TWI756943B - Gums evaluation device - Google Patents

Abstract

A gums evaluation device comprises a main unit, a detection unit which is mounted on said main unit and suitable for pressing against gums, and a processing unit which is mounted on said main unit and able to receive data from said detection unit. Said detection unit is configured to emit a light source with a wavelength range of 400 to 800 nanometers towards the gums and receive the light signal reflected by the gums, so as to obtain its spectral information. Said processing unit is configured to analyze the spectral information received by said detection unit, and obtain the changes in the blood oxygen level of the gums based on said spectral information.

Description

Gum detection device

The present invention relates to a detection device, in particular to a detection device for detecting whether the gums are inflamed through an optical method.

Gingivitis is an early symptom of periodontal disease. It is caused by uncleaned teeth, resulting in a long-term accumulation of dental plaque on the gingival margins and adjacent surfaces of the teeth. The bacteria in the plaque will secrete toxins to stimulate the gums, leading to inflammation of the gums. If it persists, it may further deteriorate into severe periodontitis.

There is an annular groove at the junction of the teeth and the gums called the gingival sulcus. When the periodontal disease causes damage, the gingival sulcus will become deeper, which is called the periodontal pocket. At present, gingivitis is mainly detected by contact with periodontal probes. The most widely used periodontal probe is the Michigan O probe. With a scale of 10, the dentist will insert the probe tip into the patient's gingival sulcus, and measure the depth of the gingival sulcus through the scale. The depth of the healthy gingival sulcus is generally 1 to 3 mm. When the depth is greater than 3 mm, it means that the tooth has formed. For the periodontal pocket, the deeper the depth, the more serious the periodontal damage. However, this kind of probe needs to go deep into the gingival sulcus and read the scale, which is not only time-consuming but also often uncomfortable for the patient. There may also be errors in the reading method of the visual scale, and the accuracy needs to be improved.

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a fast, comfortable and accurate gum detection device.

Therefore, the gum detection device of the present invention includes a main body unit, a detection unit disposed on the main body unit and suitable for abutting against the gums, and a processing unit disposed in the main body unit and signally connected to the detection unit. The detection unit can emit a light source with a wavelength range of 400-800 nanometers to the gum, and receive the light source after the light source is diffusely reflected on the gum, so as to obtain spectral information after diffuse reflection. The processing unit is used to analyze the spectral information received by the detection unit, and obtain the change of the oxygen content of the gingival blood according to the spectral information, and finally obtain the health status of the gums according to the change of the oxygen content of the gingival blood.

The effect of the present invention is that: due to the distribution of many microvessels in the gums, when the gums are inflamed or damaged, the oxygen content in the blood vessels and blood will change. The present invention obtains the spectral information of the diffuse reflection of the light source on the gums through the detection unit. The processing unit can compare the relationship between the spectral information and the oxygen content of the gums according to the pre-stored data, so as to obtain the changes in the oxygen content of the patient's gum blood, and then obtain the inflammation or damage of the gums. The present invention detects quickly, can greatly reduce the interference of human factors, effectively improves convenience and accuracy, and the at least one optical fiber probe does not need to go deep into the gingival sulcus, which can avoid discomfort for patients.

Referring to FIGS. 1 , 2 , and 3 , an embodiment of the gum detection device of the present invention includes a main body unit 1 , a detection unit 2 disposed in the main body unit 1 , and a processing unit disposed in the detection unit 2 Unit 3. The main unit 1 includes a main casing 11 and a handle 12 extending downward from the main casing 11 and held by the user.

