least one light detector 40 of the oral care device 10 acquires reflectance measurement data at a second frequency that is greater than the first frequency. Reflectance measurements for these locations are obtained at a frequency sufficient to determine gingival health, such as tissue oxygenation, even in the presence of any rapid movement of the probe relative to the gum, such as small muscle tremors in the hand placing the probe in position.

[0057] FIG. 6, for example, light detectors 40a and 40f are positioned above the gum and will be directed by the controller to obtain reflectance measurements at a second frequency that is greater than the first frequency. According to an implementation, instead of obtaining reflectance measurement values at the same frequency for all areas, the measurements are split into a slow scan cycle for identifying areas of interest, such as the gum, and a fast scan cycle for accurate measurements at a second, higher frequency. . The frequency for the slow scan cycle should only be sufficient to determine if the light detector is positioned over the teeth or gum while the user is pointing the device into position. The frequency for a quick scan cycle should be large enough to determine the health of the gums as described or otherwise implied herein.

[0058] According to an embodiment, as shown, for example, in FIG. 6, alternating time intervals can be used for slow scanning, so that twelve time intervals are required to measure the full pattern. The time intervals between slow measurements could be used for a fast scan cycle for two locations (40a and 40f) identified from the slow measurement data as representing the gingiva. This would result in an increase, in this case by 50%, in the scan rate for gingival location at the same overall sampling rate. Of course, other numbers of points and other ratios of sampling rates between fast and slow groups can be used in the probe. For example, if there are a total of ten measurement points and two are selected for the fast group, then in the case of low frequencies of the slow measurement, the fast group can be measured up to five times (generally in ("slow group" - "fast group")/"fast group » times) faster than if the measurements were equally distributed at the same overall sampling rate. According to an implementation variant, the ratio of slow to fast may be

[low frequency] -

[high frequency]/

[high frequency].

[0059] Table 1 for one implementation shows an example of sampling rates for an oral care device containing eight light detectors 40. In this example, the low frequency is to acquire data in one of every three time intervals to detect gingival and/or non-gingival tissue. A high frequency involves taking data at two out of every three time intervals to determine if the gum tissue is inflamed. As shown in Table 1, within 25 time intervals, the reflectance measurement values of the light detectors are obtained a total of nine times (first frequency), while the reflectance measurement data of the light detectors determined by the device to be above the gum are obtained in total 16 times (second frequency), which is almost three times the frequency at which these locations would be scanned if all points were sampled at the same frequency. In other words, the scan is repeated after the 16th measurement. If the scanning frequency were the same, each of the eight locations would be sampled twice. However, according to an implementation option such as that set forth in Table 1, the sites identified as gingiva and sampled at high frequency (i.e., sites 2 and 3) are sampled five times in the first 16 measurements, which is 2, Increases the sample by 5 times.

[0060]

TABLE 1. Example of sample rates for an oral care device Time interval one 2 3 four 5 6 7 eight 9 ten eleven 12 13 fourteen fifteen 16 17 eighteen 19 twenty 21 22 23 24 25 low frequency one four 5 6 7 eight one four 5 High frequency 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3

[0061] In this example, locations identified as being supragingival were not included in the first rate sampling, but were only used to sample at the second rate at second rate time intervals to improve device performance. However, other configurations are possible according to the embodiment. For example, locations identified as being supragingival may also be included in the sample at a lower frequency.

[0062] The time interval may be any period of time, and the ratio shown in Table 1 may be any ratio determined to maximize performance without significant loss in measurement and reliability. For example, in one embodiment, the low frequency is about 1 to 5 Hz, while the high frequency can be about 10 to 100 or 50 to 100 Hz, although many other frequency values are possible. As another example, in one embodiment, the ratio of low frequency to high frequency may be 1:2, 1:3, or 1:10, although many other ratios are possible.

[0063] In method step 560, the oral care device determines from the obtained reflectivity measurement values for each location determined to contain a gingiva whether the gingiva is inflamed at that location. For example, inflammation detection and location module 410 analyzes high-frequency reflectivity data from light detector 40 at locations determined to contain gingiva. This analysis may be performed while data is being acquired by the device, or may be performed after the session is completed by the oral care device, or may be performed at the request of the user.

