Method and system for improving motion robustness during local oral inflammation measurements

Abstract

A method for locating gingivitis using an oral care device comprises: emitting (520) light through one or more light emitters (42) of the oral care device; obtaining (530) reflectance measurements of a plurality of locations at a first rate by one or more light detectors (40) to generate first reflectance data; a controller (30) of the oral care device using the first reflectance data to determine (540) whether the location includes gingiva; obtaining (550) reflectance measurements of each location determined to include gingiva by the one or more light detectors at a second rate to generate gingival reflectance data, wherein the second rate is faster than the first rate; and determining (560) by the controller using the gingival reflectance data whether the gingiva at the location is inflamed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for improving detection of localized gingivitis using oral care devices. Background Art

[0002] Proper toothbrushing, including the duration and coverage of brushing, helps promote long-term dental health. People who do not brush their teeth regularly or do not brush adequately can experience a number of dental problems, especially in specific areas or parts of the mouth. In people who brush their teeth regularly, improper brushing habits can result in low brushing coverage, resulting in insufficient surfaces being cleaned during cleaning, even when following standard brushing techniques, such as brushing for 2 minutes twice a day.

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

[0004] Inflammation of tissues within the mouth is one of the key signs of periodontal disease. Detecting inflammation would indicate the presence of a disease state and would alert the individual that treatment is needed to resolve the issue. For example, if detected, gingivitis is reversible with proper home care, while bone loss caused by periodontitis requires professional treatment. However, existing methods and devices are unable to adequately identify or quantify inflammation of tissues, especially localized inflammation. For example, handheld devices provide poor detection of gingivitis because they either analyze large areas of the mouth, resulting in large signal-to-noise ratios that interfere with detection, or require so many measurements that they are not user-friendly. In addition, movement of the user's hand may cause the handheld device to produce artifacts and poor readings. As a result, periodontal disease is often not detected.

[0005] Therefore, there is a continuing need in the art for oral care methods and devices that account for the movement of a user's hands during detection of localized gingivitis. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present disclosure relates to inventive methods and systems for detecting tissue inflammation using an oral care device. Various embodiments and implementations of the present invention relate to an oral care device configured to obtain measurements of gingival tissue to identify localized gingivitis. The oral care device includes a sensor having a configuration of one or more light emitters and one or more photodetectors or imagers to obtain information about gingival tissue at multiple sampling locations. The device obtains sensor data at a first rate to determine which sampling location includes the gingiva, and then obtains sensor data for the location determined to include the gingiva at a second, faster rate. The device uses this data to determine whether the gingiva at that location is inflamed. According to one embodiment, the oral care device alerts a user of the presence of inflammation in real time or through a post-cleaning report, and may optionally provide positioning information to the user.

[0007] In general, in one aspect, a method for locating gingivitis in a user's mouth using an oral care device is provided. The method includes: (i) emitting light through one or more light emitters of the oral care device; (ii) obtaining reflectance measurements of a plurality of locations in the user's mouth through one or more light detectors at a first rate to generate first reflectance data for each of the plurality of locations; (iii) using the first reflectance data by a controller of the oral care device to determine whether each of the plurality of locations includes gingiva; (iv) obtaining reflectance measurements of each location determined to include gingiva through the one or more light detectors at a second rate to generate gingival reflectance data, wherein the second rate is faster than the first rate; and (v) using the gingival reflectance data by the controller to determine whether the gingiva at the location is inflamed.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of providing information on whether the gums at a certain location comprise inflammation.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of determining whether the oral care device has moved based on the reflectance data generated at the first rate. According to one embodiment, the step of determining whether the oral care device has moved comprises comparing the reflectance data generated at the first rate to the first reflectance data of one or more of the plurality of positions.

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

[0011] According to one embodiment, the step of determining whether the gums at a location are inflamed includes determining an approximate tissue oxygenation level of the gums at each of the remaining plurality of locations, wherein a low tissue oxygenation level indicates inflamed gums.

