Oral irrigator test systems and methods

Abstract

A system for testing an oral irrigator, includes: a target configured to receive a fluid pulse from an oral irrigator; a force sensor configured to measure a force imparted on the target by the fluid pulse; and a controller configured to receive data from the force sensor and analyze the data to determine a performance characteristic of the oral irrigator.

Description

Docket No. P321925.WO.01ORAL IRRIGATOR TEST SYSTEMS AND METHODSCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) and 37 C.F.R. § 1.78 to provisional application no. 63 / 714,039 filed on Oct 30, 2024, titled “Oral Irrigator Test Systems and Methods" which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. This application is related to provisional application no. 63 / 701,109 filed on Sep 30, 2024, titled “MOTOR CONTROL WITH INCREASED ACCURACY FOR ORAL HEALTH DEVICES" which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] Oral irrigators, also called water flossers, typically are used to clean a user’s teeth and gums by discharging a pressurized fluid stream into a user’s oral cavity. The fluid impacts the teeth and gums to remove debris. Often, the oral irrigator includes a fluid supply, such as a reservoir, fluidly connected by a pump to an oral irrigator tip. In many cases, a user can adjust the cleaning power of the flosser by adjusting a fluid pressure delivered by the pump to the irrigator tip. In many examples, the performance of an oral irrigator is correlated to properties of the fluid stream as, or after, the stream has exited the orifice of the tip of an oral irrigator.

[0003] In such examples, it can be difficult to measure or compare oral irrigator performance, where the performance of the fluid expelled is correlated to conditions outside of the oral irrigator. For example, oral irrigator performance may be estimated by measuring parameters or data from the oral irrigator, but no method or system exists to measure the oral irrigator performance as a user would experience the oral irrigator (e.g., the “mouth feel”). Some methods of evaluating oral irrigator performance using simulated plaque have been proposed, but these methods are not reproducible and yield subjective results making comparison and evaluation of oral irrigator performance difficult.

[0004] Furthermore, there are no standardized methods or systems for comparing flossing performance between oral irrigator models or between settings in a given irrigator. When oral irrigators are evaluated for efficacy in controlled trials, there is no effective way to chain effectiveness claims from an irrigator tested in a controlled trial to a new or improved model without performing another long and costly trial.BRIEF SUMMARYDocket No. P321925.WO.01

[0005] In one embodiment, a system for testing an oral irrigator, includes: a target configured to receive a fluid pulse from an oral irrigator; a force sensor configured to measure a force imparted on the target by the fluid pulse; and a controller configured to receive data from the force sensor and analyze the data to determine a performance characteristic of the oral irrigator.

[0006] Optionally in some embodiments, the controller performs a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the data to analyze frequency components of the force.

[0007] Optionally in some embodiments, the system further includes a fixture to maintain alignment of a tip of the oral irrigator with the target.

[0008] Optionally in some embodiments, the target is planar.

[0009] Optionally in some embodiments, the force sensor includes one or more of a piezoelectric sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, an optical sensor, or a resistive sensor.

[0010] Optionally in some embodiments, the system of further includes the oral irrigator.

[0011] Optionally in some embodiments, the performance characteristic includes one or more of a scouring energy or a kinetic energy.

[0012] Optionally in some embodiments, the scouring energy is based on a density, a volume, and a velocity of the fluid pulse.

[0013] Optionally in some embodiments, the scouring energy is described by SE=— —, where p is a density of the fluid, V is a volume of the fluid, and v is a velocity of the fluid in the fluid pulse.

[0014] In one embodiment, a method of testing an oral irrigator includes aligning a tip of the oral irrigator with a target coupled to a force sensor; activating the oral irrigator to expel a fluid pulse; measuring, using the force sensor, a force imparted on the target by the fluid pulse; receiving, by a controller, data corresponding to the measured force; and analyzing the data to determine a performance characteristic of the oral irrigator.

[0015] Optionally in some embodiments, the analyzing includes converting the data to a frequency domain.

[0016] Optionally in some embodiments, the method further includes converting the data to the frequency domain by performing a fast Fourier transform on the data.Docket No. P321925.WO.01

[0017] Optionally in some embodiments, the analyzing includes determining a scouring energy for the fluid pulse.

[0018] Optionally in some embodiments, the scouring energy is described by SE= — —, where p is a density of the fluid, V is a volume of the fluid, and v is a velocity of the fluid in the fluid pulse.

[0019] In one embodiment, a method of correlating performance between two or more oral irrigators, the method includes providing a system configured for testing an oral irrigator, the system including: a target, a force sensor, and a controller; aligning each oral irrigator with the target; individually activating each oral irrigator to expel a respective fluid pulse; measuring, using the force sensor, a force imparted on the target by each respective fluid pulse; receiving, by the controller, data for each oral irrigator corresponding to the measured force; analyzing, by the controller, the data for each oral irrigator to determine a respective performance characteristic for each oral irrigator; and comparing the respective performance characteristics to correlate the performance between the two or more oral irrigators.

[0020] Optionally in some embodiments, the comparing of the respective performance includes chaining benefit claims from a first oral irrigator of the two or more oral irrigators subject to a controlled study, to a second oral irrigator of the two or more oral irrigators, wherein the second oral irrigator is not subject to the controlled study.

