Abstract: An optical analysis of saliva or a fluid-saliva mixture is performed in order to check whether the saliva or fluid-saliva mixture contains blood, which allows for determining whether or not a person may suffer from gingivitis or another condition affecting gum health. Light received from a representative volume of fluid (23) containing saliva is detected and analyzed. The analysis involves determination of at least one measurement value of light received by a light-receiving unit (25) for only a single wavelength of the light, particularly a wavelength that is associated with high absorption by a constituent of blood. It this respect, it is practical if the light-receiving unit (25) is configured to receive reflected light back from the volume of fluid (23). The optical analysis may be performed real-time during an action in a person's mouth involving a gum agitation effect, or after such action has taken place, for example.

Abstract: The invention relates to an oral care device for teeth whitening or other purpose. The device is designed to provide a uniform light intensity distribution at the teeth. This is achieved by use of a light guide which at some surface parts is separated from surrounding parts of the mouthpiece of the oral care device by air-filled separation portions. The light guide mixes the injected light to improve the uniformity of the light intensity. In 5 order to couple light out from the light guide, the mouthpiece comprises an out-coupling structure located opposite to the buccal side of the teeth. The out-coupling structure may be shaped, e.g. by changing the area or density of parts of the out-coupling structure depending on the distance to a location of the light guide where light is injected.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mouthpiece for performing a treatment of teeth such as teeth whitening. Accordingly, the mouthpiece may be arranged for cosmetic treatment. The treatment is based on illumination of the teeth of light with a suitable wavelength. The mouthpiece is designed so that light from light sources, e.g. LED's, is sufficiently homogenized so that the light irradiance at the teeth is sufficiently uniform to achieve good treatment results. Furthermore, the mouthpiece is designed so that the irradiance at the teeth is sufficiently high to achieve efficient treatment and so that heating of the teeth is minimized to an acceptable heating.

Abstract: There is disclosed a mouthpiece component for use in an intra oral illumination system, the mouthpiece component comprising a core structure which defines at least one waveguide for receiving light which is directable at least partly by the waveguide along at least one light path of the core structure, wherein each at least one light path defines a propagation direction for light in a propagation plane; at least one optical discontinuity which is configured to cause at least a portion of light propagating along the light path in the at least one waveguide to be transmitted out of the at least one core structure and continue to propagate substantially parallel to the propagation plane; and at least one light redirection portion which is configured to redirect at least a portion of light which has been transmitted out of the core structure out of the propagation plane. A method of manufacture thereof is also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical vital signs sensor is provided. The optical vital signs sensor is configured to measure or determine vital signs of a user. The optical vital signs sensor comprises a contact surface and at least one light source configured to generate light. The light is directed towards a skin of a user. Furthermore, at least one photo detector unit is configured to detect light which is indicative of a reflection of the light beam from the at least one light source in or from the skin of the user. Between the light source and the contact surface, a color converting plate is provided which converts a color of the light from the light source.

Abstract: A tissue inflammation detection system (600) including: a light emitter (602) configured to emit light towards tissue (604); at least one light detector (606) configured to detect diffuse reflective light from the tissue; and a controller (613) including a tissue inflammation detection unit (614) configured to analyze the detected diffuse reflective light in its spectral components. The tissue inflammation detection unit is configured to: determine a tissue contribution from a first wavelength region of a diffuse reflective spectroscopy signal where the diffuse reflective spectroscopy signal is dominated by tissue; extrapolate the tissue contribution to a second wavelength region where the diffuse reflective spectroscopy signal includes at least one detectable hemoglobin absorption feature; subtract the extrapolated tissue contribution from the diffuse reflectance signal; and determine the degree of tissue inflammation.