The detection unit 2 includes a plurality of optical fiber probes 21 detachably inserted on the main casing 11 and extending forward, a plurality of light sources 22 located in the main casing 11 and corresponding to the corresponding optical fiber probes 21 respectively, and a spectrometer 23 disposed in the main casing 11 and corresponding to the optical fiber probe 21 . Each fiber probe 21 can be extended and retracted relative to the main casing 11, and this function can be achieved by arranging a mechanism such as a spring. When the fiber probe 21 is not pressed against the gums, it protrudes outward, and when the fiber probe 21 is pressed against the gums, the fiber probe 21 is retracted into the main casing 11 under the influence of the reaction force. The design enables the fiber probes 21 arranged in a row to simultaneously adapt to irregular dentition with different concavities and convexities, ensuring that the fiber probes 21 can press against the gums of multiple teeth respectively as shown in FIG. 2 . Each fiber probe 21 defines two adjacent transmission channels 211 and a receiving channel 212 toward the spectrometer 23 . Each light source 22 has two light emitting modules 221 respectively aligned with the transmitting channels 211 of a corresponding one of the fiber probes 21 . The light emitting modules 221 can be halogen lamps or light emitting diodes, and can generate light sources with wavelengths ranging from 400 nm to 800 nm. It should be noted that the spectrometer 23 corresponds to the receiving channel 212 of the optical fiber probe 21 at the same time.

The processing unit 3 includes an analysis module 31 disposed in the main casing 11 and signally connected to the spectrometer 23 , a signal connected to the analysis module 31 and exposed behind the main casing 11 (in contrast to the fiber probes 21 insertion place) of the display 32, and a control interface 33 disposed on the main casing 11 and used to control the light sources 22 and the display 32. The control interface 33 can be a plurality of physical buttons, but can also be a touch screen combined with the display 32 .

The usage method of this embodiment is as follows: first, the fiber probes 21 are inserted into the patient's oral cavity, and the fiber probes 21 are respectively contacted against the gums of plural teeth as shown in FIG. 2 . Then, the control interface 33 is operated to activate the light sources 22, so that the light sources 22 output light sources with wavelengths ranging from 400 nm to 800 nm (preferably 500 nm) through the transmission channels 211. The aforementioned light sources will Diffuse reflection is performed on the gingiva A of the teeth, and the light source after diffuse reflection is returned to the spectrometer 23 through the receiving channels 212. The spectrometer 23 can analyze the diffuse reflection spectral information of each fiber probe 21, thereby obtaining each gingiva Spectral information corresponding to A (different gingiva corresponds to different spectral information). The spectral information obtained by the spectrometer 23 will be sent to the analysis module 31 for comparison. The database of the analysis module 31 stores the corresponding relationship between the spectral information and the changes in the oxygen content of the blood (and blood vessels B) in the gums A , and the corresponding relationship between changes in gingival blood oxygen content and gingival health. Finally, the analysis module 31 obtains the change in the oxygen content of the blood in the patient's gums according to the spectral information transmitted by the spectrometer 23 , and then judges the health status of the gums accordingly, and displays the result on the display 32 For viewing the results, please refer to Figures 4 and 5, Figure 4 shows the information spectrum of healthy gums, and Figure 5 shows the information spectrum of unhealthy gums.

The present invention can quickly detect the gums in a non-invasive optical manner without penetrating into the gingival sulcus without the presence of professionals such as dentists, and monitor the changes of blood oxygen content in the microvessels of the gums by analyzing the spectral information, so as to confirm whether the gums are not Inflammation or damage, quickly understand whether the patient suffers from gingivitis or periodontal disease. The design of the spectrometer 23 to monitor without the need for visual scale can not only reduce the interference of human factors, but also the patient can even self-test without the assistance of others.

It should be further noted that, when the present embodiment is in operation, the light-emitting modules 221 project light sources to the transmitting channels 211 in sequence, and then enter the receiving channels 212 successively after diffuse reflection. This detection method can be Compare the two spectral information to improve the accuracy and achieve the effect of reconfirmation. Of course, each fiber probe 21 can also have one transmitting channel 211 and two receiving channels 212 , so that each light source 22 has only one light-emitting module 221 , and the light-emitting module 221 projects the light source from the transmitting channel 211 . Afterwards, the diffusely reflected light sources will enter the receiving channels 212 in sequence, so that the effects of comparison and repeated confirmation can also be achieved.