[0021] Optionally in some embodiments, the analyzing includes determining a scouring energy for the fluid pulse. pVv^

[0022] Optionally in some embodiments, the scouring energy is described by SE= — —, where p is a density of the fluid, V is a volume of the fluid, and v is a velocity of the fluid in the fluid pulse.

[0023] Optionally in some embodiments, the analyzing includes converting the data to a frequency domain.

[0024] Optionally in some embodiments, the fluid pulses are directed at different angles to the target to simulate varied usage angles.

[0025] In one embodiment a system for testing an oral irrigator, includes: a test fixture configured to hold a tip of the oral irrigator in a defined testing position; a target configured to receive a fluid pulse from the tip; a force sensor configured to measure a force imparted on the target by the fluid pulse; a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the test fixture andDocket No. P321925.WO.01 configured to measure pressure within the tip during delivery of the fluid pulse; and a controller configured to receive data from the force sensor and pressure sensor and analyze the data to determine a performance characteristic of the oral irrigator.

[0026] Optionally in some embodiments, the test fixture includes a sled slidably and / or rotatably coupled to a base for adjusting a position and / or orientation of the tip with respect to the target.

[0027] Optionally in some embodiments, the test fixture is configured to hydrolock during testing to enable accurate pressure readings by the pressure sensor.

[0028] Optionally in some embodiments, the test fixture comprises a flange portion and fastener for securely holding the tip in the defined testing position.

[0029] Optionally in some embodiments, the controller performs a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on data from the force sensor to analyze frequency components of the measured force.

[0030] Optionally in some embodiments, a scouring energy, kinetic energy, or scouring flux determined based on the measured force and pressure.

[0031] Optionally in some embodiments, the scouring energy is described by SE= — —, where p is a density of the fluid, V is a volume of the fluid, and v is a velocity of the fluid in the fluid pulse.

[0032] Optionally in some embodiments, the test fixture is configured to position the tip at one or more usage angles with respect to the target to simulate varied real-world usage scenarios.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. l is a perspective view of an oral irrigator.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a schematic of an example of a fluid delivery assembly of an oral irrigator.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a test system suitable for use with an oral irrigator.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a partial, detail view of a portion of the system of FIG. 3.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an example of a method of testing an oral irrigator with the system of FIG. 3.

[0038] FIG. 6A is a chart showing an example of data output from the system of FIG. 3.

[0039] FIG. 6B is a detail view of a portion of FIG. 3.Docket No. P321925.WO.01

[0040] FIG. 7 is a chart showing an example of an analysis of the data of FIG. 6A.

[0041] FIG. 8A is a schematic plan view of a test fixture suitable for use with the test systems and methods disclosed herein.

[0042] FIG. 8B is a schematic section elevation view of a test fixture suitable for use with the test systems and methods disclosed herein, taken along line 8B-8B of FIG. 8A.

[0043] FIG. 9 is a chart showing an example of data output from the system of FIG. 3.

[0044] FIG. 10 is a chart showing an example of an analysis of the data of FIG. 9.

[0045] FIG. 11 is a simplified block diagram of components of a computing system of the oral irrigator of FIG. 1, the oral irrigator of FIG. 3, or the test system of FIG. 3.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The present disclosure provides systems and methods of testing the performance of an oral irrigator. Oral irrigators operate by expelling a stream, pulse, or jet of a fluid from an orifice of a tip. In some examples, a performance setting of the oral irrigator correlates to a kinetic energy of the fluid delivered by the oral irrigator, for example, after the fluid has exited the tip of the oral irrigator.

[0047] The systems disclosed include a target coupled to, or including, a sensor at which the oral irrigator output is directed. The output stream impacts the target and the sensor measures one or more performance characteristics of the oral irrigator. In many examples, the sensor is a force sensor that converts the impulse from the fluid stream into an electrical signal. The electrical signal is recorded and analyzed according to the methods disclosed herein. For example, the electrical signal may be processed from a time domain signal into a frequency domain signal such as by application of a Fourier transform (e.g., a fast Fourier transform, discrete Fourier transform, etc.), Laplace transform, Z-transform, wavelet transform, or the like.

[0048] In some embodiments, the actual output of an oral irrigator as experienced by the user (e.g., the force felt on the user’s gums by the fluid) is determined based on the output of the sensor. Various examples described herein utilize kinetic energy, rather than pressure (e.g., pounds per square inch), fluid flow rate, or other direct pump parameters to determine the performance metrics. Thus, the disclosed systems and methods can be used to evaluate and compare actual or predicted performance of an oral irrigator, e.g., as a settings or parameters are changed, and compare performance between oral irrigators, such as for competitiveDocket No. P321925.WO.01 analysis, conformance to a standard, or for chaining benefit claims between oral irrigators without the need for additional controlled trials.

