A sensor embedded in a tooth could one day tell doctors when people have defied medical advice to give up smoking or eat less. Built into a tiny circuit board that fits in a tooth cavity, the sensor includes an accelerometer that sends data on mouth motion to a smartphone. Machine learning software is taught to recognise each telltale jaw motion pattern - then works out how much of the time someone is chewing, drinking, speaking, coughing or smoking. The inventors - Hao-hua Chu and colleagues at National Taiwan University in Taipei - want to use the mouth as a window on a variety of health issues. The device can be fitted into dentures or a dental brace, and the team plan to miniaturise the device to fit in a cavity or crown.
展开▼
