Customized Dental Care Device with Elastomer Cleaning Tips

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional toothbrushes are ineffective in ensuring consistent and thorough teeth cleaning due to user technique dependency, difficulty in reaching all tooth surfaces, and lack of customization, leading to inadequate brushing time and potential gum or enamel damage.

Innovation Solution

A dental care device with customized shape and vibration patterns tailored to individual users' dentition, featuring a support plate with elastomer cleaning tips and sensors for personalized data collection, and an oral care agent dispenser that automatically provides the right amount of customized toothpaste based on user dental information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional toothbrushes with clustered bristles are used, then the device can be operated manually by users, but the cleaning effectiveness becomes highly dependent on user technique and duration, leading to inconsistent results

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanual operationVSAvoidcleaning consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The powered toothbrush performs the cleaning action automatically through motor-driven vibration and oscillation, eliminating the need for user manual manipulation. The device self-regulates the brushing motion, pressure, and duration, ensuring consistent cleaning effectiveness regardless of user technique variations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical brushing system with an automated powered system that uses motor-driven vibration and oscillation. This substitution transforms the cleaning mechanism from user-dependent manual motion to device-controlled automated motion, improving reliability and consistency of cleaning results.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If toothbrush bristles are arranged for optimal angle engagement, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but manual to and fro movement may lead to gum and enamel attrition

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidgum and enamel attrition

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The powered toothbrush uses motor-driven vibration and oscillation at controlled frequencies to clean teeth surfaces. This vibration-based cleaning mechanism replaces aggressive manual to-and-fro movements, achieving effective plaque removal while minimizing mechanical stress and damage to gums and enamel through gentler, more controlled motion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

Solution Approach 2:

The device employs periodic vibration and oscillation cycles at specific frequencies to clean tooth surfaces. This periodic action allows for effective cleaning through repeated gentle contact rather than continuous aggressive rubbing, reducing the risk of gum and enamel attrition while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Ease of operation

If conventional toothbrush width is designed for single tooth cleaning, then the brush can focus on one area, but it takes many minutes to clean all teeth adequately

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefocused cleaningVSAvoidbrushing duration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The powered toothbrush head is designed to simultaneously clean multiple teeth and various tooth surfaces (outer, inner, and chewing surfaces) through its vibration and oscillation motion. This multi-functional capability allows the device to address all tooth surfaces in a single brushing session, dramatically reducing the time required compared to manual brushing of individual teeth sequentially.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The powered toothbrush maintains continuous vibration and oscillation motion throughout the brushing process, ensuring that cleaning action is constantly applied across all tooth surfaces. This continuous useful action eliminates the interruptions and transitions required in manual brushing, reducing overall brushing time while maintaining thorough cleaning of all teeth.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

4Ease of operation

If users brush for recommended time without timer, then brushing can be done freely, but users often overestimate brushing duration leading to inadequate cleaning

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefree brushingVSAvoidbrushing time accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The powered toothbrush includes a timer with visual or audible feedback that tracks and communicates the actual brushing duration to the user. This feedback mechanism provides objective measurement of brushing time, eliminating user overestimation and ensuring adequate cleaning duration. The timer may also provide feedback on the distribution of brushing across different quadrants of the mouth.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

5Reliability

If users apply vigorous pressure to clean teeth thoroughly, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but gum abrasion and damage occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning thoroughnessVSAvoidgum abrasion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The powered toothbrush uses controlled vibration and oscillation at specific frequencies to achieve thorough cleaning without requiring vigorous manual pressure. The motor-driven motion provides consistent mechanical action that effectively removes plaque and debris while the controlled amplitude and frequency prevent excessive force from being applied to gums, thus avoiding abrasion and damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The device ensures thorough and efficient teeth cleaning with reduced discomfort and time, improving dental health by adapting to individual needs and preventing over- or under-supply of oral care agents.

Implementation Method 1

a powered driving mechanism that is mechanically coupled to the cleaner body and that is configured for imparting driven movement to the cleaner body during reception of the group of teeth in the cleaning chamber, to cause cleaning of the teeth

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical vibration: Vibration

Implementation Method 2

sensors for personalized data collection

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSensing:

Data Source

PatentUS11058523B2Methods of designing and fabricating customized dental care for particular users

Publication Date: 2021.07.13 ZEROBRUSH INC

AI summary

The various embodiments described herein include methods, devices, and systems for customizing dental care. In one aspect, a dental care device is customized for a particular user, including: (1) a support plate having: (a) a first portion configured to be inserted into a mouth; and (b) an attachment mechanism configured to attach the dental care device to a drive assembly; and (2) an elastomer (elastic polymer) portion enclosing the first portion of the plate, the elastomer portion including a plurality of cleaning tips and shaped in accordance with dental details of the particular user.