JP2005348799A - Optic toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optic toothbrush that prevents dental caries, alveolar pyorrhea, and teeth odor by irradiating light. <P>SOLUTION: The optic toothbrush includes in itself a light transmissive member for guiding light from a light source to a brush section, and the brush section side of the tip end of the light transmissive member has a rough surface. In a preferred embodiment, an optical fiber is used as the light transmissive member, and its tip end is formed in an acute angle so that the light is reflected and reaches the brush section. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

 The present invention relates to a toothbrush provided with a light transmissive member in which one surface of a distal end portion of the light transmissive member is roughened.

  Toothbrushing is generally performed by applying toothpaste to a toothbrush, brushing the teeth, and removing tartar and the like adhering to the teeth, thereby preventing dental caries and periodontal disease. In order to prevent such caries and periodontal disease, conventionally, an optical toothbrush device (No. 2615505 patent: Patent Document 1) for irradiating the tooth and gingival surfaces with laser light in the visible wavelength band, or incident radiation is used. A toothbrush for irradiating the tooth surface has been devised (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-522102: Patent Document 2).

  The application of light focuses on the antibacterial properties typified by the photocatalytic action of titanium dioxide, and the laser improves the activity of cells and tissues. Therefore, research at the DNA level is also progressing in the dental field, periodontal diseases, etc. Clinical effects are recognized. Therefore, it is considered that application of light to the dental field is expected in the future.

However, in order to make caries prevention and periodontal disease prevention more effective, a device for efficiently irradiating the teeth with light is required.
No. 2615505 patent Special Table 2002-522102

  An object of the present invention is to provide an optical toothbrush for preventing caries and the like.

 As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present invention has a toothbrush that reflects light to the flocked side of the toothbrush by roughing one surface of the flocked portion of the light transmitting member. The present invention was completed by finding that the irradiation light can efficiently reach the teeth.

  That is, the present invention is an optical toothbrush in which a light-transmitting member for guiding light from a light source to a hair transplantation part is housed inside the main body, and the hair transplantation part side at the tip part of the light transmission member is rough. It is an optical toothbrush characterized by forming the surface.

  The distal end portion of the light transmissive member is preferably formed at an acute angle so that the light is reflected and led to the flocked portion. Examples of the light source include laser light, infrared light, and ultraviolet light source.

  In addition, the present invention is characterized in that a gap is provided between the rough portion and the flocked portion of the light transmitting member. An example of the light transmissive member is an optical fiber.

  In the present invention, the main body may be separated into its grip portion and toothbrush head portion, and may be configured to be removable.

  The light toothbrush of the present invention can store the light source in the grip portion of the main body or can be stored outside the main body.

  Furthermore, the present invention includes a light transmissive member for guiding light from the light source to the hair transplantation portion, and the hair transplantation portion side at the tip portion of the light transmission member forms a rough surface. Light toothbrush head.

  In the light toothbrush head of the present invention, the distal end portion of the light transmissive member is formed at an acute angle so that light is refracted by reflection and communicates with the flocked portion. You may provide a space | gap between a surface and a flocked part. Examples of the light transmissive member include an optical fiber.

  The toothbrush of the present invention is provided with a light-transmitting material having a rough surface on the side of the flocked portion in the toothbrush body, and irradiates the teeth or gums with light from the light source through the light-transmitting member. Comprehensive dental care such as sterilization or antibacterial treatment, active remineralization of initial caries, caries prevention, tooth bleaching, or gingival activation.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

  The present invention introduces light from a light source installed in the gripping portion of the toothbrush body or an external light source through a light-transmitting member, and causes irregular reflection on the roughened surface of the material to cause the light to be perpendicular. The present invention relates to an optical toothbrush characterized by having a mechanism that guides the direction (flocked portion direction) and irradiates the teeth from flocked or between them.

  As described in (1) to (3) below, the present invention is characterized by the shape of the tip of the light transmissive member and the arrangement of the material in the toothbrush head.

  (1) One surface (planted surface side) of the front end portion of the light transmissive member is roughened, and irregular reflection is generated on the surface to guide light from the incident direction to the planted surface side. The roughing operation may be performed simply by scraping the surface of the light transmitting member or rubbing with a file, and the operation is extremely simple.