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

[0013] According to one aspect, a device configured to locate gingivitis in a user's mouth is provided. The device includes: (i) a light emitter configured to emit light; (ii) a light detector configured to obtain reflectance measurements of a plurality of locations in the user's mouth at a first rate to generate first reflectance data for each of the plurality of locations; and (iii) a controller configured to determine, for each of the plurality of locations based on the first reflectance data, whether the location includes gingiva; wherein the light detector is further configured to obtain reflectance measurements of each location determined to include gingiva at a second rate to generate gingival reflectance data, wherein the second rate is faster than the first rate; and wherein the controller is further configured to determine, based on the gingival reflectance data, whether the gingiva at the location is inflamed.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the device further comprises a user interface configured to provide information on whether gums at a certain location comprise inflammation.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the controller is further configured to determine whether the oral care device has moved based on the reflectance data generated at the first rate. According to one embodiment, the controller is configured to determine whether the oral care device has moved by comparing the reflectance data generated at the first rate with first reflectance data at one or more of the plurality of positions.

[0016] As used herein for the purposes of the present disclosure, the term "controller" is generally used to describe various devices associated with the operation of an oral care device, system, or method. A controller can be implemented in a variety of ways (e.g., by dedicated hardware) to perform the various functions discussed herein. A "processor" is an example of a controller using one or more microprocessors that can be programmed using software (e.g., microcode) to perform the various functions discussed herein. A controller can be implemented with or without a processor, and can also be implemented as a combination of dedicated hardware that performs certain functions and a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuits) that performs other functions. Examples of controller components that can be used 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).

[0017] The term "user interface" as used herein refers to an interface between a human user or operator and one or more devices that enables communication between the user and the devices. Examples of user interfaces that may be used in various embodiments 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 receive some form of artificial stimulus and generate signals in response thereto.

[0018] It should be understood that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and the additional concepts discussed in more detail below (provided that these 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.

[0019] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In the drawings, like reference numerals generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. Also, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

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

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

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a head of an oral care device according to an embodiment.

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an inflammation localization system according to an embodiment.

[0025] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a method for locating gingivitis according to an embodiment.

[0026] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a portion of an oral care device positioned within a mouth according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The present disclosure describes various embodiments of methods and devices for detecting gingivitis using an oral care device. More generally, applicants have 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, that is configured to obtain measurements of gingival tissue. The oral care device includes one or more of a variety of sensor arrays having at least one light emitter and at least one photodetector or imager to obtain information about gingival tissue at multiple sampling locations. The device obtains sensor data at a first rate to determine which sampling location includes the gingiva, and then obtains sensor data for a location determined to include the gingiva at a second, faster rate. The device uses this data to determine whether the gingiva at that location is inflamed. The oral care device can then report this information to a user or a third party.

[0028] The embodiments and implementations disclosed or otherwise contemplated herein may be used 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 of the present application is to assess inflammation of gingival tissue using a dedicated handheld oral inflammation detection device. Another application is to assess inflammation of gingival tissue using oral care. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the devices as described herein, and thus the disclosure and embodiments disclosed herein may include any oral device.

[0029] See also Figure 1 In one embodiment, oral care device 10 has a body portion 12 and a nozzle member 14 mounted on the body portion. According to one embodiment, nozzle member 14 can be configured to allow pressurized liquid and / or air to flow from a container (not shown) in body 12 to a nozzle head where it is applied to the interdental area of ​​the user. Nozzle member 14 can be removably mounted on body portion 12 so that the nozzle can be periodically replaced with a new nozzle when parts of the device wear or otherwise need to be replaced.

[0030] 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, such as turning the oral care device on and off. The user input 26 may be, for example, a button, a touch screen, or a switch.

[0031] Oral care device 10 may optionally include one or more sensors 28. Sensors 28 may be Figure 128 is shown within the main body 12, but can be located anywhere within the device. The sensors 28 can be used to characterize the orientation and displacement of the device. According to one 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 one embodiment, the sensor 28 is disposed in the oral cleaning device 10 in a predetermined position and orientation, and the nozzle is in a fixed spatial relative arrangement relative to the sensor 28. Therefore, based on the known orientation and position of the sensor 28, the orientation and position of the nozzle can be easily determined.

