Dental arch receiving element

Abstract

The dental arch receiving element has an arch formed with a conformable structure for receiving the teeth of a user, and an actuator is used to increase the stiffness of the conformable structure after it is shaped to correspond to the shape of the target dental arch during an arch mounting phase.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an element for receiving a dental arch, for example as part of a mouthpiece for cleaning, treating or protecting the teeth. [Background technology]

[0002] There is great interest in mouthpieces that can clean the teeth quickly and efficiently. Cleaning mouthpieces typically include a dental arch receiving element and a set of bristle tufts (or other cleaning elements) that are actuated or vibrated within (or together with) the dental arch receiving element.

[0003] Automatic tooth brushing using a cleaning mouthpiece is becoming an emerging technology. Several mouthpiece-based tooth cleaning systems are in the development stage, especially in response to the demand for short brushing times (e.g., 6-30 seconds). Thus, these systems have speed and ease of use as the main value drivers.

[0004] The mouthpiece is the part of the cleaning system that is placed inside the mouth and worn on the teeth, with the cleaning bristles facing the teeth. Typically the mouthpiece has one arch that covers the teeth on one jaw or a pair of arches that cover the teeth on both jaws. The system typically has other parts that remain outside the mouth during use (e.g., a handle with a motor and electronics).

[0005] Only the mouthpiece or bristle tufts are driven to move or vibrate against the tooth surfaces to provide the brushing action.

[0006] One of the challenges in achieving adequate cleaning performance is ensuring proper fit of the mouthpiece on the teeth to ensure that sufficient bristles reach the tooth surface to transfer cleaning power. Because there is wide variation in the size and curvature of people's (or, indeed, animals') teeth, and in jaw morphology, it is nearly impossible to create a "one size fits all" solution. For example, brushing mouthpieces are often provided in one size or in a variety of sizes (e.g., small, medium, large). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In systems with a single size mouthpiece, the design is often based on average dimensions. However, some consumers experience poor or no cleaning because the mouthpiece is too large and the bristles do not contact the teeth. Other consumers are unable to place the mouthpiece over their teeth because it is simply too small.

[0008] The present invention relates to the attachment of tooth-receiving elements to the dental arches in a personalized manner to accommodate the variations in the types of teeth (jaws) and bites found among the population.

[0009] US Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 208898 discloses a mouthpiece that delivers a pressurized flow of irrigation fluid.

[0010] WO2020 / 017963 discloses a mouthpiece having a pressure chamber with a deformable recessed wall that carries a cleaning bristle tuft, the recessed wall moving back and forth in response to pressure in the pressure chamber to provide a reciprocating motion.

[0011] US Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 253702 discloses a mouthpiece having a flexible membrane formed around a sealed compartment, the pressure in the compartment being adjusted to perform a cleaning action.

[0012] DE10230736 discloses a mouthpiece for cleaning teeth.

[0013] No. 9,504,542 discloses a teeth-cleaning mouthpiece formed of a reversibly deformable flexible material, the sequential relaxation and contraction of the flexible mouthpiece providing the teeth-cleaning function. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The invention is defined by the claims.

[0015] According to an embodiment according to an aspect of the present invention, an arch formed with a conformable structure for receiving the teeth / jaw of a user; an actuator arrangement for increasing the stiffness of the conformable structure after the conformable structure has been shaped to correspond to the shape of the target dental arch during the arch attachment phase; A dental arch receiving element is provided comprising:

[0016] The element design comprises a shape-conforming arch that can be deformed to match the shape of the target teeth. This can then be made rigid to provide firm support for the cleaning component to clean the user's teeth. In this way, the element is matched to the size and shape of the user's mouth and teeth position and orientation. This can provide size fitting and contour following (geometry fitting). Thus, the size and shape of the dental arch is related to the overall arch shape, or even the tooth surfaces along the dental arch, or even the position / orientation of both jaws relative to each other (bite type).

[0017] The stiffness control preferably sets a temporary or reversible 3D shape of the arch, but may alternatively provide a shape lock in only certain directions, such as setting only a contour around the dental arch shape in a single plane. The shape may be set only once (for a single user), or resetting may be required from time to time, but not necessarily before every use.

