Toothbrush, system and method for detecting blood in oral cavity during brushing

Abstract

A toothbrush, system and method for detecting blood in the oral cavity during brushing. The system may include a toothbrush having a sensor, the sensor is configured to emit first light of a first wavelength and second light of a second wavelength, receive a reflected portion of the first light and the second light, and generate a first signal indicative of a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and a second signal indicative of a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light. The system may include a processor operably coupled to the sensor, the processor configured to receive the first signal and the second signal and calculate a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity to determine whether hemoglobin / blood is present in the oral cavity. The processor may be part of the toothbrush or part of a portable electronic device such as a smartphone.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application with the application date of August 2, 2019, application number "201980098523.5", and invention name "Toothbrush, system and method for detecting blood in the oral cavity during brushing". The original application is the Chinese national phase application of the international application PCT / US2019 / 044783. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a system and / or method for detecting hemoglobin and / or blood in the oral cavity during brushing, and a toothbrush capable of doing the same. Background Art

[0003] There are many causes of gum and other oral bleeding conditions. Some of them are mechanical problems, such as excessive brushing force, using a toothbrush with hard bristles, incorrect brushing or flossing force, or improper denture fitting. Gum disease can also cause bleeding due to inflammation of the gum tissue. Other important causes may be systemic, such as medications (e.g., blood thinners), pregnancy (hormonal changes), diabetes, vitamin deficiencies (e.g., C or K deficiency), leukemia, etc. Although the American Dental Association recommends that people with bleeding gums see a dentist or doctor, most people do not feel pain when they have bleeding gums and therefore ignore this advice. Therefore, it is necessary to provide consumers with a brushing system that can monitor and / or record gum bleeding during regular brushing. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to a system and / or method for detecting hemoglobin and / or blood in the oral cavity during brushing, and a toothbrush capable of doing the same.

[0005] In one aspect, the present invention can be a system for detecting blood in the oral cavity during brushing, the system comprising a toothbrush and a processor, the toothbrush comprising a sensor and a power supply, the sensor being configured to emit a first light of a first wavelength and a second light of a second wavelength, receive reflected portions of the first light and the second light, and generate a first signal indicating a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and a second signal indicating a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light, the power supply being operably coupled to the sensor to power the sensor, the processor being operably coupled to the sensor and configured to receive the first signal and the second signal and calculate a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity.

[0006] In another aspect, the present invention may be a method for detecting blood in an oral cavity during brushing, the method comprising: brushing teeth and gums of the oral cavity with a cleaning element of a toothbrush during a brushing session; emitting a first light of a first wavelength and a second light of a second wavelength into the oral cavity via a sensor of the toothbrush during the brushing session; receiving a reflected portion of the first light and a reflected portion of the second light via the sensor of the toothbrush during the brushing session; sending a first signal indicating a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and a second signal indicating a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light from the sensor to a processor; and calculating a ratio of the first intensity of the first light to the second intensity of the second light via the processor to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity during the brushing session.

[0007] In yet another aspect, the present invention may be a toothbrush comprising: a head having a cleaning element for cleaning an oral surface; a sensor comprising a first light source for emitting a first light of a first wavelength, a second light source for emitting a second light of a second wavelength, and a receiver for receiving reflected portions of the first light and the second light; a power source operably coupled to the sensor; and a processor operably coupled to the sensor to: (1) receive a first signal indicating a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and a second signal indicating a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light; and (2) calculate a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity.

[0008] In another aspect, the present invention can be a system for detecting blood in the oral cavity during brushing, the system comprising: a toothbrush comprising an electronic circuit, the electronic circuit comprising a sensor, the sensor being configured to acquire a signal associated with the presence of hemoglobin in the oral cavity during the brushing session; and a portable electronic device comprising a processor operably coupled to the sensor of the toothbrush, the processor being configured to receive and process the signal to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity during the brushing session.

[0009] In another aspect, the present invention can be a system for detecting blood in a toothpaste slurry during a teeth brushing session, the system comprising: a sensor configured to generate a signal related to the presence or absence of hemoglobin in the toothpaste slurry during the teeth brushing session; a processor operably coupled to the sensor and configured to receive and process the signal to determine the presence or absence of hemoglobin in the toothpaste slurry during the teeth brushing session; and an output configured to notify a user of the presence or absence of blood in the toothpaste slurry during the teeth brushing session based on processing performed by the processor.

[0010] In yet another aspect, the present invention can be a method of detecting blood in a toothpaste slurry during toothbrushing, the method comprising: brushing teeth and gums of an oral cavity with a cleaning element of a toothbrush during a toothbrushing session, wherein a toothpaste slurry is formed in the oral cavity during the toothbrushing session; generating, with a sensor coupled to the toothbrush, a signal related to the presence of hemoglobin in the toothpaste slurry; processing, with a processor, the signal to determine whether hemoglobin was present in the toothpaste slurry during the toothbrushing session; and providing an indication to a user of the presence of blood in the toothpaste slurry when the processor determines that hemoglobin is present in the toothpaste slurry.

[0011] In yet another embodiment, the present invention can be a system for detecting blood in the oral cavity during brushing, the system comprising a toothbrush and a processor, the toothbrush comprising a first sensor configured to generate a first signal associated with the presence of hemoglobin in the oral cavity during the brushing session and a second sensor configured to generate a second signal associated with the position of the head of the toothbrush within the oral cavity during the brushing session, the processor being operably coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, wherein the processor is configured to receive and process the first signal and the second signal to determine the position of the head of the toothbrush within the oral cavity when blood was initially detected during the brushing session.

[0012] In yet another embodiment, the present invention may be a method for detecting blood in an oral cavity during toothbrushing, the method comprising: brushing teeth and gums of an oral cavity using a cleaning element of a toothbrush during a toothbrushing session; generating a first signal associated with the presence of hemoglobin in a toothpaste slurry using a first sensor coupled to the toothbrush; generating a second signal associated with a position of the cleaning element of the toothbrush within the oral cavity; and processing the first and second signals using a processor to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity during the toothbrushing session, and if so, to determine the position of the cleaning element within the oral cavity when the hemoglobin was initially detected.

[0013] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter.It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The present invention will be more fully understood based on the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toothbrush having a main body and a replacement head according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the replacement head is in a disassembled state;

[0016] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of a toothbrush with a replacement head attached;

[0017] Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view taken along line III-III.

[0018] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a sensor of a toothbrush;

[0019] Figure 5A and 5B According to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a sensor sending light into a toothpaste slurry and receiving reflected light;

[0020] Figure 6 is a scatter plot based on the experiment, which shows that Figure 1 The calculations performed by the toothbrush to determine the presence of hemoglobin in the oral cavity;

[0021] Figure 7 It is shown by Figure 1 A graph of experimental results of calculations performed on a toothbrush to determine the presence of hemoglobin in the oral cavity;

[0022] Figure 8 A system for detecting blood in the oral cavity is shown, the system comprising a toothbrush and a portable electronic device in operable communication with each other;

[0023] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 An electrical block diagram of electronic components of a toothbrush and a portable electronic device of the system;

[0024] Fig. 10A and 10B is Figure 8 an illustration of a software application launched on a display device of a portable electronic device of the system, wherein the software application indicates whether blood is found in the oral cavity;

[0025] Fig.11 is Figure 8 Illustration of a software application launched on a display device of a portable electronic device of a system, wherein the software application displays a data log related to the detection of blood in the oral cavity during a number of brushing sessions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

[0027] The description of the exemplary embodiments according to the principles of the present invention is intended to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered as part of the entire written description. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is intended only for convenience of description and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Relative terms such as "lower", "upper", "horizontal", "vertical", "above", "below", "upward", "downward", "top" and "bottom" and their derivatives (e.g., "horizontally", "downwardly", "upwardly", etc.) should be understood as referring to the orientation shown in the drawings described later or in the discussion. These relative terms are only for convenience of description and do not require the device to be constructed or operated in a specific orientation unless explicitly indicated. Terms such as "attachment", "attachment", "connection", "connection", "interconnection" and similar terms refer to the relationship in which structures are fixed or attached to each other or directly or indirectly through an intermediate structure, and the two can be removably or rigidly attached or related, unless otherwise explicitly described as not being the case. In addition, the features and beneficial effects of the present invention are shown with reference to the illustrated embodiments. Therefore, the present invention should obviously not be limited to such exemplary embodiments that show some possible non-limiting combinations of features that can exist alone or in other feature combinations; the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0028] The range used throughout the text is used as a shorthand way of expressing each value within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as the endpoint of the range. In addition, all references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the event that a definition in the present disclosure conflicts with the definition of the cited reference, the present disclosure shall prevail.

