Method and system for automatic brightness / gain control when measuring local oral inflammation

Abstract

A method (500) for locating gingival inflammation using an oral care device (10), the method comprising: (i) emitting (520) light at a first intensity via a light emitter (42); (ii) obtaining (530) a first reflectance measurement from a location within a user's mouth by a light detector (40) to generate first reflectance data; (iii) determining (540) by a controller (30) whether the location includes gingiva from the first reflectance data; (iv) automatically adjusting (550) the intensity of the light emitter to a second intensity different from the first intensity and / or automatically adjusting (550) the gain of the light detector based at least in part on the first reflectance data; (v) obtaining (560) a second plurality of reflectance measurements for at least some of the locations by the light detector of the oral care device; and (vi) determining (570) whether the gingiva at the location is inflamed using the second plurality of reflectance measurements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure is generally directed to methods and systems for improving detection of localized gingival inflammation via automatic brightness and / or gain control using an oral care device. Background Art

[0002] Proper brushing, including the length and coverage of brushing, helps promote long-term dental health. Individuals who do not brush their teeth regularly or brush inadequately can experience a number of dental problems, particularly in specific areas or zones of the oral cavity. In individuals who brush their teeth regularly, improper brushing habits can result in poor coverage of the teeth and, therefore, surfaces that are not adequately cleaned even during the cleaning phase of a standard brushing regimen, such as brushing for two minutes twice a day.

[0003] In fact, it is estimated that in the United States, 50% of the adult population is affected by periodontal disease, with disease severity ranging from gingivitis to periodontitis. However, consumers are often unable to detect early signs of periodontal disease. As a result, the disease may only be detected during a dental visit when it has already progressed and is significantly more difficult to treat.

[0004] Inflammation of tissues within the mouth is one of the key signs of periodontal disease. Detecting inflammation will indicate the presence of a disease state and will alert the individual that treatment is needed to address the problem. For example, if inflammation of the gums is detected, the inflammation of the gums can be reversed with appropriate home care, while bone loss caused by periodontitis will require professional treatment. However, existing methods and devices cannot adequately identify or quantify inflammation of tissues, especially localized inflammation. For example, a handheld device with multiple detection probes detects extremely high levels of return light from the teeth, while detecting lower levels of light from the gums. Additionally, the return light level can vary significantly depending on the height of the probe above the gums. The dynamic range required to measure these extreme values ​​complicates the detector circuit design and may require a high-resolution analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that is typically not present in affordable microcontrollers. In addition, due to the absorption of the sensed chromophore, the return light level is different in different parts of the spectrum. When the apparent tissue oxygen saturation is calculated from the spectrum, the error in the calculation will be dominated by the spectral component with the highest noise level.

[0005] Therefore, there continues to be a need in the art for oral care methods and apparatus that minimize noise while maintaining the returned light signal for each zone within an optimal dynamic range. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present disclosure is directed to an inventive method and system for detecting tissue inflammation using an oral care device. Various embodiments and implementations herein are directed to an oral care device configured to obtain measurements of gingival tissue to identify localized gingival inflammation. The oral care device includes a sensor having a configuration of one or more light emitters and a photodetector or imager to obtain information about gingival tissue at multiple sampling locations. The one or more light emitters are configured to emit light at a first intensity, and the photodetector obtains reflectivity measurements of multiple locations within the user's mouth. The device determines which locations include gingiva, and the device then automatically adjusts the intensity of the one or more light emitters that illuminate the gingiva, and / or automatically adjusts the gain of the photodetector corresponding to the gingiva. The one or more light emitters emit light again, and the photodetector obtains new reflectivity measurements of the gingival locations. The device then uses the new reflectivity measurements to determine whether the gingiva at any of these locations is inflamed.

[0007] In general, in one aspect, a method of locating gingival inflammation in a user's mouth using an oral care device is provided. The method includes: (i) emitting light at a first intensity by a light emitter of the oral care device; (ii) obtaining, by a light detector of the oral care device, a first plurality of reflectance measurements from a surface at each of a plurality of locations in the user's mouth to generate first reflectance data for each of the plurality of locations; (iii) determining, by a controller of the oral care device, from the first reflectance data, for each of the plurality of locations, whether the surface includes gingiva; (iv) automatically adjusting an intensity of a light emitter corresponding to one of the plurality of surfaces to a second intensity different from the first intensity and / or automatically adjusting a gain of a light detector corresponding to one of the plurality of surfaces based at least in part on the first reflectance data; (v) obtaining, by the light detector of the oral care device, a second plurality of reflectance measurements for at least some of the plurality of locations; and (vi) determining, by the controller, whether the gingiva at each of the plurality of surfaces determined to include gingiva is inflamed using the second plurality of reflectance measurements.

