JP2023092277A - Oval cavity washing device, oral cavity washing method, and oral cavity washing program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an oral cavity washing device capable of appropriately washing a target washing spot in the oral cavity.SOLUTION: An oral cavity washing device 1 includes: a camera part 12 for imaging the oral cavity; a washing part 11 for washing the oral cavity by discharging fluid; an image data acquisition part 113; a border detection part 114; a position determination part 115; and a discharge control part 116. The image data acquisition part 113 acquires image data acquired by the camera part 12. The border detection part 114 detects a border between the teeth and the gums in the oral cavity on the basis of the image data. The position determination part 115 determines whether or not the fluid discharged from the washing part hits the border on the basis of the image data. When the fluid discharged from the washing part 11 is determined to hit the border in the position determination part 115, the discharge control part 116 causes the fluid for washing the oral cavity to be discharged from the washing part 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present disclosure relates to an oral cleaning device, an oral cleaning method, and an oral cleaning program.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, among apparatuses for cleaning the oral cavity with a brush or a stream of water, there has been proposed an apparatus for more appropriately cleaning an object to be cleaned in the oral cavity. US Pat. No. 6,200,000 discloses an oral care device with a sensor that acquires movement data. The oral care device disclosed in Patent Document 1 calculates position information based on data acquired by an acceleration sensor, and accurately determines the position of the device in the oral cavity.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-510316

In the oral care device disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the position of the head of the oral care device in the oral cavity is determined based on the movement data acquired by the sensor. That is, the oral care device determines the position at which the teeth and the head portion of the oral care device engage according to the movement of the oral care device. It is required to identify and clean more detailed positions such as the boundary of For example, in the case of washing the oral cavity with water flow, the water flow may be wasted if the water flow is discharged to a location different from the desired location.

The present disclosure has been made in view of such problems of the prior art. An object of the present disclosure is to provide an oral cavity cleaning device capable of appropriately cleaning a site to be cleaned in the oral cavity.

An oral cavity cleaning apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a camera unit that captures images of the inside of the oral cavity, a cleaning unit that cleans the oral cavity by ejecting liquid, and image data acquisition that acquires image data acquired by the camera unit. a boundary detection unit that detects the boundary between the tooth and the gum in the oral cavity based on the image data; and a position determination unit that determines whether or not the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit hits the boundary based on the image data. and an ejection control unit that causes the cleaning unit to eject liquid for cleaning the oral cavity when the position determining unit determines that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit hits the boundary.

An oral cavity cleaning method according to another aspect of the present disclosure is an oral cavity cleaning method executed by a computer, in which image data acquired by a camera unit that photographs the inside of the oral cavity is acquired, and based on the image data, The boundary between the teeth and the gums in the oral cavity is detected, and based on the image data, it is determined whether or not the liquid discharged from the cleaning unit that cleans the oral cavity by discharging the liquid hits the boundary. When it is determined that the ejected liquid hits the boundary, the liquid for cleaning the inside of the oral cavity is ejected from the cleaning unit.

An oral cleaning program according to another aspect of the present disclosure acquires image data acquired by a camera unit that photographs the inside of the oral cavity, detects a boundary between teeth and gums in the oral cavity based on the image data, Based on the image data, it is determined whether or not the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit that cleans the oral cavity by ejecting the liquid hits the boundary, and if it is determined that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit hits the boundary , causing the computer to execute a process of ejecting a liquid for cleaning the inside of the oral cavity from the cleaning unit.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an oral cavity cleaning device capable of appropriately cleaning a site to be cleaned in the oral cavity.

1 is a schematic diagram of an oral cleaning device according to a first embodiment; FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the nozzle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle along the IIB-IIB cross section of FIG. 2A; 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an oral cavity cleaning device according to a first embodiment; FIG. It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the positional relationship of the nozzle of the oral-cleansing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment, and a tooth|gear. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining an image acquired by the camera according to the first embodiment; FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the positional relationship of the nozzle of the oral-cleansing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment, and a tooth|gear. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an image acquired by a camera of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of the oral cavity cleaning device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the nozzle of the oral cavity cleaning device according to the second embodiment; It is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an oral cavity cleaning apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining control of nozzles of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus according to the second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining control of nozzles of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus according to the second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining control of nozzles of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus according to the second embodiment; It is a flow chart which shows an example of processing of the intraoral cleaning device concerning a 2nd embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an oral cavity cleaning device according to a third embodiment; It is a flow chart which shows an example of processing of the intraoral cleaning device concerning a 3rd embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of processing related to image quality information adjustment in processing of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus according to the third embodiment; FIG. It is a schematic diagram of an oral cavity cleaning device according to another embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters or redundant descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to allow those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the claimed subject matter thereby.