[0018] The dental arch receiving element is part of a cleaning mouthpiece, but may also be for phototherapy or for teeth whitening, or may be a mouthguard, a mandibular advancement device, or an orthodontic appliance.

[0019] The dental arch receiving elements may be used for humans or for animals such as pets.

[0020] Personalized application of this element allows, for example, cleaning bristles (for cleaning the gum line, interproximal areas, and lingual and buccal areas) to better reach and cover tooth surfaces.

[0021] The conformable structure comprises, for example, at least one chamber with solid-state particles in a fluid, and the actuator arrangement comprises a pressure source for expelling the fluid from the chamber to increase the stiffness. The fluid may be a liquid or a gas or a mixture of both. Preferably, the pressure source is a negative pressure source (relative to atmosphere), but may also be controllable to apply a positive pressure.

[0022] This is one way to achieve stiffness control. It utilizes the principle of granular jamming to provide a reversible transition between a fluid-like state and a solid-like state. For example, a filter is provided between the chamber and the pressure source to prevent particles from escaping. The particles can be polymers, ceramics, metals, or natural materials. Also, a variety of particle sizes and shapes can be used.

[0023] The dental arch receiving element further comprises cleaning and / or treatment components on the tooth-facing surface of the arch.

[0024] The cleaning and / or treatment feature may be formed as a separate part of the arcuate portion, such as a bristle tuft feature received in the arcuate portion, or may be a surface of the arcuate portion itself. For example, the cleaning feature may comprise a bristle tuft feature or a bristle bundle layout or an elastomer-based cleaning element. For example, the bristle tuft feature lines the inner and / or outer surface of the arcuate portion.

[0025] The dental arch receiving element further comprises a controller for adjusting the pressure source to achieve the operation of the cleaning and / or treatment components. In this way, cleaning and / or treatment functions can be achieved by the same pressure source. By periodically adapting the stiffness, micro-movements can be induced using the same pressure control as that used to set the hardness.

[0026] For example, the actuator arrangement is also for applying a pressure adjustment to the particle chamber during the bow attachment stage, such as a positive pressure, which is used to improve initial contour following and gripping in the less stiff state of the conformable bow.

[0027] A positive slope or increase in pressure is used, either the pressure gradient over time (dp / dt) or the magnitude of absolute pressure (Δp).

[0028] The actuator arrangement may also provide a pressure adjustment, such as a positive pressure, as part of the operation of the cleaning arrangement.

[0029] The solid state particle chamber may comprise an array of chamber segments, each having an individually controllable pressure level.

[0030] The different pressure levels may be achieved by separate pressure sources (compressors or vacuum generators) or the chamber geometry or material properties may be designed to provide control of the operating pressure levels in the different chamber segments.

[0031] The rows of chamber segments can be used to induce linear movement on or along the jaw, thereby providing the desired motion to achieve cleaning. Up and down motion and motion along the dental arch direction can be controlled.

[0032] As mentioned above, the positive pressure level may also be controlled during the initial fitting phase.

[0033] The array of chamber segments comprises at least two chamber segments containing particles and a middle segment not containing particles, and the actuator arrangement is adapted to inflate or deflate the middle segment.

[0034] This intermediate chamber acts as a controller. For example, positive pressure pushes both side chamber segments outwards, and negative pressure pulls them in. By locking one of the end chamber segments (by increasing its local stiffness), the movement of one chamber along the teeth can be controlled. Combined with this, the entire conformable arch crawls along the teeth to reach the entire jaw. A similar configuration can also be used to allow the cleaning and / or treatment components to move up and down.

[0035] The arch may include a first section having a first shape-conformable structure for positioning on the jaw side of the gum line and a second section having a second shape-conformable structure for positioning on the tooth side of the gum line.

[0036] These sections may have different properties: a first conformable structure may conform to and move along the gums, and a second conformable structure may conform to and move along the teeth.

[0037] These structures can be controlled to conform and move alternately or asynchronously like a caterpillar. Thus, there are sequential steps of conformation and movement. When some units are in a conforming state, other units are collapsed and can move.

[0038] The first and second sections are joined, for example, by a bonding element, which allows the first conformable structure to grip the gums while the second conformable structure cleans the teeth, or vice versa.

[0039] The dental arch receiving element may include an outer shell and a biasing formation for urging the arch towards the teeth during the arch mounting step.