[0008] According to an embodiment, the intensity of the light emitter is adjusted such that the reflectivity measurement is constrained by the optimal dynamic range of an analog-to-digital converter used to digitize the reflectivity measurement.

[0009] According to an embodiment, the gain of the photodetector is adjusted such that the reflectance measurement is constrained by the optimal dynamic range of the analog-to-digital converter used to digitize the reflectance measurement.

[0010] According to an embodiment, the automatic adjusting step comprises adjusting a gain of a light detector corresponding to a surface determined to include the gingiva. According to an embodiment, the automatic adjusting step comprises adjusting a gain of a light detector corresponding to a surface determined to include no gingiva.

[0011] According to an embodiment, the automatic adjusting step comprises adjusting the intensity of light emitters corresponding to the surface determined to include the gums. According to an embodiment, the automatic adjusting step comprises adjusting the intensity of light emitters corresponding to the surface determined not to include the gums.

[0012] According to an embodiment, the method further comprises the step of providing information on whether the gums at the location comprise inflammation.

[0013] According to one aspect, a device configured to locate gingival inflammation. The device includes: a light emitter configured to emit light at a first intensity; a light detector configured to obtain a first reflectance measurement from a surface at each of a plurality of locations within a user's mouth to generate first reflectance data for each of the plurality of locations in response to the light emitted at the first intensity, wherein the light detector is further configured to obtain a second reflectance measurement from one or more of the surfaces to generate second reflectance data; and a controller configured to: (i) determine, for each of the plurality of locations, whether the surface includes gingiva based on the first reflectance data; (ii) automatically adjust an intensity of a light emitter corresponding to one of the plurality of surfaces to a second intensity different from the first intensity and / or automatically adjust a gain of a light detector corresponding to one of the plurality of surfaces based at least in part on the first reflectance data; and (iii) determine, based on the second reflectance data obtained after the automatic adjustment step, whether the gingiva at each of the plurality of surfaces determined to include gingiva is inflamed.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the controller is configured to adjust the intensity of the light emitter such that the second reflectivity measurement is constrained by an optimal dynamic range of an analog-to-digital converter used to digitize the reflectivity measurement.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the controller is configured to adjust a gain of the light detector such that the second reflectivity measurement is constrained by an optimal dynamic range of an analog-to-digital converter used to digitize the reflectivity measurement.

[0016] According to an embodiment, the controller is configured to automatically adjust a gain of a light detector corresponding to a surface determined to include gingiva. According to an embodiment, the controller is configured to automatically adjust a gain of a light detector corresponding to a surface determined not to include gingiva.

[0017] According to an embodiment, the controller is configured to automatically adjust the intensity of light emitters corresponding to surfaces determined to include gums. According to an embodiment, the controller is configured to automatically adjust the intensity of light emitters corresponding to surfaces determined not to include gums.

[0018] As used herein for the purposes of the present disclosure, the term "controller" is generally used to describe various devices related to the operation of an oral care device, system, or method. A controller can be implemented in a variety of ways (e.g., such as with dedicated hardware) to perform the various functions discussed herein. A "processor" is an example of a controller that employs one or more microprocessors that can be programmed using software (e.g., microcode) to perform the various functions discussed herein. A controller may be implemented with or without a processor, and may also be implemented as a combination of dedicated hardware to perform some functions and a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuitry) to perform other functions. Examples of controller components that may be employed in various embodiments of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, conventional microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0019] As used herein, the term "user interface" refers to an interface between a human user or operator and one or more devices that enables communication between the user and the device(s). Examples of user interfaces that may be employed in various implementations of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, switches, potentiometers, buttons, dials, sliders, trackballs, display screens, various types of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), touch screens, microphones, and other types of sensors that may receive some form of human-generated stimulus and generate signals in response thereto.

[0020] It should be understood that all combinations of the aforementioned concepts and the additional concepts discussed in more detail below (assuming such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are considered to be part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of the claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are considered to be part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein.

[0021] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In the drawings, like reference numerals generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. Furthermore, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

[0023] Figure 1is a schematic diagram of an oral care device according to an embodiment.

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a head of an oral care device according to an embodiment.

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a head of an oral care device according to an embodiment.

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an inflammation localization system according to an embodiment.

[0027] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a method for locating gingival inflammation according to an embodiment.