[0049] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an oral irrigator 100a. The oral irrigator 100a is a counter-top unit including a base and a moveable handle and tip that the user positions for use. FIG. 3 shows an example of a handheld oral irrigator 100b that the user typically holds in their hand for use. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of components of a fluid delivery assembly 200 of either or both of the oral irrigator 100a and the oral irrigator 100b. The methods and systems disclosed herein are applicable to any type of oral irrigator, such as the oral irrigator 100a and the oral irrigator 100b. An oral irrigator may include a reservoir 102 that holds a fluid 116, such as water or mouthwash, to provide the fluid to a pump (see, e.g., FIG. 2). In instances where the oral irrigator 100a is a countertop unit, the reservoir 102 may be coupled to a housing or base 104 and where the oral irrigator 100a is a handheld unit the reservoir 102 may be coupled to a handle or hand piece for the oral irrigator 100a. The base 104 may define a compartment 105 for receiving various components. Relatedly, the size and volume capacity of the reservoir 102 may be based on the type and configuration of the oral irrigator 100a. The reservoir 102 may include a reservoir outlet, such as a port or plug, valve, or the like, fluidly coupled to other components of the oral irrigator 100 (e.g., a pump assembly).

[0050] The oral irrigator 100a may include a base 104 or housing, which in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, acts to support the oral irrigator 100a on a surface (e.g., countertop) and optionally may support the reservoir 102. In some instances, the base 104 may be configured as a countertop support, but in other iterations may be formed as a handle portion or a portion held in the hand of a user during use. The base 104 supports and / or encloses one or more components of the oral irrigator 100a, such as a fluid delivery assembly 200 (see, e.g., FIG. 2). Additionally, the base 104 may include fluid pathways (e.g., tubes, hoses) that direct fluid between different components of the oral irrigator 100, such as between the reservoir 102 and the pump assembly and / or the pump assembly and an outlet, such as a handle 108.

[0051] A handle 108 may be fluidly coupled to the reservoir 102, such as via a hose 112 or other fluid connector. The handle 108 may include a tip 110 or other outlet device that can direct fluid from the reservoir 102 into a user’s oral cavity. The handle 108 may be configured to be held in a user’s hand and in embodiments where the oral irrigator 100b is configured as a handheld device, may include features of the base 104, e.g., the fluid delivery assembly 200 may be coupled to or position within the handle 108. The handle 108 may include one or moreDocket No. P321925.WO.01 actuators 109, e.g., pause button, or the like that activate valves or other components to pause or vary flow out of the handle 108. As can be appreciated, the handle 108 may be generally an elongated member and configured to be held in a user’s hand as the user navigates the handle 108 to direct the fluid output to different areas of his or her oral cavity.

[0052] The handle 108 may also include features to secure the tip 110 thereto and optionally allow release of the tip 110 therefrom. The tip 110 may be in the form of a jet tip or other tip configuration, e.g., may include bristles (e.g., nozzle integrated with a brush head), tongue scraper, or the like. The handle 108 may further including a retention element, such as a magnet, that may be secured to the housing to allow a user to releasably position the handle 108 on the base 104. The tip 110 includes a nozzle of orifice 114 that expels the fluid from the tip 110 of the oral irrigator 100a / 100b. The orifice 114 may be of various sizes adapted to achieve different cleaning performance or use preferences.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows examples of components of a fluid delivery assembly 200 of the oral irrigator 100a and / or oral irrigator 100b. In some embodiments, the fluid delivery assembly 200 includes a tip 110, a hose 112, an orifice 114, a reservoir 202, a pump 204, a motor 206, and a driver 208. In some embodiments, one or more components of the fluid delivery assembly 200 may be optional. For example, in a handheld oral irrigator 100b, the hose 112 may be optional.

[0054] The reservoir 102 contains the fluid 116 and is fluidically coupled to the pump 204. For example, a hose or other conduit may connect an outlet of the reservoir 102 to an inlet of the pump 204. In many embodiments, the pump 204 is a piston-type pump and the motor 206 is integrated with the pump 204. In some embodiments, the pump 204 is operated by a motor 206 coupled thereto. For example, the motor 206 may have a rotational output shaft coupled mechanically (either directly or via one or more couplings) to a mechanical input of the pump 204. In other examples, the pump 204 is a diaphragm-type pump 204.

[0055] A driver 208 circuit is electrically coupled to the motor 206 and causes the motor to operate. For example, the driver 208 may be a alternating current (AC), direct current (DC), and / or include pulse width modulation (PWM) of frequency modulated circuit suitable to operate the pump 204. The driver 208 may in turn be operated by a processing element 1102, as described with respect to FIG. 11.

[0056] As the driver 208 operates the pump 204, the pump 204 withdraws fluid 116 from the reservoir 102 and causes the fluid 116 to flow through the hose 112 to the tip 110. The fluidDocket No. P321925.WO.01116 exits the tip 110 through the orifice 114 as one or more fluid pulses 210. The fluid pulses 210 may be aimed to clean a user's oral tissue or teeth.

[0057] Examples of the oral irrigator output may be produced by controlling the fluid delivery assembly 200 to linearize the kinetic energy delivered by the fluid 116 as, or after, it exits the orifice 114 of the tip 110 by generating one or more control signals that map non-linear pump 204 and / or motor 206 performance characteristics to actual cleaning performance of a fluid pulse 210 as it exits the orifice 114 of the tip 110 of the oral irrigator 100a / 100b.

[0058] In some examples, a control signal to a motor 206 may include one or more of an AC signal, a DC signal, a PMW signal, a frequency modulated signal, any of which may be analog or digital.

[0059] In some embodiments, the pump 204 may operate to generate a pulsatile flow of the fluid 116. For example, the flowrate of the fluid 116 though the fluid delivery assembly 200 may be periodic, transient, or dynamic with respect to time and may increase and / or decrease over time.

