Plaque removal and differentiation of tooth and gum
First Claim
1. A method of tooth treatment comprising:
- sensing a surface condition of tooth or gum using a sensor that senses a signal reflected from tissue back through a liquid jet, the signal propagating only through the liquid jet between a liquid ejector and the tissue, the liquid jet being a continuous stream of uninterrupted liquid between the liquid ejector and the tissue; and
with a servo-controller, controlling ejection of the liquid jet against the tooth based on the sensed condition, wherein the liquid is ejected by means of the liquid ejector comprising a Lorentz-force electromagnetic actuator including a magnet assembly providing a magnetic field and a coil assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of tooth treatment includes sensing a surface condition of tooth or gum and controlling ejection of a fluid jet against the tooth based on the sensed condition. The fluid may be a liquid and may be carried in a self-contained reservoir in a handle of a fluid ejection device. The liquid can be a cleansing solution and may contain cleaning particles. The ejection can be controlled to clean teeth at high pressure and to reduce pressure applied to gum, for example, to clean plaque. In some embodiments, the method may be used to remove soft tooth. The method may further include automatically scanning the fluid jet relative to a handle of an injection device. In an embodiment, the fluid is ejected by means of a fluid ejector comprising a stationary magnet assembly providing a magnetic field and a coil assembly, slidably disposed with respect to the magnet assembly, the coil assembly driving ejection of the fluid jet. Sensing the surface condition can include measuring a response of tissue to a mechanical perturbation and may include sensing an acoustic signal reflected from tissue. The mechanical perturbation can include applied force and the measured response can include deformation of the tissue. The method may further include mechanically disturbing the tissue with the fluid jet. A tooth treatment device includes a fluid ejector that ejects fluid against teeth and a servo controller controlling pressure of ejected fluid in response to a sensed surface condition. The fluid jet can have a diameter of less than 500 microns, a peak relative pressure of at least 1 kilopascal and velocity of at least 1 meter per second.
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Citations
73 Claims
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1. A method of tooth treatment comprising:
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sensing a surface condition of tooth or gum using a sensor that senses a signal reflected from tissue back through a liquid jet, the signal propagating only through the liquid jet between a liquid ejector and the tissue, the liquid jet being a continuous stream of uninterrupted liquid between the liquid ejector and the tissue; and with a servo-controller, controlling ejection of the liquid jet against the tooth based on the sensed condition, wherein the liquid is ejected by means of the liquid ejector comprising a Lorentz-force electromagnetic actuator including a magnet assembly providing a magnetic field and a coil assembly. - 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, 34, 35)
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36. A method of tooth treatment comprising:
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ejecting a liquid jet against the tooth by means of a liquid ejector comprising a Lorentz-force electromagnetic actuator including a magnet assembly providing a magnetic field and a coil assembly, the liquid jet being a continuous stream of uninterrupted liquid between the liquid ejector and the tooth, the stream having a diameter of less than 500 microns, a peak relative pressure of at least 1 kilopascal and up to 100 megapascals, and velocity of at least 1 meter per second and up to 226 meters per second; sensing a surface condition of tooth or gum using a sensor that senses a signal reflected from tissue back through the liquid jet, the signal propagating only through the liquid jet between the liquid ejector and the tissue; and with a servo-controller, controlling ejection of the liquid jet based on the sensed surface condition. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A hand-held tooth treatment device comprising:
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a housing configured to be held in hand; a liquid ejector comprising a Lorentz-force electromagnetic actuator including a magnet assembly providing a magnetic field and a coil assembly, the Lorentz-force liquid ejector positioned at an end of the housing and ejecting a liquid jet against the tooth in a scanning movement relative to the housing, the liquid jet being a continuous stream of uninterrupted liquid between the liquid ejector and the tooth; a transducer generating a signal, the signal propagating only through the liquid jet between the liquid ejector and the tissue; a sensor that senses a reflected signal reflected from tissue back through the liquid jet, the reflected signal propagating only through the liquid jet between the liquid ejector and the tissue; and a servo controller controlling pressure of ejected liquid in response to a sensed surface condition, the surface condition being sensed based on the reflected signal. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A method of tooth treatment comprising:
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ejecting a liquid jet against the tooth using a liquid ejector comprising a Lorentz-force electromagnetic actuator including a magnet assembly providing a magnetic field and a coil assembly, the liquid jet being a continuous stream of uninterrupted liquid between the liquid ejector and the tooth; scanning the liquid jet relative to a handle of the ejector; sensing a surface condition of tooth or gum using a sensor that senses a signal reflected from tissue back through the liquid jet, the signal propagating only through the liquid jet between the liquid ejector and the tissue; and with a servo-controller, controlling pressure of ejected liquid during scanning, based on the sensed surface condition. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61)
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62. A tooth treatment device comprising:
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a liquid ejector that ejects a liquid jet against teeth, the liquid jet being a continuous stream of uninterrupted liquid between the liquid ejector and the teeth, the liquid ejector comprising a Lorentz-force electromagnetic actuator including a magnet assembly providing a magnetic field and a coil assembly; a transducer generating a signal, the signal propagating only through the liquid jet between the liquid ejector and the tissue; a sensor that senses a reflected signal reflected from tissue back through the liquid jet, the reflected signal propagating only through the liquid jet between the liquid ejector and the tissue; and a servo controller controlling pressure of ejected liquid in response to a sensed surface condition, the surface condition being sensed based on the reflected signal. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A tooth treatment device comprising
a liquid ejector that ejects a liquid jet against the tooth, the liquid jet being a continuous stream of uninterrupted liquid between the liquid ejector and the tooth, the stream having a diameter of less than 500 microns, a peak relative pressure of at least 1 kilopascal and up to 100 megapascals, and velocity of at least 1 meter per second and up to 226 meters per second, the liquid ejector comprising a Lorentz-force electromagnetic actuator including a magnet assembly providing a magnetic field and a coil assembly; -
a sensor that senses a signal reflected from tissue back through the liquid jet, the signal propagating only through the liquid jet between the liquid ejector and the tissue; and a servo controller controlling pressure of the ejected liquid jet in response to a sensed surface condition, the surface condition being sensed based on the reflected signal. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73)
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Specification