[0028] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of teeth and gum tissue of a user, according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The present disclosure describes various embodiments of methods and devices for detecting gingival inflammation using an oral care device. More generally, the applicant has recognized and appreciated that it would be beneficial to provide a system for detecting local tissue inflammation. Therefore, the methods described herein or otherwise contemplated provide a device, such as an oral care device configured to obtain measurements of gingival tissue. The oral care device includes one or more of various sensors having one or more light emitters and light detectors to obtain information about gingival tissue at multiple sampling locations. The one or more light emitters are configured to emit light at a first intensity, and the photodetector is configured to obtain reflectivity measurements from locations within the user's mouth. The device determines which locations include gingiva, and the device then automatically adjusts the intensity of the one or more light emitters that illuminate the gingiva, and / or automatically adjusts the gain of one or more of the photodetectors corresponding to the locations of the gingiva. The one or more light emitters emit light again, and the photodetector obtains new reflectivity measurements for locations determined to include the gingiva. The device uses the new reflectivity measurements to determine whether the gingiva at any of these locations is inflamed. The oral care device can report this information to the user or a third party.

[0030] The embodiments and implementations disclosed or otherwise contemplated herein may be utilized with any oral device, including but not limited to a toothbrush, a dental floss device, an oral irrigator, or any other oral device. For example, one application of the embodiments and implementations herein is to use a dedicated handheld oral inflammation detection device to assess inflammation of gingival tissue. Another application is to use an oral care device (such as a toothbrush or a dental floss device) to assess inflammation of gingival tissue. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific applications, and thus the disclosures and embodiments disclosed herein may encompass any oral device.

[0031] Reference Figure 1 , in one embodiment, is an oral care device 10 having a body portion 12 and a nozzle member 14 mounted on the body portion. According to an embodiment, the nozzle member 14 is configured to allow pressurized liquid and / or air to enter a nozzle from a reservoir (not shown) in the body 12, where the pressurized liquid and / or air is applied to the interdental area of ​​the user. The nozzle member 14 can be removably mounted on the body portion 12 so that the nozzle can be periodically replaced with a new nozzle when components of the device wear or otherwise need to be replaced.

[0032] The body portion 12 is also provided with a user input 26. The user input 26 allows a user to operate the oral care device 10, for example to turn the oral care device on and off. The user input 26 may be, for example, a button, a touch screen or a switch.

[0033] The oral care device 10 may optionally include one or more sensors 28. Figure 1 , the sensor 28 is shown within the main body 12, but the sensor can be located anywhere within the device. The sensor 28 can be used to characterize the orientation and displacement of the device. According to an embodiment, these sensors provide information about the position of the device relative to a body part of a user, a fixed point, and / or one or more other locations. According to an embodiment, the sensor 28 is placed in a predetermined position and orientation in the oral cleaning device 10, and the nozzle is in a fixed spatial relative arrangement relative to the sensor 28. Therefore, the orientation and position of the nozzle can be easily determined based on the known orientation and position of the sensor 28.

[0034] The information generated by the sensor 28 is provided to the controller 30. The controller 30 may be formed of one or more modules and is configured to operate the oral cleaning device 10 in response to an input, such as an input obtained via the user input terminal 26. According to an embodiment, the sensor 28 is integrated with the controller 30. The controller 30 may include, for example, at least a processor 32, a memory 34, and a connection module 38. The processor 32 may take any suitable form, including but not limited to a microcontroller, a plurality of microcontrollers, a circuit system, a single processor, or a plurality of processors. The memory 34 may take any suitable form, including non-volatile memory and / or RAM. The non-volatile memory may include a read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid-state drive (SSD). Among other things, the memory may store an operating system. The processor uses RAM for temporary storage of data. According to an embodiment, the operating system may include code that controls the operation of the hardware components of the oral cleaning device 10 when executed by the controller 30. According to an embodiment, the connectivity module 38 transmits the collected sensor data and may be any module, device or apparatus capable of transmitting wired or wireless signals, including but not limited to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, near field communication and / or cellular modules.

[0035] According to an embodiment, the oral care device 10 includes a user interface 46, which is configured to provide information to the user before, during and / or after the care session. The user interface 46 can take many different forms, but is configured to provide information to the user. For example, information related to inflammation of one or more tissues in the mouth can be read, viewed, heard, felt and / or otherwise interpreted. According to an embodiment, the user interface 46 provides feedback to the user, and the feedback includes information about where the tissue is inflamed and / or how much inflammation there is. Therefore, the user interface can be a display that provides information to the user, a tactile mechanism that provides tactile feedback to the user, a speaker that provides sound or text to the user, or any of a variety of other user interface mechanisms. For example, the system can provide feedback via a smartphone application, a website, or via any other interface that is configured to share information with the user.