[0060] In many embodiments, the dimension, such as the diameter, shape, or the like, of the orifice 114 is sized to achieve a desired performance, user preference, or kinetic energy of the fluid pulse 210 based on other components of the fluid delivery assembly 200 of the oral irrigator 100a. For example, the diameter of the orifice 114 may be about 0.026, 0.037, 0.028, 0.029, 0.030, 0.031, 0.032, 0.033, 0.034, or 0.035 inches. In other embodiments, the orifice diameter may be larger or In some embodiments, the tip (especially the inner lumen of the tip) may taper to the orifice. In some embodiments, the tip may not taper, but rather be of a constant diameter up to the orifice. In various embodiments, the length of the tip may vary. Any of the preceding features may affect the performance of the oral irrigator such as an exit velocity, scouring energy, or kinetic energy of the fluid exiting the oral irrigator, smaller.

[0061] Turning to FIG. 3, an example of a test system 300 for evaluating the performance of an oral irrigator is shown. In the example shown, the test system 300 includes a target 302, a support surface 304 that supports the target 302, a support surface 306 that supports the oral irrigator 100a / oral irrigator 100b being tested, a force sensor 308, and a controller 1100. FIG. 4 shows a partial detail view of FIG. 3.

[0062] The target 302 receives a fluid pulse 210 from the oral irrigator 100a / 100b being tested and transfers at least a portion of the energy of the pulse to the force sensor 308. The force sensor 308 converts the energy from the fluid pulse 210 received by the target 302 into anDocket No. P321925.WO.01 electrical signal that may be received, stored, and an analyzed by a controller 1100 of the test system 300. In some embodiments, the target 302 and the force sensor 308 are a single device, while in other embodiments the target 302 and the force sensor 308 are different devices coupled to one another.

[0063] In the example shown, the target 302 is a substantially planar plate, which may be shaped like a polygon, a circle, oval, etc. In other embodiments the target 302 may be convex or concave with respect to the impact zone of the fluid pulse 210.

[0064] In some examples, the flow rate of an incompressible fluid (e.g., water) through a sharp-edged orifice 114 is shown in equation 1.2APQ = CdA

[0065] where Q is the volumetric flow rate, Cd is the discharge coefficient, A is the orifice area (e.g., 0.031 or 0.026), AP is the pressure difference across the orifice, and p is the fluid density.

[0066] The volumetric flow rate of the orifice 114 can also be expressed as Where v is the linear velocity of the fluid 116 exiting the jet orifice 114. Often, the pressure downstream of the orifice 114 is atmospheric pressure and the pressure sensor measuring AP is a "gage" sensor (e.g., Pmeasured=P - Patmospheric—AP).

[0067] The velocity of the fluid may be expressed or calculated as:

[0068] where Cd and p are constants (K = f°r agiven fluid and orifice diameter. Thus,there is a relationship between the driving pressure of the fluid 1 16 in the oral irrigator and the nozzle exit velocity (v) of the fluid 116 from the orifice 114. When the fluid pulse 210 impacts a stationary object (e.g., a planar object or target 302) orthogonal (normal) to the flow direction of the fluid pulse 210, a force is imparted on the object as the momentum of the fluid pulse 210 is absorbed.Docket No. P321925.WO.01

[0069] This transfer of momentum may be modelled as "impact-momentum" describe for example in equation 3.FAt = Ap = m (Vf — Vi)

[0070] Where At is the duration of the impact, m is the mass of the fluid pulse 210 calculated as the product of the fluid density (p) and the volume of the fluid pulse 210 (m=pV). The volume can be expressed as a cylinder, with area A of the orifice 114 and extruded length L (V =A L) where the length is expressed as (L = v t).

[0071] In some embodiments, if the impact of the fluid pulse 210 with the target 302 causes the final velocity of the fluid pulse 210 to be zero, then the force can be expressed as in equation 4. pVv pAvAtv F = — — = - - - = pAvAt AtK

[0072] Thus, in some embodiments, there is a relationship between the impact force of the fluid pulse 210 on the target 302 and the exit velocity of the fluid from the orifice 114. In some embodiments, the force may be integrated or summed over an area of the impact zone 406. In some embodiments, there is a relationship between the driving pressure (P) imparted by the pump 204 to the fluid pulse 210 force with which the fluid pulse 210 impacts the target 302 (or a user's oral tissue). In some embodiments, if the impact of the fluid pulse 210 on the target 302 causes the final velocity of the fluid pulse 210 to be zero, a performance metric, referred to herein as “Scouring Energy (SE)” can be expressed SE = Final Kinetic Energy (e g., 0) - Initial Kinetic Energy (of the fluid pulse 210 exiting the orifice 114) or as shown in Equation 5:1 pVv2SE= -mv = — —

[0073] In some embodiments, a performance metric may be “Scouring Flux” or SF is the instantaneous fluid power normalized by area (e.g., a contact area with oral tissue). Scouring Flux may be expressed in Equation 6 and Equation 7:Docket No. P321925.WO.01where P is cleaning power, KE is kinetic energy, At is a time increment, SE is the Scouring energy, A is an area over which the Scouring Energy is applied. SF may have units of power per area, such as watts / mm2, or the like.

