Toothbrush employing an acoustic waveguide

• US 20050091770A1
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Washington
• Original Assignee: University of Washington
• Inventors: Seawall, Jason L., Mourad, Pierre D., Olson, Francis G., Thompson, Roger Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,296,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0028 with an acoustic 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: A61C 17/20 using ultrasonics
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights

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.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising:

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.

2. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the component is a sonic component that vibrates the toothbrush head at a frequency between about 20 Hz and 20 kHz.

3. The toothbrush of claim 2, wherein the toothbrush head further comprises a plurality of outwardly extending bristles.

4. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the toothbrush head is removably connected to the handle.

5. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a polymer.

6. The toothbrush of claim 5, wherein the polymer is selected from a room temperature vulcanizing silicone, a liquid injected molded silicone, and a thermal plastic elastomer.

7. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a dielectric material.

8. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a material having a hardness between about 5 and about 200 Shore A hardness.

9. The toothbrush of claim 8, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a material having a hardness between about 20 and about 80 Shore A hardness.

10. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the acoustic waveguide comprises a plurality of layers, at least two of the layers having differing material properties.

11. The toothbrush of claim 10, wherein the acoustic waveguide includes a graphite layer and a polymer layer, and wherein the polymer layer is molded around the graphite layer.

12. The toothbrush of claim 10, wherein the acoustic waveguide includes a first layer having a Shore A hardness of at least 80, a second layer in contact with the first layer, the second layer having a Shore A hardness of between about 20 and 80, and a third layer in contact with the second layer, the third layer having a Shore A hardness of not more than 20.

13. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the acoustic waveguide is generally wedge-shaped.

14. A toothbrush comprising:

a toothbrush head having an outwardly extending acoustic waveguide;

an ultrasonic transducer operably connected to the acoustic waveguide such that the ultrasonic transducer transmits sound waves having a frequency greater than about 20 kHz to the acoustic waveguide; and

a handle operatively connected to the toothbrush head.

15. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the toothbrush head further comprises a plurality of outwardly extending bristles.

16. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the toothbrush head is removably connected to the handle.

17. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a polymer.

18. The toothbrush of claim 17 wherein the polymer is selected from a room temperature vulcanizing silicone, a liquid injected molded silicone, and a thermal plastic elastomer.

19. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a dielectric material.

20. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a material having a hardness between about 5 and about 200 Shore A hardness.

21. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a material having a hardness between about 20 and about 80 Shore A hardness.

22. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the acoustic waveguide comprises a plurality of layers, at least two of the layers having differing material properties.

23. The toothbrush of claim 22, wherein the acoustic waveguide includes a graphite layer and a polymer layer, and wherein the polymer layer is molded around the graphite layer.

24. The toothbrush of claim 22, wherein the acoustic waveguide includes a first layer having a Shore A hardness of at least 80, a second layer in contact with the first layer, the second layer having a Shore A hardness of between about 20 and 80, and a third layer in contact with the second layer, the third layer having a Shore A hardness of not more than 20.

25. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the acoustic waveguide is wedge-shaped.

26. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the acoustic waveguide is shaped to coherently focus the sound wave.

27. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the acoustic waveguide is shaped to compress the sound wave.

28. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the ultrasound transducer is selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric transducer, a magnetostrictive transducer, a michromachined capacitive ultrasonic transducer, and an electrostatic polymer foam transducer.

29. The toothbrush of claim 28, wherein the ultrasound transducer is a piezoelectric transducer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of lead zirconate titanate, polyvinylidene fluoride, lithium niobate, quartz, and barium titanate.

30. The toothbrush of claim 14, further comprising an impedance matching layer in operable contact with the ultrasound transducer.

31. The toothbrush of claim 14, further comprising a component that vibrates the toothbrush head.

32. The toothbrush head of claim 31, wherein the component is a sonic component that vibrates the toothbrush head at a frequency between about 20 Hz and 20 kHz.

33. The toothbrush of claim 32, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a polymer.

34. The toothbrush of claim 32, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a dielectric material.

35. The toothbrush of claim 32, wherein the acoustic waveguide comprises a plurality of layers, at least two of the layers having differing material properties.

36. The toothbrush of claim 32, wherein the acoustic waveguide is shaped to coherently focus the sound wave.

37. The toothbrush of claim 32, wherein the acoustic waveguide is shaped to compress the sound wave.

38. The toothbrush of claim 32, wherein the ultrasound transducer is selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric transducer, a magnetostrictive transducer, a michromachined capacitive ultrasonic transducer, and an electrostatic polymer foam transducer.

39. A removable toothbrush head having a base, a plurality of bristles extending from the base, and an acoustic waveguide extending from the base.

40. The removable toothbrush head of claim 39 wherein the acoustic wave guide is formed from a polymer.

41. The removable toothbrush head of claim 39 wherein the polymer is selected from a room temperature vulcanizing silicone, a liquid injected molded silicone, and a thermal plastic elastomer.

42. The removable toothbrush head of claim 39, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a dielectric material.

43. The removable toothbrush head of claim 39, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a material having a hardness between about 5 and about 200 Shore A hardness.

44. The removable toothbrush head of claim 43, wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed from a material having a hardness between about 20 and about 80 Shore A hardness.

45. The removable toothbrush head of claim 39, wherein the acoustic waveguide comprises a plurality of layers, at least two of the layers having differing material properties.

46. The removable toothbrush head of claim 45, wherein the acoustic waveguide includes a graphite layer and a polymer layer, and wherein the polymer layer is molded around the graphite layer.

47. The removable toothbrush head of claim 45, wherein the acoustic waveguide includes a first layer having a Shore A hardness of at least 80, a second layer in contact with the first layer, the second layer having a Shore A hardness of between about 20 and 80, and a third layer in contact with the second layer, the third layer having a Shore A hardness of not more than 20.

48. The removable toothbrush head of claim 39, wherein the acoustic waveguide is generally wedge-shaped.

49. The removable toothbrush head of claim 39, further comprising an ultrasonic transducer.

50. The removable toothbrush head of claim 49, wherein the ultrasound transducer is selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric transducer, a magnetostrictive transducer, a michromachined capacitive ultrasonic transducer, and an electrostatic polymer foam transducer.

51. The removable toothbrush head of claim 50, wherein the ultrasound transducer is a piezoelectric transducer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of lead zirconate titanate, polyvinylidene fluoride, lithium niobate, quartz, and barium titanate.