Light emitting toothbrush for oral phototherapy
First Claim
1. An oral phototherapy applicator comprisinga body sized and shaped so as to fit at least partially in a user'"'"'s mouth;
- a plurality of optically transmissive bristles of elongate shape and having longitudinal axes, the bristles being coupled to the body and adapted to brush the user'"'"'s teeth, wherein the bristles further comprise one or more fluorescent, luminescent or lasing elements; and
a therapeutic radiation source assembly having at least one radiation emitter optically coupled to the body and configured to irradiate with phototherapeutic radiation a portion of the oral cavity other than tissue in contact with the bristles, and wherein the radiation source assembly is optically coupled to at least one of the plurality of bristles to transmit therapeutic radiation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Oral phototherapy applicators are disclosed that are sized and shaped so as to fit at least partially in a user'"'"'s mouth with a plurality of bristles of elongate shape coupled to an apparatus body. The Applicators can be adapted to brush the user'"'"'s teeth and further include at least one radiation emitter coupled to the body to provide phototherapeutic radiation to a portion of the oral cavity other than tissue in contact with the bristles. In one embodiment, the phototherapy emitter irradiates both a region of tissue in contact with the bristles and a portion of the oral cavity that is not in contact with the apparatus. For example, the apparatus can include at least one emitter that irradiates tooth tissue in contact with the bristles and gum tissue surrounding the tooth tissue.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An oral phototherapy applicator comprising
a body sized and shaped so as to fit at least partially in a user'"'"'s mouth; -
a plurality of optically transmissive bristles of elongate shape and having longitudinal axes, the bristles being coupled to the body and adapted to brush the user'"'"'s teeth, wherein the bristles further comprise one or more fluorescent, luminescent or lasing elements; and a therapeutic radiation source assembly having at least one radiation emitter optically coupled to the body and configured to irradiate with phototherapeutic radiation a portion of the oral cavity other than tissue in contact with the bristles, and wherein the radiation source assembly is optically coupled to at least one of the plurality of bristles to transmit therapeutic radiation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification