Teeth Illumination Device with Light Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oral care devices face challenges in achieving uniform light intensity distribution on teeth while minimizing heat generation, which is crucial for effective teeth whitening and hygiene without damaging the teeth pulp.
Innovation Solution
A mouthpiece design featuring an optically transparent teeth part, a light guide with a separation portion for total internal reflection, and an out-coupling structure to scatter light, ensuring uniform intensity distribution and reduced heat dissipation, utilizing flexible materials like silicone for comfort and fitting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a light source is used to illuminate teeth with high intensity, then teeth whitening effectiveness is improved, but heating of the teeth pulp increases causing potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide is introduced as an intermediary component between the light source and the teeth. The light guide transmits light from the source to the teeth while its optical properties and geometry control the light distribution, allowing high intensity illumination without direct contact between the light source and teeth, thereby reducing localized heating and pulp damage
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide is designed with non-uniform optical properties - the first surface has different characteristics than the second surface, and different regions of the light guide transmit light with different intensities. This local quality variation ensures that light is distributed evenly across the teeth surface, preventing concentration of energy in one location and reducing the risk of localized overheating and pulp damage
2Productivity
If light is concentrated to increase whitening effectiveness, then treatment efficiency is improved, but uniformity of light distribution over the teeth deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide incorporates surfaces with different optical qualities - the first surface and second surface have different geometries and optical properties. This causes light to be distributed differently at various locations, ensuring uniform illumination across the teeth while maintaining high overall intensity for effective treatment
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide transforms the light distribution from a point-source concentration in one dimension to a distributed pattern across two or three dimensions. By using the spatial dimensions of the light guide structure, the light is spread out over the tooth surface area, achieving both high productivity and uniformity
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 design achieves improved uniformity of light intensity and reduced heat generation, enhancing the effectiveness of teeth whitening and hygiene while maintaining user comfort and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a separation portion arranged at least between a part of the first surface of the light guide and the optically transparent teeth part to enable total internal reflection of at least a part of the injected light
Implementation Method 2
an out-coupling structure arranged to scatter light at a part of the second surface in the light guide to enable transmission of at least a part of the scattered light through the first surface
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an oral care device for teeth whitening or other purpose. The device is designed to provide a uniform light intensity distribution at the teeth. This is achieved by use of a light guide which at some surface parts is separated from surrounding parts of the mouthpiece of the oral care device by air-filled separation portions. The light guide mixes the injected light to improve the uniformity of the light intensity. In 5 order to couple light out from the light guide, the mouthpiece comprises an out-coupling structure located opposite to the buccal side of the teeth. The out-coupling structure may be shaped, e.g. by changing the area or density of parts of the out-coupling structure depending on the distance to a location of the light guide where light is injected.