Oral Cleaning Device Feedback via Stable Orientation Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for tracking toothbrush movement during brushing sessions are limited by their inability to provide accurate feedback on tooth sub-segment coverage due to low resolution, difficulty in distinguishing between similar mouth regions, and inadequate handling of oral variation and changing brushing habits.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that use sensor data to extract stable orientations of an oral cleaning device within the mouth, fit these orientations to expected orientations using multivariate Gaussian mixture modeling, and provide feedback on coverage and brushing efficacy to the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If electromagnetic reference devices and MEMS-based sensors are used to track toothbrush movement, then the system can provide brushing session feedback, but the resolution is low and only broad sections of the mouth can be tracked rather than exact positioning such as teeth sub-segments
Solution Approach 1:
The mouth is divided into multiple regions with distinct electromagnetic reference device positions. Each region is associated with specific tooth sub-segments, allowing the system to identify which region the toothbrush is currently in and provide detailed sub-segment tracking feedback.
2Measurement precision
If a fixed reference spot is used in the mouth for tracking, then the system can determine toothbrush position, but the user cannot move their head during brushing as this interferes with the proper positioning of the reference spot
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts to head movements by using multiple electromagnetic reference devices distributed throughout the mouth. When the user moves their head, the toothbrush transitions between regions with different reference devices, allowing continuous tracking without requiring the user to maintain a fixed head position.
3Adaptability or versatility
If statistical modelling is used to handle oral variation, then the system can be applied to a large population, but the modelling is inadequate as a user's brushing habits can change over time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary characterization of each user's mouth by tracking the toothbrush against electromagnetic reference devices during initial brushing sessions. This establishes a personalized baseline of brushing habits and mouth geometry, which is then used to provide accurate feedback while adapting to changes in brushing habits over time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method (300) for providing feedback to a user of an oral cleaning device (10). The method includes the steps of: (i) receiving (330), from a sensor (28) of the oral cleaning device, data about a plurality of orientations of the oral cleaning device within the user's mouth during a cleaning session; (ii) extracting (340), from the received data, information about one or more stable orientations of the oral cleaning device within the user's mouth during the cleaning session, where a stable orientation is an orientation of the oral cleaning device maintained by the user for a period of time above a threshold; (iii) fitting (350) the information about the one or more stable orientations of the oral cleaning device to one or more expected orientations; and (iv) providing (360) feedback to the user about the cleaning session based on an analysis of the fitted one or more stable orientations.