[0064] According to an embodiment, inflammation detection and location module 410 determines or characterizes an approximate level of gingival tissue oxygenation using reflectance data. Since tissue oxygenation is significantly reduced in gingival and periodontitis sites compared to healthy sites, the module can select the signal that exhibits the lowest tissue oxygenation, which is indicative of the highest level of gingival inflammation. Among other ways, this can be done, for example, by choosing the maximum value from the data set under consideration, or by averaging the xth percentile from the data set under consideration. The module can receive this information, for example, at each site for which data is received. The inflammation detection and location module 410 will thus generate information about locations in the mouth where gingivitis is likely.

[0065] At method step 570, which may be performed at any stage of the method, the oral care device analyzes the first frequency scan data to determine if the device has moved. For example, light detectors 40 may provide the acquired reflectance data to controller 30 where it is analyzed by processor 32 and/or inflammation detection and location module 410. For example, the device may analyze the first frequency reflectance measurement values to determine gingival and/or non-gingival locations and may compare them to a previous measurement value or determination to determine that the device has moved. This may include, for example, determining that one or more light detectors are over another type of tissue. The light detector previously located above the gum can now be located above the teeth, and the light detector previously located above the teeth can now be located above the gum. This may be due to subtle movements of the user's hand or deliberate movement of the device by the user to a new area or part of the mouth.

[0066] Once it is determined that the device has been moved, the method returns to step 550 or any other step of the method and obtains second frequency reflectance measurements for locations now determined to be supragingival. This process can be performed continuously or intermittently to ensure accurate and up-to-date reflectance measurements.

[0067] At method step 580, the system or device, if necessary, provides feedback to the user and/or third party regarding information about the location of the inflammation. For example, the user interface 46 of the oral care device 10 may provide direct and/or indirect feedback to the user during use of the oral care device or after a cleaning or scanning session. As an example, the device may provide direct feedback to the user after each measurement using audible, visual, tactile and/or digital feedback each time inflammation is detected.

[0068] According to another implementation, the system or device may provide feedback to the user upon completion of the scan session. As an example, a system or device may provide feedback at the end of a scan session through a visual representation that displays levels of inflammation. The feedback may include, for example, a map of the mouth using location technology during measurement, either in absolute form to display levels of inflammation, or in relative forms to highlight one or more specific locations. According to an embodiment, the device may scale or otherwise rank levels of inflammation using different colors or other physical representations. For example, the user may only focus on areas of significant inflammation or inflammation above a certain level.

[0069] According to an embodiment, inflammation data is stored and/or transmitted to a third party, locally or remotely. For example, in accordance with an embodiment, during a dental appointment, the patient may be instructed to use the oral care device to evaluate inflammation. The inflammation information will then be reported to the dentist using a report or other mechanism. As another example, a user may collect inflammation data that is automatically or periodically transmitted to a remote dentist or other designated or authorized entity where it can be analyzed, continuously or during a patient visit.

[0070] All definitions formulated and used herein are to be understood as taking precedence over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or the conventional meanings of the defined terms.

[0071] As used in the present specification and claims, singular grammatical means should be understood to mean "at least one/one/one" unless otherwise expressly stated.

[0072] Used in the present description and claims, the expression "and/or" should be understood as meaning "any of two or both" of the elements connected in this way, i. elements, which in some cases are represented as united, and in other cases as disconnected. Several elements listed with "and/or" should be understood in the same way, i.e. "one or more" of the elements connected in this way. Other elements other than those specifically identified by the "and/or" clause may be present, if desired, whether or not they refer to those specifically specified elements.

[0073] As used in the present description and claims, the union "or" should be understood as having the same meaning as the expression "and/or" defined above. For example, when separating elements in a list, "or" or "and/or" should be understood to be inclusive, i.e. including at least one, but also including more than one, from among or a list of elements, and optionally additional unlisted elements. Only expressions explicitly indicating the opposite, such as "only one/one/one of" or "exactly one/one/one of", or the expression "consisting of/consisting of/consisting of" used in the claims, will refer exactly to one element from a number or list of elements. In general, the term "or" as used herein should only be understood to indicate exclusive options (i.e., "one or the other, but not both") when preceded by exclusion terms such as "one of two", "one of", "only one of", or "exactly one of".