(Schematic configuration of oral cavity cleaning device 1)
The oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is equipped with a camera for photographing the inside of the oral cavity, and jets a water stream from the nozzle 10 to a desired position in the oral cavity based on image data acquired by the image sensor of the camera. , is a device for properly cleaning the oral cavity. Below, the oral cavity cleaning device 1 will be described with reference to some specific embodiments.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is an external view showing an outline of an oral cavity cleaning device 1 according to a first embodiment. The oral cavity cleaning device 1 includes a nozzle 10 , a water tank 20 , an operation switch 30 and a water pressure selector switch 40 . The oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 jets a stream of water from the nozzle 10 based on the depression of the operation switch 30 by the user and a predetermined condition described later. A predetermined place in the oral cavity is washed by the water pressure of the jetted water stream. It is also assumed that the water pressure of this water flow can be switched by pressing the water pressure switch 40 by the user.

The liquid (water) that becomes the source of the water flow jetted from the nozzle 10 is accumulated in the water tank 20 in advance and is jetted from the nozzle 10 via the hose. The liquid accumulated in the water tank 20 is not limited to water, and may be, for example, a washing liquid for washing the inside of the oral cavity. In this specification, the case where the liquid accumulated in the water tank 20 and discharged from the nozzle 10 is water will be described below.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of the tip of the nozzle 10 of the oral cavity cleaning device 1. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2A, the tip of the nozzle 10 includes a cleaning unit 11 that cleans the oral cavity by ejecting liquid, and a camera unit 12 that captures images of the oral cavity.

FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the tip of the nozzle 10 along the IIB-IIB cross section of FIG. 2A. A cleaning portion 11 provided in the nozzle 10 has a pipe structure for passing and discharging water. The cleaning part 11 may also be replaceable, in which case it is fixed by the mounting part 14 . An o-ring, for example, is used for the mounting portion 14 . The camera unit 12 has a lens and an image sensor at its tip, and sends captured intraoral image data to the main body of the intraoral cleaning apparatus 1 via the cable 13 .

The oral cavity cleaning device 1 controls the cleaning section 11 and the camera section 12 by a controller 100 (see FIG. 3) provided inside the oral cavity cleaning device 1 . FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the controller 100 provided in the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1, and the cleaning section 11 and the camera section 12 controlled by the controller 100. As shown in FIG. Further, the controller 100 acquires information that the operation switch 30 and the water pressure changeover switch 40 are pressed as control signals.

As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 100 includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, and an input/output IF 140 (interface). Controller 100 may also include communication IF 130 . The controller 100 may be configured as a general-purpose microcomputer including a CPU (control unit 110), a memory (storage unit 120), and an input/output IF 140. In this case, the microcomputer may be installed with a computer program for functioning as the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 . By executing the computer program, the microcomputer functions as a plurality of information processing circuits provided in the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 . In this embodiment, an example of realizing a plurality of information processing circuits provided in the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 by software will be described. , it is also possible to construct an information processing circuit. Also, a plurality of information processing circuits may be configured by individual hardware.

The control unit 110 operates based on a program (not shown) stored in the storage unit 120 and executes each function shown in FIG. Note that the program is not limited to being stored in the storage unit 120, and may be stored in a ROM or the like (not shown) in the controller 100, for example.

The storage unit 120 acquires and stores an intraoral image captured by the camera unit 12 via the input/output IF 140 . In addition, the storage unit 120 may store a program for each function executed by the control unit 110, as described above. The images and programs stored in the storage unit 120 may be configured as physically or logically divided areas provided in one storage device. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which the storage units 120 for each data are provided in a plurality of physically different storage devices.

The communication IF 130 is an interface for communicating between the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 and various external devices via a wired and/or wireless network. The user may update the control program of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 via the communication IF 130 . Also, the user may acquire image data or the like stored in the storage unit 120 via the communication IF 130 .

The input/output IF 140 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data, control signals, and the like between the controller 100 and the cleaning unit 11, camera unit 12, operation switch 30, and water pressure selector switch 40 of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1.

(Functional configuration of oral cleaning device 1)
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the controller 110 of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 110 includes a switch depression determination unit 111, a camera control unit 112, an image data acquisition unit 113, a boundary detection unit 114, a position determination unit 115, an ejection control unit 116, as a function.

The switch depression determination unit 111 acquires information regarding whether or not the operation switch 30 has been depressed by the user via the input/output IF 140, and determines whether or not the operation switch 30 has been depressed.

The camera control unit 112 controls the camera unit 12 such as activation and shooting.

The image data acquisition unit 113 acquires image data acquired by the image sensor of the camera unit 12 via the input/output IF 140 . Also, the image data acquisition unit 113 may store the acquired image data in the storage unit 120 .

The boundary detection unit 114 detects the boundary between the tooth and gum based on the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit 113 . FIG. 5A is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the camera portion 12 of the nozzle 10 and the teeth T and gums G. FIG. The camera unit 12 acquires image data of an area including the tooth T and the gum G at the position shown in FIG. 5A. Further, in FIG. 5A, an area A indicates an area where the water discharged from the discharge port of the cleaning unit 11 hits the teeth and/or the gums.

