Mastication monitoring device

A mastication monitoring device comprising:

• a probe to be attached to a cheek, comprising a light source and a photodetector;
• and
• a mastication force computing means to compute the force of mastication, based on time-series changes in at least one of the oxidized hemoglobin concentrations, the reduced hemoglobin concentrations and the oxygen saturation in the blood of said cheek, each computed from the amount of light received by said photodetector.

A mastication monitoring device comprising:

• a probe to be attached to a cheek, comprising a light source and a photodetector;
• and
• a mastication momentum computing means to compute the momentum of mastication after a subject to be measured starts a series of mastication movements, based on time-series changes in at least one of the oxidized hemoglobin concentrations, the reduced hemoglobin concentrations and the oxygen saturation in the blood of said cheek, each computed from the amount of light received by said photodetector.

A mastication monitoring device comprising:

• two probes to be attached to the cheeks, each comprising a light source and a photodetector;
• and
• a mastication force balance computing means which computes an index showing a balance of bilateral mastication forces, based on time-series changes in at least one of the oxidized hemoglobin concentrations, the reduced hemoglobin concentrations and the oxygen saturation in the blood of said cheek, each computed from the amount of light received by said photodetector of one probe, and time-series changes in at least one of the oxidized hemoglobin concentrations, the reduced hemoglobin concentrations and the oxygen saturation in the blood of said cheek, each computed from the amount of light received by said photodetector of the other probe.