Generating a chemical agent in situ

• US 20070212665A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: Jimenez, Eduardo, Mintel, Thomas, Kennedy, Sharon, Hohlbein, Douglas, Cai, Heng, Russell, Bruce, Dickson, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,156,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/215
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0022 with an electrical 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: A46B 9/04 Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/244 for cleaning of the tongue
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/00 Devices for cleaning, polishing, rinsing or drying teeth, teeth cavities or prostheses instruments acting like a sandblast machine A61C3/025; tooth polishing discs or holders therefor A61C3/06; devices for cleaning between the teeth A61C15/00; Saliva removers; Dental appliances for receiving spittle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/16 Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/066 Bleaching devices; Whitening agent applicators for teeth, e.g. trays or strips
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0548 Oral electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/26 Electromedical brushes; Electromedical massage devices massage devices in general A61H; Combs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/322 Electromedical brushes, combs, massage devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/44 Applying ionised fluids ion generators H01J37/00
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/02 Hydrogen or oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/04 by electrolysis of water
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/13 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis

Abstract

A device for generating a chemical agent in situ on an as-needed basis via the application of an electrical potential across a pair of conductors in communication with an electrolyte. The device may be a toothbrush that generates chemical agents in a user'"'"'s mouth by applying an electrical potential to an electrolyte such as saliva and/or a dentifrice located therein. The chemical agents may include ozone, hydrogen peroxide, peroxide, chlorine and/or hypochlorite. The toothbrush may include a voltage source and a first set of electrodes for applying an electrical potential to the electrolyte. The toothbrush may also include a second set of electrodes disposed about an anode of the first set of electrodes. The first and second sets of anodes cooperate to produce ions, peroxides, ozone and/or other chemical agents via the application of electrical potential to the electrolyte.

Claims

1. An oral care device for generating a chemical agent in situ outside of the oral care device, comprising:

a head portion comprising a field of cleaning elements;

a voltage source; and

a first set of electrodes disposed on the head portion within the field of cleaning elements and electrically connected to the voltage source, the first set of electrodes comprising a first cathode and a first anode, the first cathode and the first anode having a first electrical potential therebetween when receiving an electric charge from the voltage source;

wherein the chemical agent is formed in situ upon contact with an aqueous electrolyte when the first electrical potential is applied.

2. The oral care device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second set of electrodes disposed on the head portion and electrically connected to the voltage source, the second set of electrodes comprising a second cathode and a second anode, the second cathode and the second anode having a second electrical potential therebetween when receiving an electric charge from the voltage source, the second set of electrodes being disposed about the first anode;

wherein the first anode produces oxygen in situ while the first set of electrodes is in contact with the aqueous electrolyte and is receiving an electric charge from the voltage source, and the second set of electrodes produces an oxidizing agent from the oxygen.

3. The oral care device of claim 2, wherein the second electrical potential is 0.7 volts or more.

4. The oral care device of claim 2, further comprising a voltage selector having a plurality of voltage settings selectable by a user.

5. The oral care device of claim 4, wherein the voltage settings comprise:

a first voltage setting to provide a first electrical potential to the first set of electrodes without applying an electrical potential to the second set of electrodes; and

a second voltage setting to provide a second electrical potential to the second set of electrodes while applying the first electrical potential to the first set of electrodes.

6. The oral care device of claim 5, wherein the voltage settings further comprise a third voltage setting to provide a third electrical potential to the first set of electrodes without applying an electrical potential to the second set of electrodes.

7. The oral care device of claim 1, wherein the oxidizing agent includes ozone.

8. The oral care device of claim 1, wherein the first electrical potential is 1.5 volts or more.

9. The oral care device of claim 1, wherein the first electrical potential is less than 0.7 volts.

10. The oral care device of claim 9, wherein the first electrical potential is 0.25 to 0.55 volts.

11. The oral care device of claim 1, wherein the first set of electrodes are configured to suppress the production of chlorine while forming the chemical agent.

12. The oral care device of claim 11, wherein the first set of electrodes comprises a metal oxide.

13. The oral care device of claim 12, wherein the metal oxide comprises titanium dioxide.

14. The oral care device of claim 11, wherein the first anode of the first set of electrodes comprises glassy carbon.

15. The oral care device of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional cathode on the head portion.

16. The oral care device of claim 15, wherein the head portion comprises more cathodes than anodes.

17. The oral care device of claim 1, wherein the first cathode forms an interlocking arrangement with the first anode.

18. The oral care device of claim 1, wherein the first anode and first cathode have different shapes.

19. The oral care device of claim 18, wherein one of the electrodes is generally columnar and one of the electrodes is wall-shaped.