FIG. 5B is a diagram showing an example of image data acquired by the camera unit 12 with respect to the positional relationship in FIG. 5A. In the example shown in FIG. 5B, an area A is shown in the center of the image data where the water ejected from the ejection port of the cleaning unit 11 hits the tooth T and/or the gum G. As shown in FIG. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 5B, the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G is indicated by a plurality of boundary points B. As shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the boundary point B between tooth T and gum G is detected by pixel intensity of the image data. In this embodiment, when each pixel of the image data obtained by the image sensor is represented by 8 bits, each pixel is represented by a gray scale of 0 to 255 gradations. A pixel value of 0 indicates black, and a pixel value of 255 indicates white. In general, the color of teeth is close to white, and conversely, the color of gums is close to black compared to teeth. Therefore, the pixel value of the gum G is smaller than the pixel value of the tooth T area. In the present embodiment, the boundary detection unit 114 determines the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G using a boundary threshold value detected in advance by experiments.

Further, in this embodiment, the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G is discretely detected at predetermined intervals. That is, the boundary detection unit 114 detects the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G as a plurality of discrete points based on the pixel values of the image data. Boundaries detected as a plurality of discrete points may be configured, for example, by detecting one arbitrary boundary point and then sequentially calculating the boundaries at predetermined intervals. Alternatively, the boundary detection unit 114 may detect the boundary as a plurality of discrete points by thinning out the data for the detected boundary.

Here, the predetermined interval of the boundary detected between the tooth T and the gum G is assumed to be 2 mm in this embodiment. The configuration in which the predetermined interval of the boundary detected between the tooth T and the gum G is set to 2 mm does not limit the configuration of the present embodiment. It may be possible. In this way, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 detects the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G as a plurality of discrete points. It is possible to reduce the amount.

The position determination unit 115 determines whether the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G detected by the boundary detection unit 114 is at a predetermined position. Here, the predetermined position corresponds to a position (region A) on which the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 hits. That is, the position determination unit 115 determines whether or not the position of the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G detected by the boundary detection unit 114 matches the position where the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 hits. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5B, boundary point B, which is the boundary between tooth T and gum G, is included in region A, which is the position where water discharged from cleaning unit 11 hits. In this case, the position determination unit 115 determines that the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G detected by the boundary detection unit 114 is the position where the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 hits.

6A and 6B show a comparative example in which the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 does not hit the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G. FIG. As shown in FIG. 6A, the region A hit by the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 is located away from the gums G. As shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the boundary point B, which is the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G, is not included in the region A that is hit by the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 . That is, in the example shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the position determination unit 115 determines that the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G detected by the boundary detection unit 114 is not a position where the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 hits. I judge.

When the position determination unit 115 determines that the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 hits the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G, the ejection control unit 116 supplies water for cleaning the oral cavity from the cleaning unit 11. Dispense. As a result, water is discharged to a desired position in the oral cavity, and the oral cavity is cleaned. Further, when the position determination unit 115 determines that the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 does not hit the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G, the ejection control unit 116 cleans the oral cavity from the cleaning unit 11. Do not allow water to escape. As a result, the oral cavity cleaning device 1 can prevent wasteful discharge of water in cleaning the oral cavity.

In addition, the ejection control unit 116 terminates the ejection after a predetermined time has elapsed after the ejection is started. Here, in this embodiment, the predetermined time is 0.5 seconds, for example. It should be noted that the discharge time of water from the cleaning unit 11 is not limited to 0.5 seconds, and the water may be discharged for a period of time shorter than 0.5 seconds or longer than 0.5 seconds. As a result, the oral cavity cleaning device 1 can prevent wasteful discharge of water in cleaning the oral cavity.

(Processing flow of oral cleaning device 1)
Next, processing (oral cleaning method) related to oral cleaning in the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. 7 . A series of operations of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7 are started when the oral cavity cleaning device 1 is activated, and the processing ends when the power is turned off. In addition, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, the process is terminated not only by turning off the power but also by an interrupt to end the process. In addition, in the explanation of the flowchart below, the same contents as those described in the above explanation of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 will be omitted or simplified.

In step S701, the switch depression determination unit 111 acquires information regarding whether or not the operation switch 30 has been depressed by the user via the input/output IF 140, and determines whether or not the operation switch 30 has been depressed. In step S701, when the switch depression determination unit 111 determines that the operation switch 30 has been depressed (step S701: YES), the process proceeds to step S702. On the other hand, if the switch depression determination unit 111 determines in step S701 that the operation switch 30 is not depressed (step S701: NO), the process returns to step S701 and repeats the process in step S701. That is, the process of step S701 is repeatedly executed until the operation switch 30 is pressed.

In step S<b>702 , the camera control unit 112 controls activation of the camera unit 12 . After that, the process proceeds to step S703.

In step S<b>703 , the camera control unit 112 acquires image data acquired by the image sensor of the camera unit 12 . Specifically, the camera control unit 112 acquires sensor information acquired by the image sensor of the camera unit 12 as image data. After that, the process proceeds to step S704.

In step S<b>704 , the boundary detection unit 114 detects the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G based on the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit 113 . After that, the process proceeds to step S705.

In step S705, the position determination unit 115 determines whether or not there is a boundary between the tooth T and the gum G detected by the boundary detection unit 114 at a position (region A) hit by the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11. do. In step S705, if the position determination unit 115 determines that the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G detected by the boundary detection unit 114 is present in the area A hit by the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 (step S705: YES), the process proceeds to step S706. On the other hand, in step S705, if the position determination unit 115 determines that there is no boundary between the tooth T and the gum G in the area A hit by the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 (step S705: NO), The process returns to step S703. After that, the processing from step S703 is repeatedly executed.