  (2) The end of the transparent member is formed at an acute angle so that the light is reflected and proceeds to the flocked portion. Thereby, light can be transmitted to the flocked surface without leakage.

  (3) A space (air layer) is provided between the light transmissive member and the toothbrush flocking surface. Light is diffused and reflected in all directions from a minute surface roughened by breaking the cladding of the light guiding fiber, but by providing an air gap, the light from the light source is prevented from going straight and diffusely reflected light. Can proceed towards the hair transplant. When the fiber is in contact with a solid having a refractive index similar to that of the fiber, the light path is shifted and the light travels straight again (the light diffusion effect cannot be obtained), and the light cannot reach the flocked portion.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the optical toothbrush of the present invention. The main body 1 is a housing composed of a gripping part and a toothbrush head part. The light source 2 and the power supply unit 3 are housed inside the gripping unit, and the light transmissive member 4 is installed from the light source 2 toward the tip of the main body 1 (the head of the toothbrush). The light transmissive member 4 is means for guiding light from the power source 2 toward the distal end portion (toothbrush head) of the main body 1.

  One surface (surface) of the light transmitting member 4 on the side of the flocked portion 5 is processed into a rough shape so that light is irregularly reflected to form a rough surface 22. Here, “crude” means a so-called rough method, but it is a regular acute-angled shape (so-called “jagged” shape), such as the shape of an iron file or saw tooth. There is no need. Therefore, the rough surface 22 can be made into a random surface shape by rubbing the tip of the light transmissive member 4 with sandpaper or with a cutting edge such as a knife. Thus, the light guided from the light source 2 through the light transmissive member 4 can be reflected by the rough surface 22 and travel toward the flocked portion 5.

  The front end portion of the light transmissive member 4 is processed into an acute angle on the surface of the light transmissive member 4 opposite to the flocked portion 5 so that light is reflected toward the flocked portion 5. Therefore, the light that has not been reflected by the rough surface 22 travels straight through the light transmissive member 4, is reflected by the tip portion processed into an acute angle, and travels toward the flocked portion 5. Therefore, the light guided by the light transmissive member 4 can guide the light to the flocked portion 5 and shine the toothbrush head portion with little or no leakage other than in the direction of the flocked portion. In addition, the angle for processing into an acute angle is not specifically limited.

  Here, the light transmissive member 4 is not limited to the type as long as the light from the light source can be guided, but is preferably an optical fiber. The optical fiber has a double structure of a core portion of the cable and a sheath portion surrounding the core portion, and the core portion is called a core and the periphery is called a clad. When light passes through the core, total reflection occurs due to the difference in refractive index at the interface between the core and the clad, and light is transmitted. Optical fibers are stepped index type (multimode step index fiber (SI fiber)), gradient index type (multimode graded index fiber (GI fiber)) and single mode type (single mode Step index fiber (SM fiber)). As a material for the optical fiber, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, or the like is used as the core material, and a fluorine-based polymer having a low refractive index is used as the cladding material. The number of the light transmissive members 4 installed in the main body 1 is not necessarily one, and may be two or more.

  The light source 2 is for emitting laser light, infrared light, or ultraviolet light, and can emit light having a wavelength of 100 nm to 25000 nm, preferably 250 nm to 10,000 nm. Examples of the laser include an Nd-YAG laser, a carbon dioxide gas laser, and a semiconductor laser.

  In the present invention, the main body 1 is prevented from transmitting vibration to the switch 6 for turning the power source 3 on or off, the head vibration motor 7 for use as an electric toothbrush, and the grip portion of the main body 1. A vibration absorbing member 8 (for example, rubber) may be provided.

  The power supply unit 3 may be a storage battery that stores (charges) electricity from an external power supply via the electrode 9.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the head portion 6 of the optical toothbrush of the present invention. The inside of the head portion 6 is a gap portion 21, and the light transmissive member 4 is disposed in the gap portion 21. The gap 21 may be simply an air layer or may be filled with a gas such as carbon dioxide gas or nitrogen gas. By setting it as a space | gap part, light can be guide | induced to a hair transplant part (FIG. 6). Light diffuses and reflects in all directions from a minute surface roughened by breaking the cladding of the light guiding fiber, but by providing a gap, the irregularly reflected light can travel toward the flocked portion. Further, the light that has undergone irregular reflection can irradiate the flocked surface evenly as a whole by relaxing the straightness and small focal point of the laser beam or the like.