Abstract: A system (100) for detecting tissue inflammation, gingivitis specifically, including a light emitter (102) configured to emit light at a tissue region within a user's mouth; at least four wavelength-sensitive photodetectors (110, 112, 114, and 116) configured to detect optical signals diffusely reflected through the tissue region, each of the at least four wavelength-sensitive photodetectors comprising a filter (BPF1, BPF2, BPF3, and BPF4) and a photodiode (D1, D2, D3, and D4), where the photodiodes are stacked on top of each other to generate current differential signals for amplifiers corresponding with the photodiodes, wherein the generation of the current differential signals removes an unwanted component from the optical signals prior to amplification; and an inflammation detection unit (136) configured to receive outputs from the corresponding amplifiers and detect inflammation at the tissue region.

Abstract: A system (100) for detecting tissue inflammation, and gingivitis specifically, including a light emitter (102); a diffuse reflective spectroscopy probe (107) having a source-detector distance between 300 ?m-2000 ?m; and a plurality of detectors (106, 108, 112) configured to detect: a first wavelength that is less than 615 nm and having a first bandwidth; and second and third wavelengths that are equal to or greater than 615 nm and have second and third bandwidths, respectively, wherein the second or third bandwidth is greater than the first bandwidth.

Abstract: A system (100) for detecting tissue inflammation, and gingivitis specifically, including a light emitter (102) configured to emit light at a tissue region (104) within a user's mouth; a light detector (106) configured to detect optical signals diffusely reflected through the tissue region over a period of time; a controller (130) configured to: determine a slope signal (Q) based on at least two signals (R(?1), R(?2)) from the optical signals, the at least two signals including at least one signal from a hemoglobin-dominated wavelength range; determine one or more characteristics of the slope signal; and select a best measurement signal based on the one or more characteristics of the slope signal. The system further includes a user interface (116) configured to provide information regarding a position of a probe for accurate detection of tissue inflammation based on the one or more characteristics of the slope signal.

Abstract: A method (400) for identifying precipitation (50) includes the steps of: providing (410) a lighting unit (10) having a first photosensor (32), a second photosensor (34), and a controller (22), where the first and second photosensors are vertically spaced by a first distance; receiving (430), by the first photosensor, a first light signal from the precipitation at a first time point (T1); receiving (440) by the second photosensor, a second light signal from the precipitation at a second time point (T2); calculating (450) the amount of time between the first light signal and the second light signal; and calculating (460), based on the first distance and the calculated amount of time between the first light signal and the second light signal, a velocity of the precipitation.

Abstract: An optical analysis of saliva or a fluid-saliva mix obtained during or after an oral care action is performed in order to check whether the saliva or fluid-saliva mix contains blood, which allows for determining whether or not a person may suffer from gingivitis or another condition affecting gum health. In particular, light received from a representative sample (23) containing saliva is detected and analyzed. The analysis involves determination of measurement values of light received by a light-receiving unit (25) for one or more main wavelengths of the light and one or more auxiliary wavelengths of the light. Advantageously, the main wavelength(s) is/are associated with high hemoglobin absorption and the auxiliary wavelength(s) is/are associated with low hemoglobin absorption. A measurement value at an auxiliary wavelength is used for correcting a measurement value at as main wavelength for background influences.

Abstract: A method (400) for identifying precipitation (50) includes the steps of: providing (410) a lighting unit (10) having a first photosensor (32), a second photosensor (34), and a controller (22), where the first and second photosensors are vertically spaced by a first distance; receiving (430), by the first photosensor, a first light signal from the precipitation at a first time point (T1); receiving (440) by the second photosensor, a second light signal from the precipitation at a second time point (T2); calculating (450) the amount of time between the first light signal and the second light signal; and calculating (460), based on the first distance and the calculated amount of time between the first light signal and the second light signal, a velocity of the precipitation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a photoplethysmography apparatus (100), comprising a source of light (110) configured to provide source light (130) of at least a first and a second spectral position directed at a tissue (140); alight detector (120) configured to detect scattered source light, and to provide at least a first and a second sensor signal (127, 29) indicative of the scattered source light of the first and second spectral position; and a processing unit (150). The processing unit is configured to calculate a corrected sensor signal (160), indicative of a variation in blood absorbance within the tissue, by removing a tissue-path error signal component, indicative of a variation in optical path length through the tissue over time, and a light-coupling error signal component, indicative of a variation of source light intensity of the source light emitted at the tissue, from the at least first and second sensor signals.

