Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC

Taylor Bevis

Vincent Jeanne

Jack Kotovsky

A brush head (), an electric toothbrush (), and a method of operating an electric toothbrush. The electric toothbrush () includes bristles extending from a base structure. A plurality of tufts () are formed as separate groups of the bristles () bundled together. A sensor assembly () is configured to generate, for each of the tufts, a signal representative of a force applied to each of the tufts. A controller () is configured to generate a tuft signature representing a distribution of the force applied to each of the tufts. This tuft signature may then be classified by appropriate algorithms to determine brushing parameters, such as applied pressure, angle, and the location in the user's mouth.

Systems for determining brushing parameters in an electric toothbrush

A method () for determining a brushing angle of an oral care device () is provided. The method includes the steps of: generating (), by a controller () of the oral care device, a drive signal to move a drive train () and produce a motion of a bristle field () of the oral care device; measuring (), via a sensor (), force applied by a user to the bristle field of the oral care device; and determining (), by the controller of the oral care device, a brushing angle of the bristle field relative to a surface of the user's oral cavity based at least in part on the generated drive signal and the measured force to the bristle field.

System for determining a brushing angle of an oral care device

A method () for characterizing color information about a tooth, comprising: (i) projecting () at least one predetermined color pattern (); (ii) obtaining (), using an imager (), one or more images () each containing both a projected first predetermined color pattern () and at least a portion of a user's mouth (); (iii) automatically identifying () by a controller (), from the obtained one or more images, one or more teeth () in the at least a portion of the user's mouth (( ); (iv) comparing () an imaged predetermined color pattern to a corresponding projected predetermined color pattern; and (v) extracting () by the controller, based on the outcome of the comparison, color information about the one or more identified teeth ().

Method and system to assess teeth shade in an uncontrolled environment

Measurement of pressure of a fluid in a vessel using a cantilever spring in the vessel; a magnet connected to the cantilever spring in the vessel; an electromagnet outside of the vessel operatively connected to the magnet and the cantilever spring in the vessel, wherein the electromagnet induces movement of the magnet and the cantilever spring in the vessel, and wherein the movement is related to the pressure of the fluid in the vessel; a receiving coil operatively positioned relative to the magnet, wherein movement of the cantilever spring and the magnet in the vessel creates an electromotive response in the coil; and a controller analyzer connected to the receiving coil, wherein the controller analyzer uses the electromotive response in the coil for measuring the pressure of the fluid in the vessel.

Magnetically coupled pressure sensor

A method () for obtaining one or more oral images () using an imaging device or system () includes: (i) obtaining (), using an imager, an oral image; (ii) extracting (), by a controller, one or more features from the oral image, wherein the extracted one or more features comprises at least an image quality feature and an object recognition feature; (iii) determining (), by a decision module of the controller, whether the one or more extracted features satisfy a predetermined feature threshold; (iv) providing () feedback to a user regarding the obtained oral image if the one or more extracted features does not satisfy the predetermined feature threshold, or authorizing () transmission of the oral image to a dental professional if the one or more extracted features satisfy the predetermined feature threshold; and (v) transmitting (), if transmission is authorized, the obtained oral image to a dental professional.

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Bothell, WA, United States of America

Taylor Bevis