WO2022163851A1

WO2022163851A1 - Oral cavity cleaning device, oral cavity cleaning system, oral cavity cleaning method, and oral cavity cleaning program

Info

Publication number: WO2022163851A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/003569
Authority: WO
Inventors: 浩輝篠田; 真美筒井
Original assignee: パナソニックＩｐマネジメント株式会社
Priority date: 2021-02-01
Filing date: 2022-01-31
Publication date: 2022-08-04
Also published as: JP2022117580A

Abstract

Provided is an oral cavity cleaning device with attached camera capable of suppressing attachment of water droplets on the camera for imaging the inside of the oral cavity. An oral cavity cleaning device (10) according to this disclosure is provided with a camera (106) for imaging the inside of an oral cavity and a nozzle (105) for injecting a water stream inside the oral cavity. The oral cavity cleaning device (10) is also provided with a water stream injection-controlling part (115) for controlling the injection of the water stream being injected from the nozzle (105). The oral cavity cleaning device (10) is also provided with a switch status-determining part (114) for determining the status of a switch (104), which is for instructing, from the outside, whether or not to inject the water stream, and a camera protection mechanism-controlling part (117) for controlling a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera (106) from water droplets. The water stream injection-controlling part (115) injects the water stream when the switch status-determining part (114) determines that the status of the switch (104) is the status for injecting the water stream and the camera protection mechanism is effective.

Description

Oral cleaning device, oral cleaning system, oral cleaning method, and oral cleaning program

The present disclosure relates to an oral cleaning device, an oral cleaning system, an oral cleaning method, and an oral cleaning program.

An oral cavity that is equipped with a camera that photographs the inside of the oral cavity, determines the position in the oral cavity that requires cleaning based on the image taken by the camera, and cleans the oral cavity by jetting a stream of water to the position that needs to be cleaned. An internal cleaning device has been proposed. Patent Literature 1 discloses a visible mouth washer equipped with a camera as an intraoral imaging system. The visible oral irrigator disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a camera to detect, through a camera, a site that needs to be cleaned, the amount of fluid (e.g., water) jetted from the spout of the visible oral irrigator, and the like. Observation in real time enables visualization of the area to be cleaned.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-531062

For example, when cleaning the oral cavity by injecting a water stream as in the visible mouth washer disclosed in Patent Document 1, droplets of the water stream (that is, water droplets) that hit the tooth surface, gums, etc. are reflected. Therefore, when a water stream is sprayed while photographing the inside of the oral cavity with a camera, the distance between the target position of the water stream spray and the camera is close, so the splashes (i.e., water droplets) of the water stream hitting the tooth surface, gums, etc. It may adhere to the part and make it impossible to obtain an accurate image.

The present disclosure has been made in view of such problems of the conventional technology. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a camera-equipped intraoral cleaning apparatus capable of suppressing adhesion of water droplets to a camera for photographing the inside of the oral cavity.

An oral cavity cleaning device according to an aspect of the present disclosure is an oral cavity cleaning device that includes a camera that captures images of the oral cavity and a nozzle that injects a water stream into the oral cavity. Controls a water jet control unit that controls processing, a switch state determination unit that determines the state of a switch for externally instructing whether or not to jet a water jet, and a camera protection mechanism that protects the camera from water droplets. a camera protection mechanism control unit, wherein the water jet control unit, when the switch state determination unit determines that the state of the switch is a state in which the water jet is to be jetted, and when the camera protection mechanism is enabled, spray a stream of water.

An oral cleaning device according to another aspect of the present disclosure is an oral cleaning device that includes a camera that photographs the inside of the oral cavity and a nozzle that injects a water stream into the oral cavity, wherein the water stream is jetted from the nozzle. Analysis by a water jet control unit that controls processing, a camera protection mechanism control unit that controls a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera from water droplets, an image analysis unit that analyzes images taken by the camera, and an image analysis unit. a position determination unit that determines whether or not the nozzle is at a predetermined position based on the received information; and shoots a stream of water when the camera protection mechanism is active.

An oral cleaning system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an oral cleaning device that includes a camera that captures images of the oral cavity and a nozzle that injects a water stream into the oral cavity; a display that can communicate with the oral cleaning device; wherein the display device acquires an intraoral image captured by a camera from the oral cavity cleaning device, displays the acquired image on a display unit of the display device, and the oral cleaning device , a water jet control unit that controls the jetting process of the water jet jetted from the nozzle, a switch state determination unit that determines the state of the switch for externally instructing whether or not to jet the water jet, and a camera that protects the camera from water droplets. and a camera protection mechanism control unit for controlling a camera protection mechanism for jetting the water jet, wherein the water jet control unit determines that the state of the switch is a state in which the water jet is jetted by the switch state determination unit. If the protection mechanism is active, it will shoot a stream of water.

An oral cavity cleaning method according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a computer-executed oral cavity cleaning method in which a camera protection mechanism for protecting a camera that photographs the inside of the oral cavity from water droplets is disabled, and photographing processing of the camera is performed. is turned on, the state of the switch for externally instructing whether or not to inject water into the oral cavity is determined, and the camera protection mechanism is enabled when it is determined that the switch is in the state of injecting water. and spray a stream of water from the nozzle into the oral cavity.

The oral cavity cleaning program according to one aspect of the present disclosure disables a camera protection mechanism for protecting a camera that photographs the oral cavity from water droplets, turns on camera imaging processing, and whether or not to inject a water stream into the oral cavity. The state of the switch for externally instructing whether or not is determined, and if it is determined that the state of the switch is the state of jetting water flow, the camera protection mechanism is enabled and processing is performed to jet water flow from the nozzle into the oral cavity. , run on the computer.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a camera-equipped oral cleaning device capable of suppressing adhesion of water droplets to a camera for photographing the inside of the oral cavity.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an oral cleaning system according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the state of the oral cavity cleaning device when the intraoral cavity is imaged via a camera in the oral cavity cleaning system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the state of the oral cavity cleaning device when jetting a stream of water through the nozzle in the oral cavity cleaning system according to the first embodiment. It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus and the user terminal according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of the oral cavity cleaning device according to the first embodiment; It is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an oral cavity cleaning apparatus according to a second embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the intraoral image image|photographed with the camera. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the intraoral image image|photographed with the camera. It is a flow chart which shows an example of processing of the intraoral cleaning device concerning a 2nd embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an oral cavity cleaning device according to a third embodiment; It is a flow chart which shows an example of processing of the intraoral cleaning device concerning a 3rd embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters or redundant descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to allow those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the claimed subject matter thereby.

