Toothbrush employing an acoustic waveguide
First Claim
1. A toothbrush comprising:
- a toothbrush head having an outwardly extending acoustic waveguide;
an ultrasonic transducer operably connected to transmit ultrasonic waves through the acoustic waveguide; and
a handle operatively connected to the toothbrush head, the handle having a component that vibrates the toothbrush head during operation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A power toothbrush (10) is disclosed having a handle (15) containing a rechargeable battery (12), an ultrasonic drive circuit (14), a sonic component (16) such as a motor, and a control unit (18). The handle is connected to a toothbrush head (20) preferably having a plurality of bristles (26) and an ultrasonic transducer (22) that is operatively connected to a waveguide (24) that extends from the toothbrush head generally adjacent the bristles. The waveguide facilitates the transmission of acoustic energy into the dental fluid. It is contemplated that the waveguide may be utilized in manual or power toothbrushes, and in a combination without the sonic component, or in a combination without the ultrasonic transducer. Toothbrushes disclosed herein achieve improved plaque and stain removal from the teeth as well as interproximal and subgingival regions, while enhancing the user experience, massaging the gums, and stimulating dental tissue.
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Citations
99 Claims
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1. A toothbrush comprising:
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a toothbrush head having an outwardly extending acoustic waveguide; an ultrasonic transducer operably connected to transmit ultrasonic waves through the acoustic waveguide; and a handle operatively connected to the toothbrush head, the handle having a component that vibrates the toothbrush head during operation. - 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, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A toothbrush comprising:
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a toothbrush head having an outwardly extending acoustic waveguide; and a handle operatively connected to the toothbrush head, the handle having a component that vibrates the toothbrush head; wherein the acoustic waveguide comprises a plurality of layers, at least two of the layers having differing material properties. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A toothbrush comprising:
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a toothbrush head having an outwardly extending acoustic waveguide; an ultrasonic transducer operably connected to the acoustic waveguide such that the ultrasonic transducer propagates ultrasonic waves having a frequency greater than about 20 kHz through the acoustic waveguide; and a handle operatively connected to the toothbrush head. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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- 77. A removable toothbrush head having a base, a plurality of bristles extending from the base, an acoustic waveguide extending from the base, and an ultrasonic transducer in operable proximity to the acoustic waveguide such that ultrasonic waves are propagated into and through the acoustic waveguide from the ultrasonic transducer during operation.
- 87. A removable toothbrush head, having a base, a plurality of bristles extending from the base, and an acoustic waveguide extending from the base, wherein the acoustic waveguide comprises a plurality of layers, at least two of the layers having differing material properties.
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90. A toothbrush comprising:
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a toothbrush head having an outwardly extending acoustic waveguide formed as a flexible mechanical protrusion; an ultrasonic transducer mechanically coupled to the acoustic waveguide to propagate ultrasonic sound waves into and through the acoustic waveguide during operation; and a handle operatively connected to the toothbrush head. - View Dependent Claims (91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99)
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Specification