A groundbreaking new technology has emerged that uses a battery-free dental brace to collect valuable health data from the human mouth, offering a unique and accessible way to monitor conditions like sleep apnea, dental wear, and overall oral health. Developed by researchers at TU Delft in collaboration with Radboudumc, this innovation, called Densor, can be worn in the mouth via a standard dental brace or a bite splint, making it both comfortable and non-invasive.
Unlike traditional health-monitoring devices that require bulky equipment or battery-powered sensors, Densor stands out as a lightweight, self-sustaining system. The device needs no additional hardware; it uses a smartphone to charge and read data, making it an ideal solution for long-term, continuous health monitoring. This makes Densor not only user-friendly but also more accurate than traditional methods, such as ear-worn accelerometers."
The open-source nature of the Densor platform—covering both its hardware and software—sets it apart by enabling dental professionals and researchers across the globe to apply the technology to their fields. The team behind the technology sees this openness as crucial in advancing oral health research and applications.
Densor is capable of tracking various metrics, such as jaw and head movements during sleep, providing new insights into sleep patterns and helping diagnose conditions like sleep apnea. It can also monitor behaviors like speaking, swallowing, and drinking, offering a level of precision that surpasses traditional methods, such as ear-worn accelerometers, making it user-friendly. Additionally, it has the potential to monitor issues like acid reflux, nutritional habits, and dental wear.
According to Bas Loomans, a dentist and professor at Radboudumc, the technology could revolutionize preventive healthcare by providing continuous, real-time data that allows for early diagnosis and treatment monitoring. Researchers are already working on enhancing the platform with additional sensors, further expanding its range of applications to include tracking saliva production and acid reflux detection.
As Densor evolves, it promises to transform not only oral health management but also offer new diagnostic possibilities across various medical fields, making it a valuable tool for both medical practitioners and patients alike.
Reference:
1. Vivian Dsouza et al, Densor: An Intraoral Battery-Free Sensing Platform, Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies (2024). DOI: 10.1145/3699746
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