20. The oral care device of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of wall-shaped electrodes.

21. The oral care device of claim 1, wherein the first set of electrodes is disposed in an open channel on the head portion.

22. The oral care device of claim 1, wherein one electrode is surrounded by one or more other electrodes.

23. The toothbrush of claim 22, wherein the electrical potential is 9 volts or more, the electrolyte comprises water, and the oxidizer is one of ozone and hydrogen peroxide.

24. The toothbrush of claim 22, wherein the electrical potential is less than 0.7 volts.

25. The toothbrush of claim 24, wherein the electrical potential is 0.25 to 0.55 volts.

26. The toothbrush of claim 22, wherein the electrolyte comprises water and the oral care device further comprises a second set of electrodes disposed about the anode of the first set of electrodes, the second set of electrodes arranged to generate an oxidizer in situ using oxygen produced at the anode of the first set of electrodes when receiving an electrical potential.

27. The toothbrush of claim 26, wherein the oxidizer comprises ozone.

22-1. A toothbrush for generating an oxidizing agent in situ, the toothbrush comprising:

a voltage source configured to provide an electrical potential;

a head;

a field of cleaning elements on a face of the head;

a first set of electrodes having an anode and a cathode extending outwardly from the face of the head and disposed within the field of cleaning elements, the first set of electrodes being configured to generate a localized electric field between the anode and the cathode while receiving an electrical potential from the voltage source and to generate an oxidizer in situ when an electrolyte contacts the electric field.

28. A method of cleaning teeth, the method comprising:

placing a bristle field of an oral care device in a user'"'"'s mouth and in contact with saliva, the oral care device having a first set of electrodes within the bristle field;

providing an electrical charge across the first set of electrodes in the presence of the saliva while in the user'"'"'s mouth; and

generating a chemical agent in the user'"'"'s mouth from the electrolyte, the chemical agent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide and ozone.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein, for the step of generating, the chemical agent is ozone and, for the step of placing, the oral care device further comprising a second set of electrodes disposed proximate a first anode of the first set of electrodes, the method further comprising:

generating oxygen at a first anode of the first set of electrodes; and

applying an electrical potential across the second set of electrodes while performing the step of generating oxygen.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein generating oxygen comprises applying an electrical potential across the first set of electrodes in the presence of saliva.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein, for the step of generating, the chemical agent is one of ozone and hydrogen peroxide, and, for the step of providing an electrical charge, the electrolyte comprises saliva and the electrical charge is 9 volts or more.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein, for the step of generating, the chemical agent is one of ozone and hydrogen peroxide, and, for the step of providing an electrical charge, the electrolyte comprises saliva and the electrical charge is less than 1.0 volts.

33. A method of generating ozone proximate an application site, the method comprising:

placing an anode of a first set of electrodes proximate the application site;

generating oxygen at the anode; and

applying an electrical potential across a second set of electrodes proximate the anode while in the presence of the generated oxygen to generate ozone from the oxygen.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein generating oxygen comprises applying an electrical potential across the first set of electrodes while in the presence of water.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein, for the step of applying an electrical potential across the first set of electrodes, the electrical potential is about 1.5 volts.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein, for the step of applying an electrical potential across the second set of electrodes, the electrical potential is about 0.7 volts.

37. An oxidizing agent generator for generating an oxidizing agent in situ, the oxidizing agent generator comprising:

a first portion arranged to contact an electrolyte disposed outside of the oxidizing agent generator and proximate the application site for the oxidizing agent;

a voltage source for providing an electrical potential;

a first set of electrodes disposed on the first portion and electrically connected to the voltage source for generating an oxidizing agent when receiving an electrical potential from the voltage source, the oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide and ozone.

38. The oxidizing agent generator of claim 37, wherein the electrical potential is 9 volts or more and the electrolyte comprises water.

39. The oxidizing agent generator of claim 37, wherein the oxidizing agent generator is an oral care device.

40. The oxidizing agent generator of claim 39, wherein the oxidizing agent generator further comprises cleaning elements on the first portion and the first set of electrodes are disposed proximate the cleaning elements.

41. The oxidizing agent generator of claim 37, wherein the electrolyte comprises water and the oxidizing agent generator further comprises a second set of electrodes disposed about an anode of the first set of electrodes, the second set of electrodes arranged to generate an oxidizer when receiving an electrical potential from the voltage source using oxygen produced at the anode of the first set of electrodes.

42. The oxidizing agent generator of claim 41, wherein the oxidizer is ozone.

43. The oxidizing agent generator of claim 37, wherein the voltage source comprises one of a rechargeable battery and a capacitor.