(Schematic configuration of oral cleaning system 1)
The oral cavity cleaning system 1 according to the present embodiment is an oral cavity cleaning device 10 equipped with a camera, in which the user adjusts the position of the nozzle based on an intraoral image captured by the camera, and a water flow is caused to flow from the nozzle into the oral cavity. It is a system that cleanses the oral cavity by jetting it to an appropriate position. Below, the oral cavity cleaning system 1 will be described with reference to some specific embodiments.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of an oral cavity cleaning system 1 according to the first embodiment. The oral cavity cleaning system 1 includes an oral cavity cleaning device 10 and a user terminal 20 . Moreover, the oral cavity cleaning system 1 is configured such that the oral cavity cleaning device 10 and the user terminal 20 can communicate with each other via the network 30 . The form of connection that enables communication between the oral cleaning device 10 and the user terminal 20 is not limited to one via the network 30, and the oral cleaning device 10 and the user terminal 20 are directly connected by a cable and communicated. It may be in a form that makes it possible. Alternatively, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 and the user terminal 20 may communicate with each other by short-range wireless communication.

The oral cavity cleaning device 10 includes a controller 100, a hose 101, a switch 104, a nozzle 105, a camera 106, and a camera cover 107. When the user presses the switch 104, a water stream is jetted from the nozzle 105, and the water pressure of the jetted water stream cleans a predetermined place in the oral cavity.

The switch 104 is, for example, a push-button type switch. Water is jetted from the nozzle 105 while the user is pressing the switch 104 by hand, and when the user releases the switch 104, the water is jetted. be stopped. In the present embodiment, the configuration of the switch 104 is not limited to the push button type, and a switch such as a slide type switch or a toggle type switch that can fix the ON/OFF state of the jetting process of the water flow is used. may be configured.

Water, which is the source of the water flow jetted from the nozzle 105, is accumulated in a water tank (not shown) in advance, and is jetted from the oral cleaning device 10 through the nozzle 105 via the hose 101 connected to the water tank. .

Both the nozzle 105 and the camera 106 are provided at the tip of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 . The camera 106 is used to observe (estimate) which position in the oral cavity the water flow jetted from the nozzle 105 hits. It is also assumed that the distance between the tip of the nozzle 105 and the camera 106 (that is, a kind of positional relationship) is constant. Therefore, even when the nozzle 105 is moved (for example, when the direction of the tip of the nozzle 105 is changed), the camera 106 can observe which position in the oral cavity the water jetted from the nozzle 105 hits. It becomes possible.

An image of the oral cavity captured by the camera 106 is sent from the oral cavity cleaning device 10 to the user terminal 20 via the network 30 . The user terminal 20 displays the intraoral image sent from the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 on the display unit 21 . While viewing the intraoral image displayed on the display unit 21 of the user terminal 20, the user positions the nozzle 105 and adjusts the tip of the nozzle 105 so that the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 hits an appropriate position in the oral cavity. Adjust the orientation, etc.

The camera cover 107 is a protection mechanism that covers the camera 106 so that the reflected water stream (for example, droplets) does not hit the camera 106 when the water stream is jetted from the nozzle 105 into the oral cavity. In the first embodiment, a control mechanism is provided at the base of the camera cover 107. This control mechanism operates the camera cover 107 to change the position of the camera cover 107 into a state in which the camera 106 is covered, or a state in which the camera 106 is covered. change to a non-existent state. In the first embodiment, the camera cover 107 is valid when the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106, and the camera cover 107 is invalid when the camera cover 107 does not cover the camera 106. . Also, the camera cover 107 corresponds to a camera protection mechanism.

Next, cleaning of the oral cavity by the oral cavity cleaning device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram for explaining the state of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 in a mode for photographing the inside of the oral cavity by the camera 106 (hereinafter referred to as photographing mode). As shown in FIG. 2A, the camera 106 monitors the position of the nozzle 105 so that the jet of water from the nozzle 105 properly hits a predetermined location between the tooth 80 and the gums 81 (eg, gums). Get an image to control the The acquired image is transmitted to the user terminal 20 and displayed on the display unit 21 of the user terminal 20 . The user observes the screen displayed on the display unit 21 of the user terminal 20 and determines whether or not the position of the nozzle 105 is appropriate. When the user determines that the position of the nozzle 105 is not appropriate, the user adjusts the position of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 to adjust the position of the nozzle 105 and the direction of the tip of the nozzle 105 so that the jet from the nozzle 105 Adjust the position where the water flow is estimated to hit.

FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram for explaining a mode (hereinafter referred to as a cleaning mode) in which a water stream is jetted from the nozzle 105 to a predetermined position in the oral cavity. The washing mode is turned on or off by pressing the switch 104 . That is, the cleaning mode is turned on while the switch 104 is pressed. On the other hand, the cleaning mode is off when the switch 104 is not pressed. As described above, if the switch 104 is a fixed switch that can fix the ON/OFF state of the cleaning mode, the ON/OFF state of the cleaning mode is determined according to the state indicated by the switch 104 .

In FIG. 2B, a water stream is jetted from the nozzle 105 to between the tooth 80 and the gum 81, and the water stream (for example, water droplets) is at least one selected from the group consisting of the tooth 80 and the gum 81. In FIG. An example of two reflections is shown. Note that in the cleaning mode of FIG. 2B, an example is shown in which the camera cover 107 protects the camera 106 so that the water flow (for example, droplets) reflected when the water flow is jetted from the nozzle 105 does not hit the camera 106. there is That is, in the first embodiment, the camera cover 107 is a mechanism for preventing water droplets from adhering to the lens of the camera 106 or the like.

(Functional configuration of oral cleaning device 10)
Next, the functions of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 and the controller 100 will be described using the functional block diagram shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing functional configurations of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus and the user terminal according to the first embodiment. As used herein, the abbreviation "IF" means interface. As used herein, the abbreviation "CPU" means central processing unit.

The controller 100 includes a control section 110, a storage section 120, a communication IF 130, a switch IF 140, a nozzle IF 150, a camera IF 160, and a cover IF 170. The controller 100 may be configured as a general-purpose microcomputer including a CPU (that is, control section 110), a memory (that is, storage section 120), and an input/output section. The input/output unit can include a communication IF 130, a switch IF 140, a nozzle IF 150, a camera IF 160, and a cover IF 170. In this case, the microcomputer may be installed with a computer program for functioning as the oral cavity cleaning device 10 . By executing the computer program, the microcomputer functions as a plurality of information processing circuits provided in the oral cavity cleaning device 10 . In this embodiment, an example of realizing a plurality of information processing circuits provided in the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 by software is shown. , it is also possible to construct an information processing circuit. Also, a plurality of information processing circuits may be configured by individual hardware.

The control unit 110 operates based on a program (not shown) stored in the storage unit 120, and includes a switch state determination unit 114, an ejection control unit 115, an imaging control unit 116, and a protection mechanism control unit 117. Execute each function provided. Note that the program is not limited to being stored in the storage unit 120, and may be stored in a read-only memory (not shown), often abbreviated as ROM, in the controller 100, for example. Details of the switch state determination unit 114, the ejection control unit 115, the photographing control unit 116, and the protection mechanism control unit 117 will be described later.

The storage unit 120 acquires and stores an intraoral image captured by the camera 106 via the camera IF 160 . In addition, the storage unit 120 may store a program for each function executed by the control unit 110, as described above. The images and programs stored in the storage unit 120 may be configured as physically or logically divided areas in one storage device. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which the storage units 120 for each data are provided in a plurality of physically different storage devices.