[0029] Features of the present invention may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. The computer or software programs described herein are not limited to any particular embodiment and may be implemented in an operating system, an application, a foreground or background process, a driver, or any combination thereof. The computer program may be executed on a single computer or server processor or on multiple computers or server processors.

[0030] The processors described herein may be any central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor, microcontroller, computing or programmable device, or circuit configured to execute computer program instructions (e.g., code). The various processors may be embodied in any suitable type of computer and / or server hardware (e.g., desktop, laptop, notebook, tablet, cellular phone, etc.), and may include all conventional auxiliary components required to form a functional data processing device, including but not limited to a bus, software and data storage (such as volatile and non-volatile memory), input / output devices, a graphical user interface (GUI), removable data storage, and wired and / or wireless communication interface devices including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LAN, etc.

[0031] Computer executable instructions or programs (e.g., software or code) and data described herein may be programmed into and tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that may be accessed and retrieved by a corresponding processor as described herein, configuring and directing the processor to perform desired functions and processes by executing the instructions encoded in the medium. It should be noted that the non-transitory "computer readable medium" as described herein may include, but is not limited to, any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory that can be written to and / or read by a processor operably connected to the medium, including random access memory (RAM) and its various types, read-only memory (ROM) and its various types, USB flash memory, and magnetic or optical data storage devices (e.g., internal / external hard disks, floppy disks, tapes CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, optical disks, ZIP TM drives, Blu-ray discs, and other devices).

[0032] In certain embodiments, the present invention may be embodied in the form of computer-implemented processes and apparatus (e.g., processor-based data processing and communication systems or computer systems for practicing those processes). The present invention may also be embodied in the form of software or computer program code in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, when downloaded and executed by a data processing and communication system or computer system, configures a processor to generate specific logic circuits configured to implement the processes.

[0033] The invention described herein relates to an apparatus (i.e., a toothbrush), system, and method for detecting bleeding gums (or any bleeding in the oral cavity, which may include bleeding on the soft tissues of the inner cheek or elsewhere) using a sensor that measures the amount of hemoglobin in a saliva / toothpaste slurry. In one aspect, the detection of bleeding gums or other soft tissues occurs during brushing, so the sensor may be described herein as being located on the toothbrush. The sensor may include an optical transmitter and an optical receiver. The optical transmitter may emit visible light and infrared light during brushing, and the intensity of the reflected light (i.e., the light reflected back from the toothpaste slurry) is received by the optical receiver. Since hemoglobin has a strong red color, it absorbs green light while reflecting back most of the red and infrared light. Therefore, using the ratio of the reflected light intensity (red / green and / or infrared / green) and applying this data to a processing algorithm, hemoglobin can be quantified. The information obtained may be stored on a memory device in the toothbrush, or automatically transmitted to a mobile phone (or other portable electronic device) application (software application), or both. In either case, information may be provided to the user (either as a log of all information or as an indication of the presence of blood in the toothpaste slurry) so that the user may be informed of bleeding gums.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 and 2 , a toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In an exemplary embodiment, the toothbrush 100 generally includes a body 110 and a replacement head 120 detachably coupled to the body 110. More specifically, the body 110 includes a handle portion 111 configured for gripping and manipulation by a user and a rod 112 configured for attaching the replacement head 120 to the body 110. The replacement head 120 includes a sleeve portion 121 and a head portion 122. The sleeve portion 121 is sized and configured to fit over the rod 112 of the body 110 for coupling the replacement head 120 to the body 110. The replacement head 120 can be coupled to the body 110 by a friction / interference fit or via a mechanical interaction, for example, the replacement head 120 has a ridge or recess that matches a ridge or recess on the body 110. Various techniques are known for coupling replacement heads 120 to the body 110 of the toothbrush 100 and may be used in accordance with the invention described herein (i.e., magnetic, mechanical, interference, threads, ridges / detents, etc.). The replacement heads 120 and body 110 are shown generally, and the invention is not limited by the shape, size, and / or geometry of these components.

[0035] The replacement head 120 also includes a cleaning element 123 extending from the head portion 122. The cleaning element 123 can be bristles, resilient fingers, sheets, rubber elements, etc. Specifically, the cleaning element 123 can be any feature or structure known to be used for cleaning teeth, gums, and other oral surfaces. The pattern, material, shape, stiffness, etc. of the cleaning element are not limiting of the present invention.

[0036] In certain embodiments, the precise structure, pattern, orientation and material of tooth cleaning element 123 do not limit the present invention.Therefore, the term "tooth cleaning element" can be used to refer to any structure that can be used for cleaning, polishing or wiping teeth and / or oral soft tissue (for example, tongue, cheek, gums, etc.) by relative surface contact in this article.The common example of "tooth cleaning element" includes but is not limited to bristle tufts, filament bristles, fiber bristles, nylon bristles, spiral bristles, rubber bristles, elastomeric protrusions, flexible polymer protrusions, its combination and / or the structure comprising such material or combination.Suitable elastomeric material comprises any biocompatible elastomeric material applicable to oral hygiene equipment.In order to provide optimal comfort and cleaning benefits, the elastomeric material of tooth or soft tissue engagement element has a hardness characteristic within the range of A8 to A25 Shore hardness.A kind of suitable elastomeric material is styrene-ethylene / butylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS) manufactured by GLS company.However, SEBS material from other manufacturers or other materials in and outside the proposed hardness range can also be used.

[0037] The tooth cleaning elements 123 of the present invention can be connected to the head portion 122 of the replacement head 120 in any manner known in the art. For example, pins / anchors, in-mold tufting (IMT), anchor-free tufting (AFT), PTt anchor-free tufting, etc. can be used to mount the cleaning elements / tooth engaging elements to the head portion 122 of the replacement head 120.

[0038] In the exemplary embodiment, cleaning elements 123 define a cleaning element zone 124. In addition, cleaning element zone 124 defines an opening or cavity 125 formed by a portion of head portion 122 that does not have any cleaning elements 123 extending therefrom. Thus, a portion of head portion 122 does not contain any cleaning elements 123, and this portion is surrounded by cleaning elements 123 to form cavity 125 within cleaning element zone 124. Of course, in other embodiments, the spacing between cleaning elements 123 of cleaning element zone 124 may be different than that shown, such that there is no cavity per se, but still such that gaps remain in cleaning element zone 124. According to the specific reference below Figure 3 The purpose of this opening or cavity 125 (or gap in the cleaning element area 124) will be better understood with reference to the description of FIG.

[0039] Although in an exemplary embodiment, the toothbrush 100 is a toothbrush comprising a body 110 and a replacement head 120 that are detachably coupled together, in other embodiments, the toothbrush 100 may be an integral component comprising a handle and a head that are fixedly coupled together, as is the case with most conventional manual toothbrushes on the market. Having a detachable replacement head 120 may be desirable because the use of the toothbrush 100 may be extended by enabling the user to reuse the body 120, which contains expensive circuitry and electronic components, while replacing the replacement head 120 and, therefore, the bristles 123 as they become worn. However, it is possible to utilize the techniques and components described herein on a more conventional manual toothbrush that does not include a replaceable replacement head. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to requiring that the toothbrush include a replacement head in all embodiments unless specifically required to do so.

[0040] In an exemplary embodiment, the toothbrush 100 includes electronic circuitry 130 for acquiring and / or generating signals associated with detecting the presence of hemoglobin (and therefore blood) in the oral cavity (or toothpaste slurry) during a brushing session. The toothbrush 100 (and related systems described below) are capable of detecting and measuring hemoglobin / blood during brushing using several wavelengths (two to three) in the visible and / or infrared regions. Thus, no reagents, assays, wet chemical preparations, and / or specialized equipment are required to detect hemoglobin / blood using the techniques described herein.

[0041] As mentioned above, in an exemplary embodiment, components of the electronic circuit 130 are located within the body 110 of the toothbrush 100, which is a non-replaceable portion of the toothbrush. To this end, the body 110 of the toothbrush 100 includes a cavity or hollow area in which components of the electronic circuit 130 are located. Because the electronic circuit 130 is located within the body 110 rather than within the replacement head 120, when the cleaning elements 123 on the replacement head 120 wear, a new replacement head 120 can be attached to the body 110 to extend the usable life of the toothbrush 100. This is one reason why it is desirable to form the toothbrush 100 to include a body 110 and a removable replacement head 120.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic circuit 130 includes an operably coupled processor 131, a power source 132, a sensor 133, a memory device 134 (alternatively, it may be part of the processor 131 in some embodiments), a Bluetooth module 135, and an indicator 136. The components of the electronic circuit 130 are all located within a cavity in the body 110. In addition, in an exemplary embodiment, the electronic circuit 130 also includes a motor 137 that is operably coupled to the processor 131 to impart motion and / or vibration to the replacement head 120 when the toothbrush 100 is an electric toothbrush rather than a manual toothbrush. For example, the motor 137 may include an eccentric weight to provide vibration during tooth cleaning. In some embodiments, the processor 131 may be considered a microcontroller because all peripherals may be included in the chip itself and may not run on any operating system.