[0074] As used in the present description and claims, the expression "at least one" in relation to a list of one or more elements should be understood to mean at least one element selected from one or more elements in this list of elements, but optionally including at least one of each and every element specifically listed in the element list, and without excluding any combination of elements in the element list. This definition also allows, if necessary, the presence of elements other than the elements specifically specified in the list of elements to which the expression "at least one" refers, whether or not it refers to those elements specifically specified.

[0075] It should also be understood that, unless otherwise expressly stated, in all methods claimed herein that contain more than one step or action, the order of the steps or steps of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps and steps of the method are set forth.

[0076] In the claims, as well as in the above description, all transitive expressions such as "comprising", "including", "having", "covering", "involving", "implying", etc. P. is to be understood as non-limiting, ie. meaning inclusion, but not limitation. Only the transition expressions "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" must be limiting or semi-limiting transition expressions, respectively.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in this application, a variety of other means and/or structures can readily be envisioned by those skilled in the art to perform the function and/or achieve the results and/or one or more of the benefits described in this application, it is understood that each of such changes/or modifications is within the scope of the embodiments of the invention described in this application. In particular, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that all dimensions, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are by way of example, and that the actual dimensions, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend on the particular application or applications. , which use the ideas of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize or be able to identify, through merely routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described in this application. Therefore, it is understood that the above embodiments are provided by way of example only, and that, within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, embodiments of the invention may be practiced in a manner other than that described and claimed. Embodiments of the present invention relate to each individual feature, system, product, material, kit and/or method described in this application. Furthermore, no combination of two or more of such features, systems, articles, materials, kits and/or methods, unless such features, systems, articles, materials, kits and/or methods are mutually incompatible, is included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (25)

1. A method (500) for locating gingivitis in a user's mouth using an oral care device (10), comprising: emitting (520) light from one or more light emitters (42) of the oral care device; obtaining (530) at a first frequency by one or more light detectors (40) a reflectance measurement value for locations in the user's mouth to generate first reflectivity data for each of the locations; determining (540) for each of the locations, by the controller (30) of the oral care device, using the first reflectance data, whether said location contains a gingiva; obtaining (550) at a second frequency by one or more light detectors a reflectance measurement value for each location determined to contain a gingiva to generate gingival reflectance data, the second frequency being greater than the first frequency; and determining (560) by the controller, using the gingival reflectance data, whether the gingiva is inflamed at that location. 2. The method of claim. 1, also including the step of providing (580) information as to whether the gum is inflamed at the location. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining (570) from the first frequency generated reflectance data whether the oral care device has been moved. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining whether the oral care device has been moved comprises comparing the reflectance data generated at the first frequency with the first reflectance data for one or more of the locations. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is 1:3. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is 1:10. 7. The method of claim. 1, wherein the step of determining whether the gum is inflamed in the location, includes determining the level of oxygenation of the gum tissue in each of the remaining locations, and low tissue oxygenation indicates inflammation of the gums. 8. The method of claim. 1, in which one or more light emitters and one or more light detectors are located so that the surface at each of the locations is not directly illuminated by one or more light emitters. 9. A device (10) configured to locate gingivitis in the user's mouth, comprising: a light emitter (42) configured to emit light; a light detector (40) configured to obtain, at a first frequency, reflectance measurement values for locations in the user's mouth to generate first reflectivity data for each of the locations; and a controller (30) configured to determine from the first reflectivity data for each of the locations whether said location contains a gingiva; wherein the light detector is also configured to obtain, at a second frequency, reflectance measurement values for each location determined to contain gingiva to generate gingival reflectance data, wherein the second frequency is greater than the first frequency; and the controller is also configured to determine from the gingival reflectance data whether the gingiva is inflamed at that location. 10. The device of claim. 9, also comprising a user interface (46) configured to provide information as to whether the gum is inflamed at the location. 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is also configured to determine from the first frequency generated reflectance data whether the oral care device has been moved. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to determine if the oral care device has been moved by comparing the reflectance data generated at the first frequency with the first reflectance data for one or more of the locations. 13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is 1:3. 14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is 1:10. 15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein determining whether a gingiva is inflamed at a location includes determining the level of gingival tissue oxygenation at each of the remaining locations, where low tissue oxygenation is indicative of gingival inflammation.

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