DENTAL APPARATUS AND METHOD OF UTILIZING THE SAME

• US 20160287084A1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: VERMEULEN, OLAF THOMAS JOHAN ANTONIE, DEANE, STEVEN CHARLES
• Granted Patent: US 10,010,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0088 for oral or dental tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4547 Evaluating teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/225 Handles or details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor

Abstract

A dental apparatus is provided. The dental apparatus include a handle. A controller operably couples to the housing. A subsystem is in operable communication with the controller and configured to generate an excitation signal causing an emitted fluorescence light to be reflected back to the subsystem and to the controller for analyzing one or more properties of the emitted fluorescence light. The one or more properties corresponding to a decay time of the emitted fluorescence light, wherein plaque emitted florescence light decays faster than tooth emitted florescence light. The controller is programmed to analyze detected emitted fluorescence light to determine if the emitted fluorescence light is indicative of a plaque emitted fluorescence decay time or tooth emitted florescence light decay time to detect the presence of one of dental plaque and tooth demineralization.

Claims

1. A dental apparatus, comprising:

a handle;

a controller operably coupled to the handle; and

a subsystem in operable communication with the controller and configured to generate an excitation signal causing an emitted fluorescence light to be reflected back to the subsystem and to the controller for analyzing at least one property of the emitted fluorescence light, the at least one property corresponding to a decay time of the emitted fluorescence light, wherein plaque emitted florescence light decays faster than tooth emitted florescence light, wherein the controller is programmed to analyze detected emitted fluorescence light to determine if the emitted fluorescence light is indicative of a plaque emitted fluorescence light decay time or tooth emitted florescence light decay time to detect the presence of dental plaque.

2. The dental apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the excitation signal is frequency modulated and provided on one of a single frequency and multiple frequencies.

3. The dental apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subsystem includes at least one of a light emitting diode, a laser diode, a filter, a photodetector, an imaging sensor, an amplifier, an oscillator, a mixer, a beam-splitter and an analog to digital converter.

4. The dental apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the filter is an excitation cleanup filter, the oscillator is a single or multi-frequency modulated oscillator and the beam-splitter is a dichroic beam-splitter.

5. The dental apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subsystem is configured to detect emitted fluorescence light in a frequency that ranges from about 10 Hz to about 10 GHz.

6. The dental apparatus according to claim 1, further including a calibration module that is in operable communication with the controller for calibrating out phase delays and frequency dependent gains associated with a tooth of a patient.

7. The dental apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a battery is housed within the handle and is configured to supply power to the dental apparatus including a motor that is housed within the handle and the subsystem, which is housed in a shaft that extends distally from handle.

8. The dental apparatus according to claim 1, further including a toothbrush assembly that is configured to releasably couple to the shaft for at least brushing teeth and removing the dental plaque.

9. The dental apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a window is positioned on the toothbrush assembly adjacent a plurality of bristles provided thereon and aligns with the subsystem disposed on the shaft such that the excitation signal and the emitted fluorescence light are passable through the window.

10. The dental apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one property of the emitted fluorescence light corresponds to a faster decay time and lower phase shift associated with the emitted fluorescence light and an amplitude of the emitted fluorescence light.

11. The dental apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller includes at least one control algorithm configured to analyze the phase shift of the emitted fluorescence light and the amplitude of the emitted fluorescence light utilizing one of frequency domain analysis and time domain analysis methods.

12. A dental apparatus, comprising:

a handle including a shaft extending distally therefrom and a battery, motor and controller housed therein;

a toothbrush assembly configured to removably couple to the shaft; and

a subsystem in operable communication with the controller and configured to generate one of a frequency and time modulated excitation signal causing an emitted fluorescence light to be reflected back to the subsystem and the controller for analyzing at least one property of the emitted fluorescence light, the at least one property corresponding to a decay time of the emitted fluorescence light, wherein plaque emitted florescence light decays faster than tooth emitted florescence light,

wherein the controller is programmed to analyze detected emitted fluorescence light to determine if the emitted fluorescence light is indicative of a plaque emitted fluorescence light decay time or tooth emitted florescence light decay time to detect the presence of dental plaque.

13. The dental apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the frequency modulated excitation signal is provided on one of a single frequency and multiple frequencies.

14. The dental apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the subsystem includes at least one of a light emitting diode, a laser diode, a filter, a photodetector, an imaging sensor, an amplifier, an oscillator, a mixer, a beam-splitter and an analog to digital converter.

15. The dental apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the filter is an excitation cleanup filter, the oscillator is a single or multi-frequency modulated oscillator and the beam-splitter is a dichroic beam-splitter.

16. The dental apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the subsystem is configured to detect emitted fluorescence light in a frequency that ranges from about 10 Hz to about 10 GHz.

17. The dental apparatus according to claim 12, further including a calibration module that is in operable communication with the controller for calibrating out phase delays and frequency dependent gains associated with a tooth of a patient.

18. The dental apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a window is positioned on the toothbrush assembly adjacent a plurality of bristles provided thereon and aligns with the subsystem disposed on the shaft such that the excitation signal and the emitted fluorescence light are passable through the window.

19. The dental apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the at least one property of the emitted fluorescence light corresponds to a faster decay time and lower phase shift associated with the emitted fluorescence light and an amplitude associated with the emitted fluorescence light.

20. The dental apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the controller includes at least one control algorithm configured to analyze the phase shift of the emitted fluorescence light and the amplitude of the emitted fluorescence light utilizing one of frequency domain analysis and time domain analysis methods.

21. A method for detecting one of dental plaque and tooth demineralization at a site on a tooth, comprising:

emitting a frequency modulated excitation signal inside a mouth of a patient;

detecting an emitted fluorescence light; and

analyzing at least one property of the emitted fluorescence light, wherein plaque emitted florescence light decays faster than tooth emitted florescence light; and

analyzing detected emitted fluorescence light to determine if the emitted fluorescence light is indicative of a plaque emitted fluorescence light decay time or tooth emitted florescence light decay time to detect the presence of dental plaque.

22. The method according to claim 21, including frequency modulating the excitation signal on one of a single frequency and multiple frequencies.

23. The method according to claim 21, including detecting the emitted fluorescence light in a frequency that ranges from about 10 Hz to about 10 GHz.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein analyzing further includes analyzing one of a phase shift and amplitude of the emitted fluorescence light.

25. The method according to claim 24, including utilizing frequency domain analysis methods to analyze the phase shift and amplitude of the emitted fluorescence light.

26. The method according to claim 21, including providing a dental apparatus for emitting, detecting and analyzing, and providing the dental apparatus with a handle including a battery that is configured to supply power to the dental apparatus including a motor that is housed within the handle, a controller, and subsystem, which is housed in a shaft that extends distally from handle.

27. The method according to claim 26, including providing the subsystem with at least one of a light emitting diode, a laser diode, a filter, a photodetector, an imaging sensor, an amplifier, an oscillator, a mixer, a beam-splitter and an analog to digital converter.

28. The method according to claim 27, including utilizing an optical excitation cleanup filter, a single or multi-frequency modulated oscillator and a dichroic beam-splitter.

29. The method according to claim 21, including calibrating out phase delays and frequency dependent gains associated with the tooth via a calibration module that is in operable communication with the controller.

30. The method according to claim 21, including providing a toothbrush assembly that is configured to releasably couple to the shaft for at least brushing teeth and removing the dental plaque.

31. The method according to claim 30, including providing the dental apparatus with a window that is positioned on the toothbrush assembly adjacent a plurality of bristles provided thereon and aligns with the subsystem disposed on the shaft such that the excitation signal and the emitted fluorescence light are passable through the window.