Referring to FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , and FIG. 6 , it should be added that these fiber probes 21 can also be replaced according to requirements into the form corresponding to the posterior tooth region C (only one or two can be replaced), such fiber probes 21 As shown in FIG. 6 , there is a straight pipe section 213 that can be retracted into the main casing 11 , and a curved pipe section 214 which is bent and extended outward from the straight pipe section 213 , through which the back teeth can be extended. The position of the area C (such as the posterior molars, etc.) to abut against the gums of the posterior area C, so that different positions of the dentition can be detected, the straight pipe section 213 can be retracted into the main housing 11 to maintain the fiber optic probe The telescopic function of 21 improves the versatility and convenience of the present invention.

To sum up, the present invention can know whether the gums are inflamed and damaged by analyzing the relationship between spectral information and gingival blood oxygen changes, and the detection process does not require other human intervention, avoids the interference of human factors, and does not require professional Persons are present to assist or operate, lowering the use threshold and allowing patients to self-test, so the purpose of the present invention can indeed be achieved.

However, the above are only examples of the present invention, and should not limit the scope of the present invention. Any simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the application for patent of the present invention and the content of the patent specification are still within the scope of the present invention. within the scope of the invention patent.

1: main unit 11: Main shell 12: Grip 2: Detection unit 21: Fiber Probe 211: Send channel 212: Receive channel 213: Straight pipe section 214: Elbow Section 22: Light source 221: Lighting module 23: Spectrometer 3: Processing unit 31: Analysis module 32: Display 33: Control interface A: Gums B: blood vessels C: Posterior area

Other features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the gum detection device of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an aspect in which a detection unit of the present embodiment is applied to gum detection; 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationship between the detection unit and a processing unit; FIG. 4 is an information spectrogram showing the information spectrogram of a healthy gum; Fig. 5 is an information spectrogram showing an information spectrogram of an unhealthy gum; and Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating another possible aspect of each fiber optic probe.

1: main unit

11: Main shell

12: Grip

2: Detection unit

21: Fiber Probe

3: Processing unit

32: Display

33: Control interface

Claims (7)

A gum detection device, comprising: a main body unit; a detection unit, arranged on the main body unit and suitable for abutting against the gums, the detection unit can emit a light source with a wavelength range of 400-800 nanometers to the gums, and when the light source is on the gums received after diffuse reflection to obtain spectral information after diffuse reflection, the detection unit includes at least one fiber probe inserted on the main unit and can be extended and retracted relative to the main unit, at least one located in the main unit and corresponding to the A light source provided with at least one fiber optic probe, and a pair of spectrometers corresponding to at least one fiber optic probe, the at least one light source can generate a light source and output the light source through the at least one fiber optic probe, and the spectrometer is received after gingival reflection and heat dissipation a light source and obtain spectral information; and a processing unit disposed in the main unit and signally connected to the detection unit, the processing unit is used to analyze the spectral information received by the detection unit, and obtain and The oxygen content of the gingival blood changes, and finally the health status of the gums is obtained according to the change of the oxygen content of the gingival blood. The gum detection device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one optical fiber probe is detachably disposed on the main body unit, and the at least one optical fiber probe has a straight pipe section that can be retracted into the main body unit, and a A curved pipe section extending outwardly from the straight pipe section. The gum detection device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit comprises an analysis module whose signal is connected to the spectrometer, and an analysis module whose signal is connected to the analysis module and is exposed on the main unit for displaying the health of the gums. Display, the analysis module can obtain the change of gingival blood oxygen content according to the spectral information Changes in gingival blood oxygen content to determine the health of the gums. The gum detection device of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source has two light-emitting modules, the at least one fiber probe surrounds and defines two transmission channels adjacent to each other and aligned with the light-emitting modules, and A receive channel towards the spectrometer. The gum detection device according to claim 4, wherein the light-emitting modules are halogen lamps or light-emitting diodes. The gum detection device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fiber optic probe surrounds and defines a transmission channel toward the at least one light source, and two reception channels adjacent to each other and toward the spectrometer. The gum detection device according to claim 1, wherein the main body unit comprises a main casing for the detection unit to be provided with, and a handle extending downward from the main casing.

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