[0032] The information generated by the first 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 (e.g., an input obtained through the user input 26). According to one embodiment, the sensor 28 is integral with the controller 30. The controller 30 may include, for example, at least one 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, 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 to temporarily store data. According to one embodiment, the operating system may include code that, when executed by the controller 30, controls the operation of the hardware components of the oral cleaning device 10. According to one 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.

[0033] According to one 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 process. The user interface 46 can take a variety of different forms, but is configured to provide information to the user. For example, information about inflammation of one or more tissues in the mouth can be read, viewed, heard, felt and / or otherwise interpreted. According to one 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 sounds or words to the user, or any of various other user interface mechanisms. For example, the system can provide feedback through a smartphone application, a website, or any other interface configured to share information with the user.

[0034] See also Figure 2 , in one embodiment, is a nozzle 14 of an oral care device. The nozzle comprises a nozzle head portion having a centrally located leading tip 18. According to one embodiment, the nozzle head comprises at least one light emitter 42 and at least one light receiver 40.

[0035] according to Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the light emitter 42 is an annular light emitting fiber bundle or a light emitting light guide. The light emitter 42 is any light source capable of emitting light that is helpful for detecting gingivitis, such as an LED light source. According to one embodiment, the light emitter includes combined light from multiple LEDs and is connected from the LEDs to the light emitter on the surface of the oral care device via optical fibers or light guides. According to one embodiment, the light source generates light of at least two wavelengths, such as 480 nanometers and 680 nanometers, which enables characterization of oxygen saturation in human tissues, thereby detecting local inflammation. Generally speaking, tissues exhibiting low tissue oxygenation indicate the presence of gingivitis.

[0036] Similarly, the one or more optical receivers 40 are any optical receivers capable of facilitating gingivitis detection. For example, according to one 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 one embodiment, the optical receiver is a photodiode connected to an optical fiber or a light guide. Each optical receiver can be configured to detect two or more 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 the light emitted by the optical transmitter 42. The optical receiver can include multiple detection optical fibers that are used simultaneously or can be time-division multiplexed.

[0037] Figure 2 One advantage of the design of the oral care device is that the sensor is able to capture spatial information as well as gingivitis information. Since the information associated with each transmitter-receiver pair comes from a unique tissue location, the localization of the inflammation is known.

[0038] In this embodiment, the guide tip 18 provides tactile feedback to the user, which aids in proper interdental positioning near the gums. According to one embodiment, when properly positioned in the mouth, each light receiver 40 measures a different portion of the tissue surface, which is roughly the location between the light emitter and the light receiver. For example, when placed over the junction between two teeth and the gums, the light emitter will illuminate the entire area, and several light receivers 40 will be located on the gums to detect inflammation, while other light receivers will be simultaneously placed on the teeth, which can be easily distinguished from the measured spectral response.

[0039] According to one embodiment, many different configurations of light emitters 42 and light detectors 40 are possible. For example, one possible configuration is a ring of three to twelve light detectors around a single light emitter, and six to eight light detectors may be optimal depending on the size of the head of the oral care device. Alternatively, the device may include a ring of three to twelve light emitters around a single light detector. Many other configurations are also possible.

[0040] One or more light emitters 42 and light detectors 40 are located 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 into tissue in front of it, and light detector 40 obtains reflectance data from tissue at or very near the "X" displayed on the device, although the light detector may also obtain reflectance data from tissue in front of it. Therefore, according to one embodiment, the light emitter and the surface from which data is obtained do not overlap. This is in stark contrast to camera systems that directly illuminate the surface being imaged. For example, when the surface is directly illuminated, the detection or image is dominated by near-surface scattering, which hinders analysis of gingival tissue as described herein.

[0041] For example, refer to Figure 3 , is an embodiment of an oral care device 10 configured not primarily for measuring gingivitis. The oral care device includes a head portion having a single central light emitter 42 and a plurality of light detectors 40. According to similar embodiments, the device may include a single central light detector 40 and one or more light emitters 42.