[0036] Reference Figure 2 , in one embodiment, is a nozzle 14 of an oral care device. The nozzle includes a nozzle head portion having a centrally located guide tip 18. According to one embodiment, the nozzle head includes at least one light emitter 42 and at least one light receiver 40. Although the light emitter 42 can have many other shapes and sizes, according to Figure 2In the embodiment depicted in , the light emitter is an annular light emitting fiber bundle or a light emitting light guide. The one or more light emitters can be or include any light source, such as an LED light source, which emits light capable of facilitating the detection of gingival inflammation. According to an embodiment, the one or more light emitters include light from one or more light sources 48 (such as LEDs), and are connected from the LEDs to the light emitters on the surface of the oral care device via optical fibers or light guides. According to an embodiment, the light source generates light of at least two wavelengths (such as 480nm and 680nm) that allow characterization of oxygen saturation in human tissue and thereby detection of local inflammation. In general, tissue exhibiting low tissue oxygenation indicates gingival inflammation.

[0037] Similarly, the optical receiver 40 is any optical receiver capable of facilitating the detection of gingival inflammation. For example, according to an embodiment, the optical receiver is a photodetector or a photodiode, or any other sensor capable of detecting light emitted by the optical transmitter 42. According to an embodiment, the optical receiver is a photodiode connected to an optical fiber or a light guide. Each optical receiver can be configured to detect more than two wavelengths, or alternatively, each optical receiver can be configured to detect only a single wavelength. According to another embodiment, the optical receiver 40 is a pixel array configured to obtain one or more images of tissue illuminated by light emitted from the optical transmitter 42. The optical receiver can include multiple detection optical fibers that are used simultaneously or can be time-division multiplexed.

[0038] Figure 2 One advantage of the design of the oral care device in is that the sensor is able to capture spatial information as well as gum inflammation information. Since the information associated with each transmitter-receiver pair comes from a unique tissue location, the localization of the inflammation is known.

[0039] In this embodiment, the guide tip 18 provides tactile feedback to the user, which facilitates correct interdental positioning near the gums. According to an embodiment, when correctly positioned in the mouth, each light receiver 40 measures a different portion of the tissue surface, which is approximately the location between the light emitter and the light receiver. For example, when placed at the junction between two teeth and the gums, the light emitter will illuminate the entire area, and several light receivers 40 will be on the gums to detect inflammation, while other light receivers will be simultaneously placed on teeth that can be easily distinguished based on the measured spectral response.

[0040] Many different configurations of light emitters 42 and light detectors 40 are possible, depending on the embodiment. Figure 3, for example, is an embodiment of an oral care device 10 that is primarily configured to measure gum inflammation. The oral care device includes a head portion having a single centralized light emitter 42 and a plurality of light detectors 40. According to similar embodiments, the device may include a single centralized light detector 40 and one or more light emitters 42.

[0041] One or more light emitters 42 and light detectors 40 are positioned on the device 10 so that the surface of the gum tissue from which data is obtained is not directly illuminated by the light emitters. Figure 2 , light emitter 42 emits light to the tissue in front of it, and light detector 40 obtains reflectance data from tissue located at or very close to the "X" shown on the device, but the light detector may also obtain reflectance data from tissue located in front of it. Therefore, according to an embodiment, the light emitter and the surface from which data is obtained do not overlap. This situation is in contrast to a camera system in which the imaging surface is directly illuminated. For example, when the surface is directly illuminated, the detection or image is dominated by near-surface scattering, which prevents analysis of gingival tissue as described herein.

[0042] Reference Figure 4 , in one embodiment, is an inflammation localization system 400. According to an embodiment, the inflammation localization system 400 includes a controller 30, which includes a processor 32 and a memory 34. The inflammation localization system also includes one or more light emitters 42, each light emitter having one or more light sources 48. The inflammation localization system 400 includes light detectors 40, which provide sensor data to the controller 30. The controller 30 of the inflammation localization system 400 includes an adjustment module 410, which automatically adjusts the intensity of one or more light emitters 42, and / or automatically adjusts the gain of the light detector 40. The adjustment module 410 can adjust only the intensity, or can adjust only the gain, or both.

[0043] The controller 30 of the inflammation localization system 400 includes an inflammation detection and localization module 420. The inflammation detection and localization module analyzes the reflectivity data from the light detector 40 to determine whether the gum tissue is inflamed and where the tissue is located. The inflammation detection and localization module may also optionally include device localization information from the sensor 28.

[0044] According to an embodiment, the inflammation localization system 400 includes a user interface 46 that provides information about the state and / or location of the tissue to the user. The user interface 46 may be or may include a feedback module that provides direct feedback to the user via tactile signals, audio signals, visual signals, and / or any other type of signal.