In step S<b>706 , when the position determination unit 115 determines that the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G is a position where the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 hits, the discharge control unit 116 determines that the water discharged from the cleaning unit 11 is applied. to dispense. As a result, water is discharged to a desired position in the oral cavity, and the oral cavity is cleaned. After that, the process proceeds to step S707.

In step S<b>707 , the ejection control unit 116 determines whether or not a predetermined time has passed since the cleaning unit 11 started ejecting water. Here, in this embodiment, the predetermined time is 0.5 seconds, for example. In addition, the discharge time of water from the washing unit 11 is not limited to 0.5 seconds, and the water may be discharged for a time shorter than 0.5 seconds or longer than 0.5 seconds. When the ejection control unit 116 determines in step S707 that the predetermined time has elapsed since the water ejection from the cleaning unit 11 was started (step S707: YES), the process proceeds to step S708. On the other hand, when the ejection control unit 116 determines in step S707 that the predetermined time has not elapsed since the water ejection from the cleaning unit 11 started (step S707: NO), the process returns to step S707. , the processing of step S707 is repeated.

In step S<b>708 , the ejection control unit 116 controls the cleaning unit 11 to stop the ejection of water from the cleaning unit 11 . After that, the process proceeds to step S709.

In step S709, control unit 110 determines whether operation switch 30 is turned off. In step S709, when the switch depression determination unit 111 determines that the operation switch 30 is turned off (step S709: YES), the process ends. On the other hand, if the switch depression determination unit 111 determines in step S709 that the operation switch 30 is not turned off (step S709: NO), the process returns to step S703, and the process from step S703 is performed. Executed repeatedly.

As described above, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment includes the camera unit 12 that photographs the inside of the oral cavity, the cleaning unit 11 that cleans the oral cavity by ejecting liquid, and the image data acquisition unit 113. , a boundary detection unit 114 , a position determination unit 115 , and an ejection control unit 116 . The image data acquisition unit 113 acquires image data acquired by the camera unit 12 . The boundary detection unit 114 detects the boundary between the tooth and the gum in the oral cavity based on the image data. The position determination unit 115 determines whether or not the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit hits the boundary based on the image data. When the position determination unit 115 determines that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit 11 hits the boundary, the ejection control unit 116 causes the cleaning unit 11 to eject liquid for cleaning the oral cavity. As a result, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 can appropriately clean the site to be cleaned in the oral cavity.

In addition, when the position determination unit 115 determines that the liquid discharged from the cleaning unit 11 does not hit the boundary, the ejection control unit 116 of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 cleans the oral cavity from the cleaning unit 11. liquid may not be ejected. As a result, the oral cavity cleaning device 1 can prevent wasteful discharge of water in cleaning the oral cavity.

In addition, the ejection control unit 116 of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 may end the ejection after a predetermined time has elapsed after the ejection is started. As a result, the oral cavity cleaning device 1 can prevent wasteful discharge of water in cleaning the oral cavity.

Also, the boundary detection unit 114 of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 may detect the boundary as a plurality of discrete points based on the pixel values of the image data. As a result, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 detects the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G as a plurality of discrete points. can be reduced.

(Second embodiment)
As described above, one specific embodiment has been described, but the above-described embodiment is an example and does not limit the embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the form of washing the oral cavity when there is a boundary between the tooth T and the gum G in the area where the water is discharged from the washing unit 11 has been illustrated. Further, here, in the oral cavity cleaning device 1, the oral cavity cleaning device 1 according to the second embodiment, which adjusts the cleaning position in the oral cavity based on the image acquired by the camera unit 12, will be described with respect to the first embodiment. Different configurations are described.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the outline of the nozzle 10 for explaining the configuration of the nozzle 10 of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the nozzle 10 of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 according to the second embodiment includes a drive mechanism 15 and a drive control unit 16, and thus the same as the oral cavity cleaning device according to the above-described first embodiment. No. 1 nozzle 10 is different.

The drive mechanism 15 is a mechanism for driving the tip of the nozzle 10 in a predetermined direction. The drive mechanism 15 may be a mechanism that allows the tip of the nozzle 10 to tilt in the horizontal direction in the plane shown in FIG. In this specification, the horizontal direction in FIG. 8 is defined as the X-axis direction.

Further, the drive mechanism 15 may be a mechanism capable of tilting the tip portion of the nozzle 10 in the direction of the front and the depth in FIG. 8 in addition to the direction of the X-axis in FIG. . In this specification, the front direction and the depth direction in FIG. 8 are defined as the Z-axis direction.

Furthermore, the drive mechanism 15 can rotate the tip of the nozzle 10 not only in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction shown in FIG. It may be a mechanism that

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the controller 110 in the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment. The control unit 110 of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 according to the second embodiment has a functional configuration different from that of the control unit 110 of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a nozzle control unit 117. .