[0043] Figure 1 and 2 The illustration of is schematic because it shows each component of the electronic circuit 130 as a box, and uses dashed lines to show the electrical coupling between the components. These boxes are not actually visible on the outside of the body 110, but represent the components of the electronic circuit 130 as described herein. Specifically, the boxes represent the components of the electronic circuit 130 housed within the cavity defined by the body 110.

[0044] In an exemplary embodiment, the motor 137 and the sensor 133 are located in the shaft 112 of the body 110, while the processor 131, the power source 132, the memory device 134, the Bluetooth module 135, and the indicator 136 are located in the handle portion 111 of the body 110. In some embodiments, the processor 131 may be located in the shaft 112 with the sensor 133 instead of in the handle portion 111. The sensor 133 may be connected to the processor 131 using any desired technology, but in some embodiments, a standard ADC, I 2C or SPI interface. In some embodiments, the Bluetooth module 135 can be coupled to the processor 131 via a standard serial interface. In other embodiments, the Bluetooth module 135 and the processor 131 can be combined into a single unit. In addition, as noted above, in some embodiments, the memory device 134 can be part of the processor 131, while in other embodiments, the memory device 134 can be completely omitted.

[0045] refer to Figure 3 , when the replacement head 120 is coupled to the body 110, the cavity 125 in the cleaning element area 124 is aligned with the sensor 133 of the electronic circuit 130. In addition, the head portion 120 may include an optically transparent window 126 that is aligned with the sensor 133 and the cavity 125 to prevent fluids such as saliva, water, and toothpaste slurry from contacting the sensor 133. Aligning the sensor 133 with the cavity 125 in the cleaning element area 124 may be important because, as described in more detail below, in some embodiments, the sensor 133 is configured to emit and receive light. Therefore, in an exemplary embodiment, there is a path through the cleaning element area 124 that allows light to pass from the sensor 133 to the user's mouth during brushing and then back from the mouth to the sensor 133. As noted above, in an exemplary embodiment, this is achieved by a combination of the optically transparent window 126 and the cavity 125 in the cleaning element area 124.

[0046] In an exemplary embodiment, the sensor 133, and therefore the cavity 125, is centrally located along the bristle region. However, the present invention is not so limited in all embodiments. In other embodiments, the sensor 133 may be positioned to align with the proximal end of the head 120, wherein the bristle region 124 is completely located between the sensor 133 and the distal end of the head 120. In such embodiments, the bristle region 124 may not need to include the cavity 124, as there will be no overlap between the bristle region 124 and the sensor 133.

[0047] refer to Figure 4, the sensor 133 will be described in more detail according to an embodiment of the present invention. Preferably, the sensor 133 is small so that it can be assembled in the rod 112 and / or the head portion 122 of the toothbrush 100 as depicted in the figure. In an exemplary embodiment, the sensor 133 includes a transmitter 140 and a receiver 141. In addition, in an exemplary embodiment, the transmitter 140 includes a first light source 142, a second light source 143, and a third light source 144. Although three light sources are depicted in the exemplary embodiment, the present invention is not so limited in all embodiments. Specifically, in some alternative embodiments, the transmitter 140 may only include the first light source 142 and the second light source 143, but not the third light source 144. An example of the sensor 133 is the MAX30105 produced by Maxim Integrated, but the present invention is not limited to this in all embodiments, and other sensors may also be used. In some embodiments, the transmitter 140 may be a broadband white light transmitter. In such embodiments, the receiver 141 may have multiple channels to respectively detect reflected light of different wavelengths.

[0048] In an exemplary embodiment, the sensor 133 is a single structure that includes all features / components noted herein. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and in some other embodiments, the sensor may include multiple sensors that are independent and distinct from each other. For example, the sensor may include a discrete light source that is separate and remote from the receiver. Therefore, as used herein, the term sensor includes the use of a single sensor with all necessary components, as well as the use of multiple sensors with all necessary components in a combined manner.

[0049] The first light source 142 is configured to emit light of a first wavelength, the second light source 143 is configured to emit light of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, and the third light source is configured to emit light of a third wavelength different from the first and second wavelengths. For example, in one embodiment, the first light source 142 is configured to emit red light with a wavelength range of 625 to 740nm, more specifically 640 to 680nm. In addition, in one embodiment, the second light source 143 is configured to emit green light with a wavelength range of 520 to 560nm, more specifically 520 to 540nm. In addition, in one embodiment, the third light source 144 is configured to emit infrared light with a wavelength range of 700nm to 1 micron and more specifically 830 to 930nm and more specifically 860 to 900nm. In an exemplary embodiment, each of the first light source 142, the second light source 143 and the third light source 144 is a light emitting diode, but other types of light sources can be used in alternatives. Therefore, the transmitter 140 of the sensor 131 includes a plurality of light sources so that each light source transmits light of different wavelengths. Receiver 141 may be a broad spectrum light detector such that it can detect reflected light in all wavelengths mentioned herein (ie, it can detect at least red, green, and infrared light).

[0050] In an exemplary embodiment, the sensor 133 is operably coupled to the processor 131 so that measurements or other information detected by the sensor 133 can be sent as signals to the processor 131 for processing. In addition, the processor 131 is pre-programmed with an algorithm or works associated with a software application containing an algorithm so that the processor 131 can use the information obtained by the sensor 133 to perform various calculations to determine whether the sensor 133 detects hemoglobin and, therefore, blood. Specifically, the processor 131 can perform calculations and then use the pre-programmed algorithm to determine whether the results of these calculations indicate the presence or absence of hemoglobin / blood, and if so, the amount.

[0051] Specifically, refer to Figure 5A and 5B , the operation of the sensor 133 will be described. Figure 5A The sensor 133 is schematically depicted, positioned within the oral cavity such that light emitted by the sensor 133 can contact and be reflected by the toothpaste slurry 150 in the oral cavity that does not contain any blood. Figure 5BThe sensor 133 is schematically depicted, which is located within the oral cavity so that light emitted by the sensor 133 can contact and be reflected by the toothpaste slurry 151 including blood in the oral cavity. The toothpaste slurry is a liquid formulation containing toothpaste and saliva. In addition, if blood is present in the mouth, this blood will mix with the liquid formulation and also form part of the toothpaste slurry. Therefore, the sensor 133 is configured to detect the presence of blood in the toothpaste slurry, which in turn will indicate the occurrence of bleeding in the oral cavity (i.e., bleeding gums, etc.).

[0052] First reference Figure 5A , the sensor 133 is located within an oral cavity having a toothpaste slurry 150 therein that does not contain any blood. Thus, the toothpaste slurry 150 contains toothpaste and saliva, but no blood. In this embodiment, a first light source 142 emits a first light 145 (e.g., red light) at a first wavelength into the oral cavity and toward the toothpaste slurry 150, a second light source 143 emits a second light 146 (e.g., green light) at a second wavelength into the oral cavity and toward the toothpaste slurry 150, and a third light source 144 emits a third light 147 (e.g., infrared light) at a third wavelength into the oral cavity and toward the toothpaste slurry 150. In a complex matrix, such as a matrix of saliva / toothpaste slurry, abrasive particles and bubbles in the toothpaste slurry reflect light of different wavelengths with similar efficiencies. Thus, as Figure 5A As shown in FIG. 1 , the first light 145 , the second light 146 , and the third light 147 are all reflected from the toothpaste slurry 150 to become a reflected portion of the first light 145 , a reflected portion of the second light 146 , and a reflected portion of the third light 147 .

[0053] refer to Figure 5B In the embodiment, the sensor 133 is located in the oral cavity, and the oral cavity has a toothpaste slurry 151 including blood. Therefore, the toothpaste slurry 151 contains toothpaste, saliva, and blood due to bleeding from the gums or other oral tissue surfaces in the oral cavity. In this embodiment, the first light source 142 emits a first light 145 (e.g., red light) at a first wavelength into the oral cavity and toward the toothpaste slurry 151, the second light source 143 emits a second light 146 (e.g., green light) at a second wavelength into the oral cavity and toward the toothpaste slurry 151, and the third light source 144 emits a third light 147 (e.g., infrared light) at a third wavelength into the oral cavity and toward the toothpaste slurry 151. Due to the strong red color of hemoglobin in red blood cells, hemoglobin will strongly absorb green light while reflecting most of the red light and infrared light back.