[0042] See also Figure 4 , in one embodiment, is an inflammation localization system 400. According to one 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 having one or more light sources 48. The inflammation localization system 400 includes one or more light detectors 40, which provide sensor data to the controller 30. The controller 30 of the inflammation localization system 400 includes an inflammation detection and localization module 410. The inflammation detection and localization module analyzes the sensor data from the one or more light detectors 40, and optionally the device positioning information from the sensor 28, and determines whether the analyzed tissue is inflamed and where the tissue is located. The inflammation localization system also includes a user interface 46 that provides information about the state and / or location of the tissue to the user. The user interface 46 can be or can include a feedback module that provides direct feedback to the user through tactile signals, audio signals, visual signals and / or any other type of signal.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the inflammation localization system 400 can be implemented in any device configured to access quantifiable tissue. For example, the inflammation localization system 400 can be implemented as another oral care device, such as a toothbrush, an oral irrigator, a tongue cleaner, or any other oral care device.

[0044] refer to Figure 5 , in one embodiment, is a flow chart of a method 500 for locating inflammation of gingival tissue within a user's mouth. At step 510, an inflammation localization system is provided. The inflammation localization system can be any device or system described or otherwise contemplated herein. Typically, the inflammation localization system will include one or more light emitters 42, one or more light detectors 40, and an inflammation detection and localization module 410 configured to analyze data from the one or more light detectors. Many other components and configurations are also 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 localization analysis system.

[0045] At step 520 of the method, one or more light emitters 42 emit light, and the light beam of each of the light emitters illuminates the gingival tissue. According to one embodiment, the emitted light only indirectly illuminates the gingival tissue analyzed by the light detector 40. The light emitted by the light emitter can be one or more wavelengths. Therefore, the light emitter can include one or more light sources. The light emitter can emit light periodically or continuously, or can emit light only in response to a trigger.

[0046] At step 530 of the method, at least one light detector 40 obtains reflectance data, such as the reflectance of a surface from which light is reflected by the light emitter 42. The light detector may obtain a single data point, or may obtain multiple data points over time. The light detector may obtain data continuously, or may obtain data only in response to a trigger. For example, in response to activation of a light emitter, the light detector may be triggered to obtain sensor data.

[0047] As described herein, the light detector 40 is located in a non-overlapping position relative to the light emitter 42, so that the tissue being detected is only indirectly illuminated by light from the light emitter. This configuration of the light detector and the light emitter results in significant improvements in the device and inflammation detection. For example, by reducing near-surface scattering and other inhibitory factors, the non-overlapping configuration described herein or otherwise contemplated maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio and enhances the detection of localized gingivitis, among other benefits.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the light detector 40 acquires more than one color or spectral region for each position in order to provide a measured spectrum from which oxygen saturation can be calculated, which in turn indicates gum health (with higher oxygenation) or gingivitis (with lower oxygenation). The number of color channels can be as low as two, or can be a detailed spectrum including hundreds of channels. According to one embodiment, four to eight channels may be optimal. The color channels can be defined by a narrowband light source (e.g., a light emitting diode) in combination with a broadband detector (e.g., a photodiode). Alternatively, the color channels can be defined by a broadband light source (e.g., a white light LED) in combination with a narrowband detector (e.g., a photodiode with a narrowband filter, a color filter array, and other photodiode configurations), in addition to many other possible configurations of the system.

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

[0050] Thus, at least one light detector 40 can be configured, programmed or designed to obtain reflectance measurements at a first rate to identify whether the surface includes gingiva. Figure 6 , for example, 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 a light emitter 42 is aligned over the gum and tooth tissue. Figure 6 An example is described in which a light emitter emits light into tissue and a light detector detects the approximate location of the emitted light. At step 530 of the method, each light detector 40a-f obtains a reflectance measurement corresponding to the location of the light detector at a first rate. Figure 6 , for example, light detectors 40a and 40f are located above the gums, while the remaining light detectors are located above the teeth.