  FIG. 3 shows a form in which the head portion, which is the tip portion of the main body 1, is separated from the gripping portion and can be freely attached and detached so as to be replaceable. In this embodiment, the user individually owns and uses the toothbrush head 31 which is a separate member, and the main body 1 is shared. When the detachable toothbrush head 31 and the gripping portion of the main body 1 are fitted, the light-transmitting member 4 and the light-transmitting member 4 in the toothbrush head 31 are in close contact with each other so that they are not discontinuous. Designed.

  FIG. 4 shows a form in which the light source is stored in the external case 41 instead of the inside of the main body 1 in order to irradiate the teeth and gums with high output light. The main body 1 and the case 41 are connected by a main cord 42, and the light transmissive member 4 is disposed in the main cord 42. In addition, a main switch 43 can be disposed in the case 41 and a sub switch 44 can be disposed in the main body 1. The sub switch 44 may be configured so that it cannot be turned on unless the main switch 43 is turned on.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the flocked portion 5 of the toothbrush. Although it is possible to leave the light transmitting member 4 by the size of the light transmitting member 4 so that the light from the rough surface 21 is not blocked by the flocked portion 5 (FIG. 5A), it is not always necessary, and the light transmitting member 4 is covered. May be implanted (FIG. 5B). If the flocking member is made of the same material as the light-transmitting member 4, light can be transmitted through the flocking.

  According to the present invention, light can be emitted from the head of the toothbrush toward the teeth or gums, so that bacteria attached to the teeth and gums can be sterilized or gingival cells can be activated. As a result, it is possible to suppress gingival inflammation and prevent dental caries, alveolar pus leakage, tooth odor and the like. When toothpaste is blended with titanium dioxide and toothpaste is performed using this toothpaste and the toothbrush of the present invention, it is possible to achieve sterilization, antibacterial activity, proteolysis, etc., and to obtain the above-mentioned preventive effect.

The block diagram of the optical toothbrush of this invention. The block diagram of the head part of an optical toothbrush. The block diagram of a detachable toothbrush head. The block diagram of the optical toothbrush when a light source is installed outside the main body. The figure which shows arrangement | positioning of flocking. The figure which shows the advancing path of the light in a solid phase and a gaseous phase.

Explanation of symbols

1: body, 2: light source, 3: power supply, 4: light transmissive member, 5: flocked part,
6: head portion, 7: vibration motor, 8: vibration absorbing member, 9: electrode 21: gap portion, 22: rough surface, 31: toothbrush head,
41: Case, 42: Main code, 43: Main switch, 44: Sub switch

Claims (11)

  A light toothbrush in which a light-transmitting member for guiding light from a light source to a hair-implanted portion is housed inside the main body, and the flocked portion side at the tip of the light-transmitting member forms a rough surface. A light toothbrush characterized by that.   The light toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the distal end portion of the light transmissive member is formed at an acute angle so that light is refracted by reflection and leads to the flocked portion.   The light toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein a gap is provided between the rough surface of the light transmissive member and the flocked portion.   The optical toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the main body is separated into a grip portion and a toothbrush head portion, and is removable.   The light toothbrush of any one of Claims 1-4 with which the light source was accommodated in the holding part of a main body.   The light toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the light source is a light source of laser light, infrared light, or ultraviolet light. .
The light toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the light transmissive member is an optical fiber.   An optical toothbrush head comprising a light transmissive member for guiding light from a light source to a hair transplantation portion, wherein the hair transplantation portion side of the distal end portion of the light transmission member forms a rough surface.   9. The optical toothbrush head according to claim 8, wherein a tip portion of the light transmissive member is formed at an acute angle so that light is refracted by reflection and leads to the flocked portion.   The optical toothbrush head according to claim 8 or 9, wherein a gap is provided between the rough surface of the light transmissive member and the flocked portion. .
The light toothbrush head according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the light transmissive member is an optical fiber.

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