Oral Care Implement with Agent-Infused Tufted Insert
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals often fail to maintain adequate oral hygiene due to lack of time or patience, leading to residual harmful bacteria in the mouth that can cause tooth decay and gum disease, as existing oral care methods are not always effective in delivering agents to all areas of the mouth.
Innovation Solution
An oral care implement with a head that houses and delivers oral care agents, such as antibacterial agents, through cavities and membranes, allowing for efficient distribution during brushing, including tufted inserts and varying agent forms like gels and slow-dissolve wafers, to enhance oral health.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional brushing with dentifrice is used, then oral care agents are delivered to the mouth, but inadequate coverage of all mouth areas leaves residual harmful bacteria
Solution Approach 1:
The toothbrush head is divided into multiple bristle tufts arranged in specific patterns, with each tuft capable of delivering oral care agents independently. The head is segmented into zones with different bristle configurations to target different areas of the mouth effectively
Solution Approach 2:
An oral care agent reservoir is introduced as an intermediary component between the user and the mouth. The reservoir contains concentrated oral care agents and delivers them through the bristle tufts during brushing, ensuring comprehensive coverage even with incomplete brushing routines
2Reliability
If multiple oral care steps (brushing, flossing, rinsing) are performed, then oral health is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple oral care functions are merged into a single toothbrush device. The toothbrush integrates mechanical cleaning through bristles, chemical delivery through the oral care agent reservoir, and potential additional functions like massaging or polishing, allowing users to accomplish multiple oral care tasks in one step
Solution Approach 2:
The toothbrush is designed as a multi-functional device that can perform various oral care functions simultaneously or sequentially. The device can deliver different types of oral care agents (antibacterial, whitening, breath freshening) and perform mechanical cleaning, making it a universal oral care solution
3Reliability
If oral care agents are applied throughout the mouth, then bacterial reduction is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the toothbrush head have different bristle configurations and agent delivery capabilities tailored to specific mouth areas. Certain tufts may contain higher concentrations of specific agents or have different textures optimized for particular zones, providing localized quality enhancement without requiring a completely complex system
Solution Approach 2:
The bristle tufts or agent delivery components utilize porous materials that allow controlled release of oral care agents. The porous structure enables the agents to be distributed effectively throughout the mouth during brushing through capillary action and mechanical movement, achieving comprehensive coverage with a relatively simple delivery mechanism
Data Source
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AI summary
An oral care implement may include a tufted insert and a base configured to define a cavity for housing an active insert. The active insert may comprise an active agent. The head of the oral care implement may be configured so that the active insert can be in fluid communication with a membrane or an aperture.