The communication IF 130 is an interface for communicating with the user terminal 20 via at least one network selected from the group consisting of wired networks and wireless networks.

The switch IF 140 acquires information on whether the switch 104 is pressed by the user from the switch 104 and sends it to the control unit 110 . As described above, the switch 104 is pressed by the user, and the pressing of the switch 104 determines whether the cleaning mode is turned on or off. Also, the switch IF 140 acquires the state (whether or not it is pressed) of a power switch (not shown) of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 and sends it to the control unit 110 .

The nozzle IF 150 is an interface for giving on/off instructions to the nozzle 105 that injects a water stream for cleaning the oral cavity. When the controller 110 issues a water injection instruction to the nozzle 105 via the nozzle IF 150 , water is injected from the nozzle 105 through the hose 101 from the water tank.

The camera IF 160 is an interface for acquiring image data captured by the camera 106 and sending it to the control unit 110 . In addition, the camera IF 160 sends an instruction of photographing processing regarding the start or end of photographing from the control unit 110 to the camera 106 .

The cover IF 170 is an interface for instructing on/off of the camera cover 107 according to instructions from the control unit 110 . When the controller 110 instructs to turn on the camera cover 107 via the cover IF 170, the camera cover 107 is closed (that is, covers the camera 106) to protect the camera 106 from water droplets. On the other hand, when an instruction to turn off the camera cover 107 is given from the control unit 110 via the cover IF 170, the camera cover 107 is opened (that is, the camera 106 is covered) so that the camera 106 can photograph the intraoral area. state).

Next, details of each function of the control unit 110 will be described.

The switch state determination unit 114 determines the state of the switch 104 pressed by the user. That is, the switch state determination unit 114 determines whether or not the switch 104 is pressed, thereby acquiring an external operation instruction regarding whether or not to set the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 to the cleaning mode.

The injection control unit 115 controls on/off of the injection process of the water flow injected from the nozzle 105 . In the first embodiment, the switch 104 is pressed, the shooting mode of the camera 106 is off, and the camera cover 107 is active (that is, the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106). In some cases, the injection control unit 115 causes the water flow to be injected. That is, the cleaning mode is turned on in this case. Further, in the first embodiment, when the switch 104 is not pressed, the injection control unit 115 ends the injection of the water stream. That is, in this case, the cleaning mode is turned off. Note that the injection control unit 115 corresponds to a water flow injection control unit.

The imaging control unit 116 controls on/off of imaging processing of the camera 106 for imaging the intraoral cavity. Also, an image captured by the camera 106 is acquired and stored in the storage unit 120 . In the first embodiment, the shooting control unit 116 sends an instruction to start shooting to the camera 106 after the power is turned on. That is, in this case, the shooting mode is turned on. Further, in the first embodiment, the imaging control unit 116 sends an instruction to end imaging to the camera 106 when the switch 104 for jetting a stream of water from the nozzle 105 is turned on. That is, in this case, the shooting mode is turned off.

The protection mechanism control unit 117 controls on/off (that is, enable or disable) the camera cover 107 . In the first embodiment, the protection mechanism control section 117 is turned off (that is, disabled) after power-on. That is, in this case, the camera cover 107 is opened (that is, the camera cover 107 does not cover the camera 106). Also, when the switch 104 for jetting water from the nozzle 105 is turned on, the camera cover 107 is turned on (that is, enabled). That is, in this case, the camera cover 107 is closed (that is, the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106 ) to prevent water droplets from adhering to the camera 106 . Note that the protection mechanism control unit 117 corresponds to a camera protection mechanism control unit.

(Functional Configuration of User Terminal 20)
Next, functions of the user terminal 20 will be described using the functional block diagram shown in FIG. The user terminal 20 is configured by, for example, a smartphone having a general computer 200 and is usually operated by the user who operates the oral cavity cleaning device 10 . Note that the user terminal 20 may be configured by a mobile device such as a tablet or a notebook computer. As shown in FIG. 3, the computer 200 of the user terminal 20 includes a control section 210, a storage section 220, a communication IF 230, an input/output IF 240, and the like. Note that the user terminal 20 corresponds to a display device.

The user terminal 20 causes the display unit 21 to display the image sent from the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 via the communication IF 230 via the input/output IF 240 . Also, the user terminal 20 may include means for outputting voice via the input/output IF 240 . Also, the user terminal 20 may operate based on a program (not shown) stored in the storage unit 220 to execute a predetermined application. In this case, for example, the user may input or select a predetermined mode for the functions of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 displayed on the display unit 21 via a touch panel or the like. For example, the mode of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 may be configured such that the strength of the water flow (that is, the water pressure) can be selected.

(Overview of processing flow of oral cleaning device 10)
Next, the processing (oral cleaning method) related to oral cleaning in the oral cavity cleaning device 10 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. 4 . FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the processing of the oral cavity cleaning device (that is, the oral cavity cleaning method) according to the first embodiment. A series of operations of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 are started when the oral cavity cleaning device 10 is activated, and the processing ends when the power is turned off. In addition, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, the process is terminated not only by turning off the power but also by an interrupt for ending the process. In addition, in the explanation of the flowchart below, the same contents as those described in the above explanation of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 will be omitted or simplified.

In step S401, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns off the camera cover 107 of the oral cavity cleaning device 10. That is, by opening the camera cover 107 , the intraoral cleaning apparatus 10 is brought into a state in which it is possible to photograph the inside of the oral cavity from the camera 106 .

Next, in step S402, the imaging control unit 116 turns on the imaging process of the camera 106 and starts imaging of the oral cavity.

Next, in step S403, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 has been pressed (that is, whether or not it is off). In step S403, when the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 is off (that is, step S403: YES), the process proceeds to step S411. On the other hand, when the control unit 110 determines in step S403 that the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 is not turned off (that is, step S403: NO), the process proceeds to step S404.

In step S404, the switch state determination unit 114 determines whether or not the switch 104 for the jetting process of the water stream has been pressed. In step S404, when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the switch 104 for the jetting process of the water jet has been pressed (that is, step S404: YES), the process proceeds to step S405. On the other hand, if the switch state determination unit 114 determines in step S404 that the switch 104 for the jetting process of the water stream has not been pressed (that is, step S404: NO), the process returns to step S403, and the process from step S403 is performed. Repeat process.

In step S405, the imaging control unit 116 turns off the imaging process of the camera 106, and ends the intraoral imaging.

Next, in step S406, the protection mechanism control section 117 turns on the camera cover 107 of the oral cavity cleaning device 10. That is, by closing the camera cover 107 , the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106 and prevents water droplets from adhering to the camera 106 .

Next, in step S<b>407 , the injection control unit 115 starts injection processing of the water flow from the nozzle 105 . That is, when the jetting process of the water stream from the nozzle 105 is started, the cleaning mode is turned on, and cleaning of the oral cavity is started.

