Abstract: A personal care system comprises an imaging device configured to obtain images of a region of interest of an object and a processor. The processor is configured to obtain a spectral signature of an adjuvant on the region of interest, identify spectral components in the images and segment the adjuvant from the images by comparing the spectral signature to the spectral components of the images.

Abstract: Proposed are schemes, solutions, concepts, designs, methods and systems pertaining to aiding and/or improving image acquisition from a vibratory personal care device having an image capture device. Embodiments propose generating multiple pulses of illumination during a single vibration cycle of the personal care device. Through illuminating part of the user multiple times during a single vibration cycle of the personal care device, improved images (e.g. images exhibiting less blur and/or distortion) may be obtained. In this way, improved images may be obtained from a vibratory personal care device.

Abstract: A system is provided for monitoring properties of oral soft tissues. An oral monitoring head comprises at least one sensing element such as a probe which can be provided among cleaning bristles. A tapping motion is imparted to the at least one sensing element and the force or strain or motion associated with the at least one sensing element is monitored to produce a force or strain or motion signal. From this signal, viscoelastic material properties for the material in contact with the at least one sensing element are derived. In one example, a gum health indication can be provided.

Abstract: A means for deriving a metric of tooth mobility based on force or motion data acquired from a sensor integrated in an oral care device and acquired during an oral cleaning session. By processing a waveform of the sensing signal to detect one or more signal characteristics, and further acquiring one or more characteristics of the tooth-device mechanical engagement, a standardized metric of tooth mobility can be derived.

Abstract: A personal care device including a body portion; a cleaning unit having a set of cleaning elements, the set of cleaning elements extending in an axis of alignment; a controller and an actuator assembly arranged to be driven by the controller. The actuator assembly includes an actuator configured to generate first and second periodic movements, wherein the first and second periodic movements operate at different frequencies or out-of-phase with each other. The first periodic movement causes the cleaning elements to move in a first direction about a central axis of the personal care device or along a line that is tangential to a platen of the cleaning unit. The second periodic movement causes the cleaning elements to move in a second direction that is different than the first direction, wherein the second direction is normal to the platen of the cleaning unit.

Abstract: A mount for an oral appliance. The mount comprises one or more holes that are configured to, when the mount is stretched in a first direction, cause a further deformation of the mount in at least one other direction, for example, to cause a bending or folding of the mount to improve clamping and conformation of the mount to oral tissues.

Abstract: A processor and method for detecting pain and non-pain arousal responsive to physical stimuli applied to oral surfaces of a subject. A biological signal such as skin conductance, or another physiological parameter, can be used as a proxy measure for acute pain and/or non-pain arousal. The instances of mechanical engagement with the oral surfaces can be detected or tracked. Differential detection of pain vs non-pain arousal is achieved based on assessing signal synchronization or correlation between the biological signal and the oral contact events.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided an apparatus (100) comprising a sweat sensing component (102) for measuring a parameter relating to sweat generated by sweat glands of a subject; a sweat transport channel (104); and a sweat redirecting component (106) comprising a responsive material whose form is configured to change in response to a stimulus, so as to redirect sweat and control an amount of sweat able to be transported to the sweat sensing component (102) via the sweat transport channel (104), wherein the sweat redirecting component is positioned at an outlet of the sweat transport channel, such that, in a first configuration, the form of the responsive material is such that the sweat redirecting component prevents the passage of sweat through the outlet, and directs the passage of sweat to the sweat sensing component; and, in a second configuration, the form of the responsive material is such that the sweat redirecting component permits the passage of sweat through the outlet.

Abstract: A method for performing a non-invasive periodontal examination on a subject. The method comprises obtaining a first optical image of the surface of an intra-oral area of the subject, the intra-oral area containing at least one tooth and a corresponding gum and obtaining a second image of the intra-oral area of the subject, wherein the second image contains an image of the hard tissue covered by the soft tissue. The hard tissue includes bone and teeth. The method further comprises merging the optical image and the second image into a fused image such that the tooth and part of the gum in the fused image are based on the optical image and wherein any bone in the fused image is based on the second image and estimating the periodontal distance between a soft tissue landmark and a hard tissue landmark for each tooth in the intra-oral area based on the fused image.

Abstract: A wear-out assessment for an oral care system (14) (e.g. an oral cleaning device) is disclosed. A sensor unit (16) of the oral care system is adapted to provide a sensor signal related to a cleaning efficacy of a cleaning function of the oral care system when generated when the oral care system is inside a user's mouth. The sensor unit (16) may be, or may be coupled to, a component which is used during execution of an oral care function of the device, for example a sensor for detecting cleaning progress in the mouth, or a component which drives a cleaning or treatment action in the mouth. In accordance with the invention, the sensor signal (20) generated when the oral care system is outside the mouth is used for performing a wear-out assessment. As relevant components used by the oral care system (14) for the oral care function wear, characteristics of the sensor signal (20) may change in a predictable way, which can be used to identify when a wear-out state has been reached.

