User Health Profiles Derived From Oral Care Implements

• US 20090317770A1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: Gittins, Elizabeth K., Trivedi, Harsh M., Jimenez, Eduardo, Gatzemeyer, John, Kennedy, Sharon
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/215
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0004 with a controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0006 with a controlling brush technique device, e.g. stroke movement measuring device
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0008 with means for controlling duration, e.g. time of brushing
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0012 with a pressure controlling device
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0014 with a controlling temperature device
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0055 Brushes combined with other articles normally separate from the brushing process, e.g. combs, razors, mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0051 for taking saliva or sputum samples devices for receiving spittle A61J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14507 specially adapted for measuring characteristics of body fluids other than blood devices for taking samples of body liquids A61B10/0045
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/04 Measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C5/44 takes precedence; testing vitality of teeth A61B5/0534; radiation diagnosis specially adapted for dentistry A61B6/51
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes a step of presenting an indication of a health profile of a person based on information obtained from an oral care implement. Also, a method includes displaying an indication of a history of the health profile of a a person based on second information previously received from the oral care implement.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

deriving a health profile of an individual from information obtained from an oral care implement; and

displaying a representation of the health profile on a display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the health profile comprises a displayed indication of a good health aspect or a bad health aspect.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the health profile comprises a displayed indication of whether the user has gingivitis.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, via the Internet, data representing the information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is separate from the oral care implement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the health profile comprises a displayed indication of which of a plurality of at least two different regions of an oral cavity is associated with an aspect of the health profile.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least two different regions comprise an upper teeth region and a lower teeth region.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the information in the form of data transmitted by the oral care implement.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a physical sample from the oral care implement and determining the information based on the sample.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the oral care implement comprises a toothbrush.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising displaying a representation of a health profile of an individual based on first information obtained from an oral care implement, the representation further including a displayed indication of a history of the health profile of the individual based on second information previously obtained from an oral care implement.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, via the Internet, data representing the information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying comprises displaying the indication at a display separate from the oral care implement.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the information in the form of data transmitted by the oral care implement.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising obtaining a physical sample from the oral care implement and determining the information based on the sample.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the oral care implement comprises a toothbrush.

17. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving first data representing a property of an oral care implement;

determining a health profile of an individual based on the first data;

generating second data representing the health profile.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising determining a recommendation for improving health based on the health profile, wherein the second data further represents the recommendation.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the recommendation comprises a recommendation to use a particular oral care implement.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the recommendation comprises a recommendation to use a particular dentifrice.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving third data representing a user selection of one of a plurality of aspects of the health profile; and

generating fourth data representing which of a plurality of regions in an oral cavity is associated with the selected aspect.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first data represents a plurality of values each associated with a different health aspect, and determining comprises determining whether each of the health aspects is present based on the first data.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises displaying a representation of the second data.