Next, in step S408, the switch state determination unit 114 determines whether or not the switch 104 related to the jetting process of the water jet has been turned off. In step S408, when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the switch 104 related to the jetting process of the water stream is turned off (that is, step S408: YES), the process proceeds to step S409. On the other hand, if the switch state determination unit 114 determines in step S408 that the switch 104 related to the jetting process of water flow is not turned off (that is, step S408: NO), the process of step S408 is repeated. That is, the cleaning mode is continued to clean the oral cavity until the switch 104 is turned off.

In step S409, the injection control unit 115 ends the jetting process of the water stream. That is, the cleaning mode is turned off by ending the process of jetting the water stream from the nozzle 105 .

Next, in step S410, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 has been pressed (that is, whether or not it is off). In step S410, when the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 is off (that is, step S410: YES), the process related to oral cleaning in the oral cavity cleaning device 10 is terminated. do. On the other hand, when the control unit 110 determines in step S410 that the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 is not off (that is, step S410: NO), the process returns to step S401. That is, in this case, the processing from step S401 is repeated.

In step S411, the imaging control unit 116 turns off the imaging process of the camera 106, and ends the intraoral imaging.

Next, in step S412, the protection mechanism control section 117 turns on the camera cover 107 of the oral cavity cleaning device 10. That is, the protection mechanism control section 117 closes the camera cover 107, and then terminates the processing related to oral cleaning in the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10. FIG.

When the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is the state of jetting water flow, and the camera cover 107 is enabled, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment performs spray a stream of water. This makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of water droplets to the camera 106 for photographing the inside of the oral cavity, obtain an accurate image of the inside of the oral cavity, and appropriately clean the inside of the oral cavity.

Also, in the oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the first embodiment, the camera cover 107 as a camera protection mechanism is effective while the nozzle 105 is injecting the water stream. As a result, the camera cover 107 can cover the camera 106 and prevent water droplets from adhering to the camera 106 when the water stream is jetted.

The oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment also includes an imaging control unit 116 that controls on/off of imaging processing of the camera 106 . When the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is the state of jetting water, the ejection control unit 115 determines that the photographing process of the camera 106 is off, and the camera cover 107 is enabled. , jet a stream of water. As a result, the camera 106 is turned off when the water stream is being jetted from the water jet control unit. Therefore, the size of image data captured by the camera 106 can be reduced. Furthermore, by turning off the camera 106 when there is no need for photographing, it is possible to prevent unnecessary power consumption and provide the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 with reduced power consumption.

It should be noted that when the injection control unit 115 determines that the state of the switch 104 is the state of injecting the water flow, the photographing process of the camera 106 is in the off state, and the camera cover 107 is valid, , and is not limited to a configuration in which a water stream is jetted. For example, if the injection control unit 115 determines that the state of the switch 104 is a state in which the water flow is to be injected even when the photographing process of the camera 106 is on, and if the camera cover 107 is enabled, the water flow may be configured to inject.

(Second embodiment)
As described above, one specific embodiment has been described, but the above-described embodiment is an example and does not limit the embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the form of washing the oral cavity when the switch 104 related to the jetting process of the water stream is pressed is exemplified. Further, here, in the oral cavity cleaning device 10, the oral cavity cleaning system 1 according to the second embodiment, which adjusts the timing of cleaning the oral cavity based on the image acquired by the camera 106, is different from the first embodiment. The configuration will be explained.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 110 of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the second embodiment includes an image analysis unit 118 and a position determination unit 119 as compared with the oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the first embodiment. further comprising:

The image analysis unit 118 analyzes the image captured by the camera 106 and recognizes the tooth 80 and the gingiva 81 . Specifically, the image analysis unit 118 recognizes the region of the tooth 80 and the region of the gingiva 81 in the image based on the color information (for example, color difference) of the acquired image. Note that the recognition of the region of the tooth 80 and the region of the gingiva 81 in the image analysis unit 118 is not limited to that based on the color information of the image. A configuration for recognizing the region and the region of the gingiva 81 may be adopted.

The position determination unit 119 determines whether or not the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position based on information analyzed by the image analysis unit 118 . More specifically, the position determination unit 119 determines the position at which the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 hits based on the information on the region of the tooth 80 analyzed by the image analysis unit 118 and the information on the region of the gum 81. do. Specifically, the position determination unit 119 determines whether the position between the tooth 80 and the gum 81 is included within a predetermined range (for example, a range of about 50 pixels) from the center of the image captured by the camera 106. determine whether or not

The process of determining whether or not the space between the tooth 80 and the gum 81 in the position determining unit 119 is within a predetermined range will be described with reference to the schematic diagrams shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams showing examples of intraoral images captured by a camera. A circle 119 a shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B indicates a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by camera 106 . The distance between the camera 106 and the nozzle 105 (that is, a kind of positional relationship) is adjusted in advance so that the circle 119a overlaps the position where the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 hits. The dashed-dotted

lines

119b and 119c shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B are auxiliary lines for indicating that the circle 119a is within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by the camera 106. FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 6A, the space between the tooth 80 and the gum 81 is not within the predetermined range from the center of the image captured by the camera 106. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 6A, the position determination unit 119 determines that the position between the tooth 80 and the gingiva 81 is not included within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by the camera 106 .

On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 6B, the space between tooth 80 and gum 81 is within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by camera 106 . Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 6B, the position determination unit 119 determines that the position between the tooth 80 and the gum 81 is included within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by the camera 106 .

Note that the position determination unit 119 in the second embodiment determines whether or not the location hit by the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 is between the tooth 80 and the gum 81, but is not limited to this. For example, it is possible to set a position other than between the tooth 80 and the gum 81 where the water flow jetted from the nozzle 105 hits. For example, with respect to tooth 80 or gum 81 , tooth 80 or gum 81 itself can be the location where the jet of water from nozzle 105 impinges. In this case, the position determination unit 119 determines whether only the tooth 80 or the gum 81 is included within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by the camera 106 . For example, when the position determination unit 119 determines whether or not only the tooth 80 is included within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by the camera 106, the example shown in FIG. determined to be contained in the position. In this case, the position determining unit 119 determines that the example shown in FIG. 6B is not included in the predetermined position.

It should be noted that the position determined by the position determination unit 119 and hit by the water flow jetted from the nozzle 105 can be set by the user in advance, and the set information is stored in the storage unit 120, for example.

The oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment turns on the cleaning mode when the position determination unit 119 determines that the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity. As a result, the oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the second embodiment can reliably clean predetermined portions of the teeth 80 and the gums 81 .

Next, the process (that is, the oral cavity cleaning method) related to oral cavity cleaning of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 in the second embodiment will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an example of the processing of the oral cavity cleaning device (that is, the oral cavity cleaning method) according to the second embodiment. A series of operations of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7 are started when the oral cavity cleaning device 10 is activated, and the processing ends when the power is turned off. In addition, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, the process is terminated not only by turning off the power but also by an interrupt to end the process. In addition, in the explanation of the flowchart below, the same contents as those described in the explanation of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 will be omitted or simplified.