The nozzle control unit 117 controls the direction of the tip of the nozzle 10 based on the result of determination by the position determining unit 115 whether or not the destination of the water discharged from the nozzle 10 is on the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G. do. Specifically, when the position determination unit 115 determines that the destination of water discharged from the nozzle 10 is not on the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G, the nozzle control unit 117 changes the direction of the tip of the nozzle 10 to The water discharge destination from the nozzle 10 is changed to the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G. - 特許庁That is, when the position determination unit 115 determines that the water ejected from the cleaning unit 11 does not hit the boundary, the nozzle control unit 117 controls the cleaning unit 11 so that the water ejected from the cleaning unit 11 hits the boundary. change the direction of water discharge from the

10A to 10C are diagrams for explaining an example of changing the orientation of the tip of the nozzle 10 by the nozzle control unit 117. FIG. FIG. 10A shows an example in which the tip of the nozzle 10 tilts in the vertical direction (the X-axis direction in FIG. 8). In the example shown in FIG. 10A, the center of area A, which is the destination of water discharged from nozzle 10, and the center of boundary point B between tooth T and gum G located on a straight line in the vertical direction passing through the center of area A. are separated by a distance D. In this case, the nozzle control unit 117 sends a control signal to the drive control unit 16 so that the tip of the nozzle 10 tilts downward by a distance D in the vertical direction. The drive control unit 16 controls the drive mechanism 15 based on the control signal from the nozzle control unit 117 to tilt the tip of the nozzle 10 downward by a distance D. As shown in FIG. As a result, the region A, where water is discharged from the nozzle 10, coincides with the position of the boundary point B between the tooth T and the gum G, and appropriate washing of the oral cavity becomes possible.

FIG. 10B shows an example in which the tip of the nozzle 10 tilts in the vertical direction (the X-axis direction in FIG. 8) and the horizontal direction (the Z-axis direction in FIG. 8). Here, in FIG. 10B, for a place where the boundary point B between the tooth T and the gum G does not exist, the straight line L connecting the center of the boundary point B between the tooth T and the gum G and another boundary point B Estimate the boundary between T and gum G. In FIG. 10B, the nozzle control unit 117 estimates the position of the straight line L connecting the centers of the boundary points B1 and B2 as the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G. In FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 10B, the distance between the center of region A and the location where the vertical line and the horizontal line passing through the center of region A intersect the boundary between tooth T and gum G is the horizontal distance. is shorter. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 10B, the nozzle control unit 117 sends a control signal to the drive control unit 16 so that the tip of the nozzle 10 is tilted by the distance D in the horizontal direction. The drive control unit 16 controls the drive mechanism 15 based on the control signal from the nozzle control unit 117 to tilt the tip of the nozzle 10 by a distance D leftward in FIG. 10B. As a result, the area A, where water is discharged from the nozzle 10, and the boundaries between the teeth T and the gums G coincide with each other, so that the oral cavity can be washed appropriately.

FIG. 10C shows an example in which the tip of the nozzle 10 rotates. Here, in FIG. 10C, the nozzle control unit 117 moves the tip of the nozzle 10 to the boundary point B between the nearest tooth T and the gum G and the center of the region A where water is discharged from the nozzle 10. change the direction of the part. In the example of FIG. 10C, an example of changing the position of the area A to the boundary point B is shown. As a result, the area A, where water is discharged from the nozzle 10, and the boundaries between the teeth T and the gums G coincide with each other, so that the oral cavity can be washed appropriately.

(Processing flow of oral cleaning device 1)
Next, processing (oral cleaning method) related to oral cleaning in the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. 11 . A series of operations of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 11 is started when the oral cavity cleaning device 1 is activated, and ends when the power is turned off. In addition, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 11, the process is terminated not only by turning off the power but also by an interrupt to end the process. In addition, in the explanation of the flowchart below, the same contents as those described in the above explanation of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 will be omitted or simplified.

The processing from step S1101 to step S1104 is the same as the processing from step S701 to step S704 shown in FIG. 7 described above, so description thereof will be omitted here.

In step S<b>1105 , the position determination unit 115 determines whether or not the region A to which water is discharged from the nozzle 10 is on the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G. In the second embodiment, if there is a boundary point B, the boundary point B corresponds to the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, if there is no boundary point B, the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G is assumed to be a straight line L connecting the centers of adjacent boundary points B. presume.

In step S1105, when the position determination unit 115 determines that the area A, which is the destination of the water discharged from the nozzle 10, is on the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G (step S1105: YES), the process proceeds to step S1106. proceed to On the other hand, if the position determination unit 115 determines in step S1105 that the area A, which is the destination of the water discharged from the nozzle 10, is not on the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G (step S1105: NO), the process is performed. goes to step S1110.

The processing from step S1106 to step S1109 is the same as the processing from step S706 to step S709 shown in FIG. 7 described above, so description thereof is omitted here.

In step S<b>1110 , the nozzle control unit 117 changes the direction of the tip of the nozzle 10 . Specifically, the nozzle control unit 117 sends a control signal to the drive control unit 16 so that the area A, which is the destination of the water discharged from the nozzle 10, is positioned at the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G. The drive control unit 16 controls the drive mechanism 15 based on the control signal from the nozzle control unit 117 to change the direction of the tip of the nozzle 10 .