[0054] Therefore, if Figure 5B As shown in FIG. 1 , the first light 145 and the third light 147 are reflected from the toothpaste slurry 151 as a reflected portion of the first light 145 and a reflected portion of the third light 147. However, the second light 146 (green light in the exemplary embodiment) is absorbed by the toothpaste slurry 151. Figure 5BIn FIG. 1 , it is shown such that none of the second light 146 is reflected back to the receiver 142 of the sensor 133. However, in actual operation, some of the second light 146 will be reflected back, but it will be less than the amount reflected from the Figure 5A The amount of second light 146 reflected back from the toothpaste slurry 150 that does not contain blood has a reduced intensity because hemoglobin absorbs some of the second light 146. Therefore, the intensity of the second light 146 reflected from the toothpaste slurry 150 that does not contain blood is greater than the second light 146 reflected from the toothpaste slurry 151 that includes blood because hemoglobin in the blood absorbs some of the second light 146.

[0055] Thus, during brushing with the cleaning element 123 of the toothbrush 100, the sensor 133 sends the first light 145, the second light 146, and the third light 147 into the oral cavity. The first light 145, the second light 146, and the third light 147 contact the toothpaste slurry 150, 151 in the oral cavity, and the reflected portions of the first light 145, the second light 146, and the third light 147 are received by the receiver 141 of the sensor 133. Regardless of whether the toothpaste slurry includes blood, the intensity of the reflected portions (red and infrared light) of the first light 145 and the third light 147 is relatively unchanged. However, the intensity of the reflected portion (green light) of the second light 146 is greater when the toothpaste slurry does not include blood than when it includes blood. Therefore, the sensor 133 generates a first signal indicating a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light 145, a second signal indicating a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light 146, and a third signal indicating a third intensity of the reflected portion of the third light 147.

[0056] Because the intensity of the reflected portion of the second light 146 decreases when blood is present in the toothpaste slurry, while the intensity of the reflected portions of the first light 145 and the third light 147 remain substantially the same regardless of whether blood is present in the toothpaste slurry, the ratio of the reflected light intensities can be used to identify and quantify hemoglobin / blood. Therefore, the processor 131 may have an algorithm that can calculate the ratio and determine whether (and how much) hemoglobin and blood are present.

[0057] Due to their operable coupling, the first, second, and third signals (but the third signal may be omitted since the system is equally operable in the case where the sensor 133 transmits only red light or infrared light and green light) are transmitted from the sensor 133 to the processor 131. The processor 131 is provided with an algorithm that directs it to perform calculations using the first, second, and third signals to help determine whether hemoglobin / blood is in the toothpaste slurry. Specifically, the processor 131 is configured to calculate a ratio of a first intensity of the first light 145 to a second intensity of the second light 146 and / or a ratio of a third intensity of the third light 147 to a second intensity of the second light 146. As will be appreciated, if hemoglobin / blood is present in the toothpaste slurry, the intensity of the reflected portion of the second light 146 is less than when hemoglobin is not present in the toothpaste slurry. Thus, if hemoglobin / blood is present in the toothpaste slurry, the ratio of the first intensity of the first light 145 to the second intensity of the second light 146 and the ratio of the third intensity of the third light 147 to the second intensity of the second light 146 increase (due to the reduced denominator in the ratio calculation) compared to the case where hemoglobin / blood is not present in the toothpaste slurry. Using this understanding and the developed algorithm, the processor 131 can determine whether hemoglobin / blood is present in the toothpaste slurry, and if so, how much.

[0058] For example, the processor 131 or algorithm may be provided with predetermined thresholds for various ratios, the predetermined thresholds being calculated such that once the ratio exceeds the predetermined threshold, the processor 131 knows that hemoglobin / blood has been detected. Thus, the processor 131 may be programmed such that if the ratio of the first intensity of the first light 145 to the second intensity of the second light 146 exceeds a first predetermined threshold and / or the ratio of the third intensity of the third light 147 to the second intensity of the second light 146 exceeds a second predetermined threshold, then hemoglobin / blood is present.

[0059] These predetermined thresholds can be determined based on testing using a baseline sample of toothpaste slurry that does not contain hemoglobin / blood and testing using test samples of toothpaste slurry containing different amounts of toothpaste slurry, as described below with reference to Figure 6 Further discussion. Thus, the predetermined threshold may be determined by testing a toothpaste slurry without any hemoglobin using the toothbrush 100, such that if the ratio increases relative to the test data, it may be determined that blood is present in the toothpaste slurry.

[0060] Specifically, Figure 6is a scatter plot showing the results of an experiment in which in vitro detection of hemoglobin in blood was performed by a prototype device having the same technology present in the toothbrush 100 described herein. In the experiment, freeze-dried human hemoglobin (Sigma) was reconstituted in deionized water to a concentration of 4.2% and combined with a 1 part:3 parts w / w slurry of Colgate toothpaste (regular flavor) and deionized water to form a solution of hemoglobin with the following final w / w concentrations:

[0061] Weight percent hemoglobin 0.285714 0.259259 0.230769 0.2 0.166667 0.130435 0.090909 0.047619

[0062] It will be appreciated that a solution with a higher concentration of haemoglobin will have a darker red colour, and will therefore absorb more green light sent at it.A single 50 microlitre droplet of each solution was measured using the prototype device. Figure 6 is a scatter plot indicating the linear relationship between the measured values ​​of reflected infrared and green light and the hemoglobin concentration (expressed as the ratio IR / G). As can be seen, as the wt.% of hemoglobin increases, the result of the ratio IR / G also increases (and the same is true if the infrared light is replaced by red light). This is because with more hemoglobin in the solution, more green light is absorbed by the solution, while the intensity of the reflected green light decreases. Therefore, using this information, an algorithm can be created to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the toothpaste slurry, as well as the amount of hemoglobin (and therefore blood) in the toothpaste slurry. In this example, if the ratio of IR / G is greater than about 4.5, then blood is likely present in the tested solution (i.e., the toothpaste slurry). Therefore, in one embodiment, when the light source emits infrared light and green light, respectively, the predetermined threshold value can be 4.5.

[0063] Reference again Figure 1 and 2As noted above, the electronic circuit 130 also includes an indicator 136. In an exemplary embodiment, the indicator 136 is located on the body 110 of the toothbrush 100. The indicator 136 is operably coupled to the processor 131 so that after the processor 131 determines that blood is present in the oral cavity or toothpaste slurry, the processor 131 can activate the indicator 136. In one embodiment, the indicator 136 can be a light, such as a light emitting diode (LED), etc. In such embodiments, after the processor 131 determines that hemoglobin / blood is present in the oral cavity (based on one of the ratios mentioned above being calculated to be above its corresponding predetermined threshold or using some other determination method as stated in the algorithm), the processor 131 will activate the indicator 136 so that it illuminates / illuminates, thereby indicating to the user that blood is present in the oral cavity (i.e., the user's gums, etc. are bleeding). Of course, in all embodiments, the indicator 136 is not limited to being a light source, and in other embodiments, the indicator can be an audio source so that it emits a sound audible to the user when activated. In other embodiments, the indicator 136 may take other forms, such as a mechanical feature that the user feels in a tactile manner, a fragrance feature that emits a scent when activated, a display screen that displays various texts, etc.

[0064] In some embodiments, the indicator 136 may illuminate in different colors depending on the state of the toothbrush 100 or the sensor 133. For example, the indicator 136 may illuminate in blue when the sensor 133 is operably coupled to a portable electronic device as described in more detail below, the indicator 136 may illuminate in red when the toothbrush 100 or its power source is charging, and the indicator may illuminate in green when the toothbrush 100 is in use in a brushing session. In other embodiments, the indicator 136 may illuminate in red (or orange or any other color) when blood is determined to be present in the toothpaste slurry / oral cavity as described herein.

[0065] In some embodiments, there may be a button or other type of actuator (slide switch, button, capacitive sensor, etc.) on the toothbrush 100 for activating the sensor 133. Thus, before a brushing session, the user may press (or otherwise actuate) the button to activate the sensor 133. Pressing the button (or otherwise actuating the actuator) may also activate the motor 137, for example, when the toothbrush 100 is an electric toothbrush and includes a motor 137. Alternatively, there may be separate buttons / actuators for the motor 137 and for the sensor 133. In some embodiments, there is no motor and the toothbrush 100 is a manual toothbrush.