In step S701, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns off the camera cover 107 of the oral cavity cleaning device 10. That is, by opening the camera cover 107 , the intraoral cleaning apparatus 10 is brought into a state in which it is possible to photograph the inside of the oral cavity from the camera 106 .

Next, in step S702, the imaging control unit 116 turns on the imaging process of the camera 106 and starts imaging of the oral cavity.

Next, in step S703, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 has been pressed (that is, whether or not it is off). In step S703, when the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 is off (that is, step S703: YES), the process proceeds to step S713. On the other hand, when the control unit 110 determines in step S703 that the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 is not off (that is, step S703: NO), the process proceeds to step S704.

In step S704, the image analysis unit 118 analyzes the image captured by the camera 106 and recognizes the tooth 80 and gum 81 regions. Specifically, the image analysis unit 118 recognizes the region of the tooth 80 and the region of the gingiva 81 in the image based on the color information (for example, color difference) of the acquired image.

Next, in step S705, the position determination unit 119 determines the position where the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 hits, based on the information on the region of the tooth 80 analyzed by the image analysis unit 118 and the information on the region of the gingiva 81. judge. That is, in step S705, the position determination unit 119 determines whether or not the nozzle 105 is positioned at a predetermined position. Specifically, the position determination unit 119 determines whether the position between the tooth 80 and the gum 81 is included within a predetermined range (for example, a range of about 50 pixels) from the center of the image captured by the camera 106. determine whether or not If the position determination unit 119 determines in step S705 that the nozzle 105 is positioned at the predetermined position (that is, step S705: YES), the process proceeds to step S706. On the other hand, if the position determination unit 119 determines in step S705 that the position of the nozzle 105 is not at the predetermined position (that is, step S705: NO), the process returns to step S703 and repeats the processing from step S703. .

In step S706, the switch state determination unit 114 determines whether the switch 104 for the jetting process of the water stream has been pressed. In step S706, when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the switch 104 for the jetting process of the water jet has been pressed (that is, step S706: YES), the process proceeds to step S707. On the other hand, if the switch state determination unit 114 determines in step S706 that the switch 104 for the jetting process of the water stream has not been pressed (that is, step S706: NO), the process returns to step S703, and the process from step S703 is performed. Repeat process.

In step S707, the imaging control unit 116 turns off the imaging process of the camera 106, and ends the intraoral imaging.

Next, in step S708, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns on the camera cover 107 of the oral cavity cleaning device 10. That is, by closing the camera cover 107 , the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106 and prevents water droplets from adhering to the camera 106 .

Next, in step S709, the injection control unit 115 starts injection processing of the water flow. That is, when the jetting process of the water stream from the nozzle 105 is started, the cleaning mode is turned on, and cleaning of the oral cavity is started.

Next, in step S710, the switch state determination unit 114 determines whether or not the switch 104 related to the jetting process of the water jet has been turned off. In step S710, when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the switch 104 relating to the jetting process of the water jet is turned off (that is, step S710: YES), the process proceeds to step S711. On the other hand, if the switch state determination unit 114 determines in step S710 that the switch 104 related to the jetting process of water flow is not turned off (that is, step S710: NO), the process of step S710 is repeated. That is, the cleaning mode is continued to clean the oral cavity until the switch 104 is turned off.

In step S711, the injection control unit 115 terminates the jetting process of the water stream. That is, the cleaning mode is turned off by ending the process of jetting the water stream from the nozzle 105 .

Next, in step S712, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 has been pressed (that is, whether or not it is off). In step S712, when the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 is off (that is, step S712: YES), the process related to oral cleaning in the oral cavity cleaning device 10 ends. do. On the other hand, when the control unit 110 determines in step S712 that the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 is not off (that is, step S712: NO), the process returns to step S701. That is, in this case, the processing from step S701 is repeated.

In step S713, the imaging control unit 116 turns off the imaging process of the camera 106, and ends the intraoral imaging.

Next, in step S714, the protection mechanism control section 117 turns on the camera cover 107 of the oral cavity cleaning device 10. That is, the protection mechanism control section 117 closes the camera cover 107, and then terminates the processing related to oral cleaning in the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10. FIG.

As described above, the oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the second embodiment turns on the cleaning mode when the position determination unit 119 determines that the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity. . As a result, the oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the second embodiment can reliably clean predetermined portions of the teeth 80 and the gums 81 .

It should be noted that, when the position determination unit 119 determines that the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity, a configuration may be provided for notifying the determination result. For example, when the position determination unit 119 determines that the water flow jetted from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity, based on the determination result, the user terminal 20, via the input/output IF 240, the display unit 21 may display the determination result. Alternatively, the user terminal 20 is configured to output at least one selected from the group consisting of sound and effect sound indicating that the water flow jetted from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity via the input/output IF 240. good too. As a result, the user can recognize whether or not the position of the nozzle 105 is appropriate not only by the intraoral image displayed on the display unit 21 of the user terminal 20 but also by the notification of the determination result. It becomes possible to clean the oral cavity efficiently.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the following description, when the same reference numerals as at least one of the first and second embodiments are used, the same configuration as at least one of the first and second embodiments is indicated, and unless otherwise specified, it precedes. See description. Here, regarding the oral cavity cleaning system 1 according to the third embodiment, which automatically starts the jetting process of the water stream based on the position of the nozzle 105, the configuration different from at least one of the first and second embodiments will be described. explain.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the control section 110 of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 in the third embodiment does not include the switch state determination section 114 provided in the control section 110 in the first and second embodiments. That is, on/off switching of the cleaning mode of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 in the third embodiment is not performed based on the switch 104, but is performed automatically.

More specifically, based on the information about the region of the tooth 80 and the information about the region of the gingiva 81 analyzed by the image analysis unit 118, the position determination unit 119 determines the position of the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 to the predetermined position. It is determined whether or not. In the oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the third embodiment, when the position determining unit 119 determines that the position of the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position, the cleaning mode is turned on and the jetting control is performed. A water stream is jetted into the oral cavity based on the instruction from the unit 115 .

Next, the process (that is, the oral cavity cleaning method) related to oral cavity cleaning of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 in the third embodiment will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of processing of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus according to the third embodiment. A series of operations of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9 are started when the oral cavity cleaning device 10 is activated, and the processing ends when the power is turned off. In addition, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, the process is terminated not only by turning off the power but also by an interrupt to end the process. In addition, in the explanation of the flowchart below, the same contents as those described in the explanation of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 will be omitted or simplified.

In step S<b>901 , the protection mechanism control section 117 turns off the camera cover 107 of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 . That is, by opening the camera cover 107 , the intraoral cleaning apparatus 10 is brought into a state in which it is possible to photograph the inside of the oral cavity from the camera 106 .

Next, in step S902, the imaging control unit 116 turns on the imaging process of the camera 106 and starts imaging of the oral cavity.

Next, in step S903, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 has been pressed (that is, whether or not it is off). If the controller 110 determines in step S903 that the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 is off (that is, step S903: YES), the process proceeds to step S912. On the other hand, when the control unit 110 determines in step S903 that the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 is not off (that is, step S903: NO), the process proceeds to step S904.

