Oral cavity attachment tool and halitosis measurement system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12533048-B2
Application number	US-202118018824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2021
Priority date	Jul 31, 2020
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

A mouth cavity attachment tool ( 1 A) is attachable to a mouth cavity (M) of a person (P) under examination. The mouth cavity attachment tool ( 1 A) includes a partitioning portion ( 10 A) and a gap forming portion ( 11 A). The partitioning portion ( 10 A) partitions a mouth cavity (M) into a first portion (M 1 ) where objects of measurement of halitosis are located and a second portion (M 2 ) communicating with a pharynx ( 6 ) of the person (P) under examination. The gap forming portion ( 11 A) is connected to the partitioning portion ( 10 A) and forms gaps (G) in spaces to the objects of measurement. Since the mouth cavity attachment tool ( 1 A) includes the partitioning portion ( 10 A) partitioning the mouth cavity (M) into a first portion (M 1 ) where tooth rows ( 2 ) and gums ( 3 ) are located and a second portion (M 2 ) communicating with the pharynx ( 6 ) of the person (P) under examination, halitosis can be detected accurately.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A mouth cavity attachment tool, the mouth cavity attachment tool being attachable to a mouth cavity of a person under examination, the mouth cavity attachment tool comprising:
a partitioning portion to partition the mouth cavity into a portion in which an object of measurement of halitosis is located and a portion communicating with a pharynx of the person under examination; and a gap forming portion connected to the partitioning portion and configured to form a gap between the mouth cavity attachment tool and the object of measurement; wherein the gap forming portion is configured to be capable of sealing the gap when the mouth cavity attachment tool is taken out from the mouth cavity.

2 . The mouth cavity attachment tool according to claim 1 , wherein the gap forming portion forms the gap by entering between the object of measurement and a region in the mouth cavity coming into contact with the object of measurement.

3 . The mouth cavity attachment tool according to claim 1 , wherein, on the gap forming portion, a recessed portion forming the gap is formed.

4 . The mouth cavity attachment tool according to claim 3 comprising:
a discharge pipe to discharge gas in contact with the object of measurement from the gap to an outside of the mouth cavity; and
a feed portion to feed gas in the mouth cavity into the gap.

5 . The mouth cavity attachment tool according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a discharge pipe to discharge gas in contact with the object of measurement from the gap to an outside of the mouth cavity; and an internal flow path opening opposite to the object of measurement and forming the gap and also communicating with the discharge pipe.

6 . The mouth cavity attachment tool according to claim 5 , wherein the mouth cavity attachment tool is formed of an elastic member, and
is formed in such a way as not to close the internal flow path while the mouth cavity attachment tool is bitten by the person under examination.

7 . The mouth cavity attachment tool according to claim 1 , wherein the object of measurement includes at least one of a front side and a back side of a tooth row and a gum of the person under examination.

8 . The mouth cavity attachment tool according to claim 7 , wherein the object of measurement includes a boundary portion between the tooth row and the gum.

9 . A halitosis measurement system comprising:
the mouth cavity attachment tool according to claim 1 ; and an odor sensor to detect an odor substance, the odor substance being a component of halitosis, based on gas having been in contact with an object of measurement in the mouth cavity attachment tool.

10 . The halitosis measurement system according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a pump to suck gas having been in contact with the object of measurement from the mouth cavity attachment tool and send the gas to the odor sensor.

11 . The halitosis measurement system according to claim 9 , wherein the odor sensor is installed inside the mouth cavity attachment tool.

12 . The halitosis measurement system according to claim 10 , wherein the pump and the odor sensor are installed inside the mouth cavity attachment tool.

13 . The halitosis measurement system according to claim 10 , wherein the pump and the odor sensor are installed outside the mouth cavity.

14 . A halitosis measurement system comprising:
the mouth cavity attachment tool according to claim 1 ; a pump to suck gas having been in contact with an object of measurement from the mouth cavity attachment tool; a collector to collect gas sucked by the pump; and an odor sensor to detect an odor substance, the odor substance being a component of halitosis, based on gas collected by the collector.

15 . The halitosis measurement system according to claim 9 , further comprising an information generator to generate advice information for the person under examination, based on an odor substance detected by the odor sensor.

Assignees

• I Pex Inc

Inventors

• Ogata Kenji
• KONISHI Reiji
• Sato Ayako

Classifications

• A61B5/682

  Mouth, e.g., oral cavity; tongue; Lips; Teeth · CPC title

• A61B5/082 Primary

  Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath (A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/097 Primary

  Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices · CPC title

• G01N33/497

  of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath · CPC title

• A61C19/04

  Measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry ({A61C5/44 takes precedence; testing vitality of teeth A61B5/0534;} radiation diagnosis specially adapted for dentistry A61B6/51) · CPC title