[0045] According to an embodiment, the inflammation localization system 400 can be implemented in any device configured to be in proximity to tissue that can be quantified. For example, the inflammation localization system 400 can be implemented as an oral care device such as a toothbrush, an oral irrigator, a tongue cleaner, or any other oral care device.

[0046] Reference Figure 5 , in one embodiment, is a flow chart of a method 500 for locating inflammation of gingival tissue within a user's mouth. In step 510, an inflammation locating system 400 is provided. The inflammation locating system can be any device or system described or otherwise contemplated herein. Generally, the inflammation locating system will include: one or more light emitters 42 having one or more light sources 48; a light detector 40; an adjustment module 410 configured to automatically adjust the intensity of one or more of the one or more light emitters 42 and / or automatically adjust the gain of one or more light detectors 40; and an inflammation detection and locating module 420 configured to analyze reflectance data to identify inflamed gingiva. Many other components and configurations are possible. Although the method 500 is described within the framework of the oral care device 10, the method can be implemented using any other inflammation locating analysis system.

[0047] At step 520 of the method, one or more light emitters 42 emit light having a first intensity, and the light beam of each light emitter strikes the gingival tissue. According to an embodiment, the emitted light only indirectly strikes the gingival tissue analyzed by the light detector 40. The light emitters may include one or more light sources 48, and the system may be configured to activate one or more light emitters in response to a trigger. Depending on the design of the device, the light emitters may be spaced apart or co-located.

[0048] At least some of the one or more light emitters may be configured so that different wavelengths of light are emitted, and / or the light emitters may emit different wavelengths at different times. For example, the device may be configured so that different wavelengths are emitted by different light emitters, and / or the device may be configured so that different wavelengths are emitted by different light sources 48 of the light emitter 42. Thus, the device may include multiple emitted wavelengths of light. According to an embodiment, for effective gingivitis detection, several wavelengths are sampled at each location to give a measured spectrum from which tissue oxygenation can be measured and gingival condition can be assessed. For example, high oxygenation indicates gingival health, while low oxygenation indicates gingivitis. The number of wavelengths may be as low as two, or may be a detailed spectrum with hundreds of channels, but for most purposes the number of wavelengths is between four and eight.

[0049] At step 530 of the method, at least one light detector 40 obtains reflectivity data, such as reflectivity from a surface reflecting light emitted by one or more light emitters 42 during light emission at step 520. The light detector may obtain data continuously, or may obtain data only in response to a trigger. For example, the light detector may be triggered in response to activation of a light emitter to obtain sensor data.

[0050] As discussed herein, the light detector 40 can be positioned in a non-overlapping position relative to the light emitter 42 so that the detected tissue is only indirectly illuminated by the light from the light emitter. This configuration of (multiple) light detectors and (multiple) light emitters results in significant improvements in both the device and inflammation detection. For example, among other benefits, the non-overlapping configuration described or otherwise contemplated herein maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio and enhances the detection of localized gingival inflammation by reducing near-surface scattering and other inhibitory factors. The light detector 40 of the oral care device can be positioned in or anywhere on the oral care device, and can be positioned to obtain information about various locations of the mouth or other surface being analyzed.

[0051] According to an embodiment, the light detector 40 is a broadband detector configured to obtain broadband spectral data. The light detector will be configured to obtain data at least at wavelengths required to evaluate oxygenation of the gums, to distinguish between gums and non-gum tissue, and / or other parameters required to perform care using the device. According to another embodiment, the light detector 40 is a narrowband detector configured to obtain narrowband spectral data.

[0052] Once the light detector 40 acquires reflectivity data, the data may be communicated to the controller continuously or periodically. Optionally, the acquired reflectivity data may be stored in temporary or long-term memory for analysis at a later time.

[0053] At step 540 of the method, the controller 30 of the oral care device 10 analyzes the reflectance data to determine which of the multiple analysis locations are gingival and / or non-gingival. According to one embodiment, the inflammation detection and positioning module 420, which can be implemented as an algorithm, analyzes the reflectance data in one or more steps. For example, as an initial step, the module rejects potential outliers in the data. Outliers can include falsified measurements and reflectance data from objects that may not be gingival tissue, such as food fragments, teeth, and other objects. Because the absorption spectra of objects (such as teeth and food fragments) differ greatly from the absorption spectrum of gingival tissue, the two can be distinguished. According to an embodiment, outliers are detected at points with absorption spectra that do not correspond to gingival tissue, which do not substantially show the sharp spectral characteristics of hemoglobin absorption.

