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

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是改善牙齿护理和龋齿预防。口腔健康疾病被卫生局局长称为美国无声的流行病，而龋病(龋齿)是世界上最大的单一疾病。目前的护理模式正在失败，因为它们反应性地专注于治疗而不是预防，尽管酸性被认为是龋齿背后的驱动因素。高风险患者每年通常花费超过10,000美元，其中最高风险患者在综合牙科护理方面的账单超过100,000美元。该项目将推进物联网(IoT)技术，以测量口腔状况，以进行预防性牙齿护理。该传感器将持续测量口腔pH值数据，并将其传输到用户智能手机上的移动应用程序。牙医还将在体检时获得患者的长期数据。这项技术将缓解或消除昂贵的与龋齿相关的健康并发症，这可能对弱势和高危患者有利。从长远来看，唾液可以作为一种非侵入性的方法来检测一系列生物标记物，如蛋白质、电解质、激素、抗体、DNA以及治疗药物或过敏原。这项拟议的技术将使收集新的与健康相关的数据成为可能。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目旨在开发一种新型的口腔内物联网传感器，用于龋齿预防护理。当发现长期的不健康的PH值水平时，将向用户提供特定的产品推荐，以有效地防止龋齿的进展。拟议的第一阶段项目的目标是将电子系统(电源、CPU、蓝牙天线、信号调理)完全小型化，以舒适地安装在一颗磨牙周围，并将信号漂移和生物污垢对离子敏感场效应晶体管pH传感器的影响降至最低，以便能够在一周内连续产生可靠的信号，而无需校准。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.