[0074] Thus, in some embodiments, the fluid 116 pressure, impact force and scouring energy are kinematically related to one another as functions of the fluid pulse 210 velocity. The impingement force from the fluid pulse 210 exiting the orifice 114 can be measured using the test system 300 and a controller 1 100 (e.g., a high-speed digitizer) to capture, analyze, and display test data 602 as F(t) ~ F(At).

[0075] FIG. 5 illustrates an example routine for method 500 for evaluating an oral irrigator using the test system 300. Although the example method depicts a particular sequence of operations, the sequence may be altered without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, some of the operations depicted may be performed in parallel or in a different sequence that does not materially affect the function of the routine. In other examples, different components of an example device or system that implements the routine may perform functions at substantially the same time or in a specific sequence.

[0076] According to some examples, the method 500 includes filling oral irrigator with a test fluid at operation 502. For example, to evaluate an oral irrigator 100a / oral irrigator 100b with the test system 300, a fluid 116 is added to the reservoir 102. Typically, the fluid 116 is water, but may be other liquids such as mouthwash, standardized test liquids, distilled or de-ionized water, or may have a dye or other marker added thereto.

[0077] According to some examples, the method 500 includes aligning the tip 110 or the orifice 114 with the target 302 at operation 504. As the force sensed by the force sensor 308 may be affected by the position of the oral irrigator 100a / 100b with respect to the target 302 and / or the force sensor 308, it is desirable to place the orifice 114 of the oral irrigator 100a / 100b in a consistent location between evaluations. The oral irrigator 100a / 100b, or portions thereof, may be held in a clamp, a base, or other fixture such that the position of the oral irrigator with respect to the target 302 and / or force sensor 308 is in a consistent, desired position between or during tests. As shown for example in FIG. 4, the orifice 114 may be positioned with respect to the target 302 and / or the force sensor 308. For example, the orifice 114 may be placed a horizontal offset 404 distance away from an impact zone 406 on theDocket No. P321925.WO.01 surface 408 of the target 302. The orifice 114 may be placed an offset 410 distance from a portion of the force sensor 308. The orifice 114 may be placed a vertical offset 412 from a portion of the target 302 or the force sensor 308. The orifice 1 14 may be placed at an angle 402 with respect to a vector 414 of the target 302 (e.g., a normal vector that defines a direction perpendicular to the surface 408 of the target 302). For example, it may be desired to evaluate the performance of an oral irrigator at a usage angle in a user's mouth different than perpendicular or normal, as users may seldom have the tip aligned perpendicular to their teeth. Although FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are shown in two dimensions, the positioning of the oral irrigator 100a / 100b with respect to the target 302 may be in three dimensions, including any number of offsets or angles with respect to the target 302 or the force sensor 308.

[0078] According to some examples, the method 500 includes activating the pump 204 at operation 506. In the operation 506, or another step of the method 500, a power source (e.g., battery or a cord) is applied to the oral irrigator 100a / oral irrigator 100b. The controller 1100 is activated to begin recording signals from the force sensor 308. In the operation 506, the oral irrigator 100a / oral irrigator 100b is activated (e.g., by pushing the actuator 109). In other examples, the actuator 109 may be replaced with a switch or electrical input such that the controller 1100 may activate / deactivate the oral irrigator 100a / oral irrigator 100b automatically.

[0079] According to some examples, the method 500 includes capturing data at operation 508. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A one or more fluid pulses 210 may be directed at the target 302 and may be recorded by the controller 1100 as test data 602. The controller 1100 may display the output captured from the force sensor 308 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 6A), or may save the output for later analysis. The test data 602 may include one or more peaks 604 (shown for example in detail in FIG. 6B) separated by a valley 606. Each peak 604 represents a fluid pulse 210 impacting the target 302. The peaks 604 may be spaced apart from one another in time by a period 608, which may be the same from peak 604 to peak 604 or may vary between peaks 604 (e.g., the peaks 604 may happen at a higher or lower frequency from one set of peaks 604 to another set of peaks 604). In some embodiments, the oral irrigator being tested may be allowed to run for a pre-determined time or number of pulses (e.g., 10 pulses, 30 seconds, etc.) before pulse data are collected, to allow the oral irrigator to stabilize at an operating point (e.g., to purge air bubbles, fill the hose 112,Docket No. P321925.WO.01

[0080] According to some examples, the method 500 includes analyzing data at operation 510. As shown for example in FIG. 7, the controller 1100 may perform any variety of manipulations or calculations of the data from the force sensor 308. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the data has been processed from the time domain in which it was captured to a frequency domain spectrum 702 by performing a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the test data 602. An FFT shows the dominant forces and the dominant frequencies 704 at which they exist in the test data 602. An FFT may be used to compare oral irrigators to one another or to compare changes in performance settings of an oral irrigator. In some embodiments, the pulse energy may be integrated, averaged, or summed over one or more pulses to arrive at a performance characteristic of the oral irrigator. In some examples, a scouring energy of the oral irrigator may be determined as disclosed herein.

