Oral Care Appliance Gas-Liquid Pulse Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tooth cleaning systems that combine bursts of gas and fluid face challenges in coordinating the timing and mixing of these components efficiently, while also being compact and simple in structure, often requiring dual power sources and separate delivery systems.
Innovation Solution
A compact oral care appliance that integrates a gas-liquid cleaning assembly with a fluid pump, a source of liquid, and a source of gas, producing gas-injected fluid pulses with controlled pulse width, height, rise/fall time, and repetition rate, directed through a nozzle assembly or hollow bristles for effective tooth cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate liquid and gas delivery systems are used, then the cleaning function is provided, but the device complexity increases and timing coordination becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate liquid and gas delivery systems into a single integrated assembly where a fluid pump delivers both liquid and gas through shared passages and a common nozzle. This merging eliminates the need for dual power sources and separate delivery mechanisms, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining reliable timing coordination between liquid and gas flows.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid pump assembly is designed to perform multiple functions: it delivers liquid, delivers gas, and coordinates both flows through a single system. The nozzle assembly also serves multiple purposes by directing both liquid and gas streams simultaneously. This multi-functionality reduces the number of components needed and simplifies the device footprint.
2Reliability
If separate liquid and gas delivery systems are used, then the cleaning function is provided, but the device footprint increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging separate delivery systems into a single integrated assembly with shared passages and a common nozzle, the patent significantly reduces the device footprint. The compact design allows the entire gas-liquid delivery system to fit within a smaller volume while maintaining effective timing coordination.
3Reliability
If dual power sources are used, then the cleaning function is provided, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single power source that drives the fluid pump to perform multiple functions: pumping liquid, delivering gas, and coordinating both flows. This eliminates the need for dual power sources while maintaining the cleaning function through the integrated gas-liquid delivery system.
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 appliance achieves efficient cleaning of interproximal areas with reduced liquid volume, enhancing user comfort and compliance, while effectively removing biofilm and reducing microbial virulence with precise control over gas-liquid mixture delivery.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid pump in operative communication with the sources of liquid and gas to produce a series of gas-injected fluid pulses
Implementation Method 2
individual gas-injected fluid pulses output via the at least one orifice of the nozzle assembly have a pulse width within a range of 0.001-0.5 seconds, a pulse height from 0.1-10 Newtons
Implementation Method 3
produce a series of gas-injected fluid pulses output via at least one orifice of a nozzle assembly from which the series of gas-injected fluid pulses are directed
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5
AI summary
An oral care appliance comprises an gas-liquid cleaning assembly which comprises a fluid pump assembly (46); a source of liquid (50); and a source of gas(12). The pump is in operative communication with the sources of liquid and gas to produce a series of gas-injected fluid pulses, directed to a nozzle assembly (80) from which the resulting pulses are directed to the teeth by a user. The individual pulses have a pulse width within the range of 0.001-0.5 seconds, a pulse height from 0.1-10 Newtons, a rise/fall time range of 0.5-250 ms, a repetition rate in the range of 2Hz to 20Hz. The gas/liquid mixture range from 40-95% volume to volume, gas to liquid. The appliance also includes a mechanical teeth cleaning assembly, in combination with the gas-liquid assembly. The mechanical assembly includes a drive system (160) and a brush assembly in operative contact with the drive system, the brush assembly having a set of bristles (152) at the distal end thereof, wherein in operation, the nozzle assembly is positioned within the brush assembly.