Abstract: A tooth arch receiving element has an arch formed of a conformable structure for receiving the teeth of a user. An actuator is used to increase the rigidity of the conformable structure after it has been shaped to correspond to a shape of a tooth arch of a subject during an arch fitting stage.

Abstract: Means for detecting oral surface characteristics, or proxies thereof, based on sensing of transient force or displacement of protruding cleaning members of an oral care device, and based on mapping said sensing data onto cleaning member position and/or motion data. From analysis of patterns in the position and/or motion data over a measurement or sampling period, surface characteristics including a measure of surface friction may be derived. In some embodiments, secondary surface characteristics may be derived based on the determined measure of surface friction.

Abstract: A shielding barrier (32) is carried by one or more electrodes (22) of a cleaning and/or treatment unit (12) for an oral care device, and arranged for interposing contact of an exposed conductive portion (25) of the electrodes (22) by other components or external objects. The shielding barrier is arranged such that the exposed conductive portion is still at least partially open to the environment surrounding the electrodes (22).

Abstract: An approach for obtaining measurements of mechanical properties of a gripping performed by masticatory apparatus. A mouthpiece provides a sensing arrangement (for obtaining the measurement) and one or more mouth contacting elements for protecting, cleaning or treating teeth/gums. In this way, measurements indicative of potential abnormalities or physiological dysfunction in the masticatory apparatus can be obtained using a mouthpiece that has a secondary function of protecting, cleaning and/or treating elements of the mouth.

Abstract: A shielding barrier (32) is carried by one or more electrodes (22) of a cleaning and/or treatment unit (12) for an oral care device, and arranged for interposing contact of an exposed conductive portion (25) of the electrodes (22) by other components or external objects. The shielding barrier is arranged such that the exposed conductive portion is still at least partially open to the environment surrounding the electrodes (22).

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided a method comprising: receiving (402), from a sensor, first data indicative of a concentration of a first substance in sweat secreted from sweat glands of a subject; determining (404) a relationship between (i) a time of occurrence of a characteristic event in relation to the concentration of the first substance in sweat and (ii) a time of occurrence of the characteristic event in relation to the concentration of the first substance in blood; and determining (406), based on the relationship and the received first data, a time window regarding the intake of a second substance by the subject. Another aspect provides an apparatus for carrying out this method.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus (100) for transporting sweat droplets (112) to a sensor. The apparatus comprises a chamber (102) for filling with sweat. The chamber has an inlet (104) lying adjacent the surface of the skin (106), which inlet permits sweat to enter and fill the chamber. The chamber has an outlet (114) from which a sweat droplet protrudes once the chamber has been filled. The apparatus further comprises a fluid transport assembly which is designed to enable the sweat droplet protruding from the outlet to become detached from the outlet of the chamber. The sweat droplet is subsequently transported by the fluid transport assembly to the sensor. Once the protruding droplet has been released from the outlet, the outlet is made available for a subsequent sweat droplet to protrude therefrom upon further filling of the chamber.

Abstract: Provided is a system (300) for determining a sweat rate per gland and measuring biomarker concentration. The system comprises an apparatus and a sensor (166). The apparatus receives sweat from the skin and transports the sweat as discrete sweat droplets to the sensor. The sensor senses each of the counted sweat droplets. The system further comprises a processor which counts the number of sensed sweat droplets during a time period. The processor also determines time intervals between consecutive sensed sweat droplets, and receives a measure of the volume of each of the counted sweat droplets. The time intervals and the measure of the volume are then used by the processor to identify sweat burst and rest periods of the sweat gland or glands producing the sweat. This identification process necessarily involves assigning the sweat burst and rest periods to the sweat gland or glands, such that the processor is permitted to determine the number of sweat glands involved in producing the sweat.

Abstract: A device (1) for determining sweat parameters of a user is provided, which device comprises a microfluidic structure (10) having a collection chamber (16) configured to collect sweat from a first skin area (i), and a sensor (12) configured to determine a sweat parameter from sweat from the first skin area (i). The device also comprises an evaporation control chamber (14), which is connected to the microfluidic structure (10), configured to utilize fluid collected at a second area (ii) to moisten the microfluidic structure (10). The moistening of the microfluidic structure (10) aims to increase the available sweat for the sensor to determine a sweat parameter, by increasing the humidity inside the microfluidic structure (10) and thus, decreasing the evaporation of sweat. A method for determining sweat parameters of a user is also provided.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided a system (10) comprising a sweat stimulation device (100) for stimulating sweat generation from sweat glands of a subject, the device comprising: a stimulation element (102) configured to provide modulated stimulation between two non-zero states to the sweat glands through the skin of the subject; and a sensor (104) for measuring data indicative of a characteristic of sweat generated by the sweat glands in response to the stimulation; and a processor (110) configured to receive the measured data from the sensor; compare the measured data with a threshold value; and responsive to determining that the measured data meets or exceeds the threshold value, generate an alert signal.