LIQUID DROPLET APPROACH TO CLEARING BLOCKAGE OF A PLAQUE DETECTION STREAM PROBE

摘要

An apparatus (100, 200) for dental plaque detection, including a detection component (133) and a clearing component (146). The detection component may be configured to generate an air stream (30) and enable passage of the generated air stream through a distal probe tip (112) of a distal probe portion (110) of the apparatus to detect plaque based on measurement of a signal (510) caused by the plaque at least partially obstructing passage of the generated air stream through the distal probe. The clearing component may include a liquid reservoir and be configured to generate liquid droplets that are intermittently passed through the distal probe to prevent or clear a blockage (23) of the probe. Methods include clearing an blockage of a probe by intermittently passing a generated liquid droplet through the probe.