[0066] refer to Figure 7, provides a graphical representation of the results of experimental testing performed using a prototype device including a sensor 133 and a processor 131. To demonstrate the capabilities of the toothbrush 100, two samples were measured. About 2 grams of toothpaste was mixed with about 5 mL of saliva to produce a toothpaste / saliva slurry, which was a "baseline sample". The same procedure was repeated, and 1 drop of human blood was added to the slurry, and then mixed thoroughly to produce a "test sample" - a toothpaste / saliva slurry with blood. A drop of the baseline sample was deposited on a glass slide, and the sensor 133 was placed under the slide to measure the reflected light. At least 100 data points for each of the three wavelengths of light were recorded, and the average value was used in later processing. The procedure was repeated three times to obtain baseline data for the toothpaste / saliva slurry. The same procedure was also repeated three times for the test sample.

[0067] Figure 7 The results of the signals measured by the prototype device are shown. The x-axis is the signal intensity ratio of red light to green light, while the y-axis is the signal intensity ratio of infrared light to green light. A clear separation of the "baseline sample" and the "test sample" is observed. In order to identify and quantify hemoglobin in toothpaste slurry, different data processing algorithms can be used, such as KNN (k-nearest neighbor algorithm) for identification and regression for quantification.

[0068] Using this example, if the ratio of the intensity of the reflected portion of the first (i.e., red) light to the intensity of the reflected portion of the second (i.e., green) light is greater than 5.6, then it can be determined that hemoglobin / blood is present in the oral cavity (or in the toothpaste slurry and therefore in the oral cavity). Similarly, if the ratio of the intensity of the reflected portion of the third (i.e., infrared) light to the intensity of the reflected portion of the second (i.e., green) light is greater than 4.8, then it can be determined that hemoglobin / blood is present in the oral cavity (or in the toothpaste slurry and therefore in the oral cavity).

[0069] In some embodiments, the sensor 133 is configured to continuously collect data after activation. For example, once powered on, the sensor 133 can collect data within a predetermined time period of, for example, 120 seconds or 130 seconds or 140 seconds or 150 seconds to ensure that it collects data over the duration of the brushing session (ideally 120 seconds, but more commonly a shorter time period). In some embodiments, the sensor 133 can collect two data points per second, so that it can collect 240 data points during a two-minute brushing session. In other embodiments, the sensor 133 can collect data intermittently. For example, the sensor 133 can collect data in ten seconds, then thirty seconds, then one minute, then one minute and fifteen seconds, then one minute and thirty seconds, then one minute and forty-five seconds, and then two minutes. In all embodiments, the precise frequency at which the sensor 133 collects data on the presence or absence of hemoglobin does not limit the present invention.

[0070] refer to Figure 8 and9 , a system 1000 for detecting blood in the oral cavity during brushing is shown. The system 1000 includes a toothbrush 200 and a portable electronic device 300 that are operatively communicated with each other. The toothbrush 200 may be similar in structure to the one described above with reference to Figures 1 to 3 The toothbrush 200 is the same as the toothbrush 100 described. Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment, the toothbrush 200 includes a body 210 having a handle portion 211 and a rod (not shown), and a replacement head 220 detachably coupled to the body 210. For other details of the structure of the toothbrush 200, reference may be made to the toothbrush 100 described above.

[0071] Similar to toothbrush 100, toothbrush 200 includes electronic circuit 230, which may include processor 231, power supply 232, sensor 233, memory device 234 (or, it may be part of processor 231 in some embodiments), Bluetooth module 235 and indicator 236. However, in some embodiments, it is possible to omit processor 231, memory device 234 and indicator 236. Therefore, in some embodiments, electronic circuit 230 of toothbrush 200 may only include sensor 233 (which includes transmitter 240 and receiver 241), power supply 232 and Bluetooth module 235. In the case where toothbrush 200 is an electric toothbrush, toothbrush 200 may also include motor 237.

[0072] The reason why the toothbrush 200 need not include a processor 231, a memory device 234, and an indicator 236 (although the toothbrush may include one or more of these components in some embodiments) is that these components are included as part of a portable electronic device 300 that communicates with the toothbrush 200. Specifically, the portable electronic device 300 may be a smart phone, tablet, computer, or similar device that includes a processor 301, a memory 302, a user interface 303, a blood testing software application 304, and a Bluetooth module 305. The portable electronic device 300 may also include a display 306 (which may be the same as or different from the user interface 303). In an exemplary embodiment, the processor 301 of the portable electronic device 300 is in operative communication with the sensor 233 of the toothbrush 200 via Bluetooth due to the incorporation of the Bluetooth module 235 into the toothbrush 200 and the incorporation of the Bluetooth module 305 into the portable electronic device 300 (when the toothbrush 200 and the portable electronic device 300 are close enough to each other to allow such a Bluetooth connection). Of course, Bluetooth is just one exemplary way that the toothbrush 200 and the portable electronic device 300 can communicate. In other embodiments, there may be a wired connection between the toothbrush 200 and the portable electronic device 300, or they may communicate using other wireless protocols (infrared wireless communication, satellite communication, radio, microwave, Zigbee, Z-wave, etc.). Of course, in some embodiments, the sensor 233 may have a built-in microcontroller.

[0073] In this embodiment, the sensor 233 will operate in the same manner as the sensor 133 described above. Therefore, the transmitter 240 of the sensor 233 includes multiple light sources that emit light of different wavelengths, and the receiver 241 of the sensor 233 receives the reflected light. The sensor 233 then generates a signal indicating the intensity of the various reflected lights. However, in this embodiment, the signal is then sent from the sensor 233 of the toothbrush 200 to the processor 301 of the portable electronic device 300 via Bluetooth or otherwise. As long as the toothbrush 200 and the portable electronic device 300 (via Bluetooth or other wireless technology or through a wired connection) are operatively communicating, the transmission of these signals from the sensor 233 of the toothbrush 200 to the processor 301 of the portable electronic device 300 can occur.

[0074] In some embodiments, information associated with the signals and information detected by the sensor 133 may be initially stored in the memory 234 and / or processor 231 of the toothbrush 200 and then transferred in batches to the processor 301 of the portable electronic device 300. Thus, data or information corresponding to a plurality of different brushing sessions may be initially stored in the memory 234 and / or processor of the toothbrush 231. This may be applicable to situations where the user is brushing their teeth when the toothbrush 200 is not in operable communication with the portable electronic device 300. In this manner, the toothbrush 200 would initially store all data, and then once the toothbrush 200 becomes operably coupled to the portable electronic device 300, the data may be sent to the portable electronic device 300 for further processing as described herein (automatically or in response to manual user input). In such embodiments, the processor 231 is capable of processing the data like the processor 131 of the toothbrush 100, such that the processor 231 may activate the indicator 236 when it determines that hemoglobin / blood is present in the oral cavity or toothpaste slurry.

[0075] As noted above, the portable electronic device 300 may have the blood testing software application 304 downloaded thereon. Thus, during or just prior to a brushing session, the user may open the blood testing software application 304 and place the toothbrush 200 in operable (wireless or wired) communication with the portable electronic device 300. Alternatively, the operable coupling between the toothbrush 200 and the portable electronic device 300 may cause the blood testing software application 304 to automatically launch on the portable electronic device 300. In such a scenario, as the sensor 233 of the toothbrush 200 collects information / data related to the intensity of the reflected light, the sensor may send this data / information to the processor 301 of the portable electronic device 300. In some embodiments, such sending of data / information from the sensor 233 to the processor 301 may occur automatically as long as the toothbrush 200 and the portable electronic device 300 are in operable communication with each other. Of course, as noted above, this data / information may alternatively (or additionally) be stored locally on the memory device 234 of the toothbrush 200 and then sent in batches to the portable electronic device 300. The processor 301 of the portable electronic device 300 may use the blood testing software application 304 to provide this data / information to the user on the portable electronic device 300 in a variety of ways.

[0076] Specifically, first refer to Fig. 10A and 10B, one embodiment of a blood detection software application 304 is shown as being displayed on a display 306 of a portable electronic device 300. In this reasonably simple embodiment of the blood detection software application 304, the blood detection software application 304 merely notifies the user if blood is detected in the oral cavity (or toothpaste slurry) during a brushing session. Thus, when the processor 301 receives a signal from the sensor 233 and processes the signal according to an algorithm as described herein, the processor 301 causes the blood detection software application 304 to indicate whether blood is present. Fig. 10A In , there is no blood present, so the display 306 on the portable electronic device 300 is blank. Fig. 10B , there is blood in the toothpaste slurry, so the display 306 on the portable electronic device 300 is depicted with a shaded area 307. This shaded area 307 can be red as an indication of the presence of blood, but other colors, designs, etc. can be used, including display text to indicate whether blood is present. Therefore, in this embodiment, the shaded area 307 on the display 306 of the portable electronic device 300 acts as a user indication to let the user know whether blood is present. In other words, the shaded area 307 is an output of the system 1000 that is used to indicate to the user whether blood is present in the toothpaste slurry. The processor 301 can also track this information over multiple uses in the blood detection software application 304, so that the user can view a daily data log indicating whether blood is present while brushing during (multiple) brushing sessions occurring on a given day.

