C-Shaped Shuttle Toothbrush with Oscillating Filaments

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional toothbrushes, both manual and electric, fail to provide precise cleaning, often leading to inadequate brushing in certain areas and excessive abrasion, particularly affecting sensitive gums, and struggle to effectively clean interdental spaces, which can result in periodontitis and other health issues due to improper use and design limitations.

Innovation Solution

A device featuring C-shaped shuttles with flexible arms and filaments that oscillate around the vertical axis of teeth, allowing for simultaneous cleaning of three sides, including interdental spaces, with adjustable movement patterns and pressure to ensure thorough and gentle cleaning, adaptable to manual, semi-automatic, or fully automatic operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional toothbrushes (manual or electric) are used for cleaning teeth and gums, then basic cleaning function is provided, but cleaning precision is insufficient leading to inadequate brushing in certain areas and excessive abrasion in other areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning precisionVSAvoidexcessive abrasion and inadequate cleaning

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning device is divided into multiple independent cleaning modules, each with its own brush head or cleaning element. These modules can be positioned at different locations to simultaneously clean multiple tooth surfaces, including interdental spaces, with precise control over each module's movement and pressure application.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cleaning device employs dynamic movement patterns with multiple degrees of freedom, allowing the cleaning elements to adapt their position, orientation, and pressure in real-time. This includes rotational movements around tooth axes, translational movements along dental arches, and pressure regulation to prevent excessive abrasion while ensuring thorough cleaning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If conventional toothbrushes are used, then operation is simple, but interdental spaces cannot be effectively cleaned

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational simplicityVSAvoidcleaning effectiveness in interdental spaces

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning device extends cleaning capability into the interdental dimension by incorporating cleaning elements that can access spaces between teeth. This includes laterally extending brush heads, interproximal cleaning elements, and mechanisms that can position cleaning surfaces in the horizontal dimension between adjacent teeth while maintaining ease of oral insertion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Device complexity

If conventional toothbrushes are used, then device structure is simple, but gums are either brushed too little or too much causing irritation or damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice structureVSAvoidgum irritation and damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning device incorporates pressure sensors and force detection mechanisms that provide real-time feedback on the pressure applied to gums and tooth surfaces. This feedback system automatically adjusts the force of cleaning elements to maintain optimal pressure levels, preventing both excessive pressure that causes irritation and insufficient pressure that fails to clean effectively.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The device dynamically changes operational parameters such as cleaning element pressure, movement speed, and contact force based on detected conditions. Pressure control mechanisms adjust the normal force applied by bristles or cleaning surfaces, while movement parameters are modified to adapt to different tissue types and cleaning requirements, ensuring gentle yet effective cleaning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Use of energy by moving object

If conventional toothbrushes are used, then energy consumption is low, but cleaning result is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidcleaning result

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning device incorporates vibrational movement of cleaning elements at controlled frequencies and amplitudes. This mechanical vibration enhances the cleaning action by disrupting biofilm and plaque more effectively than static or simple oscillating movements, improving cleaning results while maintaining reasonable energy consumption through efficient vibration mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

Data Source

PatentUS20240341936A1Device for cleaning surfaces and use thereof

Publication Date: 2024.10.17 EPITOME GMBH

AI summary

The invention relates to a device for cleaning surfaces such as teeth, interdental spaces, and adjacent gums, wherein the cleaning device (1) comprises at least one shuttle (2), which is embodied as U-shaped or C-shaped in order to encompass a subregion of a dental arch quadrant, wherein the shuttle (2) defines a cleaning space (8), wherein filaments (7) or filament bundles (7) extend into the cleaning space (8) in brush-like fashion from the regions (6, 13) that define the cleaning space (8).