Oral care apparatus applied to the removal of dental plaque
US8839476B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 7, 2012 |
| Grant date | Sep 23, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 7, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA46B2200/1066
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An oral care apparatus includes: a care member; an orientation detection unit; an area estimation unit; a light source that emits light having a predetermined wavelength to which plaque reacts; a photoelectric conversion unit that receives light and converts the received light into an electric signal; an image capture unit that causes the light source to irradiate the care area with light, and that obtains image data, based on the electric signal of light reflected from the care area that is converted by the photoelectric conversion unit; a plaque detection unit for detecting an amount of plaque in the care area, based on the image data obtained by the image capture unit; and a storage unit for storing, in a memory, the care area estimated by the area estimation unit and the amount of plaque in the care area detected by the plaque detection unit in association with each other.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.