[0040] This outer shell aids in steering the conformable arch onto the teeth or gums during wear and before / while negative pressure is applied.

[0041] The biasing arrangement may comprise an air chamber and the actuator arrangement may further comprise a pressure source for applying pressure to the air chamber. Thus, a separate air chamber may be used to force the particle chamber against the teeth during the arch attachment stage.

[0042] Alternatively, the biasing arrangement may comprise a magnetic actuator or a spring arrangement. Thus, there are other ways to bias the particle chamber towards the teeth.

[0043] The conformable structure includes a fluid that increases its inherent viscosity and effective fluid hardness when exposed to a magnetic field, and the actuator component may include a magnetic field source. This provides an alternative way to control the stiffness of the bow. Fluid dampers using magnetic fields are used to change the viscosity of the fluid, thereby providing a damped or locally varying (e.g., higher) hardness. Magneto-rheological ("MR") dampers exploit the physical properties of MR fluids, which change their viscosity when subjected to a magnetic field. MR fluids consist of a mixture of oil (usually silicone oil) and small particles (e.g., iron particles) that respond to a magnetic field.

[0044] During the mounting step, no space is left between the arch and the teeth for bristle tufts or other cleaning components, for example mounting is performed with the bristle tufts already in place, which runs the risk of the bristle tufts being deformed during the arch mounting step.

[0045] As an alternative option, the mounting step can be performed with two layer materials, where the inner layer (the layer closer to the dental arch shape) provides a predefined distance between the arch receiving element and the teeth and can be replaced by a bristle pad, where the arch receiving element comprises an insert that is mounted on the arch during the arch mounting step and further comprises a cleaning and / or whitening arrangement that is placed in place of the insert after the arch mounting step.

[0046] Thus, the bow is mounted without any cleaning and / or whitening components in place, but leaves space for the addition of specific components (hair tufts, sponges, light guides, whitening paste, fluid channels, electrodes, etc.).

[0047] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

[0048] For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0049] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 illustrates a dental arch receiving element. [Diagram 2] 13A-13C illustrate examples of conformable structures of the bow. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a flexible element formed with particles. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 illustrates the initial unjammed state of the bow. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 illustrates the sinking of the teeth into the arch. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 illustrates the application of a vacuum to conform the arch to the shape of the dental arch. [Figure 7] FIG. 14 illustrates the pressure profile used to create controllable, reversible modulation of material stiffness to allow micromotion at the tooth interface. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates an array of chamber segments, each having an individually controllable negative pressure level. [Figure 9] 13A-13C are diagrams illustrating variations of the arched portion in which the caterpillar structure is formed of lower and upper portions. [Figure 10] 13A-13D illustrate an embodiment in which the mounting is performed by an insert mounted on the bow. [Figure 11] 14A-14D illustrate segmented structures that can be shape locked by various means. [Figure 12] 13A-13D illustrate a deformable structure in which wires or layers are locked by an external force. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0050] The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0051] It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while illustrating exemplary embodiments of the devices, systems, and methods, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the devices, systems, and methods of the present invention will become better understood from the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are merely schematic and not drawn to scale. It should also be understood that the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to denote the same or similar parts.

[0052] The present invention provides a dental arch receiving element having an arch formed with a conformable structure for receiving a user's teeth, and an actuator is used to increase the stiffness of the conformable structure after it has been shaped to correspond to the shape of the target dental arch during an arch mounting phase.

[0053] In this way, the arch is very flexible when it is not active (when not cleaning or brushing). Once placed in the mouth, the user bites the arch and the shape of the arch is adapted to fit as close as possible to the teeth. This shape is then fixed by the actuator. For example, in an arch formed as a chamber containing particles, a vacuum or negative pressure is applied to achieve the hardening function. This hardened arch is then used to hold the cleaning elements and their actuators in the correct position relative to the teeth and gum line.

[0054] Although the invention is described with reference to a cleaning mouthpiece, the invention may also be applied to a phototherapy system or a teeth whitening system, or the invention may be a mouthguard, a mandibular advancement device, or an orthodontic appliance.

[0055] 1 illustrates a dental arch receiving element 10 including an arch 20 formed with a conformable structure for receiving a user's teeth. In this embodiment, the arch 20 is received in an outer shell 22.