[0077] In some embodiments, if blood is detected at any time during the brushing session, the display 306 on the portable electronic device 300 will indicate this throughout the brushing session. In some embodiments, the display 306 on the portable electronic device 300 will be updated during the brushing session depending on whether blood is detected at a given time during the brushing session. In some embodiments, the output on the display 306 may be an indication that blood was detected, and / or an indication of the amount of blood detected, and / or an indication as to whether blood was detected, and if detected, the time during the brushing session when blood was detected (e.g., the display 306 may indicate that blood was first detected eighteen seconds into the brushing session).

[0078] For example, refer to Fig.11, according to one embodiment, a display 306 of a portable electronic device 300 is depicted with a blood testing software application 304 open so that a data log from a previous brushing session is displayed. Thus, a user can open the blood testing software application 304 and navigate the application to the blood testing application log. In an exemplary embodiment, the log contains the date, a yes or no answer as to whether blood was detected on that particular day, and the blood concentration detected as a daily weight percentage. Various modifications can be made to the blood testing software application 304 to provide the user with any desired information or data regarding blood that was detected or not detected during various brushing sessions. In some embodiments, the blood testing software application 304 can be programmed with an algorithm that analyzes the sensor data log and provides a warning signal to the user if continuous bleeding is detected, such as bleeding for 7 consecutive days. Thus, Fig.11 The depiction in is exemplary only and is not intended to illustrate the full range of possibilities available through the blood detection software application 304. The information provided in this format may be the highest amount of blood detected by the sensor 133, 233 during the brushing session, the average amount of blood detected by the sensor 133, 233 during the brushing session, etc.

[0079] Therefore, using Fig.11 The data provided in the user's log may inform the user of the number of times they have bled during brushing in the past week, the past two weeks, the past three weeks, the past month, or the like (in some embodiments, this time range may be an adjustable setting). Typically, when a person bleeds during brushing, they will notice it when spitting out the toothpaste slurry or taste it during brushing, but they will forget about the bleeding shortly after they finish brushing. Therefore, even if a person bleeds every day, they will not think too much about it. By providing the user with a log of information from past brushing sessions, this may make the user more aware of the frequency of bleeding during brushing so that the user can seek treatment if necessary. Fig.11 The data provided in the data may be displayed to the user in a tabular form, such as a bar chart, a graph, etc., for example, on a display of the portable electronic device 300 or elsewhere (ie, on a computer or anywhere else the data may be displayed).

[0080] In some embodiments, sensor data can be uploaded to a remote cloud server for further analysis. Toothbrushes 100, 200 may include a WiFi chip so that the toothbrush can send data to the cloud or to a remote server, or toothbrushes 100, 200 can send data to a portable electronic device 300, which can then send data to the cloud / server. Users can use their computers (larger screens) to access their long-term data logs to view trends (on software applications or programs, on websites, etc.) and choose to share these data with their oral care service providers for better care. Oral care service providers can review these data to monitor their patients during the time between their patients' regularly scheduled visits. Researchers can use these data for oral health research or efficacy evaluation of existing or experimental oral care products or programs, as well as epidemiological studies in oral care. Insurance companies can reduce costs by requesting high-risk populations to receive early or preventive treatment.

[0081] In some embodiments, the system 1000 or toothbrush 100 can detect how much blood (i.e., amount) a user sheds in a single brushing session. However, this information may not be as useful as it may seem, because it may depend on when the user brushes a particularly bleeding-prone area of ​​the oral cavity during a brushing session. Thus, if a user is prone to bleeding at the gums above the first molar in the upper left quadrant of the oral cavity, then if the user brushes the upper left quadrant of the oral cavity first during a brushing session, there will be more blood during the brushing session than if the user brushes the upper left quadrant of the oral cavity last during the brushing session. That is, obtaining a value for the amount of blood shed during a brushing session may still be of some value to a user or medical professional.

[0082] Reference again Figure 1 In some embodiments, the toothbrush 100 (or toothbrush 200) may be configured to track the position in the mouth in addition to tracking blood / hemoglobin in the oral cavity or toothpaste slurry during a brushing session. Therefore, the toothbrush 100 may include one or more position tracking sensors (or position sensors) 139, which are configured to track the position of the toothbrush 100, 200 in the oral cavity. In an exemplary embodiment, the tracking sensor 139 is located within the rod 112 of the body 110, but the tracking sensor can be located anywhere as long as it is configured to operate as described herein. The tracking sensor 139 is operably coupled to the processor 131, so that the processor 131 can receive signals detected / generated by the tracking sensor 139 and process these signals to determine the position of the head 120 of the toothbrush 100 in the mouth at a given time during a brushing session. For example, in some embodiments, the position sensor 139 can be located in the handle portion 111 of the body 110.

[0083] An example of such a toothbrush configured to track the position in the oral cavity is described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,349,733, issued on July 16, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Thus, the one or more position tracking sensors may be accelerometers, motion sensors, inertial sensors, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and other sensors capable of detecting position, movement, and acceleration. The position tracking sensor may send a signal to the processor 131, 231 so that the processor 131, 231 may be configured to determine where the toothbrush head is located in the oral cavity at a given time during a brushing session. The tracking sensor 139 may be a single sensor, or may be a plurality of sensors, and may include different types of sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, proximity sensors, etc.).

[0084] Therefore, combining this position tracking with blood tracking, the processor 131, 231 can record a log of the position of the toothbrush in the mouth when blood is first detected. Because the sensor 133, 233 can measure / collect data every second in some embodiments, the sensor 133, 233 will detect blood almost instantaneously. Therefore, if the head of the toothbrush 100, 200 is located in the upper right quadrant of the mouth and the gums in this area begin to bleed, the system 1000 will be able to track this information and provide it to the user (e.g., via the blood detection software application 304, etc.). Specifically, the system 1000 will know where the toothbrush 100, 200 is located when blood is first detected, which is a good indication that the blood is from the oral region where the toothbrush 100, 200 is located at that time. The system 1000 can track the location of the bleeding based on which quadrant of the four quadrants of the oral cavity (upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right) the bleeding occurs, or the system can provide more specific information, such as the gums above the first molar in the upper left quadrant of the mouth are bleeding. Furthermore, the system need not be based on four quadrants, but can simply track whether the blood is coming from the top or bottom of the mouth. In other embodiments, the mouth can be divided into more than four quadrants to provide a more precise indication of where the blood is coming from. In this way, the system 1000 (or toothbrush 100) will be able to track which part of the mouth is bleeding and provide this information to the user or medical professional. This can be useful information for the user to provide to the medical professional or just for the user to have, so that the user can treat that area of ​​the mouth as needed.

[0085] Therefore, the system 1000 (or toothbrush 100, 200) can determine that blood is first detected forty-five seconds into the brushing session. The system 1000 can then determine where the toothbrush 100, 200 (or its head or cleaning element) is in the mouth / oral cavity forty-five seconds into the brushing session. In this way, the system 1000 can determine the position of the toothbrush 100, 200 in the oral cavity when blood is first detected, which is likely to be a bleeding oral cavity location. This information can be provided to the user on a graphical display. For example, the display 306 on the portable electronic device 300 can show a visual representation of a set of teeth or the oral cavity, and the display can indicate in which area of ​​the oral cavity blood was first detected (e.g., by highlighting the area or coloring it red, etc.).

[0086] Along the same lines, system 1000 (or toothbrush 100, 200 itself) can also determine when there is a second location of bleeding in the oral cavity. For example, system 1000 can record the amount / content of blood in the oral cavity during a brushing session. If the amount of blood detected at any time increases significantly, system 1000 can determine that there is a second location of bleeding in the oral cavity. Thus, for example, if 0.1 ml of blood is detected ten seconds into the brushing session, and then 0.3 ml of blood is determined to be present forty-five seconds into the brushing session, system 1000 can interpret this as meaning there is a second location of bleeding. Thus, system 1000 can determine the position of the toothbrush head at the moment the amount of blood increases to determine the second bleeding location in the oral cavity.

[0087] The operation of the system 1000 will now be briefly described in terms of a method for detecting blood in a toothpaste slurry during brushing. The method comprises having a user brush their teeth and gums using a cleaning element 123 of a toothbrush 100 during a brushing session. During such brushing, if toothpaste has been pre-applied to the cleaning element 123, a toothpaste slurry will form in the oral cavity during the brushing session. Next, signals are generated containing information related to the presence or absence of hemoglobin in the toothpaste slurry. According to an exemplary embodiment, these signals are generated by a sensor 133 coupled to the toothbrush 100. More specifically, the sensor 133 transmits a first light of a first wavelength and a second light of a second wavelength into the oral cavity where the toothpaste slurry is located. Portions of the first light and the second light will then be reflected from the toothpaste slurry. A receiver 141 of the sensor 133 will receive the reflected portions of the first light and the second light.