In step S904, the image analysis unit 118 analyzes the image captured by the camera 106 and recognizes the tooth 80 and gum 81 regions. Specifically, the image analysis unit 118 recognizes the region of the tooth 80 and the region of the gingiva 81 in the image based on the color information (for example, color difference) of the acquired image.

Next, in step S905, the position determination unit 119 determines the position where the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 hits based on the information on the area of the tooth 80 and the information on the area of the gingiva 81 analyzed by the image analysis unit 118. judge. That is, in step S905, the position determination unit 119 determines whether or not the nozzle 105 is positioned at a predetermined position. Specifically, the position determination unit 119 determines whether or not the position between the tooth 80 and the gum 81 is included within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by the camera 106 . In step S905, if the position determination unit 119 determines that the nozzle 105 is positioned at the predetermined position (that is, step S905: YES), the process proceeds to step S906. On the other hand, if the position determination unit 119 determines in step S905 that the nozzle 105 is not at the predetermined position (that is, step S905: NO), the process returns to step S903 and repeats the processing from step S903. . That is, if it is determined in step S905 that the nozzle 105 is at the predetermined position, the switch 104 determination in step S706 of the second embodiment is not performed, and the process proceeds to step S906 to turn off the photographing process of the camera 106. It is different from the second embodiment in this point.

In step S906, the imaging control unit 116 turns off the imaging process of the camera 106, and ends the intraoral imaging.

Next, in step S907, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns on the camera cover 107 of the oral cavity cleaning device 10. That is, by closing the camera cover 107 , the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106 and prevents water droplets from adhering to the camera 106 .

Next, in step S908, the injection control unit 115 starts injection processing of the water flow. That is, when the jetting process of the water stream from the nozzle 105 is started, the cleaning mode is turned on, and cleaning of the oral cavity is started.

Next, in step S909, the injection control unit 115 determines whether or not a predetermined period of time has elapsed in the cleaning mode. Note that the predetermined time in the cleaning mode is, for example, 10 seconds. Also, the predetermined time can be set by the user in advance, and the set predetermined time is stored in the storage unit 120, for example. In step S909, when the ejection control unit 115 determines that the predetermined time has elapsed in the cleaning mode (that is, step S909: YES), the process proceeds to step S910. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S909 that the predetermined time has not elapsed in the cleaning mode (that is, step S909: NO), the injection control unit 115 returns to step S909 and repeats the determination processing of step S909. . Although an example in which the process in step S909 is performed by the injection control unit 115 has been shown, the embodiment is not limited to this. It may be configured to be implemented by another functional unit included in the unit 110 .

In step S910, the injection control unit 115 terminates the jetting process of the water stream. That is, the cleaning mode is turned off by ending the process of jetting the water stream from the nozzle 105 .

Next, in step S911, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 has been pressed (that is, whether or not it is off). In step S911, when the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 is off (that is, step S911: YES), the process related to oral cleaning in the oral cavity cleaning device 10 ends. do. On the other hand, if the controller 110 determines in step S911 that the power switch of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 is not turned off (that is, step S911: NO), the process returns to step S901. That is, in this case, the processing from step S901 is repeated.

In step S912, the imaging control unit 116 turns off the imaging process of the camera 106, and ends the intraoral imaging.

Next, in step S913, the protection mechanism control section 117 turns on the camera cover 107 of the oral cavity cleaning device 10. That is, the protection mechanism control section 117 closes the camera cover 107, and then terminates the processing related to oral cleaning in the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10. FIG.

As described above, in the oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the third embodiment, when the position determination unit 119 determines that the position of the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position, regardless of the operation of the switch 104, , the cleaning mode can be carried out automatically. This makes it possible to accurately perform the cleaning mode when the position of the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position. That is, since it is not necessary for the user to turn on/off the switch 104, it is possible to prevent the positional deviation of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 when turning the switch 104 on and off, and it is possible to carry out the cleaning mode more accurately. Become.

(Other embodiments)
Although the first to third embodiments have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiments. It is also possible to combine part or all of various embodiments to create new embodiments. That is, the above-described embodiments are for illustrating the technology in the present disclosure, and various changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. can be made within the scope of claims or equivalents thereof.

In the above-described embodiment, the camera cover 107 is provided as a camera protection mechanism, and the protection mechanism control unit 117 controls on/off of the camera cover 107. However, the configuration of the camera protection mechanism is not limited to this. do not have. For example, the protection mechanism control unit 117 may be configured to protect the camera 106 from water droplets by retracting the camera 106 during the cleaning mode. Specifically, for example, the protection mechanism control unit 117 may be configured to move the orientation of the camera 106 in a direction where water droplets do not hit it.

Also, the camera cover 107 may have a water-repellent coating or a hydrophilic coating on its surface. Further, the camera cover 107 may be formed by subjecting the material of the camera cover 107 itself to processing such as a fine surface structure, in addition to the coating described above. As a result, for example, water droplets attached to the surface of the camera cover 107 can be prevented from moving and attaching to the lens portion of the camera 106 from the surface of the camera cover 107 due to the operation when the camera cover 107 is disabled. .

In addition, in the above-described second and third embodiments, the position determination unit 119 determines the water flow jetted from the nozzle 105 based on the region of the tooth 80 and the region of the gingiva 81 recognized by the image analysis unit 118. Although the configuration for determining the position hit by is shown, the embodiments are not limited to this. For example, by providing an infrared light source (not shown) in the camera 106 or by providing two cameras 106, the image analysis unit 118 can measure the distance from the nozzle 105 to a predetermined position in the oral cavity. It is good also as possible composition. For example, based on the irradiation from the infrared light source, the distance from the nozzle 105 to a predetermined position in the oral cavity is determined by a time-of-flight type (hereinafter referred to as "TOF type"), a pattern irradiation type, a stereo type, or the like. Various ranging systems known in the art may be used for ranging. In this case, the position determination unit 119 determines whether or not the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position based on the distance from the nozzle 105 to a predetermined position in the oral cavity, in addition to the jetting position of the water stream in the image captured by the camera 106. can be determined. In this case, the distance from the nozzle 105 to the predetermined position in the oral cavity is preferably between 3 mm and 5 mm, for example. Furthermore, in the distance measuring system described above, it is possible to calculate the angle from the nozzle 105 to a predetermined position in the oral cavity by measuring the distances from the camera 106 to a plurality of positions in the oral cavity. In this case, the position determination unit 119 can determine whether or not the nozzle 105 is at the predetermined position based on the angle from the nozzle 105 to the predetermined position in the oral cavity. Also, in this case, the angle from the nozzle 105 to a predetermined position in the oral cavity is preferably 45 degrees, for example.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, when the position determination unit 119 determines that the water flow jetted from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity, the user terminal 20 notifies the user terminal 20 of the determination result. The means for notifying the determination result is not limited to this. For example, the oral cavity cleaning device 10 includes at least one means selected from the group consisting of means for emitting light (i.e., means for emitting light), means for emitting sound, and means for vibrating. It may be configured to notify the user. Thereby, the user can recognize whether or not the position of the nozzle 105 is appropriate from the oral cavity cleaning device 10 without confirming the determination result notified from the display unit 21 of the user terminal 20. , it is possible to clean the oral cavity more efficiently.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the nozzle 105 injects a water stream into the oral cavity under the injection control of the injection control unit 115 to wash the oral cavity is shown, but the embodiment is not limited to this configuration. For example, a configuration may be employed in which air is jetted into the oral cavity from the nozzle 105 under the jet control of the jet control unit 115 and the oral cavity is washed by wind pressure (that is, an air blow configuration). In this case, for example, when air is jetted from the nozzle 105 into the oral cavity, the oral cavity cleaning device 10 can prevent liquid such as saliva in the oral cavity from scattering and adhering to the camera 106 . The oral cavity cleaning device 10 may be configured to jet a mixture of air and a small amount of water from the nozzle 105 .