[0081] Turning to FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, a test fixture 800 is shown. The test fixture 800 is suitable for use with the test system 300 and the method 500 disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the test fixture 800 includes a sled 802 and a base 810. The sled 802 is slidably and rotatably coupled to the base 810. For example, the base 810 may include an internal channel 812 that the base 810 can couple to and slide along. The base 810 includes a main body 804. The main body 804 includes an internal chamber 806. The main body 804 is configured to receive a test tip 110 and hold the tip 110 in a testing position. A testing position is any position in which the orifice 114 of the tip 110 is positioned such that a fluid pulse 210 exiting the orifice 114 is configured to impact a target 302 of the test systems 300. The test fixture 800 is configured to hold the tip 110 at a desired height with respect to the target.

[0082] A pressure sensor 828 is in fluid communication with the internal chamber 806. The pressure sensor 828 is configured to sense a pressure of the fluid 116 during a fluid pulse 210. For example, the tip 110 may have a small aperture 808 formed in it that enables the internal conduit of the tip 110 to fluidically communicate with the internal chamber 806. The aperture 808 is typically not present in commercial tips 110 sold for use with oral irrigators, but may be formed in the tip 110 specifically for test purposes.

[0083] The main body 804 may have a flange portion 826 extending from a lower edge thereof. The flange portion 826 may include an aperture 824 therethrough. The aperture 824 is adapted to receive a fastener 814, such as a nut, bolt, screw, clamp, etc. In one embodiment, the fastener 814 includes a shaft portion 822 with a proximal end 816 and an opposite, distal end 818. A head portion 820 may be disposed at either of the proximal end 816 or the distal endDocket No. P321925.WO.01818. In use, one end (e.g., the proximal end 816) of the fastener 814 is received through the aperture 824 and another end, such as a distal end 818 including the head portion 820 of the fastener 814 is received in the channel 812. The channel 812 may be a T-shaped channel that slidably receives the head portion 820. A nut may be threadably engaged with the shaft portion 822 of the fastener 814 to secure the sled 802 to the base 810 in a desired position.

[0084] In use, the tip 110 is secured in the main body 804 of the test fixture 800. The tip 110 may have one or more sealing compounds or seals (not shown) applied thereto, to prevent fluid leakage. The sled 802 may be slidably and / or rotatably positioned with respect to the base 810 such at a fluid pulse 210 from the orifice 114 is in a desired positions with respect to the target 302. For example, the orifice 114 may be placed, via the rotation and / or sliding movement of the sled 802 with respect to the base 810 such that the fluid pulse 210 impacts the target 302 at a substantially perpendicular angle. The target 302 may be coupled to a stem 310, and the stem 310 coupled to the force sensor 308. Other angles may be used to simulate or test off-angle oral irrigator performance. For example, in use, an oral irrigator is seldom directly perpendicular to a user's oral tissue, and the test system 300 and test fixture 800 may be advantageous for testing such real world scenarios.

[0085] When the orifice 114 is in the desired test position, the fastener 814 is tightened (e.g., by engagement of helical threads) to securely hold the tip 110 in place with respect to the target 302. The tip 110 is coupled to a fluid delivery assembly 200 such as in an oral irrigator 100a or oral irrigator 100b. As fluid pulses 210 travel through the tip 110, a portion of the fluid 116 exits the aperture 808 and accumulates in the internal chamber 806. As the fluid is typically a liquid like water, mouthwash, etc., and liquids are generally incompressible, as the internal chamber 806 fills with the fluid 116, the chamber hydrolocks. Hydrolocking occurs when the gas in the internal chamber 806 is substantially removed. Once hydrolocking occurs, the pressure pulses resulting from the fluid pulses 210 are sensed by the pressure sensor 828, which is in fluid communication with the internal chamber 806.

[0086] Some benefits of the test fixture 800 include the ability to repeatably and securely hold test tips 110 in a variety of test positions, and to easily and quickly swap tips 110 our for different tests.

[0087] FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show example test data 900 captured with the test system 300, the method 500 and the test fixture 800. In FIG. 9, pressure data 902 detected by the pressure sensor 828 is shown. Each peak 604 corresponds to a fluid pulse 210 traveling through the tipDocket No. P321925.WO.01110. The peaks 604 are separated by adjacent valleys 606 and have a period 608 therebetween. Similarly, FIG. 10 shows example force data 1002 (in units of grams-force (the mass unit of grams times the acceleration of gravity, 9.81 m / s2) and flux data 1004 (units of power per unit area such as which can be calculated from scouring energy per unit of time, corresponding to the pressure data 902 shown for example in FIG. 9. The test system 300 may also include aditional sensors such as time of flight sensors, flow sensors, etc.

[0088] Thus, the test system 300, method 500, and test fixture 800 provide an ability to correlate the pressure inside a tip 110 of an oral irrigator with the scouring energy, force, flux, and / or impulse of the fluid pulse 210 delivered by the tip 110 to a target 302. A benefit of the test system 300, method 500, and test fixture 800 includes the ability to tune the internal parameters of an oral irrigator such as the oral irrigator 100a and / or oral irrigator 100b to achieve a desired cleaning performance actually delivered by the oral irrigator to a user's oral tissue. Another benefit is the ability to test older models of oral irrigators which may have undergone clinical trials with the aim of gathering sufficient data to correlate an clinically trialed oral irrigator to a new oral irrigator to enable the ability to “chain” or couple efficacy claims from the clinically trialed oral irrigator to the new oral irrigator and avoid the cost and time of a clinical trial of the new oral irrigator.