[0056] A biasing arrangement 24 is provided to urge the arch 20 against the teeth during the arch application step. This biasing arrangement is also used to create the desired cleaning motion, as described further below, although other arrangements may provide the cleaning movement. The rigid outer shell may also act as the biasing arrangement.

[0057] As illustrated in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the conformable structure of bow 20 comprises at least one chamber containing solid-state particles 40 within a fluid 42 .

[0058] The particle-filled flexible volume can be decompressed to produce a rigid shape. This approach is commonly known as a bulk locking solution. Figure 2 also illustrates flexures or joints 44 that are used to constrain the range of deformation of the global structure of the conformable structure 20 or to control the deformation of the global shape by inducing localized points of stiffness.

[0059] 3 illustrates a flexible element formed of particles 40. Arrows 46 represent the forces interacting between the particles. This granular jamming locks the particles relative to each other when an external force is applied, providing a shape-locking function.

[0060] Returning to Fig. 1, the dental arch receiving element 10 further comprises an actuator arrangement for increasing the stiffness of the conformable structure after it has been shaped to correspond to the shape of the target dental arch during the arch mounting phase. In the illustrated embodiment, the actuator arrangement comprises a pressure source 30 for expelling fluid from a chamber to increase stiffness as illustrated in Fig. 3. In this mode, the pressure source functions as a negative pressure source, but is also controllable to apply a positive pressure.

[0061] The negative pressure source is connected to the chamber by a filter 32 that prevents escape of particles. The negative pressure source is controlled by a controller 34.

[0062] The embodiment of Figure 1 also illustrates an optional eccentric drive arrangement 36 for providing reciprocal movement of the bow 20 within the shell 22, or indeed of the bow and shell as an integrated unit. Such eccentric drives are known for providing reciprocal brushing motion of cleaning mouthpieces. However, a motor of any suitable transmission design may be used to generate the mechanical cleaning motion or the rocking or vibrating motion.

[0063] The eccentric drive applies a controlled device oscillation that may be combined with a vacuum or negative pressure profile applied to the arch 20. In this way, for example, contour following (movement towards and away from the tooth surface) may be achieved by application of a vacuum or negative pressure (offset pressure) profile while an up and down oscillation (as a micro-motion) is produced (e.g., from the top of the tooth towards the gum line) using the eccentric drive train.

[0064] As mentioned above, the (optional) biasing arrangement 24 urges the chamber towards the tooth using the shell as a reference. The biasing arrangement comprises a bellows structure, i.e. an air chamber, and the actuator arrangement further comprises a separate actuator or pressure source for applying pressure to the air chamber. Alternatively, the biasing arrangement may comprise a magnetic actuator or a mechanical spring arrangement.

[0065] The shell may be a permanent part of the structure, or the shell may be used only for the installation stage.

[0066] If the biasing element is a bellows structure, the bellows can be inflated and deflated to create movement of the cleaning elements, such as bristles. The pump used to actuate the bellows can be the same one used to create a vacuum in the chamber.

[0067] To brush the teeth, the user inserts the device into the mouth. During this initial step, the arch 20 is in an unjammed state as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4. The arch 20 is soft and pliable and can conform to the jaw / tooth geometry to some extent. This involves the sinking of the teeth into the arch, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0068] The arches are typically soft silicone (or any other suitable elastomer) filled with particles. Upon application of a vacuum or negative pressure as illustrated in FIG. 6, the granular jamming chambers contract and increase in density, thereby beginning to conform to the shape of the dental arch. This effectively results in a shape change and material hardening. As a result of the vacuum or negative pressure, the particles move and become more densely packed, thereby exerting lateral / vertical pressures and forces against the tooth surfaces, as indicated by the arrows.

[0069] The mouthpiece includes multiple vacuum chambers filled with jamming materials having different particle sizes and / or shapes to tailor the geometric pattern of the contact interface (e.g., specific geometries for the gum line and for interdental cleaning).

[0070] To provide cleaning functionality and to create fluid drainage channels, the tooth-facing surface of the arch has gripping contours such as raised (V-, U-, pyramidal) lamellae or fins that are used for efficient toothpaste slurry distribution at the interface between the arch and the teeth upon application of a vacuum.