Abstract: The invention discloses a measurement element (100, 500, 600, 700) for an oral care device. The measurement element comprises at least one elongate ridge element (102) for engaging an interproximal region or adjacent teeth within an oral cavity, and at least a first sensing region (104) for acquiring data from gingival tissue within the oral cavity. The invention also discloses an oral care device (10), an attachment (1000) for an oral care device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mouthpiece (100) for illumination of teeth, e.g. for teeth whitening. The mouthpiece comprises a slab shaped light guide (203), at least one light source arranged for injecting light into the light guide and an optically transparent element (101) arranged to contact the light guide. The optically transparent element has a lower refractive index than the light guide to enable total internal refection of the injected light. Light is coupled out of the light guide by an out-coupling structure (210) and through a part of the optically transparent part located between the light guide and the buccal side of the teeth to illuminated the teeth with uniform light.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mouthpiece (100) for illumination of teeth, e.g. for teeth whitening. The mouthpiece is configured with at least two lenses (102a, 102b) shaped to cast asymmetrical light onto the teeth (110). The lenses are arranged one-to-one with associated light sources (101a, 101b). The first and second lenses are arranged to project the received light onto a buccal side (111) of the teeth (110), and each of the first and second lenses has an asymmetrically shaped refraction surface (301) shaped to change an intensity distribution of the received light asymmetrically on opposite sides of an optical axis (121) of the respective light source along the dental arch (201) of the teeth.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mouthpiece for performing a treatment of teeth such as teeth whitening. Accordingly, the mouthpiece may be arranged for cosmetic treatment. The treatment is based on illumination of the teeth of light with a suitable wavelength. The mouthpiece is designed so that light from light sources, e.g. LED's, is sufficiently homogenized so that the light irradiance at the teeth is sufficiently uniform to achieve good treatment results. Furthermore, the mouthpiece is designed so that the irradiance at the teeth is sufficiently high to achieve efficient treatment and so that heating of the teeth is minimized to an acceptable heating.

Abstract: The invention relates to a photoplethysmography device (20) of the reflectance type, comprising a light source (4), a light sensor (5), and an interface layer (21). The interface layer (21) has a recess between the source (4) and the sensor (5) in order to prevent reflection losses between the device (20) and the skin and to prevent that light from the source (4) can reach the sensor (5) directly via the interface layer (21).

Abstract: A plaque detection system is presented including a dental implement and a multi-mode optical waveguide for receiving fluorescence light from a plurality of angles, the fluorescence light traveling along a core of the multimode optical waveguide at different path lengths resulting in modal dispersion. The plaque detection system also includes a detector configured to receive the fluorescence light for detecting plaque, calculus, and/or caries, and communicating plaque identification information of teeth based on frequency domain lifetime measurements. The modal dispersion is used to detect at least one plaque, calculus, and or caries fluorescence area on the teeth. The plaque fluorescence area detected with modal dispersion includes different levels of plaque with respect to a center point of the plaque fluorescence area. Thus, a plaque detection signal depends on a radial distance from the center point of the plaque fluorescence area.

Abstract: The invention relates to an oral care device for teeth whitening or other purpose. The device is designed to provide a uniform light intensity distribution at the teeth by use of a light mixing chamber of a mouthpiece comprised by the oral care device. The mouthpiece comprises a sealing structure with rims designed to connect to the gums of a user. At least apart of the rim and a closure of the mouthpiece surrounded by the rim are reflective. When light is emitted into the mouthpiece, the light will be reflected by the reflective rim, the reflective closure and the buccal side of the teeth. Accordingly, the light will be reflected multiple times, which makes the intensity distribution more uniform. Additionally, the mouthpiece may comprise light redirection structures arranged to redirect light rays from light injected into the mouthpiece.