[0089] FIG. 11 is a simplified block diagram of components of a controller 1100 of the oral irrigator 100a / oral irrigator 100b, or of the test system 300. For example, the processing element 1102 and the memory component 1106 may be located at one or in several controllers 1100. This disclosure contemplates any suitable number of such controllers 1100. For example, the controller 1100 may be an embedded controller 1100, a system-on-chip, a single-board controller 1100, or a combination of two or more of these. Where appropriate, a controller 1100 may include one or more controllers 1100; be unitary or distributed; span multiple locations; span multiple machines; or reside in a cloud, which may include one or more cloud components in one or more networks. A controller 1100 may include one or more processing elements 1102, an input / output I / O interface 1104, one or more driver 208 suitable to drive a motor 206, one or more memory components 1106, and a network interface 1108. Each of the various components may be in communication with one another through one or more buses or communication networks, such as wired or wireless networks, e.g., a network. The components in FIG. 11 are exemplary only. In various examples, the controller 1100 may include additional components and / or functionality not shown in FIG. 11.Docket No. P321925.WO.01

[0090] The processing element 1102 may be any type of electronic device capable of processing, receiving, and / or transmitting instructions. For example, the processing element 1102 may be a central processing unit, microprocessor, processor, or microcontroller. Additionally, it should be noted that some components of the controller 1100 may be controlled by a first processing element 1102 and other components may be controlled by a second processing element 1102, where the first and second processing elements may or may not be in communication with each other.

[0091] The I / O interface 1104 allows a user to enter data into controller 1100, as well as provides an input / output for the controller 1100 to communicate with other devices or services. The I / O interface 1104 can include one or more input buttons, touch pads, touch screens, and so on.

[0092] The driver 208 is one or more devices that can drive a motor 206 or a pump 204. Fr example, the driver 208 may include a PWM driver 208. For example, a PWM driver may include one or more of the following components: a microcontroller or digital signal processor e.g. for generating and controlling the PWM signals based on input commands from the processing element 1102; transistors such as metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors, or insulated gate bipolar transistor for switching in response to the PWM signals, and regulating voltage and current supplied to the motor 206; and other components such as voltage sensors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.

[0093] The memory components 1106 are used by the controller 1100 to store instructions for the processing element 1102 such as user settings, mapping between the nonlinear behavior of the pump to linear behavior desired from the output characteristic of the oral irrigator 100a, operating modes, and / or a user interface, as well as store data, alerts, etc. The memory components 1106 may be, for example, magneto-optical storage, read-only memory, random access memory, erasable programmable memory, flash memory, or a combination of one or more types of memory components.

[0094] The network interface 1108 provides communication to and from the controller 1100 to other devices. The network interface 1108 includes one or more communication protocols, such as, but not limited to Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, near field communication, etc. The network interface 1108 may also include one or more hardwired components, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable, or the like. The configuration of the network interface 1108Docket No. P321925.WO.01 depends on the types of communication desired and may be modified to communicate via WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.

[0095] The display 118 provides a visual output for the controller 1100 and may be varied as needed based on the device. The display 118 may be configured to provide visual feedback to the user and may include a liquid crystal display screen, light emitting diode screen, plasma screen, or the like. In some examples, the display 118 may be configured to act as an input element for the user through touch feedback or the like.

[0096] The force sensor 308 may be any sensor suitable to measure the force of a fluid pulse 210 impacting the target 302 (or the force sensor 308 itself). For example, a force sensor 308 may be one or more of a strain gauge sensors that utilizes the change in electrical resistance in a material when deformed; a piezoelectric sensor that generates an electric charge when deformed; a capacitive sensors that detects changes in capacitance due when deformed; an inductive sensors that measures changes in inductance caused by motion of a ferrous core within a coil; an optical sensor that uses changes in light transmission or reflectance due to deformation for force measurement; and / or a resistive sensor that uses conductive materials with resistance that varies under applied force. In some embodiments, the force sensor 308 may be an array of two or more sensors coupled to or disposed at different points of the target 302. In such examples, the outputs of the individual force sensors 308 may be processed by a totalizer that sums the force applied to the sensors in the array.

[0097] The description of certain embodiments included herein is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the scope of the disclosure or its applications or uses. In the included detailed description of embodiments of the present systems and methods, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and which are shown by way of illustration specific to embodiments in which the described systems and methods may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice presently disclosed systems and methods, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and that structural and logical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Moreover, for the purpose of clarity, detailed descriptions of certain features will not be discussed when they would be apparent to those with skill in the art so as not to obscure the description of embodiments of the disclosure. The included detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the disclosure is defined only by the appended claims.Docket No. P321925.WO.01

[0098] From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0099] The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of various embodiments of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings and / or examples making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.

[0100] As used herein and unless otherwise indicated, the terms “a” and “an” are taken to mean “one”, “at least one” or “one or more”. Unless otherwise required by context, singular terms used herein shall include pluralities and plural terms shall include the singular.

[0101] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words ‘comprise’, ‘comprising’, and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”. Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural and singular number, respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” and “below” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of the application.

[0102] All relative, directional, and ordinal references (including top, bottom, side, front, rear, first, second, third, and so forth) are given by way of example to aid the reader’s understanding of the examples described herein. They should not be read to be requirements or limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use unless specifically set forth in the claims. Connection references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, joined, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, connection references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other, unless specifically set forth in the claims.