In addition, a computer program (that is, an oral cavity cleaning program) that causes a computer to execute the oral cavity cleaning method described above and a computer-readable recording medium recording the program are included in the scope of the present embodiment. Here, any type of computer-readable recording medium may be used. In addition, the above-mentioned computer program is not limited to those recorded in the above-mentioned recording medium, and even if it is transmitted via an electric communication line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network represented by the Internet, etc. good.

The features of the oral cavity cleaning device 10, the oral cavity cleaning system 1, the oral cavity cleaning method, and the oral cavity cleaning program according to the present embodiment are described below.

(1) The intraoral cleaning device 10 including the camera 106 for photographing the intraoral area and the nozzle 105 for injecting a stream of water into the oral cavity has the following configuration.
(i) It includes a water jet control unit 115 that controls the jetting process of the water jet jetted from the nozzle 105 .
(ii) It includes a switch state determination unit 114 that determines the state of the switch 104 for externally instructing whether or not to inject the water flow.
(iii) A camera protection mechanism control unit 117 for controlling a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera 106 from water droplets. The water jet control section jets the water stream when the switch state determination section 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is the state for jetting the water stream and the camera protection mechanism is enabled.

According to the present disclosure, when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is the state of jetting the water flow, and the camera cover 107 is enabled, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 to inject. This makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of water droplets to the camera 106 for photographing the inside of the oral cavity, obtain an accurate image of the inside of the oral cavity, and appropriately clean the inside of the oral cavity.

(2) The oral cavity cleaning device 10 further has the following configuration.
(iv) It is preferable to further include a shooting control unit 116 that controls on/off of shooting processing of the camera 106 . When the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the switch 104 is in the state of jetting water, the water jet control unit 115 is in the OFF state of the camera 106, and the camera protection mechanism is in the OFF state. If enabled, jet a stream of water.

According to the present disclosure, when the water jet control unit 115 jets the water jet, the camera 106 is turned off. Thereby, the size of the image data captured by the camera 106 can be reduced. Furthermore, by turning off the camera 106 when there is no need for photographing, it is possible to prevent unnecessary power consumption and provide the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 with reduced power consumption.

(3) The oral cavity cleaning device 10 further has the following configuration.
(v) It is preferable to further include an image analysis unit 118 that analyzes the image captured by the camera 106 .
(vi) It is preferable to further include a position determination unit 119 that determines whether or not the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position based on information analyzed by the image analysis unit 118 . When the position determination unit 119 determines that the nozzle is at a predetermined position, and the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the switch is in the state of jetting water, the water jet control unit 115 controls the camera protection. Injects a stream of water when the mechanism is active.

According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning device 10 turns on the cleaning mode when the position determination unit 119 determines that the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity. As a result, the oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the second embodiment can more reliably clean predetermined locations of the teeth 80 and the gums 81 .

(4) Another form of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 having the camera 106 for photographing the intraoral area and the nozzle 105 for injecting a stream of water into the oral cavity has the following configuration.
(i) It includes a water jet control unit 115 that controls the jetting process of the water jet jetted from the nozzle 105 .
(ii) includes a camera protection mechanism control unit 117 that controls a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera 106 from water droplets.
(iii) an image analysis unit 118 that analyzes images captured by the camera 106;
(iv) A position determination unit 119 that determines whether or not the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position based on information analyzed by the image analysis unit 118 . The water jet control unit 115 jets water when the position determining unit 119 determines that the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position and the camera protection mechanism is active.

According to the present disclosure, when the position determining unit 119 determines that the position of the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 automatically enters the cleaning mode without operating the switch 104. can be implemented. This makes it possible to accurately perform the cleaning mode when the position of the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position. That is, since it is not necessary for the user to turn on/off the switch 104, it is possible to prevent the positional deviation of the oral cavity cleaning device 10 when turning the switch 104 on and off, and it is possible to carry out the cleaning mode more accurately. Become.

(5) The camera protection mechanism is preferably a camera cover 107 that protects the camera 106 from water droplets.

According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 has the camera cover 107 effective as a camera protection mechanism while the nozzle 105 is jetting water. As a result, the camera cover 107 can cover the camera 106 and prevent water droplets from adhering to the camera 106 when the water stream is jetted.

(6) Oral cleaning system comprising an oral cleaning device 10 having a camera 106 for capturing an image of the oral cavity and a nozzle 105 for injecting a water stream into the oral cavity, and a display device capable of communicating with the oral cleaning device 10. 1 has the following features.
(i) The display device in the oral cavity cleaning system 1 acquires the intraoral image captured by the camera 106 from the oral cavity cleaning device 10 and displays the acquired image on the display unit 21 of the display device.
(ii) The oral cavity cleaning device 10 in the oral cavity cleaning system 1 has the following configuration.
(iii) includes a water jet control unit 115 that controls the jetting process of the water jet jetted from the nozzle 105;
(iv) It includes a switch state determination unit 114 that determines the state of the switch 104 for externally instructing whether or not to inject the water flow.
(v) A camera protection mechanism control unit 117 for controlling a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera 106 from water drops.
(vi) The water jet control unit 115 jets water when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the switch 104 is in the state of jetting water and the camera protection mechanism is active. .

According to the present disclosure, when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is the state of jetting the water flow, and when the camera cover 107 is enabled, the oral cavity cleaning system 1 to inject. This makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of water droplets to the camera 106 for photographing the inside of the oral cavity, obtain an accurate image of the inside of the oral cavity, and appropriately clean the inside of the oral cavity. In addition, the oral cavity cleaning system 1 includes a user terminal 20 so that the user can check the intraoral image captured by the camera 106 and apply the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105 to an appropriate location in the oral cavity. Become.

(7) A computer-implemented oral cavity cleaning method has the following processes.
(i) Including a process of disabling the camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera 106 for photographing the intraoral cavity from water droplets.
(ii) includes a process of turning on the photographing process of the camera 106;
(iii) A process of determining the state of the switch 104 for instructing from the outside whether or not to inject a water stream into the oral cavity is included.
(iv) includes a process of enabling the camera protection mechanism when it is determined that the state of the switch 104 is the state of jetting water.
(v) A process of injecting a water stream from the nozzle 105 into the oral cavity is included.