As described above, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment further includes the nozzle control section 117 that controls the driving mechanism 15 for changing the ejection direction of the liquid from the cleaning section 11 . When the position determination unit 115 determines that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit 11 does not hit the boundary, the nozzle control unit 117 controls the nozzle control unit 117 so that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit 11 hits the boundary. change the direction of liquid ejection. As a result, in the oral cavity cleaning device 1 according to the second embodiment, the region A, where water is discharged from the nozzle 10, coincides with the boundary between the teeth T and the gums G, and appropriate cleaning of the oral cavity is possible. becomes.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the following description, when the same reference numerals as those of the first and/or second embodiments are used, the same configurations as those of the first and/or second embodiments are indicated, and the preceding description is repeated unless otherwise specified. refer. Here, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment capable of adjusting the image quality of the image data acquired by the image sensor of the camera unit 12 has a configuration different from that of the first and/or second embodiments. will be explained.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the controller 110 in the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment. The control unit 110 of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 according to the third embodiment includes an image quality information adjusting unit 118, and thus has the same functionality as the control unit 110 of the oral cleaning device 1 according to the first and second embodiments. Different from configuration.

The intraoral image data acquired by the camera unit 12 may be a bright image or a dark image as a whole depending on the brightness of the place where the oral cavity cleaning device 1 is used. For example, when the image data is a bright image or a dark image as a whole, the determination of the boundary between the tooth and the gum may not be performed accurately. The oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment adjusts the image quality of the image data by the image quality information adjustment unit 118, and enables accurate determination of the boundary between the tooth and the gum.

The image quality information adjustment unit 118 calculates an average value of pixel values for image data acquired by the image sensor of the camera unit 12 . Then, the image quality information adjustment unit 118 determines whether or not the calculated average value of the pixel values is within a predetermined range. Specifically, the image quality information adjustment unit 118 compares the calculated average value of the pixel values with image quality determination thresholds (upper and lower limits) stored in advance in the storage unit 120, and determines that the average value of the pixel values is a predetermined value. It is determined whether it is within the range of

If the image quality information adjustment unit 118 determines that the calculated average value of the pixel values is not within the predetermined range, the image quality information adjustment unit 118 adjusts the image quality of the image data. Specifically, when the image quality information adjustment unit 118 determines that the calculated average pixel value is higher than the predetermined range (the upper limit of the image quality determination threshold), the average pixel value is within the predetermined range. A predetermined value is subtracted from the pixel values of the entire image quality data. Similarly, if the image quality information adjustment unit 118 determines that the calculated average pixel value is lower than the predetermined range (the lower limit of the image quality determination threshold), the image quality information adjustment unit 118 adjusts the average pixel value to be within the predetermined range. , add a predetermined value to the pixel values of the entire image quality data. That is, the image quality information adjustment unit 118 calculates the average value of the pixel values of the image data and adjusts the image quality of the image data based on the average value.

Here, if the image quality information adjusting unit 118 determines that the calculated average value of the pixel values is higher than the predetermined range (the upper limit of the image quality determination threshold), the average value of the pixels and the upper and lower limits of the image quality determination threshold A difference value from the intermediate value may be obtained. Furthermore, the image quality information adjustment unit 118 may adjust the image quality of the image data by subtracting the difference value from each pixel value of the image data.

Similarly, if the image quality information adjustment unit 118 determines that the calculated average pixel value is lower than the predetermined range (the lower limit of the image quality determination threshold), the average value of the pixels and the upper and lower limits of the image quality determination threshold A difference value from the intermediate value may be obtained. Furthermore, the image quality information adjustment unit 118 may adjust the image quality of the image data by adding the difference value to each pixel value of the image data.

(Processing flow of oral cleaning device 1)
Next, processing (oral cleaning method) related to oral cleaning in the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment will be described based on the flowcharts of FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. A series of operations of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 shown in the flow charts of FIGS. 13 and 14 are started when the oral cavity cleaning device 1 is activated, and are terminated when the power is turned off. In addition, in the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the processing is terminated not only by turning off the power but also by an interrupt to end the processing. In addition, in the explanation of the flowchart below, the same contents as those described in the above explanation of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 will be omitted or simplified.

The processing from step S1301 to step S1303 shown in FIG. 13 is the same as the processing from step S701 to step S703 in FIG. 7 described above, so description thereof is omitted here.

In step S<b>1304 , the image quality information adjustment unit 118 adjusts the image quality of the image data acquired by the image sensor of the camera unit 12 . Specifically, a subroutine process of image quality information adjustment process shown in FIG. 14 is executed.

In step S1401 shown in FIG. 14, the image quality information adjustment unit 118 calculates the average value of the pixel values of the image data acquired by the image sensor of the camera unit 12. FIG. The process then advances to step S1402.