[0103] Of course, it is to be appreciated that any one of the examples, embodiments or processes described herein may be combined with one or more other examples, embodimentsDocket No. P321925.WO.01 and / or processes or be separated and / or performed amongst separate devices or device portions in accordance with the present systems, devices and methods.

[0104] Finally, the above discussion is intended to be merely illustrative of the present system and should not be construed as limiting the appended claims to any particular embodiment or group of embodiments. Thus, while the present system has been described in particular detail with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should also be appreciated that numerous modifications and alternative embodiments may be devised by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the broader and intended spirit and scope of the present system as set forth in the claims that follow. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative manner and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Docket No. P321925.WO.01CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A system for testing an oral irrigator, comprising: a target configured to receive a fluid pulse from an oral irrigator; a force sensor configured to measure a force imparted on the target by the fluid pulse; and a controller configured to receive data from the force sensor and analyze the data to determine a performance characteristic of the oral irrigator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller performs a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the data to analyze frequency components of the force.

3. The system of any one of claims 1-2, further comprising a fixture to maintain alignment of a tip of the oral irrigator with the target.

4. The system of any one of claim 1-3, wherein the target is planar.

5. The system of any one of claim 1-4, wherein the force sensor comprises one or more of a piezoelectric sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, an optical sensor, or a resistive sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second oral irrigator, wherein a feature of the second oral irrigator is based on the determined performance characteristic.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the performance characteristic comprises one or more of a scouring energy or a kinetic energy.

8. The system of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the scouring energy is based on a density, a volume, and a velocity of the fluid pulse. pV9. The system of claim 8, wherein the scouring energy is described by SE= — — , where p is a density of the fluid, V is a volume of the fluid, and v is a velocity of the fluid in the fluid pulse.

10. A method of testing an oral irrigator, the method comprising: aligning a tip of the oral irrigator with a target coupled to a force sensor;Docket No. P321925.WO.01 activating the oral irrigator to expel a fluid pulse; measuring, using the force sensor, a force imparted on the target by the fluid pulse; receiving, by a controller, data corresponding to the measured force; and analyzing the data to determine a performance characteristic of the oral irrigator.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the analyzing comprises converting the data to a frequency domain.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising converting the data to the frequency domain by performing a fast Fourier transform on the data.

13. The method of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the analyzing includes determining a scouring energy for the fluid pulse.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the scouring energy is described by SE=— — , where p is a density of the fluid, V is a volume of the fluid, and v is a velocity of the fluid in the fluid pulse.

15. A method of correlating performance between two or more oral irrigators, the method comprising: providing a system configured for testing an oral irrigator, the system comprising: a target, a force sensor, and a controller; aligning each oral irrigator with the target; individually activating each oral irrigator to expel a respective fluid pulse; measuring, using the force sensor, a force imparted on the target by each respective fluid pulse; receiving, by the controller, data for each oral irrigator corresponding to the measured force; analyzing, by the controller, the data for each oral irrigator to determine a respective performance characteristic for each oral irrigator; and comparing the respective performance characteristics to correlate the performance between the two or more oral irrigators.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein comparing the respective performance comprises chaining benefit claims from a first oral irrigator of the two or more oral irrigators subject to a controlledDocket No. P321925.WO.01 study, to a second oral irrigator of the two or more oral irrigators, wherein the second oral irrigator is not subject to the controlled study.

17. The method of claim 15 or 16, wherein the analyzing includes determining a scouring energy for the fluid pulse.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the scouring energy is described by SE=— — , where p isa density of the fluid, V is a volume of the fluid, and v is a velocity of the fluid in the fluid pulse.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the analyzing comprises converting the data to a frequency domain.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the fluid pulses are directed at different angles to the target to simulate varied usage angles.

21. A system for testing an oral irrigator, comprising: a test fixture configured to hold a tip of the oral irrigator in a defined testing position; a target configured to receive a fluid pulse from the tip; a force sensor configured to measure a force imparted on the target by the fluid pulse; a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the test fixture and configured to measure pressure within the tip during delivery of the fluid pulse; and a controller configured to receive data from the force sensor and pressure sensor and analyze the data to determine a performance characteristic of the oral irrigator.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the test fixture comprises a sled slidably and / or rotatably coupled to a base for adjusting a position and / or orientation of the tip with respect to the target.

23. The system of claim 21 or 22, wherein the test fixture is configured to hydrolock during testing to enable accurate pressure readings by the pressure sensor.

24. The system of claim 21 or 22, wherein the test fixture comprises a flange portion and fastener for securely holding the tip in the defined testing position.

25. The system of claim 21 or 22, wherein the controller performs a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on data from the force sensor to analyze frequency components of the measured force.Docket No. P321925.WO.0126. The system of claim 21 or 22, wherein the performance characteristic comprises one or more of a scouring energy, kinetic energy, or scouring flux determined based on the measured force and pressure.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the scouring energy is described by SE=— — , where p isa density of the fluid, V is a volume of the fluid, and v is a velocity of the fluid in the fluid pulse.

28. The system of claim 21 or 22, wherein the test fixture is configured to position the tip at one or more usage angles with respect to the target to simulate varied real-world usage scenarios.

Images