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

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是改善牙齿保健和预防蛀牙。口腔健康疾病被卫生局局长称为美国无声的流行病，而龋齿病（蛀牙）是世界上最大的单一疾病。目前的护理模式正在失败，因为它们反应性地关注治疗而不是预防，尽管酸度被认为是蛀牙背后的驱动因素。高风险患者每年的花费通常超过1万美元，风险最高的患者在全面牙科护理方面的花费超过10万美元。该项目将推进物联网（IoT）技术，以测量口腔状况，以进行预防性牙科保健。该传感器将持续测量并将实时口腔pH值数据传输到用户智能手机上的移动应用程序。牙医也可以在检查时获得患者的长期数据。这项技术将减轻或消除昂贵的与蛀牙有关的健康并发症，这可能对处境不利和高风险的患者有益。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志物，如蛋白质、电解质、激素、抗体、DNA，以及治疗药物或过敏原。拟议的技术将使收集新的健康相关数据成为可能。这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在开发一种用于龋齿预防保健的新型口腔内物联网传感器。当发现长时间的不健康pH值时，用户将获得特定的产品建议，以有效防止龋齿的发展。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，以舒适地安装在一个摩尔左右，并最大限度地减少信号漂移和对离子敏感场效应晶体管pH传感器的生物污垢影响，从而可以连续一周产生可靠的信号而无需校准。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.