[0054] According to an embodiment, the inflammation detection and localization module 420 determines the reflectivity ratio of two or more different wavelengths. For example, using sample data of spectra obtained at 550nm and 660nm, the reflectivity ratio will provide a value of 2.38 for gingival tissue and a value of 1.21 for teeth. Similarly, the reflectivity ratio between the blue light wavelength (400nm to 480nm) and the green light wavelength (480nm to 550nm) will provide a value of 5.96 for gingival tissue and a value of 1.44 for teeth. Therefore, the inflammation detection and localization module 420 can be configured or programmed with a predetermined threshold to identify gingival tissue. According to an embodiment, the system compares the reflectivity ratio with a predetermined threshold and characterizes the location as gingival or non-gingival based on whether the determined reflectivity ratio exceeds or does not exceed the predetermined threshold. As just one example, the threshold value of 2 in both examples above will be interpreted between gingival and non-gingival; a reflectivity ratio above 2 is characterized as gingival, and a reflectivity ratio below 2 is characterized as non-gingival. The system will then discard the data from the non-gingiva and will only continue analyzing the data obtained from the gingiva.

[0055] According to another embodiment, at step 550 of the method, the system analyzes the obtained reflectance data to determine which of the multiple analysis locations are gingiva and / or are not gingiva by weighting the reflectance data. For example, the system may apply high weights to reflectance data indicating gingiva, and / or may apply low weights to reflectance data indicating anything other than gingiva. A system configured to weight the reflectance data may apply weights only to reflectance data indicating gingiva, may apply weights only to reflectance data indicating non-gingiva, or may apply weights to both cases during analysis. The weighting process may be a programmed or predetermined weighting process, or may be a machine-learned weighting process. Using the weighting process, the system may utilize one or more weighting factors to focus on reflectance data indicating gingiva for further analysis, including analysis of possible inflammation. In addition to removing non-gingival reflectance data and weighting gingival and / or non-gingival reflectance data, other methods of determining which of the multiple analysis locations are gingiva are also possible.

[0056] At step 550 of the method, the system automatically adjusts the intensity of one or more light emitters corresponding to or near one or more locations determined to include gingival tissue. Additionally or alternatively, the system automatically adjusts the gain of the light detector corresponding to or near one or more locations determined to include gingival tissue. According to one embodiment, the adjustment module 410, which can be implemented as an algorithm, analyzes the reflectivity data and / or the determined gingival location to adjust the intensity and / or gain.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the adjustment module 410 is configured to adjust the intensity and / or gain so as to keep the reflectance signal for each location within the optimal dynamic range of the ADC used to digitize the sample while minimizing noise. For example, due to the absorption of the sensed chromophore, the intensity of the reflectance signal may be higher or lower for different parts of the spectrum. When tissue oxygen saturation is calculated from the reflectance signal, errors in the calculation may be dominated by the spectral components with the highest noise levels. According to an embodiment, the system may implement a feedback loop (such as a control loop running in a microcontroller), or be electronically implemented as a feedback circuit in the system.

[0058] Reference Figure 6 , in one embodiment, is a schematic diagram of a user's teeth 60 and gum tissue 62. An oral care device (not shown) having a plurality of light detectors 40a-f and light emitters 42 is aligned over the gum and tooth tissue. Figure 6 An example of the approximate location where a light emitter will emit light into tissue and a light detector will detect the emitted light is depicted. At step 530 of the method, each light detector 40a-f obtains a reflectivity measurement of the location corresponding to that light detector. Figure 6 For example, light detectors 40a and 40f are located above the gums, while the remaining light detectors are located above the teeth. Therefore, light detectors 40a and 40f located above the gums will return much lower light levels than the remaining light detectors located above the teeth, which receive much higher light levels due to increased reflectivity.

[0059] Thus, the inflammation detection and localization module 420 can analyze the reflectivity measurements to determine that the light detectors 40a and 40f are located above the gums, while the remaining light detectors are located above the teeth. The adjustment module 410 can then analyze the reflectivity data and / or the determined gum positions to automatically adjust the intensity of the light emitter 42 and / or the gain of the light detectors 40a and 40f to constrain the reflectivity signal for each position to be within the optimal dynamic range of the ADC used to digitize the sample and / or to minimize noise.

[0060] According to an embodiment, in a system that performs wavelength separation at the light emission source (such as a narrowband source in a central illumination point surrounded by a broadband detector ring), the gain for each zone determined to include the gums is automatically adjusted by the system at the photodiode amplifier. In this example, the light detector determined to be located above the teeth (or determined not to be located above the gums) can be set to a low gain to avoid saturating the ADC. According to one embodiment, although many other methods are possible, the ADC readings can be corrected by a known gain setting to give a correct overall reading for internal processing. For example, the system can also or alternatively adjust the gain of the light detector determined to be located above the gums.