[0071] The particulate material may be polymeric, ceramic, metallic, or natural, such as ground coffee beans, black pepper, sun-dried barberry, SiO2 spheres, polycarbonate beads, or any natural or man-made polymeric particle.

[0072] Such a design allows for improved contouring, thereby improving the fit, and also provides better load or energy transfer to the cleaning element through variable hardness control. As the material hardens, it creates a greater effective contact hardness and less damping. Greater effective contact hardness and / or less damping results in greater load and energy transfer, particularly load transfer from the cleaning element to the tooth surface, and motor energy transfer from the motor to the cleaning element. Such a fit allows for maximizing friction at the interface, such that better interlocking and contouring is achieved even with lower applied forces.

[0073] Micro-motions for cleaning can also be generated by using an eccentric motor and controlling the applied vacuum. The vacuum profile can be selected to induce controlled displacement of a jammed granular chamber (e.g. occlusal brushing). Alternatively, pressure control of the chamber may be sufficient, or a biasing arrangement may be used to provide movement of the arcuate after it has been effectively turned into a rigid state.

[0074] The mouthpiece uses traditional bristle tufts, although a tuftless mouthpiece is also possible, as particles are used to provide a textured pattern when a vacuum is applied.

[0075] A variety of actuation schemes can be applied to the negative pressure source to create controllable stiffness and micro-motion at the interface between the arch and the tooth.

[0076] 7 illustrates an exemplary pressure profile used to create a controllable, reversible modulation of material stiffness to enable micro-motion at the tooth interface. The controller sends control signals to the negative pressure source 30 to generate a variable offset (vacuum) pressure profile.

[0077] A slight overpressure is applied during the initial attachment phase (period A) which is used to improve initial contour following and gripping in an unjammed condition.

[0078] To provide controlled displacement (e.g. for occlusal brushing), the vacuum or negative pressure is varied between an upper limit (period B) and a lower limit (period C) after the initial wearing phase. Thus, negative pressure is typically used to induce jamming and control the level of jamming, while a slight excess pressure is used in the unjammed condition.

[0079] The use of multiple chambers also allows for a track design that can create automatic movement along the jaws.

[0080] FIG. 8 illustrates an array of chamber segments 80, 82, 84, each having an individually controllable negative pressure level. In one embodiment, the array of chamber segments comprises at least two chamber segments 80, 84 that contain particles 40 (not shown in FIG. 8) and a middle segment 82 that does not contain particles. Thus, the structure has at least three sections that can be placed at varying positive or negative pressure levels. The actuator components are adapted to inflate or deflate the middle segment 82 for motion control as well as to control the pressure of the other segments for both stiffness control and caterpillar-like movement control.

[0081] This creates a caterpillar structure in which the segments can alternately or intermittently conform to the jaw and move along the jaw (mesial-distal) as well as up and down along the dental arch. In this way, both cleaning and brushing movements can be created by utilizing the granular jamming effect.

[0082] The chambers 80, 84 can be locked or unlocked by a jamming effect. When one of them is locked, the other can be moved towards or away from the locked chamber by controlling the central chamber 82. In this way, the caterpillar structure can be controlled to crawl over the teeth to reach the entire jaw automatically, providing hands-free mouthpiece operation.

[0083] More specifically, in order to move the anterior section, the posterior section must have a high vacuum to hold it in position and the anterior section must have a low vacuum to allow it to slide over the teeth.

[0084] The free section (the front section in this scenario) also has a vacuum (as shown in FIG. 7) that oscillates to oscillate as it moves. This can avoid the need for a separate actuator such as an eccentric motor drive. Thus, the caterpillar design allows for global movement and mutual brushing micro-motion.

[0085] When the center section is inflated, the front of the free section moves further. If the driving vacuum is then reversed between the front and rear jamming chambers, the front section is clamped and the rear section is allowed to slide over the teeth, thus producing a caterpillar motion. When the center section is deflated, it is contracted, also causing the rear end to move further along the arch of the teeth towards the front end.

[0086] 9 illustrates a variation in which the track structure may be formed with a lower portion 90 and an upper portion 92, each having different jamming chamber properties. The top figure illustrates a cross section across the width of the tooth, and the bottom figure illustrates a side view along the length of the tooth.

