Novel device

• US 20050260544A1
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smithkline Beecham PLC (GSK plc)
• Original Assignee: Smithkline Beecham PLC (GSK plc)
• Inventors: Jackson, Graham, Noble, Michael, Jones, Stephen, Macleod, Andrew, Wood, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US10/487,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20050260544A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/217.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/063 Medicament applicators for teeth or gums, e.g. treatment with fluorides
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/066 Bleaching devices; Whitening agent applicators for teeth, e.g. trays or strips
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/0208 Tissues; Wipes; Patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/042 Gels
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 1/02 Stomatological preparations, e.g. drugs for caries, aphtae, periodontitis
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 11/00 Preparations for care of the teeth, of the oral cavity or of dentures; Dentifrices, e.g. toothpastes; Mouth rinses

Abstract

A device for delivering an oral healthcare substance to the teeth, gingival and/or mucosal tissues comprising a strip of an orally acceptable flexible material with an oral healthcare substance deposited onto it or impregnated into its bulk, capable of adhesion to a tooth surface but with the adhesion function being provided independent of the oral healthcare substance. A preferred device comprises a strip of a plastically deformable material, to which is attached a layer of an absorbent material, with a peroxide-containing tooth whitening gel on the layer of absorbent material.

Claims

1. A delivery device for delivering an oral healthcare substance to the oral surfaces of the teeth, gingival and/or mucosal tissues, comprising;

a strip of an orally acceptable flexible material, having a strip surface capable of being applied to a tooth surface and/or adjoining soft tissue, the strip having an oral healthcare substance deposited upon a strip surface thereof, and/or impregnated into its bulk, the substance being capable of transference from the strip surface to the tooth surface and/or adjoining soft tissue, the strip being capable of adhesion to a tooth surface and/or adjoining soft tissue to which the strip is applied, the adhesion function being provided independent of the oral healthcare substance.

2. A delivery device according to claim 1 wherein the strip comprises a plastically deformable material.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the plastically deformable material comprises a wax.

4. A device according to claim 2 wherein the plastically deformable material when in the form of the strip may be deformed by the user using finger or hand pressure to fit the device to the overall shape of the user'"'"'s teeth.

5. A device according to claim 4 made of a plastically deformable material such that physical conformation of the plastically deformable material to the shape of the teeth causes attachment of the device to the teeth.

6. A device according to claim 4 wherein the material is capable of being plastically deformed so that the device can be folded or bent over the user'"'"'s teeth from the front to the back surface of the teeth, so as to be in contact with both the front and back surfaces.

7. A delivery device according claim 1, wherein the strip comprises an inner carrier layer able to carry the substance and to be placed in contact with a user'"'"'s teeth, and an outer barrier layer.

8. A delivery device according to claim 7 which comprises a barrier layer of a plastically deformable material, to at least one surface of which is attached a carrier layer of an absorbent material, an oral healthcare substance being on the carrier layer of absorbent material.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein the absorbent material is an absorbent fabric.

10. A device according to claim 9 wherein the fabric is non-woven.

11. A device according to claim 10 wherein the non-woven fabric is a polypropylene-viscose blend.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein the oral care substance and an adhesive material are deposited in separate discrete locations in relation to the strip surface.

13. A device according to claim 12 wherein the adhesive is deposited in places on the strip surface that enable part of the strip to stick to an oral surface adjacent to a tooth surface, so that another part of the strip on which the substance is deposited or into which it is impregnated contacts the tooth surface.

14. A device according to claim 12 wherein the oral healthcare substance and adhesive are deposited on the surface in respective discrete spots or patches or lines on the surface.

15. A device according to claim 14 wherein the oral healthcare substance is deposited in one or more patch bordered partly or completely surrounded by a border of the adhesive.

16. A device according to claim 11 wherein the adhesive and oral healthcare substance are deposited in separate discrete layers on the surface of the strip.

17. A device according to claim 1, wherein the strip material is inherently adherent to a tooth surface.

18. A device according to claim 1, wherein mechanical adhesive means provides an adhesive function, either alone or in combination with any other adhesive means.

19. A device according to claim 1, wherein the oral care substance and/or adhesive are encapsulated.

20. A device according to claim 1, wherein the oral care substance and/or adhesive are provided in granules which may release their content under the influence of the mouth environment.

21. A device according to claim 19 wherein said granules or capsules are covered by a porous membrane layer.

22. A device according to claim 1, comprising an outer backing layer and an inner contact layer to be placed adjacent a tooth or other oral tissue surface, the inner layer being porous and the oral healthcare substance being provided between the inner and outer layers.

