Oral hygiene delivery system

• US 5,611,687 A
• Filed: 11/06/1995
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medtech Products Incorporated (Prestige Consumer Healthcare, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dental Concepts Company LP
• Inventors: Wagner, Eugene C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Ralph A.
• Application Number:
  US08/554,408
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 433/80, 433/142, 433/215, 433/216, 433/217.1, 604/1, 604/2, 604/289, 604/290, 604/310, 401/198, 401/199
• US Class Current: 433/80
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/041 using a roller, a disc or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/066 Bleaching devices; Whitening agent applicators for teeth, e.g. trays or strips
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/003 Portable hand-held applicators having means for dispensing or spreading integral media hand-held massage devices with liquid delivery A61H7/003

Abstract

A delivery system for a liquid oral hygiene preparation suitable for tooth whitening, tooth cleansing and the treatment of. The delivery system includes an elongate barrel shaped body. A supply of the hygiene preparation saturates a fibrous wadding carried in a hollow chamber of the body. At an end of the body, an applicator formed of felt or synthetic fibers is seated. The applicator includes a broad tip and a stem wick which is received in the wadding and draws the preparation to the tip by capillary action. The preparation is applied to tooth surfaces, oral lesions, and the like by pressing the tip against the surface to receive the preparation and, where appropriate, wiping the tip along the surface. In an alternate embodiment, ball applicator is provided and the hygienic preparation may be carried in the chamber without the wadding.

Claims

1. A delivery system for a flowable oral hygiene preparation, the system comprising a housing, the housing including a bore carrying a supply of flowable oral hygiene preparation, the preparation including a peroxide compound active ingredient, the housing further including means for dispensing the oral hygiene preparation within an oral cavity, the means for dispensing being fixed to the housing and being in communication with the bore, the means for dispensing including an applicator tip for depositing a quantity of the peroxide compound active ingredient on a surface within the oral cavity in response to contact between the applicator tip and the surface, the means for dispensing including means for facilitating flow of the peroxide compound active ingredient from the bore to the applicator tip, the means for facilitating flow including means for drawing the oral hygiene preparation to the applicator tip by capillary action.

2. A delivery system for an oral hygiene preparation as constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the mean for dispensing is constructed of felt.

3. A delivery system for an oral hygiene preparation as constructed in accordance with claim 2 wherein the felt is constructed of synthetic fibers.

4. A delivery system for an oral hygiene preparation as constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the peroxide compound is selected from the group consisting of urea peroxide, carbamide peroxide, calcium peroxide and hydrogen peroxide.

5. A delivery system for an oral hygiene preparation as constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the flowable oral hygiene preparation is in a liquid base.

6. A delivery system for an oral hygiene preparation as constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the flowable oral hygiene preparation comprises 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.

7. A delivery system for an oral hygiene preparation as constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the applicator tip comprises a ball applicator.

8. A delivery system for an oral hygiene preparation as constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the bore includes reservoir means formed of fibrous material saturated with the flowable oral hygiene preparation.

9. A delivery system for an oral hygiene preparation as constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the housing is cylindrical, the system further including a cap for selectively covering the applicator tip.

10. A delivery system for an oral hygiene preparation as constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the housing is formed of thermoplastic and is covered with a decorative metal shell.

11. A delivery system for an oral hygiene preparation as constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the housing is formed of thermoplastic and is deformable, whereby augmented flow of oral hygiene preparation is achieved by exerting pressure against the housing.

12. A method of applying a flowable oral hygiene preparation with a delivery system as constructed in accordance with claim 1, the method including the steps of:

a) grasping the housing by hand with the applicator tip pointed toward an oral cavity to receive treatment,

b) placing the applicator tip in the oral cavity while holding the delivery system by the housing,

c) coating a tooth surface in need of treatment with a quantity of the peroxide compound active ingredient by contacting the tooth surface with the applicator tip, and

d) removing the applicator tip from the oral cavity after the tooth surface has been coated with the peroxide compound active ingredient.

13. A method of applying an oral hygiene preparation with the delivery system in accordance with claim 12, further including the step of:

e) wiping the applicator tip over the tooth surface being coated prior to performing step (d).

14. A delivery system for a flowable oral cosmetic preparation, the system comprising a housing, the housing including a bore carrying a supply of flowable oral cosmetic preparation, the preparation including a papaya enzyme active ingredient, the housing further including means for dispensing the oral cosmetic preparation within an oral cavity, the means for dispensing being in communication with the supply of flowable oral cosmetic preparation, the means for dispensing including an applicator tip for depositing a quantity of papaya enzyme on a tooth surface within the oral cavity in response to contact between the applicator tip and the tooth surface, the means for dispensing including means for facilitating flow of the oral cosmetic preparation to the applicator tip, the means for facilitating flow including means for drawing the oral cosmetic preparation to the applicator tip by capillary action.

15. A method of applying a flowable oral cosmetic preparation with a delivery system as constructed in accordance with claim 14, the method including the steps of:

a) grasping the housing by hand with the applicator tip pointed toward an oral, cavity to receive cosmetic treatment,

b) placing the applicator tip in the oral cavity while holding the delivery system by the housing,

c) coating a tooth surface in need of treatment with a quantity of the papaya enzyme active ingredient by contacting the tooth surface with the applicator tip, and

d) removing the applicator tip from the oral cavity after the tooth surface has been coated with the papaya enzyme active ingredient.

16. A method of applying an oral cosmetic preparation with the delivery system in accordance with claim 15, further including the step of:

e) wiping the applicator tip over the tooth surface being coated prior to performing step (d).

17. A delivery system for a flowable oral hygiene preparation, the system comprising a housing, the housing including a bore carrying a supply of flowable oral hygiene preparation, the preparation including an active ingredient selected from the group consisting of peroxide compounds and papaya enzyme, the housing further including means for dispensing the oral hygiene preparation within an oral cavity, the means for dispensing being in communication with the supply of flowable oral hygiene preparation, the means for dispensing including a ball applicator for depositing a quantity of active ingredient on a tooth surface within the oral cavity in response to contact between the ball applicator and the tooth surface.