[0087] The upper portion 92 sits above the gum line 94 to surround the teeth, and the lower portion 90 sits below the gum line to attach to the gums.

[0088] Thus, there is a first section having a first conformable structure 90 for positioning on the jaw side of the gum line, and a second section having a second conformable structure 92 for positioning on the tooth side of the gum line. The first and second sections are joined by a flexible coupling 96, such as a rubber joint or spring element or hinge.

[0089] The first section 90 has multiple lower chambers 90a, 90b, 90c to which different pressure and vacuum levels can be applied to enable the caterpillar motion described above. Thus, the first section 90 can crawl over the gums, enabling an automatic, caterpillar-like mesial-distal motion. The upper portion 92 easily conforms to the geometry of the user's teeth while allowing good clamping.

[0090] The upper section 92 may have one or more jamming chambers with (negative) pressure controlled in such a way as to allow easy conforming to the tooth geometry while still allowing clamping of the cleaning element against the tooth surface. The lower section must have at least three sections, the rear and front sections of which are granular jamming chambers with different vacuum or pressure levels to allow the mouthpiece to crawl over the gums. The three sections may flex as well as expand and compress.

[0091] Thus, in this embodiment, a crawling motion follows the gums and the upper section of the tooth follows this motion. Also or instead, a caterpillar motion can be used on the teeth by forming the upper section of the tooth with a caterpillar structure.

[0092] As described above, the arch is fitted with cleaning bristles or bundles or elastomers, sponge-like cleaning elements or fluid channels or light emitting elements (LEDs) or electrodes, thereby providing a cleaning and / or treatment configuration to the surface of the arch facing the teeth / gums.

[0093] FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment in which the mounting is performed by an insert 100 mounted on the bow, this design further comprising a bristle tuft arrangement that is placed in place of the insert after the bow mounting step.

[0094] FIG. 10 illustrates the free state, followed by application of the insert 100, form fitting and then replacement of the insert 100 with the cleaning component 102.

[0095] To wear the arch, the user first replaces the bristle pad with the insert 100. The mouthpiece containing the insert is then placed in the mouth and the user bites down on the mouthpiece.

[0096] When a biasing component such as an air compartment is used, it is used to move the particle chamber towards the teeth. A vacuum is then created in the chamber, turning it into a rigid structure. The biasing component is depressurized and the user can remove the mouthpiece and replace the insert with a bristle pad.

[0097] This step only needs to be performed once if the mouthpiece is to remain in a fixed shape after use, however, the shape lock may be reversed after each mouthwash to allow the user to more easily clean the mouthpiece.

[0098] The invention applies to U-shaped mouthpieces (for just the upper or lower jaw), but the same approach could be applied to an H-shaped mouthpiece treating both upper and lower jaws simultaneously, or indeed to a J-arch (for one side of one or both jaws) or a C-arch (a complete mouthpiece cleaning one or both jaws at the same time), or even to a system for treating one or more individual teeth.

[0099] The above example is based on the particle jamming effect. There are other possible ways to change a flexible structure into a rigid structure.

[0100] Hydrostatic pressure is used by using certain materials that become more rigid when exposed to an external energy field. For example, instead of using particle chambers, magnetofluids are used that become very viscous when exposed to a magnetic field. An example of such a magnetofluid has already been applied in hydraulic dampers.

[0101] Another example is the use of non-Newtonian fluids that behave as solids when subjected to high speed motion, such as high speed vibration. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDSM) is an example of a viscoelastic material that results in non-Newtonian behavior. Viscoelasticity is a type of non-Newtonian flow that characterizes materials that behave as viscous liquids over long periods of time, but as flexible solids over short periods of time.

[0102] Instead of locking the 3D shape and volume, shape locking may be achieved in a specific direction. The joints 44 of Fig. 3 are used for this purpose. This allows for better contour following of the dental arch shape. The attachment of the arch can also be more finely adjusted in a specific direction. For example, if flexible fingers on the mouthpiece are used to massage the gums, the attachment is improved by applying the segment jamming technique of Fig. 11 or the wire / layer jamming technique of Fig. 12 to these fingers.

[0103] FIG. 11 illustrates a segmented structure whose shape can be locked by multiple tension wires (A), a central tension wire (B), bellows connections (C) or a soft material layer (D).