[0088] Next, the processor 131, 301 will receive signals corresponding to the intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and the second light. The processor 131, 301 will process these signals to determine whether hemoglobin (and therefore blood) is present in the toothpaste slurry. This can be achieved by the processor calculating the ratio of the first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light to the second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light. Using the result of this calculation, the processor 131, 301 can determine whether hemoglobin / blood is present in the toothpaste slurry. In some cases, when the processor 131, 301 determines that hemoglobin is present in the toothpaste slurry, the method may include providing an indication to the user that blood is present in the toothpaste slurry. This may involve displaying such an indication on the display 306 of the portable electronic device 300 or activating an indicator 136 located on the toothbrush 100.

[0089] The above-described system and method is a "reagent-free" system and method for measuring hemoglobin during brushing using only a few wavelengths of light (2 to 3) in the visible and infrared regions. The surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate ("SLS") in most toothpaste compositions acts as a stabilizer for hemoglobin, so the method does not require additional reagents specifically for hemoglobin detection.

[0090] It should be noted that although the description provided herein relates to the use of toothbrushes 100, 200 and / or system 1000 to detect hemoglobin in order to determine whether blood is present in the oral cavity and / or toothpaste slurry, the present invention is not limited to this in all embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, toothbrushes 100, 200 and / or system 1000 can be used to detect serum albumin, which is also rich in blood. However, serum albumin does not have a strong spectral feature. Therefore, when toothbrushes 100, 200 and / or system 1000 are used to detect serum albumin, a dye such as bromocresol green can be added first. Serum albumin bound to a dye as described herein will absorb red light, so the sensors 133, 233 described herein can be used to detect this serum albumin / dye in the same manner as described above to determine whether blood is present, but the algorithm must be modified so that red light is the denominator in the equation.

[0091] Although the present invention has been described with respect to specific examples (including currently preferred modes for practicing the invention), it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that there are many variations and permutations of the systems and techniques described above. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the present invention should be broadly interpreted as set forth in the appended claims.

[0092] The present invention relates to the following embodiments:

[0093] 1. A system for detecting blood in the oral cavity during tooth brushing, the system comprising:

[0094] A toothbrush comprising:

[0095] a sensor configured to emit first light at a first wavelength and second light at a second wavelength, receive reflected portions of the first light and the second light, and generate a first signal indicative of a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and a second signal indicative of a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light; and

[0096] a power source operably coupled to the sensor to power the sensor; and

[0097] A processor is operably coupled to the sensor and is configured to receive the first signal and the second signal and calculate a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity.

[0098] 2. The system of embodiment 1, wherein the toothbrush further comprises:

[0099] handle; and

[0100] A head is coupled to the handle, wherein the sensor is located in the head.

[0101] 3. The system of embodiment 2 further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements extending from the head in a cleaning element region, the cleaning element region having an opening that forms a light path for the first light and the second light to be emitted from and received by the sensor.

[0102] 4. The system of embodiment 1, wherein the toothbrush comprises:

[0103] a body including a handle portion and a rod extending from the handle portion, the sensor being located in the rod; and

[0104] A replacement head includes a sleeve portion that fits over the stem to couple the replacement head to the body, a head portion that aligns with the sensor in the stem, and a plurality of cleaning elements extending from the head portion.

[0105] 5. A system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, further comprising an indicator that is activated when the ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity exceeds a predetermined threshold to provide a user with an indication of the presence of blood in the oral cavity.

[0106] 6. A system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 5, wherein the sensor is also configured to emit a third light of a third wavelength, receive a reflected portion of the third light and generate a third signal indicating a third intensity of the reflected portion of the third light, and wherein the processor is configured to receive the third signal and calculate a ratio of the third intensity to the second intensity to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity.

[0107] 7. A system according to embodiment 6, wherein the first light is one of red light and infrared light, the second light is green light, and the third light is the other of red light and infrared light.

[0108] 8. A system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the toothbrush includes the processor.

[0109] 9. A system according to embodiment 8, wherein the toothbrush includes an indicator operably coupled to the processor, and wherein the indicator is activated when the ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity exceeds a predetermined threshold to provide an indication to the user of the presence of blood in the oral cavity.

[0110] 10. A system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, which also includes a portable electronic device, wherein the portable electronic device includes the processor.

[0111] 11. A system according to embodiment 10, which also includes a software application stored on the portable electronic device, wherein the software application includes an indicator that is activated when the ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity exceeds a predetermined threshold to provide a user with an indication of the presence of blood in the oral cavity.

[0112] 12. A system according to embodiment 11, wherein the indicator is a visual indicator displayed on a display screen of the portable electronic device.

[0113] 13. A system according to embodiment 12, wherein the software application is configured to store information related to blood detection in the oral cavity for each of a plurality of different brushing sessions, and wherein the information is displayed on the display screen of the portable electronic device.

[0114] 14. A system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 13, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the amount of blood detected in the oral cavity during a brushing session based on the first signal and the second signal.

[0115] 15. A system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 14, wherein the toothbrush further includes a tracking sensor configured to generate a position signal related to the position of the head of the toothbrush within the oral cavity during brushing, and wherein the processor is operably coupled to the tracking sensor and configured to receive the position signal to determine the position of the head of the toothbrush within the oral cavity when hemoglobin is initially detected during brushing.

[0116] 16. A method for detecting blood in the oral cavity during tooth brushing, the method comprising:

[0117] brushing the teeth and gums of the oral cavity with a cleaning element of the toothbrush during a brushing session;

[0118] emitting first light at a first wavelength and second light at a second wavelength into the oral cavity via a sensor of the toothbrush during the brushing session;

[0119] receiving, via the sensor of the toothbrush, a reflected portion of the first light and a reflected portion of the second light during the brushing session;

[0120] sending from the sensor to a processor a first signal indicative of a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and a second signal indicative of a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light; and

[0121] A ratio of the first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light to the second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light is calculated via the processor to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity during the brushing session.

[0122] 17. The method of embodiment 16 further comprises calculating, via the processor, an amount of blood present in the oral cavity during the brushing session based on the ratio.

[0123] 18. A method according to embodiment 16 or embodiment 17, wherein the first light is red light or infrared light, and the second light is green light.

[0124] 19. The method according to any one of embodiments 16 to 18, further comprising:

[0125] emitting a third light at a third wavelength via a sensor of the toothbrush while brushing the teeth and gums;

[0126] receiving a reflected portion of the third light via the sensor of the toothbrush;

[0127] sending a third signal from the sensor to the processor indicative of a third intensity of the reflected portion of the third light; and

[0128] A ratio of the third intensity of the third light to the second intensity of the second light is calculated via the processor to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity.

[0129] 20. A method according to embodiment 19, wherein the first light is red light, the second light is green light, and the third light is infrared light.

[0130] 21. The method of any one of embodiments 16 to 20, further comprising activating an indicator when the ratio exceeds a predetermined threshold to indicate to a user of the toothbrush the presence of blood in the oral cavity during the brushing session.

[0131] 22. The method of any one of embodiments 16 to 21, wherein the toothbrush comprises the processor.

[0132] 23. A method according to any one of embodiments 16 to 22, which also includes a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device including the processor, and wherein the processor of the portable electronic device is operably coupled to the sensor of the toothbrush via Bluetooth.

[0133] 24. A toothbrush comprising:

[0134] a head having cleaning elements for cleaning oral surfaces;

[0135] a sensor comprising a first light source for emitting first light at a first wavelength, a second light source for emitting second light at a second wavelength, and a receiver for receiving reflected portions of the first light and the second light;

[0136] a power source operably coupled to the sensor; and

[0137] A processor operably coupled to the sensor to: (1) receive a first signal indicating a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and a second signal indicating a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light; and (2) calculate a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity.

[0138] 25. The toothbrush of embodiment 24 further comprising an indicator which is activated when the ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity exceeds a predetermined threshold to provide an indication to a user of the presence of blood in the oral cavity.

[0139] 26. The toothbrush according to any one of embodiments 24 to 25, wherein the first light is one of red light and infrared light, and the second light is green light.

[0140] 27. A toothbrush according to any one of embodiments 24 to 26, wherein the sensor further comprises a third light source for emitting a third light of a third wavelength, the receiver receives a reflected portion of the third light, and wherein the processor is configured to receive a third signal indicating a third intensity of the reflected portion of the third light, and calculate a ratio of the third intensity to the second intensity to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity.