[0061] According to an embodiment, in a system where wavelength separation is performed at the light detector (such as, for example, a broadband light source in a ring surrounding a central detection point), the gain for each zone determined to include the gums is automatically adjusted by, for example, modulating the illumination intensity of the light emitter to produce similar signal amplitudes at the detector circuit. Optionally, if necessary, the microcontroller can correct the readings for known illumination brightness differences.

[0062] According to an embodiment, only with respect to locations identified as including gingiva does the adjustment module 410 select one or more gains utilized by the system. This determination is based on previous readings and classification of the spectrum from each location as gingival or non-gingival.

[0063] At 560 of the method, one or more light emitters 42 of the oral care device 10 emit light, and the light beam of each light emitter strikes the gum tissue. One or more of the light emitters 42 can be adjusted to emit light with different intensities. For example, if it is determined that the light emitter has obtained previous reflectivity data from a location determined to be the gums, the light emitter can emit light with different intensities (stronger or weaker). As another example, all light emitters corresponding to locations other than the gums can be automatically adjusted by the adjustment module 410 to emit light with different intensities (stronger or weaker).

[0064] Similarly, the gain of one or more photodetectors 40 can be automatically adjusted to constrain the reflectivity signal for each location to be within the optimal dynamic range of the ADC used to digitize the sample and / or to minimize noise. For example, if it is determined that the photodetector has obtained previous reflectivity data from a location determined to be gingival, the gain of the photodetector can be adjusted. As another example, the gain of all photodetectors corresponding to other gingival locations can be automatically adjusted by the adjustment module 410.

[0065] At step 570 of the method, the controller 30 of the oral care device 10 analyzes the new reflectivity data obtained in step 560 to determine which of the analyzed locations include inflamed gums. For example, the inflammation detection and localization module 420 analyzes the new reflectivity data for all locations or only for locations determined to include gums. The analysis can be performed while the device is acquiring data, or can be completed after the oral care device ends a session, or the analysis can be performed at the request of the user.

[0066] According to an embodiment, the inflammation detection and localization module 420 uses the reflectivity data to determine or characterize the approximate tissue oxygenation level of the gingival tissue. Because tissue oxygen saturation is significantly reduced in gingivitis and periodontitis locations compared to healthy locations, the module can select the signal exhibiting the lowest tissue oxygenation, which indicates the highest level of gingival inflammation. This can be performed, for example, by selecting the maximum value from a given data set, or by taking the average of the X top percentiles from a given data set, among other methods. The module can obtain this information, for example, at each location where data is obtained. The inflammation detection and localization module 420 will therefore generate information about locations within the mouth where gingival inflammation may exist.

[0067] At step 580 of the method, the system or device optionally provides feedback to the user and / or a third party regarding the inflammation localization information. The user interface 46 of the oral care device 10 can, for example, provide direct and / or indirect feedback to the user while using the oral care device or after a cleaning or scanning session. As an example, after each measurement, whenever inflammation is detected, the device can provide direct feedback to the user using audio, visual, tactile, and / or digital feedback.

[0068] According to another embodiment, the system or device may provide feedback to the user after the scanning session is completed. As an example, once the scanning session is completed, the system or device may provide feedback by displaying a visual representation of the inflammation level. For example, the feedback may include a mouth map - using position sensing technology during the measurement - showing the inflammation level in its absolute form or highlighting one or more specific sites in relative form. According to an embodiment, the device may scale or otherwise grade the inflammation levels using multiple colors or other physical representations. For example, the user may focus only on areas of severe inflammation or inflammation above a certain level.

[0069] According to an embodiment, inflammation data is stored locally or remotely and / or communicated to a third party. For example, according to an embodiment, a patient may be instructed to use an oral care device to assess inflammation during an appointment with a dental care professional. The inflammation information would then be communicated to the dental care professional using a report or other mechanism. As another example, a user may collect inflammation data that is automatically or periodically transmitted to a remote healthcare professional or other intended or authorized entity where the inflammation data may be analyzed continuously or during an appointment with the user.

[0070] All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0071] Unless explicitly indicated to the contrary, the indefinite articles "a" and "an" as used herein in the specification and in the claims should be understood to mean "at least one".

[0072] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase "and / or" should be understood to mean "one or both" of the elements so connected, i.e., elements that are present in conjunction in some cases and in separate cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be interpreted in the same manner, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so connected. In addition to the elements specifically identified by the "and / or" clause, other elements may optionally be present, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.