In step S1402, the image quality information adjusting unit 118 determines whether the average value of the pixel values calculated in step S1401 is within a predetermined range. Specifically, the image quality information adjustment unit 118 compares the calculated average pixel value with an image quality determination threshold value stored in advance in the storage unit 120, and determines that the average pixel value is within a predetermined range. Determine whether or not

If the image quality information adjustment unit 118 determines in step S1402 that the average value of the pixel values is within the predetermined range (step S1402: YES), the process returns to step S1304 and proceeds to step S1305. On the other hand, if the image quality information adjustment unit 118 determines in step S1402 that the average pixel value is not within the predetermined range (step S1402: NO), the process proceeds to step S1403.

In step S1403, the image quality information adjustment unit 118 adjusts the image quality of the image data. Specifically, when the image quality information adjustment unit 118 determines that the calculated average value of pixel values is higher than the predetermined range, the image quality information adjustment unit 118 adjusts the overall image quality data so that the average value of the pixel values is within the predetermined range. Subtract a given value from a pixel value. Similarly, when the image quality information adjustment unit 118 determines that the calculated average pixel value is lower than the predetermined range, the pixel values of the entire image quality data are adjusted so that the average pixel value is within the predetermined range. A predetermined value is added to The process returns to step S1304 and proceeds to step S1305.

The processing from step S1305 to step S1310 is the same as the processing from step S704 to step S709 in FIG. 7 described above, so description thereof is omitted here.

As described above, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment further includes an image quality information adjustment unit 118 that calculates the average value of the pixel values of the image data and adjusts the image quality of the image data based on the average value. Prepare. As a result, the image quality information adjustment unit 118 of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment can adjust the image quality of the image data and accurately determine the boundary between the tooth and the gum.

(Other embodiments)
Although the present embodiment has been described above, the embodiment is not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiment. It is also possible to combine part or all of various embodiments to create new embodiments. That is, the above-described embodiment is for illustrating the technology in the present disclosure, and various modifications, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. can be made within the scope of claims or equivalents thereof.

In the above-described embodiment, the detection of the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G is performed based on the pixel values of the image data acquired by the camera unit 12. However, for example, a histogram can be used to more accurately detect the boundary. You may use the structure which carries out. By calculating the histogram of the image data, it becomes possible to recognize the distribution of pixel values in the respective regions of the tooth T and the gum G in the image data, and it is possible to remove noise etc. in the region other than the tooth T and the gum G. easier. When the inside of the oral cavity is photographed with a light source, reflection information that shines in white may be detected in the vicinity of the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G in the gum G. The boundary detection unit 114 of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 can detect the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G more accurately by using this reflection information.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 in which the nozzle 10 and the main body including the water tank and the like are integrated. As shown in FIG. 15, the integrated oral cavity cleaning device 1 is easy to carry, and the user's convenience is improved, for example, the oral cavity cleaning device 1 can be used on the go.

In addition, a computer program (oral cleaning program) that causes a computer to execute the above-described oral cleaning method and a computer-readable recording medium recording the program are included in the scope of the present embodiment. Here, any type of computer-readable recording medium may be used. In addition, the above-mentioned computer program is not limited to those recorded in the above-mentioned recording medium, and even if it is transmitted via an electric communication line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network represented by the Internet, etc. good.

The features of the oral cavity cleaning device 1, the oral cavity cleaning method, and the oral cavity cleaning program according to the present embodiment are described below.

(1) The oral cavity cleaning device 1 has the following configuration.
(i) It includes a camera section 12 for photographing the intraoral cavity.
(ii) It includes a cleaning unit 11 that cleans the oral cavity by ejecting liquid.
(iii) an image data acquisition unit 113 that acquires image data acquired by the camera unit 12;
(iv) A boundary detection unit 114 that detects the boundary between the tooth and the gum in the oral cavity based on the image data.
(v) A position determination unit 115 that determines whether or not the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit 11 hits the boundary based on the image data.
(vi) An ejection control unit 116 that causes the cleaning unit 11 to eject liquid for cleaning the oral cavity when the position determining unit 115 determines that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit 11 hits the boundary.

According to the present disclosure, the ejection control unit 116 of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 cleans the oral cavity from the cleaning unit 11 when the position determination unit 115 determines that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit 11 hits the boundary. Dispense the liquid for As a result, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 can appropriately clean the site to be cleaned in the oral cavity.

(2) The ejection control unit 116 of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 cleans the oral cavity from the cleaning unit 11 when the position determining unit 115 determines that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit 11 does not hit the boundary. It is not necessary to discharge the liquid for the purpose.

According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning device 1 can prevent wasteful ejection of water in cleaning the oral cavity.

(3) The ejection control unit 116 of the oral cavity cleaning device 1 may end ejection after a predetermined time has elapsed after starting ejection.

According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning device 1 can prevent wasteful ejection of water in cleaning the oral cavity.

(4) The boundary detection unit 114 of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 may detect the boundary as a plurality of discrete points based on the pixel values of the image data.

According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 detects the boundary between the tooth T and the gum G as a plurality of discrete points. It is possible to reduce the amount of data to be processed.

(5) The oral cavity cleaning device 1 may further have the following configuration.
(vii) It may further include a nozzle control section 117 that controls the drive mechanism 15 for changing the ejection direction of the liquid from the cleaning section 11 .