[0051] At step 540 of the method, the controller 30 of the oral care device 10 analyzes the obtained reflectance data to determine which of the multiple analyzed locations is and / or is not the gums. For example, the light detector 40 provides the obtained reflectance data to the controller 30, where the data is analyzed by the processor 32 and / or the inflammation detection and localization module 410, and / or stored in the memory 34 for future analysis.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the inflammation detection and localization module 410, which can be implemented as an algorithm, analyzes the obtained reflectance data in one or more steps. For example, as an initial step, the module rejects potential outliers in the data. Outliers may include false measurements, as well as reflectance data of objects that may not be gingival tissue, such as food particles, teeth, and other objects. Because the absorption spectra of objects such as teeth and food particles are very different from the absorption spectrum of gingival tissue, the two can be distinguished. According to one embodiment, outliers detected at points where the absorption spectrum does not correspond to gingival tissue do not substantially display clear spectral features of hemoglobin absorption.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the inflammation detection and localization module 410 determines the reflectance ratio of two different wavelengths. For example, using the spectral sample data obtained at 550nm and 660nm, the reflectance ratio of gingival tissue has a value of 2.38, while the reflectance ratio of teeth is 1.21. Similarly, the reflectance ratio between the blue wavelength (400nm to 480nm) and the green 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 410 can be configured or programmed with a predetermined threshold to identify gingival tissue. According to one embodiment, the system compares the reflectance ratio with a predetermined threshold and characterizes the location as gingival or non-gingival based on whether the determined reflectance ratio exceeds or does not exceed the predetermined threshold. As just one example, a threshold of 2 in the above two examples will be used to decipher gingival and non-gingival; a reflectance ratio above 2 is described as gingival, while a reflectance ratio below 2 is described as non-gingival. The system will then discard the data from the non-gingiva and continue analyzing only the data obtained from the gingiva.

[0054] According to another embodiment, at step 540 of the method, the system analyzes the obtained reflectance data by weighting the reflectance data to determine which of the multiple locations analyzed are and / or are not gingiva. For example, the system may apply a high weight to reflectance data indicating gingiva, and / or may apply a low weight 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 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.

[0055] 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 analyzed locations are gingival are possible.

[0056] At step 550 of the method, once a location is identified as including gingiva or non-gingiva, at least one light detector 40 of the oral care device 10 obtains reflectance measurements at a second rate that is faster than the first rate. The reflectance measurements at these locations are obtained at a rate sufficient to determine gingival health, such as through tissue oxygenation, even if there is any rapid movement of the detector relative to the gingiva, such as a slight tremor in the muscles of the hand positioning the detector.

[0057] refer to Figure 6 , for example, light detectors 40a and 40f are located above the gums and will be instructed by the controller to obtain reflectance measurements at a second rate that is faster than the first rate. According to one embodiment, rather than obtaining reflectance measurements at all locations at the same rate, the measurements are divided into a slow scan cycle that determines the area of ​​interest (e.g., the gums) and a fast scan cycle that makes precise measurements at a second, higher rate. The rate of the slow scan cycle need only be sufficient to determine whether the light detector is located on a tooth or gums, such as when a user guides the device into position. The rate of the fast scan cycle needs to be fast enough to determine gum health as described herein or otherwise contemplated.

[0058] According to one embodiment, for example, referring to Figure 6 , the slow scan can use alternating time slots, so that twelve time slots are required to measure the entire circle. The time slots between the slow measurements can be used to perform fast scan cycles for two locations (40a and 40f) that are identified as gingival based on the slow measurement data. In this example, for the same overall sampling rate, this will result in a 50% increase in the scanning rate for the gingival locations. Of course, different numbers of points can be used in the detector, and different ratios of sampling rates between the fast group and the slow group. For example, if there are a total of ten measurement points, and two measurement points are selected for the fast group, then for the low rate of the slow measurement, the fast group measured rate may be five times faster than if the measurements were evenly distributed at the same total sampling rate (usually the ratio is ("slow group" - "fast group") / "fast group"). According to one embodiment, the ratio of slow to fast can be [slow rate] - [fast rate] / [fast rate].

