Enhanced dental hygiene system with direct UVA photoexcitation

• US 6,902,397 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, John J
• Application Number:
  US10/210,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20040019990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 433/29, 433/215, 15/221, 151/05, 151/671
• US Class Current: 433/29
• 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. The 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,

the UVA light source protruding from the surface of the head and being positioned above the surface of the head and below the tips of the tufts of bristles.

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 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 comprises LEDs mounted in the toothbrush head generally along its central longitudinal axis, surrounded by the tufts of bristles.

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

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

8. 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.

9. 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;

the bristles being mounted by hot melt insertion to form a generally unitary ball at the proximal ends of the bristles, and the ball being contiguous to the UVA light source; and

a direct UVA light source located contiguously to the head directly under at least one of the tufts of bristles.