[0104] 12 illustrates a deformable structure in which a wire (A) or layer (B) is locked by an external force to create a stiffer structure. Stiffness is achieved because the length of the wire or layer is fixed, resulting in a locked shape and therefore increased stiffness.

[0105] The segment locking and wire / layer jamming techniques can be used as an alternative to, or in addition to, the particle jamming solutions described in detail above.

[0106] The wire jamming solution can also be used to shape the bristle tuft pad so that the bristle tufts are more directed towards the gum line, which involves an additional shaping step that must be performed after the user places the bristle tuft pad on the dental arch shape.

[0107] The present invention has been described with reference to a cleaning mouthpiece. However, the arch shaping solution may be used in an arch to receive teeth for any purpose such as teeth cleaning, teeth whitening, teeth straightening, teeth protection, etc. For example, it may be used in a scrub-based mouthpiece that provides cleaning by friction of a sponge-like material.

[0108] The mouthpiece has multiple functions, such as a primary cleaning function and a secondary whitening or treatment function. The cleaning and / or treatment components may comprise any combination of, for example, bristle tuft components, bristle bundle layouts, elastomer-based cleaning elements, fluid channels (for delivery of therapeutic compounds), electrodes, light emitting elements, and light guides.

[0109] In practicing the claimed invention, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprises" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the words "a" and "an" do not exclude a plurality.

[0110] The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0111] It is noted that if the word "adapted" is used in the claims or description, the word "adapted" is intended to be equivalent to the word "configured."

[0112] Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. an arch formed with a conformable structure for receiving the teeth of a user; an actuator arrangement for increasing the stiffness of the conformable structure after it has been shaped to correspond to the shape of the target dental arch during an arch attachment phase; a dental arch receiving element comprising: A controller for controlling the actuator configuration Equipped with the conformable structure comprises at least one chamber with solid state particles in a fluid, the actuator arrangement comprising a pressure source for expelling fluid from the chamber to increase the stiffness; A dental arch receiving element, wherein the pressure source is controllable to apply a negative pressure and is connected to the at least one chamber by a filter that prevents escape of the solid state particles.

2. The dental arch receiving element of claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning and / or treatment feature on a surface of the arch facing the teeth.

3. The dental arch receiving element of claim 2 , wherein the cleaning and / or treatment arrangement comprises a bristle tuft arrangement, a bristle bundle layout or an elastomer-based cleaning element, and / or a fluid channel, and / or an electrode, and / or a light-emitting element or light guide.

4. The dental arch receiving element of claim 2 or 3, wherein the controller is further for regulating the pressure source to effect operation of the cleaning and / or treatment component.

5. The dental arch receiving element of claim 1 , wherein the actuator arrangement is further for applying a pressure adjustment to the chamber of particles during the arch mounting step.

6. The dental arch receiving element of claim 1 , wherein the chamber of solid state particles comprises an array of chamber segments, each having an individually controllable pressure level.

7. 7. The dental arch receiving element of claim 6, wherein the array of chamber segments comprises at least two chamber segments containing particles and an intermediate segment not containing particles, and the actuator arrangement expands or collapses the intermediate segment.

8. 8. The dental arch receiving element of claim 1, wherein the arch portion comprises a first section having a first shape-conformable structure for positioning on the jaw side of the gum line and a second section having a second shape-conformable structure for positioning on the tooth side of the gum line.

9. The dental arch receiving element of claim 8 , wherein the first and second sections are joined by a connecting element, such as a rubber joint or a spring element or a hinge.

10. 10. The dental arch receiving element of claim 1, comprising an outer shell and a biasing formation for urging the arch towards the teeth during the arch mounting step.

11. The dental arch receiving element of claim 10 , wherein the biasing arrangement comprises an air chamber, and the actuator arrangement further comprises a pressure source for applying pressure to the air chamber.

12. The dental arch receiving element of claim 10 , wherein the biasing arrangement comprises a magnetic actuator or a spring arrangement.

13. 13. The dental arch receiving element according to claim 1, further comprising an insert that is attached to the arch during the arch attachment step, and further comprising a cleaning and / or treatment component that is placed in place of the insert after the arch attachment step.

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