[0059] Referring to Table 1, in one embodiment, an example of the sampling rate of an oral care device including eight light detectors 40 is shown. In this example, the slow rate obtains data in one of every three time slots to detect gingival and / or non-gingival tissue. The fast rate obtains data in two of every three time slots to determine whether the gingival tissue is inflamed. As shown in Table 1, over the course of 25 time slots, the light detector obtains a total of 9 reflectance measurements (first rate), and the light detector determined by the device to be located on the gingiva obtains a total of 16 reflectance measurements (second rate), which is almost 3 times the rate at which the position is scanned when all points are sampled at the same rate. In other words, the scan is repeated after the 16th measurement. If there is a uniform sampling rate, each of the eight points will be sampled twice. However, according to the embodiment listed in Table 1, for example, in the first 16 measurements, the points determined to be gingiva and sampled at a fast rate (i.e., point 2 and point 3) are sampled five times, which is a 2.5-fold sampling increase.

[0060] Table 1. Examples of sampling rates for oral care devices.

[0061]

[0062] In this example, the position identified as being above the gums is not included in the first rate sampling and is only used for sampling at the second rate in the second rate time slot to improve the performance of the device. However, according to one embodiment, other configurations are possible. For example, the position identified as being above the gums can also be included in the sampling at the first, slower rate.

[0063] The time slots may be any time period, and the ratios shown in Table 1 may be any ratios determined to maximize performance without significant loss of measurement and reliability. For example, according to one embodiment, the slow rate is approximately 1 to 5 Hz, and the fast rate may be approximately 10 to 100 or 50 to 100 Hz, although many other rates are possible. As another example, according to one embodiment, the ratio of the slow rate to the fast rate may be 1:2, 1:3, or 1:10, although many other ratios are possible.

[0064] At step 560 of the method, the oral care device determines whether the gums at each location determined to contain the gums are inflamed based on the reflectance measurements obtained for each location determined to contain the gums. For example, the inflammation detection and location module 410 analyzes the fast rate reflectance data from the light detector 40 at the location determined to contain the gums. The analysis can be performed while the device is acquiring data, or can be completed after the oral care device ends a process, or can be performed at the request of the user.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the inflammation detection and localization module 410 uses the reflectance 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 may choose to display the signal with the lowest tissue oxygenation, which identifies the highest level of gingivitis. This may be accomplished by, for example, selecting the maximum value from a given set of data, or by taking the average of the top X percentiles from a given set of data. For example, the module may obtain this information at each location where data is obtained. Thus, the inflammation detection and localization module 410 will generate information about locations within the mouth where gingivitis may exist.

[0066] At step 570 of the method (which may be performed at any point in the method), the oral care device analyzes data from the first rate scan to determine whether the device has moved. For example, the light detector 40 may provide the obtained reflectance data to the controller 30, where the data is analyzed by the processor 32 and / or the inflammation detection and localization module 410. For example, the device may analyze the reflectance measurements obtained at the first rate to determine which locations include and / or do not include the gums, and may compare them to previous measurements or determinations to determine that the device has moved. This may include, for example, determining that one or more light detectors are located on different types of tissue. Light detectors that were previously located above the gums may now be located above the teeth, and light detectors that were previously located above the teeth may now be located above the gums. This may be due to subtle movements of the user's hand, or due to the user intentionally moving the device to a new location or portion of the mouth.

[0067] Once it is determined that the device has moved, the method can return to step 550 or any other step of the method and reflectance measurements of the location now determined to be above the gum can be obtained at a second rate. This process can be performed continuously or periodically to ensure accurate and up-to-date reflectance measurements.

[0068] 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. For example, the user interface 46 of the oral care device 10 can provide direct and / or indirect feedback to the user while using the oral care device or after a cleaning or scanning process. For example, whenever inflammation is detected, the device can provide direct feedback to the user using audio, visual, tactile, and / or digital feedback after each measurement.