[0073] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" as defined above. For example, when the items in the list are separated, "or" or "and / or" should be interpreted as inclusive, that is, including at least one of multiple elements or lists of elements, but also including more than one of multiple elements or lists of elements, and optional additional unlisted items. Only the terms that are clearly indicated in the opposite direction (such as "only one of them" or "just one of them", or when used in the claims, "consisting of...") will refer to just including one element in a plurality of elements or lists of elements. Usually, when there is an exclusive term (such as "either", "one of", "only one of them" or "just one of them") in front, the term "or" as used herein should only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternative terms (i.e. "one or the other but not both").

[0074] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, when referring to a list of one or more elements, the phrase "at least one" should be understood to mean any one or more selected from the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each element specifically listed in the list of elements and not excluding any combination of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements other than the elements specifically identified in the list of elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers may optionally be present, whether related or unrelated to those specifically identified elements.

[0075] It should also be understood that in any method claimed herein that includes more than one step or action, the order of the method steps or actions is not necessarily limited to the order in which the method steps or actions are described unless explicitly indicated to the contrary.

[0076] In the claims and the above description, all transitional phrases (such as "comprising", "including", "carrying", "having", "containing", "involving", "holding", "consisting of", etc.) should be understood as open-ended, i.e., meaning including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" should be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.

[0077] Although several inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and / or structures for performing functions and / or obtaining results and / or one or more advantages described herein, and each such variation and / or modification is considered to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, a person of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary, and that actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend on one or more specific applications for which the present invention is taught. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize or be able to determine many equivalents of the specific inventive embodiments described herein using no more than routine experimentation. Therefore, it should be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented only by way of example, and within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the inventive embodiments may be practiced in other ways than those specifically described and claimed. The inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and / or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits and / or methods is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits and / or methods are not mutually inconsistent.

Claims

1. A computer program product having a computer program thereon for implementing a method (500) for locating gingival inflammation using an oral care device (10), the method comprising: emitting (520) light at a first intensity via a light emitter (42) of the oral care device; obtaining (530) a first plurality of reflectance measurements from a surface at each of a plurality of locations within a user's mouth by a light detector (40) of the oral care device to generate first reflectance data for each of the plurality of locations; determining (540), by a controller (30) of the oral care device from the first reflectivity data for each of the plurality of locations, whether the surface includes gums; automatically adjusting (550) an intensity of a light emitter corresponding to one of a plurality of surfaces including the gingiva to a second intensity different from the first intensity and / or automatically adjusting (550) a gain of a light detector corresponding to one of the plurality of surfaces including the gingiva based at least in part on the first reflectivity data; obtaining (560) a second plurality of reflectance measurements for at least some of the plurality of locations by the light detector of the oral care device; as well as Using the second plurality of reflectivity measurements, it is determined (570), by the controller, whether gingiva at each of the plurality of surfaces determined to include gingiva is inflamed.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the intensity of light from the light emitter is adjusted so that the reflectivity measurement is constrained by an optimal dynamic range of an analog-to-digital converter used to digitize the reflectivity measurement.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the gain of the light detector is adjusted so that the reflectivity measurement is constrained by an optimal dynamic range of an analog-to-digital converter used to digitize the reflectivity measurement.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises: The gain of the light detectors corresponding to the surfaces determined not to include gingiva is adjusted.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises: The intensity of light from the light emitters corresponding to the surface determined not to include gingiva is adjusted.

6. The computer program product according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: Information is provided (580) regarding whether the gums at the location include inflammation.

7. A device (10) configured to locate gingival inflammation, comprising: a light emitter (42) configured to emit light at a first intensity; a light detector (40) configured to obtain a first reflectance measurement from a surface at each of a plurality of locations within a user's mouth to generate first reflectance data for each of the plurality of locations in response to the light emitted at the first intensity, wherein the light detector is further configured to obtain a second reflectance measurement from one or more of the surfaces to generate second reflectance data; as well as A controller (30) is configured to: (i) determine, for each of the multiple positions, whether the surface includes gums based on the first reflectivity data; (ii) automatically adjust the intensity of light from a light emitter corresponding to one of the multiple surfaces including gums to a second intensity different from the first intensity based at least in part on the first reflectivity data, and / or automatically adjust the gain of a light detector corresponding to one of the multiple surfaces including gums; and (iii) determine, based on the second reflectivity data obtained after the automatic adjustment step, whether the gums at each of the multiple surfaces determined to include gums are inflamed.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the intensity of the light from the light emitter so that the second reflectivity measurement is constrained by an optimal dynamic range of an analog-to-digital converter used to digitize the reflectivity measurement.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the gain of the light detector so that the second reflectivity measurement is constrained by an optimal dynamic range of an analog-to-digital converter used to digitize the reflectivity measurement.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically adjust a gain of a light detector corresponding to a surface determined not to include gingiva.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically adjust an intensity of light from light emitters corresponding to surfaces determined to not include gums.

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