Toothbrush employing acoustic waveguide

• US 20060191086A1
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ultreo, Inc., Washington University In St Louis
• Original Assignee: Ultreo, Inc.
• Inventors: Brewer, Gerald K., McInnes, James Christopher, Barrett, George A., Mourad, Pierre D., Bennett, Frederick Jay, Ballard, David A.
• Application Number:
  US11/416,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20060191086A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0028 with an acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/20 using ultrasonics
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights

Abstract

A power toothbrush (10) is disclosed having a handle (15), battery (12), ultrasonic drive circuit (14), motor (16), control unit (18), and toothbrush head (20). The toothbrush head includes bristles (26) and a waveguide (24) that is operatively connected to an ultrasonic transducer (22). The waveguide facilitates the transmission of acoustic energy into the dental fluid to achieve improved cleaning and stain removal and improved cleaning in interproximal and subgingival regions. In one embodiment an ultrasound transducer module (30) includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements (32, 34) that may be mechanically connected in series, and electrically connected in parallel. One or more contacts (36) connect the elements, and a waveguide structure (50). An impedance matching layer (38) may be provided between the waveguide and the ultrasonic transducer module. The waveguide may be formed from an relatively soft material, for example, a polymer having a hardness between 10 and 65 Shore A.

Claims