SBIR Phase I: Developing a Continual, Wireless, Intra-Oral Salivary pH Sensor

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to improve dental care and cavity prevention. Oral health maladies have been referred to by the Surgeon General as America’s silent epidemic, and caries disease (tooth decay) is the single largest disease in the world. Current care models are failing because they reactively focus on treatment instead of prevention, although acidity is recognized as the driving factor behind tooth decay. High-risk patients often spend over $10,000 annually, with the highest-risk patients experiencing bills of over $100,000 for comprehensive dental care. This project will advance an Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology to measure mouth conditions for preventive dental care. The proposed sensor will continually measure and transmit real-time oral pH data to a mobile application on the user’s smartphone. Dentists will also have access to long-term patient data at checkups. The technology will mitigate or eliminate expensive cavity-related health complications, which may be beneficial for disadvantaged and high-risk patients. In the longer term, saliva can be used as a non-invasive way to detect a range of biomarkers, such as proteins, electrolytes, hormones, antibodies, DNA, as well as therapeutic drugs or allergens. The proposed technology will enable the collection of new amounts of health-related data.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Project aims to develop a novel, intraoral IoT sensor for dental caries preventive care. When prolonged periods of unhealthy pH levels are identified, the user will be provided with a specific product recommendation to effectively prevent the progression of dental caries. The objectives of the proposed Phase I project are to fully miniaturize the electronic system (power supply, CPU, bluetooth antenna, signal conditioning) to comfortably fit around one molar, and minimize both signal drift and biofouling impacts on the ion sensitive field effect transistor pH sensor such that a reliable signal can be produced continually for one week without calibration.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.