Illuminated electric toothbrushes emitting high luminous intensity toothbrush

• US 20050053896A1
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Wang, Ping, Ghosh, Chanchal Kumar, Chan, John Geoffrey, Pinyayev, Aleksey Mikhailovich
• Application Number:
  US10/842,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20050053896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/29
• 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 17/26 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/066 Bleaching devices; Whitening agent applicators for teeth, e.g. trays or strips
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0651 Diodes

Abstract

An illuminated electric toothbrush comprising a light emitting diode emitting light having a flux density of at least about 30 mW/cm². An illuminated electric toothbrush having this level of flux density can result in an oral care benefit such as whitening. When this toothbrush is used within the oral cavity the heat generated by the toothbrush remains low enough that the surface temperature of the teeth remains below about 43° C. The flux density of at least about 30 mW/cm² can be achieved by overpowering the light emitting diode, by using a light emitting diode having at least about two dices, and by providing a pulsed or non-continuous current to the LED which results in a pulsing or non-continuous light.

Claims