[0069] According to another embodiment, the system or device may provide feedback to the user after the scanning process is completed. For example, once the scanning process is completed, the system or device may provide feedback by displaying a visual representation of the inflammation level. The feedback may include, for example, a mouth map (using position sensing technology during the measurement) - either showing the inflammation levels in their absolute form or highlighting one or more specific points in relative form. According to one embodiment, the device may use multiple colors or other physical representations to measure or otherwise grade the inflammation levels. For example, the user may only focus on areas of severe inflammation or inflammation above a certain level.

[0070] According to one embodiment, inflammation data is stored locally or remotely and / or communicated to a third party. For example, according to one embodiment, a patient may be instructed to use an oral care device during an appointment with a dental care professional to assess inflammation. The inflammation information may then be communicated to the dental care professional via 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 data may be analyzed on an ongoing basis or during an appointment with the user.

[0071] 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.

[0072] Unless explicitly stated to the contrary, the indefinite articles "a" and "an" as used in the specification and claims should be understood to mean "at least one".

[0073] The phrase "and / or" as used in this specification and claims should be understood to mean "one or both" of the elements so combined, i.e., elements that are present together in some cases and not in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be interpreted in the same manner, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so combined. In addition to the elements explicitly identified by the "and / or" clause, other elements may optionally be present, whether related or unrelated to the elements explicitly identified.

[0074] As used in this specification and claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" should be interpreted as inclusive, i.e., including multiple elements or at least one of a list of elements but also including more than one, as well as optional other unlisted items. Only terms that clearly indicate the opposite, such as "only one" or "exactly one", or when used in a claim, "consisting of..." will refer to including exactly one element in a plurality or a series of elements. In general, when preceded by an exclusive term, such as "either", "one", "only one" or "exactly one", the term "or" used herein should only be interpreted as indicating an exclusive alternative (i.e., "one or the other, but not both").

[0075] As used in this specification and claims, when referring to a list of one or more elements, the phrase "at least one" should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more elements in the list of elements, but does not necessarily include at least one of each element specifically listed in the list of elements, nor does it exclude any combination of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements other than the elements explicitly identified in the list of elements referred to by the phrase "at least one" may optionally be present, whether related or unrelated to the explicitly identified elements.

[0076] It should also be understood that, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, in any method claimed in the present application that includes more than one step or action, the order of the steps or actions of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or actions of the method are recorded.

[0077] In the claims and the above description, all transitional phrases, such as "includes," "contains," "carries," "has," "includes," "involves," "holds," "composes," etc., shall be understood as open-ended, i.e., meaning including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases "consisting of" and "consisting mainly of" shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.

[0078] Although several inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize various other ways and / or structures for performing the functions and / or obtaining the results and / or one or more advantages described herein, and each of these changes and / or modifications is considered to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are exemplary, and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend on the specific application for which the teachings of the present invention are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize or be able to determine many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein by routine experimentation alone. Therefore, it should be understood that the foregoing embodiments are given only as examples, and within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in a manner different from that specifically described and required. 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 of such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the invention disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A device (10) configured to locate gingivitis in a user's mouth, comprising: a light emitter (42) configured to emit light; a light detector (40) configured to obtain reflectance measurements at a first rate at a plurality of locations within the user's mouth to generate first reflectance data for each of the plurality of locations; and a controller (30) configured to determine whether each of the plurality of locations includes gums based on the first reflectance data; wherein the light detector is further configured to obtain reflectance measurements for each location determined to include gingiva at a second rate to generate gingival reflectance data, wherein the second rate is faster than the first rate; The controller is further configured to determine whether the gums at each location including the gums are inflamed based on the gum reflectance data.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface (46) configured to provide information about whether the gums at a location include inflammation.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the device has moved based on the reflectance data generated at the first rate.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the device has moved by comparing the reflectance data generated at the first rate with the first reflectance data for one or more of the plurality of locations. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the first rate to the second rate is 1:

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the first rate to the second rate is 1:

10.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining whether gums at a location are inflamed includes a tissue oxygenation level that is lower than a tissue oxygenation level of a healthy tooth indicating gum inflammation.

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