23. A delivery device according to claim 1, marked with one or more visible symbol.

24. A delivery device according to claim 23 wherein a cover layer is applied over the one or more symbol.

25. A device according to claim 23 which comprises a barrier layer of a plastically deformable material, to at least one surface of which is attached a carrier layer of an absorbent material, an oral healthcare substance on the carrier layer of absorbent material, and marked with one or more visible symbol applied to the surface of the plastically deformable material opposite to the surface on which is attached the layer of an absorbent material, and having a cover layer over the one or more symbol.

26. A device according to claim 25 wherein the cover layer is the same material as the plastically deformable material so that the symbol is in effect embedded in the plastically deformable material.

27. A delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the oral care substance is a tooth whitening substance.

28. A delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the oral care substance is in the form of a gel.

29. A delivery device according to claim 27 wherein the oral healthcare substance is a peroxide-containing gel.

30. A device according to claim 1, being of elongate shape of a length sufficient that when placed against the front surface of the teeth of a user it extends across a plurality of teeth, and of sufficient width that when placed against the user'"'"'s teeth it extends from the gumline at least to the crowns of the front teeth distant from the gumline.

31. A device according to claim 30 wherein the width is such that in an unfolded state the strip has an unfolded width greater than the height of the teeth from the gumline to the crown, and at least part of the strip may be folded about a substantially longitudinal fold axis so as to bend or fold over the crowns and contact the crowns and rear surfaces of the user'"'"'s teeth.

32. A device according to claim 30 being substantially rectangular with concavely curved long sides.

33. A device according to claim 30 substantially rectangular with convexly bowed long sides, or of a generally rectangular shape but with a concave curved long side or a concave indentation in a long side.

34. A device according to claim 1 having a tab extending from a long side.

35. A device according to claim 34 wherein at least part of the strip may be folded into a folded cross section substantially of a “

U”

or “

V”

shape, with two limbs linked at a fold axis each limb with an inward surface facing into the “

bite”

of the “

U”

or “

V”

, with the oral healthcare substance present on this inward, tooth-contacting surface.

36. A method of treating teeth with a device according to claim 1 in which the device is applied manually to a user'"'"'s tooth surface(s), with the length dimension of the strip aligned with the line of the user'"'"'s teeth, the substance-bearing surface in contact with the front surface of the teeth, and the device is pressed against the front surface of the teeth, leaving the device in contact with the user'"'"'s teeth for a sufficient length of time for the oral healthcare substance to have its effect, then removing the device.

37. A process for making a device according to claim 8 comprising bringing the absorbent material into contact with the surface of the strip and applying pressure, then applying the oral healthcare substance to the absorbent material.

38. A process according to claim 37 comprising;

providing a dental wax in the form of a sheet,

optionally cleaning the surface of the sheet of the wax material,

printing a visible symbol upon a first surface of a first sheet of the wax material,

laminating a second, cover sheet of the wax material to the first surface of the first sheet, to sandwich the printed symbol between the first and second sheets,

sizing the laminated sheets by compressing them to a suitable thickness,

attaching the layer of absorbent fabric to the laminated wax strip,

cutting the sheet of laminated material to shape,

applying the oral healthcare substance to the layer of absorbent material.

39. A device according to claim 3-wherein the plastically deformable material when in the form of the strip may be deformed by the user using finger or hand pressure to fit the device to the overall shape of the user'"'"'s teeth.

40. A device according to claim 5 wherein the material is capable of being plastically deformed so that the device can be folded or bent over the user'"'"'s teeth from the front to the back surface of the teeth, so as to be in contact with both the front and back surfaces.

41. A delivery device according to claim 6 wherein the strip comprises an inner carrier layer able to carry the substance and to be placed in contact with a user'"'"'s teeth, and an outer barrier layer.

42. A device according to claim 11 wherein the oral care substance and an adhesive material are deposited in separate discrete locations in relation to the strip surface.

43. A device according to claim 13 wherein the oral healthcare substance and adhesive are deposited on the surface in respective discrete spots or patches or lines on the surface.

44. A device according to claim 20 wherein said granules or capsules are covered by a porous membrane layer.

45. A device according to claim 24 which comprises a barrier layer of a plastically deformable material, to at least one surface of which is attached a carrier layer of an absorbent material, an oral healthcare substance on the carrier layer of absorbent material, and marked with one or more visible symbol applied to the surface of the plastically deformable material opposite to the surface on which is attached the layer of an absorbent material, and having a cover layer over the one or more symbol.

46. A delivery device according to claim 28 wherein the oral healthcare substance is a peroxide-containing gel.

47. A device according to claim 31 being substantially rectangular with concavely curved long sides.

48. A device according to claim 1 substantially rectangular with convexly bowed long sides, or of a generally rectangular shape but with a concave curved long side or a concave indentation in a long side.

49. A device according to claim 33 having a tab extending from a long side.