Enhanced dental hygiene system with direct UVA photoexcitation

• US 20040019990A1
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunstar Americas Incorporated (Hosei Gijuku Luxembourg SA)
• Original Assignee: Sunstar Americas Incorporated (Hosei Gijuku Luxembourg SA)
• Inventors: Yost, Kevin G., Stvartak, Chris, Farrell, Lawrence W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,902,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/105
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0036 with a lighting means, e.g. laser, bulb A46B15/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0081 Brushes with a scraper, e.g. tongue scraper
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 5/0008 Brushes with two or more heads on the same end of a handle not intended for simultaneous use
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 5/02 specially shaped for holding by the hand
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/02 Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/045 specially adapted for cleaning a plurality of tooth surfaces simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/088 Illuminating devices or attachments for examination of the mouth A61B1/24 and A61B1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/00 Devices for cleaning between the teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/046 Flossing tools
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/005 Devices for dental prophylaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/22 with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/066 Bleaching devices; Whitening agent applicators for teeth, e.g. trays or strips
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0606 Mouth
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0661 ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0603 for treatment of body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0624 for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/0057 by ultraviolet radiation

Abstract

A device and a method for delivering UVA light to the mouth in which a photocatalytic agent is distributed in the mouth and a UVA light source is located contiguously to the head of the device so that the photocatalytic agent distributed in the mouth is efficiently activated by UVA light produced by the device. The UVA light delivery device of the invention may be, inter alia, a toothbrush, a tongue scraper, an interdental toothbrush, a denture brush, a flossing device, a dental hand tool, or a wand adapted exclusively to applying UVA light to photocatalyst coated surfaces.

Claims

1. A toothbrush for delivering UVA light including a head at its distal end and a grip at its proximal end comprising:

a field of tufts of bristles mounted to the top surface of the head; and

a direct UVA light source located contiguously to the head.

2. The toothbrush for delivering UVA light of claim 1 in which the UVA light source is an LED.

3. The toothbrush for delivering UVA light of claim 1 in which the UVA light source is a mercury-xenon bulb.

4. The toothbrush for delivering UVA light of claim 1 in which the direct UVA light source is mounted in the center of the top of the toothbrush head, surrounded by the tufts of bristles.

5. The toothbrush for delivering UVA light of claim 1 in which the UVA light source protrudes from the surface of the head.

6. The toothbrush for delivering UVA light of claim 1 in which two LEDs are mounted in the toothbrush head generally along its central longitudinal axis, surrounded by the tufts of bristles.

7. The toothbrush for delivering UVA light of claim 1 in which the head is generally rectangular and up to four UVA light sources are located at the corners of the head, outside of the field of the tufts of bristles.

8. The toothbrush for delivering UVA light of claim 1 in which the UVA light source is located directly under at least one of the tufts of bristles.

9. The toothbrush for delivering UVA light of claim 8 in which the bristles are mounted by hot melt insertion to form a generally unitary ball at the proximal ends of the bristles, and the ball is contiguous to the UVA light source.

10. The toothbrush for delivering UVA light of claim 1 in which the UVA light source is located at the distal end of the head.

11. The toothbrush for delivering UVA light of claim 1 in which the UVA light source is located at or adjacent to the proximal end of the head.

34. The toothbrush for delivering UVA light of claim 1 in which the UVA light source protrudes from the surface of the head positioned above the surface of the head and below the tips of the tufts of bristles.

12. A device for delivering UVA light to the mouth including a head at its distal end, and a grip at its proximal end comprising a UVA light source located contiguously to the head.

13. The device for delivering UVA light of claim 12 in which the UVA light source is an LED.

14. The device for delivering UVA light of claim 12 in which the UVA light source is a mercury-xenon bulb.

15. The device for delivering UVA light of claim 12 in which the UVA light source protrudes from the surface of the head.

16. The device for delivering UVA light to the mouth of claim 12 in which the device is a tongue scraper having a scraper surface adjacent the UVA light source.

17. The device for delivering UVA light to the mouth of claim 12 in which the device is a flossing device having a length of floss mounted in its head and the UVA light source is contiguous to the head.

18. The device for delivering UVA light to the mouth of claim 12 in which the device is an interdental cleaning device including a grip at its proximal end and an interdental brush in its head at its distal end and the UVA light source is contiguous to the head.

19. The device for delivering UVA light to the mouth of claim 18 in which the device is a dental hand tool.

20. The device of claim 19 in which the dental hand tool is a prophylaxis angle.

21. The device of claim 19 in which the dental hand tool is a drill.

22. The device of claim 19 in which the dental hand tool is a water cooled drill supplied with a source of water and the water includes n-type semiconductor particles.

23. A method for controlling deleterious bacteria found in the mouth comprising:

providing a device for delivering UVA light to the mouth including a head at its distal end and a UVA light source located contiguously to the head;

coating teeth, gums, tongue or other oral surfaces with a composition including a photocatalyst responsive to UVA light; and

and applying UVA light from the device directly to surfaces coated with the particles.

24. The method of claim 23 in which the UVA light source is an LED.

25. The method of claim 23 in which the UVA light source is a mercury-xenon bulb.

26. The method of claim 23 in which the UVA light source protrudes from the surface of the head.

27. The method to the mouth of claim 23 in which the device is a tongue scraper having a scraper surface adjacent the UVA light source.

28. The method to the mouth of claim 23 in which the device is a flossing device.

29. The method of claim 23 in which the device is an interdental brush.

30. The method of claim 23 in which the device is a dental hand tool.

31. The method of claim 23 in which the dental hand tool is a prophylaxis angle.

32. The method of claim 23 in which the dental hand tool is a water cooled drill supplied with a source of water and the composition for coating teeth, gums, tongue or other oral surfaces is present in the drill'"'"'s source of water.

33. The method of claim 23 in which a photocatalytic dye is included in the composition.

35. A toothbrush for delivering UVA light including a head at its distal end, a grip at its proximal end and a neck therebetween comprising:

a field of tufts of bristles mounted to the top surface of the head; and

a direct UVA light source located contiguously to the neck to direct UVA light along a path co-linear with the neck; and

means for redirecting the UVA light to a direction generally parallel to the tufts of bristles.