Elastomeric Toothbrush Bristles Plaque Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toothbrushes can cause irritation and abrasion due to excessive force, leading to gum recession and other side effects, despite their effectiveness in reducing bacterial plaque.
Innovation Solution
The development of toothbrushes with a large number of 'sharp' edges formed from compliant elastomeric materials, offering various shapes and materials to provide enhanced cleaning with reduced irritation, mimicking traditional bristled implements while minimizing tissue trauma.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional bristled toothbrushes are used to effectively remove plaque, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but tissue abrasion and gum recession increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the cleaning elements by using elastomeric material with specific durometer ranges (20-80 Shore A) instead of traditional rigid bristles. This parameter change allows the elements to be compliant and flexible, reducing tissue abrasion while maintaining plaque removal effectiveness through the creation of multiple sharp edges on the elastomeric elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures by combining elastomeric material with specific physical properties (compliance, flexibility) to create elements that have both gentle interaction with tissues and effective plaque removal capability. The elastomeric elements can be made from different materials or combinations of materials to optimize both cleaning effectiveness and tissue protection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If compliant elastomeric elements are used to reduce tissue abrasion, then gum recession risk is reduced, but cleaning effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric elements are designed with segmented or multi-faceted geometries that create numerous sharp edges along their surfaces. This segmentation allows each element to present multiple cleaning surfaces that effectively remove plaque while the overall element remains compliant and flexible to reduce tissue abrasion.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric elements incorporate curved or rounded geometries that allow them to flex and conform to tooth surfaces while maintaining sharp edges for plaque removal. The curvature enables the elements to adapt to the contours of teeth and gums, improving cleaning effectiveness without increasing tissue abrasion.
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 elastomeric toothbrushes effectively remove plaque with reduced abrasion and gum recession risk, providing comparable or superior cleaning to traditional brushes while being gentle on tissues.
Implementation Method 1
The first elastomeric element has a first coefficient of friction and the second elastomeric element has a second coefficient of friction different than the first coefficient of friction. The first elastomeric element can have a lower wet coefficient of friction, as measured using human saliva and an atomic force microscope, than the second elastomeric element. A lower coefficient of friction is advantageous for sliding between teeth, which the higher coefficient of friction is advantageous for scrubbing the teeth.
Implementation Method 2
The elastomeric toothbrushes effectively remove plaque with reduced abrasion and gum recession risk
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
Oral hygiene implements, such as manual or electric toothbrushes or refills, include a head portion sized for insertion into a human mouth that includes a base and a plurality of elastomeric elements extending from the base to define a field of elastomeric bristles. The field can include a first elastomeric element that includes a first elastomeric material and a second elastomeric element different than the first elastomeric element that includes a second elastomeric material. The elastomeric elements extending from the base can define many "sharp," yet compliant edges, such as those having a tip radius of less than about 0.006 inch, for enhanced cleaning with reduced abrasion.