According to the present disclosure, in the oral cavity cleaning method, when it is determined that the state of the switch 104 is the state of jetting water in the process of determining the state of the switch, and the camera cover 107 is enabled, spray a stream of water. This makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of water droplets to the camera 106 for photographing the inside of the oral cavity, obtain an accurate image of the inside of the oral cavity, and appropriately clean the inside of the oral cavity.

(8) The oral cavity cleaning program to be executed by a computer has the following processes.
(i) Including a process of disabling the camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera 106 for photographing the intraoral cavity from water droplets.
(ii) includes a process of turning on the photographing process of the camera 106;
(iii) A process of determining the state of the switch 104 for instructing from the outside whether or not to inject a water stream into the oral cavity is included.
(iv) includes a process of enabling the camera protection mechanism when it is determined that the state of the switch 104 is the state of jetting water.
(v) A process of injecting a water stream from the nozzle 105 into the oral cavity is included.

According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning program determines that the state of the switch 104 is the state of jetting water in the process of determining the state of the switch, and when the camera cover 107 is enabled, spray a stream of water. This makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of water droplets to the camera 106 for photographing the inside of the oral cavity, obtain an accurate image of the inside of the oral cavity, and appropriately clean the inside of the oral cavity.

(9) The oral cavity cleaning device 10
camera 106 for photographing the intraoral cavity;
a nozzle 105 for injecting a water stream into the oral cavity;
a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera from water droplets;
A switch 104 for instructing whether to inject the water flow into the oral cavity, and a computer,
The computer, in operation, performs the following steps:
disabling the camera protection mechanism;
turning on the shooting process of the camera;
determining the state of the switch;
If it is determined that the state of the switch is the state of injecting the water flow, the step of enabling the camera protection mechanism and the step of injecting the water flow from the nozzle into the oral cavity are performed. Device.

According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 10 determines that the state of the switch 104 is the state of jetting water flow in the process of determining the state of the switch, and when the camera cover 107 is valid. , jetting a stream of water. This makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of water droplets to the camera 106 for photographing the inside of the oral cavity, obtain an accurate image of the inside of the oral cavity, and appropriately clean the inside of the oral cavity.
As an example, computers, ie electrical and electronic circuits, include semiconductor devices such as ICs or LSIs. Electrical and electronic circuits are described herein as computers, such as microcomputers.

The present disclosure is applicable to a camera-equipped oral cleaning device capable of suppressing adhesion of water droplets to a camera for photographing the inside of the oral cavity. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to a camera-equipped jet washer and the like.

1 oral cleaning system 10 oral cleaning device 20 user terminal 21 display unit 30 network 100 controller 101 hose 104 switch 105 nozzle 106 camera 107

camera cover

110, 210 control unit 114 switch state determination unit 115 injection control unit (that is, water jet control part)
116 shooting control unit 117 protection mechanism control unit (that is, camera protection mechanism control unit)
118 image analysis unit 119

position determination unit

120, 220 storage unit 130, 230 communication IF
240 input/output IF

Claims

An oral cavity cleaning device comprising a camera for photographing an intraoral cavity and a nozzle for injecting a stream of water into the oral cavity,
a water jet control unit that controls jetting processing of the water jet jetted from the nozzle;
a switch state determination unit that determines the state of a switch for instructing whether or not to inject the water flow;
a camera protection mechanism control unit that controls a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera from water droplets;
The water jet control section jets the water stream when the switch state determination section determines that the state of the switch is a state in which the water stream is jetted and the camera protection mechanism is enabled. Oral cleaning device.
further comprising a shooting control unit that controls on/off of shooting processing of the camera,
The water jet control unit determines that the state of the switch is a state in which the water jet is jetted by the switch state determination unit, the photography process of the camera is off, and the camera is protected. 2. The oral rinsing device of claim 1, wherein the water jet is ejected when the mechanism is active.
an image analysis unit that analyzes an image captured by the camera;
a position determination unit that determines whether the nozzle is at a predetermined position based on the information analyzed by the image analysis unit;
When the position determination unit determines that the nozzle is at a predetermined position, and the switch state determination unit determines that the state of the switch is a state for injecting the water flow, 2. The oral rinsing device of claim 1, wherein the water jet is ejected when the camera protection mechanism is enabled.
An oral cavity cleaning device comprising a camera for photographing an intraoral cavity and a nozzle for injecting a stream of water into the oral cavity,
a water jet control unit that controls jetting processing of the water jet jetted from the nozzle;
a camera protection mechanism control unit for controlling a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera from water droplets;
an image analysis unit that analyzes an image captured by the camera;
a position determination unit that determines whether the nozzle is at a predetermined position based on the information analyzed by the image analysis unit;
The water jet control unit jets the water jet when the position determination unit determines that the nozzle is at a predetermined position and the camera protection mechanism is active.
The oral cavity cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the camera protection mechanism is a camera cover that protects the camera from water droplets.
An oral cleaning system comprising: an oral cleaning apparatus having a camera for photographing an intraoral area; a nozzle for injecting water flow into the oral cavity; and a display device capable of communicating with the oral cleaning apparatus,
The display device acquires the intraoral image captured by the camera from the oral cavity cleaning device, displays the acquired image on a display unit of the display device,
The oral cavity cleaning device
a water jet control unit that controls jetting processing of the water jet jetted from the nozzle;
a switch state determination unit that determines the state of a switch for instructing whether or not to inject the water flow;
a camera protection mechanism control unit that controls a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera from water droplets;
The water jet control section jets the water stream when the switch state determination section determines that the state of the switch is a state in which the water stream is jetted and the camera protection mechanism is enabled. Oral cleaning system.
A computer-implemented oral cleaning method comprising:
Disable the camera protection mechanism to protect the intraoral camera from water droplets,
turn on the shooting process of the camera;
Determining the state of a switch for instructing whether to inject a water flow into the oral cavity;
enabling the camera protection mechanism when it is determined that the state of the switch is the state of jetting the water flow;
A method for cleaning the oral cavity, wherein the water stream is jetted from a nozzle into the oral cavity.
Disable the camera protection mechanism to protect the intraoral camera from water droplets,
turn on the shooting process of the camera;
Determining the state of a switch for instructing whether to inject a water flow into the oral cavity;
enabling the camera protection mechanism when it is determined that the state of the switch is the state of jetting the water flow;
An oral cavity cleaning program for causing a computer to execute a process of jetting the water stream from a nozzle into the oral cavity.
An oral cleaning device,
A camera that takes pictures of the inside of the mouth,
a nozzle that injects a water stream into the oral cavity;
a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera from water droplets;
a switch for instructing whether to inject the water flow into the oral cavity; and a computer,
The computer, in operation, performs the following steps:
disabling the camera protection mechanism;
turning on the shooting process of the camera;
determining the state of the switch;
If it is determined that the state of the switch is the state of injecting the water flow, the step of enabling the camera protection mechanism and the step of injecting the water flow from the nozzle into the oral cavity are performed. Device.