Camera Jig Light Shield for Teeth Whitening Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing at-home oral care systems for teeth whitening lack objective and consistent methods for tracking progress, as they rely on subjective comparisons under varying lighting conditions, leading to inaccurate assessments.
Innovation Solution
A camera jig with a built-in light source and a tubular structure that blocks ambient light, allowing a handheld camera to capture images of teeth under consistent lighting conditions by aligning the lens with the teeth at a predetermined distance, ensuring that only the camera's light source illuminates the target.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If printed reference cards are used for tooth shade comparison, then consumers can track whitening progress at home, but the results become subjective and inconsistent due to varying lighting conditions and consumer judgment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a camera as an intermediary device between the human eye and the tooth shade assessment. Instead of relying on direct visual comparison by the consumer, the camera captures images that can be objectively analyzed, thereby mediating the measurement process to eliminate subjective judgment while maintaining ease of at-home use
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/visual system of direct human eye comparison with a camera-based optical system. The camera's sensor and processing capabilities substitute for human visual judgment, providing consistent, repeatable measurements that are not affected by lighting variations or consumer subjectivity
2Adaptability or versatility
If ambient lighting conditions vary during tooth shade comparison, then consumers can use the cards in different environments, but the color and intensity of lighting cause results to vary over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a light shield that blocks ambient light before it can reach the tooth being photographed. By preliminarily controlling the lighting environment through the light shield, the system ensures that only the camera's controlled light source illuminates the tooth, preventing ambient lighting variations from affecting the measurement while allowing use in different environments
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an optically controlled environment using a light shield and controlled illumination. This inert optical atmosphere isolates the measurement from external lighting interference, providing stable and consistent lighting conditions regardless of the surrounding environment, thereby ensuring measurement stability across different usage scenarios
3Ease of operation
If the camera lens is not positioned at a predetermined distance from the teeth, then the camera can be held at various distances, but the images lack consistency for accurate comparison over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a spacer that preliminarily sets the distance between the camera lens and the tooth before the photograph is taken. This predetermined spacing ensures consistent imaging geometry across all measurements, eliminating the need for the user to manually adjust distance while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the device so that the spacer automatically maintains the correct lens-to-tooth distance without requiring user intervention or adjustment. The device serves itself by mechanically enforcing the predetermined distance, ensuring manufacturing precision is achieved through the device's own structure rather than user skill
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and reliable comparisons of teeth whitening progress over time by maintaining consistent lighting and distance, reducing subjective variations and providing objective image analysis.
Implementation Method 1
The light shield blocks substantially all ambient light from the target
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses and methods for producing improved photographs suitable for measuring teeth whiteness with a handheld camera using a camera jig are provided. The camera jig includes a base that contacts a surface. The camera jig also includes a light shield made from a tubular structure defining an interior cavity. The camera jig further includes a slot in the tubular structure that supports the handheld camera at a predetermined distance from a target, which may be teeth of a user. The slot aligns a lens of the handheld camera with the target. Further, the light shield blocks substantially all ambient light, other than light of a light source of the handheld camera, from the target as it is photographed.