[0141] 28. The toothbrush according to embodiment 27, wherein the first light is red light, the second light is green light, and the third light is infrared light.

[0142] 29. A system for detecting blood in the oral cavity during tooth brushing, the system comprising:

[0143] a toothbrush comprising electronic circuitry including a sensor configured to generate a signal related to the presence or absence of hemoglobin in the oral cavity during a brushing session; and

[0144] A portable electronic device includes a processor operably coupled to the sensor of the toothbrush, the processor configured to receive and process the signal to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity during the brushing session.

[0145] 30. A system according to embodiment 29, wherein the electronic circuit of the toothbrush further includes a power source, which is operably coupled to the sensor to power it.

[0146] 31. A system according to embodiment 29 or embodiment 30, which also includes a software application stored on the portable electronic device, wherein the software application includes an indicator that is activated when the processor determines that hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity during the brushing session.

[0147] 32. A system according to embodiment 31, wherein the indicator is a visual indicator displayed on the display screen of the portable electronic device.

[0148] 33. A system according to embodiment 32, wherein the software application stores information related to the presence of hemoglobin in the oral cavity for each of a plurality of different brushing sessions, and wherein the information is displayed on the display screen of the portable electronic device.

[0149] 34. A system according to any one of embodiments 29 to 33, wherein the sensor is configured to emit first light of a first wavelength and second light of a second wavelength, receive reflected portions of the first light and the second light and generate a first signal indicating a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and a second signal indicating a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light, and wherein the processor is configured to calculate a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity during the brushing session.

[0150] 35. A system according to embodiment 34, wherein the first light is red light or infrared light and the second light is green light.

[0151] 36. A system according to any one of embodiments 29 to 34, wherein the processor of the portable electronic device is operably coupled to the sensor of the toothbrush via Bluetooth.

[0152] 37. A system for detecting blood in a toothpaste slurry during a tooth brushing session, the system comprising:

[0153] a sensor configured to generate a signal related to the presence or absence of hemoglobin in the toothpaste slurry during the brushing session;

[0154] a processor operably coupled to the sensor and configured to receive and process the signal to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the toothpaste slurry during the brushing session; and

[0155] An output is configured to notify a user of the presence of blood in the toothpaste slurry during the brushing session based on processing performed by the processor.

[0156] 38. The system of embodiment 37, further comprising a toothbrush having a cleaning element, the toothbrush comprising the sensor.

[0157] 39. A system according to embodiment 38, wherein the toothbrush includes the processor, and wherein the output includes activating an indicator on the toothbrush.

[0158] 40. The system of embodiment 38 further comprising a portable electronic device comprising the processor, the portable electronic device being in operable communication with the toothbrush.

[0159] 41. A system according to any one of embodiments 37 to 40, wherein the sensor is configured to emit a first light at a first wavelength and a second light at a second wavelength, receive reflected portions of the first light and the second light reflected from the toothpaste slurry and generate a first signal indicating a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and a second signal indicating a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light, and wherein the processor is configured to calculate a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the toothpaste slurry.

[0160] 42. A method of detecting blood in a toothpaste slurry during tooth brushing, the method comprising:

[0161] brushing teeth and gums of an oral cavity with a cleaning element of a toothbrush during a brushing session, wherein a toothpaste slurry is formed in the oral cavity during the brushing session;

[0162] generating, using a sensor coupled to the toothbrush, a signal related to the presence of hemoglobin in the toothpaste slurry;

[0163] processing the signal with a processor to determine whether hemoglobin was present in the toothpaste slurry during the brushing session; and

[0164] When the processor determines that hemoglobin is present in the toothpaste slurry, an indication is provided to a user that blood is present in the toothpaste slurry.

[0165] 43. A system for detecting blood in the oral cavity during tooth brushing, the system comprising:

[0166] A toothbrush comprising:

[0167] a first sensor configured to generate a first signal related to the presence or absence of hemoglobin in the oral cavity during a brushing session; and

[0168] a second sensor configured to generate a second signal related to the position of the head of the toothbrush within the oral cavity during the brushing session; and

[0169] A processor operably coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, wherein the processor is configured to receive and process the first signal and the second signal to determine a position of the head of the toothbrush within the oral cavity when blood was initially detected during the brushing session.

[0170] 44. A method of detecting blood in the oral cavity during tooth brushing, the method comprising:

[0171] brushing the teeth and gums of the oral cavity using a cleaning element of the toothbrush during a brushing session;

[0172] generating, using a first sensor coupled to the toothbrush, a first signal associated with the presence of hemoglobin in the toothpaste slurry;

[0173] generating a second signal related to the position of the cleaning elements of the toothbrush within the oral cavity; and

[0174] The first and second signals are processed with a processor to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity during the brushing session and, if present, to determine the location of the cleaning element within the oral cavity when the hemoglobin is initially detected.

Claims

1. A method for detecting blood in the oral cavity during tooth brushing, the method comprising: brushing the teeth and gums of the oral cavity with a cleaning element of the toothbrush during a brushing session; emitting first light at a first wavelength and second light at a second wavelength into the oral cavity via a sensor of the toothbrush during the brushing session; receiving, via the sensor of the toothbrush, a reflected portion of the first light and a reflected portion of the second light during the brushing session; sending from the sensor to a processor a first signal indicative of a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and a second signal indicative of a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light; as well as A ratio of the first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light to the second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light is calculated via the processor to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity during the brushing session. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating, via the processor, an amount of blood present in the oral cavity during the brushing session based on the ratio.

3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first light is red light or infrared light, and the second light is green light.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: emitting a third light at a third wavelength via a sensor of the toothbrush while brushing the teeth and gums; receiving a reflected portion of the third light via the sensor of the toothbrush; sending a third signal from the sensor to the processor indicative of a third intensity of the reflected portion of the third light; as well as calculating, via the processor, a ratio of the third intensity of the third light to the second intensity of the second light to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity; The first light is red light, the second light is green light, and the third light is infrared light.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising activating an indicator when the ratio exceeds a predetermined threshold to indicate to a user of the toothbrush the presence of blood in the oral cavity during the brushing session.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the toothbrush comprises the processor.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a portable electronic device comprising the processor, and wherein the processor of the portable electronic device is operably coupled to the sensor of the toothbrush via Bluetooth.

8. A system for detecting blood in the oral cavity during tooth brushing, the system comprising: a toothbrush comprising electronic circuitry including a sensor configured to generate a signal related to the presence or absence of hemoglobin in the oral cavity during a brushing session; as well as a portable electronic device comprising a processor operably coupled to the sensor of the toothbrush, the processor configured to receive and process the signal to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity during the brushing session, wherein the sensor is configured to emit first light at a first wavelength and second light at a second wavelength, receive reflected portions of the first light and the second light, and generate a first signal indicative of a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and a second signal indicative of a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light; wherein the processor is configured to calculate a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity during the brushing session; and The first light is red light or infrared light, and the second light is green light.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the electronic circuit of the toothbrush further comprises a power source operably coupled to the sensor to power it.

10. A system according to claim 8 or claim 9, further comprising a software application stored on the portable electronic device, wherein the software application includes an indicator that is activated when the processor determines that hemoglobin is present in the oral cavity during the brushing session; wherein the indicator is a visual indicator displayed on a display screen of the portable electronic device; and wherein the software application stores information related to the presence of hemoglobin in the oral cavity for each of a plurality of different brushing sessions, and wherein the information is displayed on the display screen of the portable electronic device.

11. The system of any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the processor of the portable electronic device is operably coupled to the sensor of the toothbrush via Bluetooth.

12. A system for detecting blood in a toothpaste slurry during a toothbrushing session, the system comprising: a sensor configured to generate a signal related to the presence or absence of hemoglobin in the toothpaste slurry during the brushing session; a processor operably coupled to the sensor and configured to receive and process the signal to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the toothpaste slurry during the brushing session; as well as an output configured to notify a user of the presence or absence of blood in the toothpaste slurry during the brushing session based on processing performed by the processor, wherein the sensor is configured to emit first light at a first wavelength and second light at a second wavelength, receive reflected portions of the first light and the second light reflected from the toothpaste slurry, and generate a first signal indicating a first intensity of the reflected portion of the first light and a second signal indicating a second intensity of the reflected portion of the second light, and Wherein the processor is configured to calculate a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity to determine whether hemoglobin is present in the toothpaste slurry.

13. A system according to claim 12, further comprising a toothbrush having a cleaning element, the toothbrush including the sensor; and a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device including the processor, the portable electronic device being in operative communication with the toothbrush; wherein the toothbrush includes the processor, and wherein the output comprises activating an indicator on the toothbrush.

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