According to the present disclosure, in the oral cavity cleaning device 1, the boundary between the region A, where water is discharged from the nozzle 10, and the teeth T and the gums G coincides, and appropriate cleaning of the oral cavity is possible.

(6) The oral cavity cleaning device 1 may further have the following configuration.
(viii) It may further include an image quality information adjustment unit 118 that calculates the average value of the pixel values of the image data and adjusts the image quality of the image data based on the average value.

According to the present disclosure, the image quality information adjustment unit 118 of the oral cavity cleaning apparatus 1 adjusts the image quality of the image data, and can accurately determine the boundary between the tooth and the gum.

(7) A computer-implemented oral cavity cleaning method has the following processes.
(i) It includes a process of acquiring image data acquired by a camera unit that photographs the intraoral area.
(ii) including processing for detecting boundaries between teeth and gums in the oral cavity based on the image data;
(iii) Based on the image data, it includes a process of determining whether the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit that cleans the oral cavity by ejecting the liquid hits the boundary.
(iv) This includes a process of ejecting liquid for cleaning the oral cavity from the cleaning unit 11 when it is determined that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit 11 hits the boundary.

According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning method causes the cleaning unit 11 to eject liquid for cleaning the oral cavity when it is determined that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit 11 hits the boundary. Thereby, the intraoral cleaning method can appropriately cleanse the site to be cleaned in the oral cavity.

(8) The oral cavity cleaning program to be executed by a computer has the following processes.
(i) It includes a process of acquiring image data acquired by a camera unit that photographs the intraoral area.
(ii) including processing for detecting boundaries between teeth and gums in the oral cavity based on the image data;
(iii) Based on the image data, it includes a process of determining whether the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit that cleans the oral cavity by ejecting the liquid hits the boundary.
(iv) This includes a process of ejecting liquid for cleaning the oral cavity from the cleaning unit 11 when it is determined that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit 11 hits the boundary.

According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning program causes the cleaning unit 11 to eject liquid for cleaning the oral cavity when it is determined that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit 11 hits the boundary. As a result, the oral cavity cleaning program can appropriately clean the site to be cleaned in the oral cavity.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present disclosure is applicable to a camera-equipped intraoral cleaning device capable of appropriately cleaning a site to be cleaned in the oral cavity. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to commercial and household mouthwashes and the like.

1 Oral Cleaning Device 10 Nozzle 11 Cleaning Unit 12 Camera Unit 13 Cable 14 Mounting Unit 15 Drive Mechanism 16 Drive Control Unit 20 Water Tank 30 Operation Switch 40 Water Pressure Switch 100 Controller 110 Control Unit 111 Switch Press Determination Unit 112 Camera Control Unit 113 Image data acquisition unit 114 Boundary detection unit 115 Position determination unit 116 Ejection control unit 117 Nozzle control unit 118 Image quality information adjustment unit

Claims (8)

A camera unit that takes pictures of the inside of the oral cavity,
a cleaning unit that cleans the oral cavity by ejecting a liquid;
an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data acquired by the camera unit;
a boundary detection unit that detects a boundary between the tooth and the gum in the oral cavity based on the image data;
a position determination unit that determines whether or not the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit hits the boundary based on the image data;
an ejection control unit configured to eject the liquid for cleaning the oral cavity from the cleaning unit when the position determining unit determines that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit hits the boundary. Oral cleaning device. The ejection control unit ejects the liquid for cleaning the oral cavity from the cleaning unit when the position determining unit determines that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit does not hit the boundary. 2. The oral rinsing device of claim 1, wherein the device does not allow The ejection control unit terminates ejection after a predetermined time has elapsed after starting ejection.
The oral cavity cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2. the boundary detection unit detects the boundary as a plurality of discrete points based on pixel values of the image data;
An oral cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. further comprising a nozzle control unit that controls a driving mechanism for changing the direction of ejection of the liquid from the cleaning unit;
When the position determination unit determines that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit does not hit the boundary, the nozzle control unit controls the nozzle control unit so that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit hits the boundary. changing the ejection direction of the liquid from the cleaning unit;
An oral cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The oral cavity according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an image quality information adjustment unit that calculates an average value of pixel values of the image data and adjusts the image quality of the image data based on the average value. Internal cleaning device. A computer-implemented oral cleaning method comprising:
Acquire image data acquired by the camera unit that shoots the intraoral area,
Detecting boundaries between teeth and gums in the oral cavity based on the image data;
determining, based on the image data, whether or not the liquid ejected from a cleaning unit that cleans the oral cavity by ejecting the liquid hits the boundary;
An oral cavity cleaning method, wherein the liquid for cleaning the oral cavity is ejected from the cleaning section when it is determined that the liquid ejected from the cleaning section hits the boundary. Acquire image data acquired by the camera unit that shoots the intraoral area,
Detecting boundaries between teeth and gums in the oral cavity based on the image data;
determining, based on the image data, whether or not the liquid ejected from a cleaning unit that cleans the oral cavity by ejecting the liquid hits the boundary;
An oral cavity cleaning program for causing a computer to execute a process of ejecting the liquid for cleaning the oral cavity from the cleaning unit when it is determined that the liquid ejected from the cleaning unit hits the boundary. .

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