JPH1080324A - Electronic tooth brush - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably apply and maintain a constant voltage required for sterilizing plaque on teeth by connecting a working electrode to apply an electric potential to an oral cavity, a counter electrode and a reference electrode to be a setting standard together. SOLUTION: An electric potential applying device 8 is connected to electrodes 5, 6 and 7 by lead wires 45, 46 and 47 through lumens 42, 43 and 44 formed in a brush main body 41. When the electric potential of the working electrode(WE) 7 rises and an excess current flows along the lead wire 47, for example, the voltage of a normal rotation input terminal of an arithmetic amplifier drops due to a voltage drop by a resistance and the output becomes a low level. As a result, the output electric potential falls and the electric current flowing between the counter electrode(CE) 5 and the working electrode(WE) 7 decreases. The decrease in the electric current lasts until the electric potential of the working electrode(WE) 7 becomes a set value, and the voltage drop due to the resistance returns to the original value. Thus, the electric potential between the input terminals of the arithmetic amplifier, that is, the voltage of the working electrode(WE) 7 is always kept constant. As a result, fluoride ions are effectively led to teeth and the effect of tooth decay prevention can be enhanced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic toothbrush utilizing an electrochemical effect.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many dentifrices conventionally used contain an abrasive for the purpose of whitening teeth. If such a dentifrice is used for a long time,
It is often found that teeth and gums are worn and degenerated.

[0003] In fact, one of the major causes of hyperesthesia is abrasion of tooth enamel due to excessive brushing.

[0004] Further, what is important in the prevention of tooth decay is to remove plaque (plaque). As a method for removing plaque while preventing wear of tooth enamel,
There is a method using an electronic toothbrush.

[0005] Some conventional electronic toothbrushes are based on the iontophoresis method. The iontophoresis method means that when a toothpaste containing fluoride is used, the brush portion of the toothbrush is used as a negative electrode, and the grip portion (handle) is used as an anode, so that the tooth side through the body of the user is used as a positive electrode. Charged to
In this way, fluorine ions are effectively taken into the teeth, and the effect of preventing dental caries is enhanced.

That is, in the conventional electronic toothbrush, the brush portion of the toothbrush is used as a negative electrode, and the inside of the mouth such as teeth and gingiva and the brush gripping portion side are used as an anode. It is expected that the effect of preventing tooth decay can be obtained by allowing fluorine ions dissociated from fluoride to act on teeth.

[0007] When the surface of the tooth is treated with fluorine ions in this way, the hydroxyapatite on the surface layer of the tooth enamel is changed to an acid-resistant fluoroapatite, and the enamel solubility by dental caries is reduced. This has the effect of reducing the activity of caries bacteria. Furthermore, it has been found that when the tooth surface is treated with fluoride ions, the presence of the fluoride ions interferes with the sugar metabolism of bacteria such as caries and simultaneously suppresses the formation of plaque.

[0008] Further, the purulent part such as alveolar pyorrhea is acidic, and the protein in this part exists as a positive ion. Therefore, by making the brush part a negative electrode, this protein is electrostatically adsorbed to the brush part. It is expected that the lesions such as alveolar pyorrhea will be cleaned up.

Plaque is composed of food residues, bacteria, insoluble glucan produced by bacteria, proteins in saliva, and the like.
Removing one removes plaque formation and removes plaque.

[0010] Therefore, removing bacteria and proteins involved in plaque formation, especially removing bacteria, is very effective in inhibiting plaque formation.

[0011] Caries are plaque-forming S. mutans and S. sobrin.
us) and the like, which are produced by the demineralization of tooth enamel by acids produced by oral bacteria.

[0012] The occurrence and progression of periodontal disease, which is one of the two major diseases in the oral cavity along with tooth decay, include P. gingivalis and P. interm.
edia), A. actinomycetemcomitance (A.actin)
omycetemcomitans), these bacteria produce enzymes and endotoxins that are involved in the destruction of periodontal tissue.

As described above, in order to prevent diseases in the oral cavity and protect a healthy oral cavity, it is very important to kill bacteria in the oral cavity.

In addition to the above-described conventional electronic toothbrush, an electronic toothbrush having a brush portion of a toothbrush as a positive electrode and a tooth, a gingiva, and the like in the oral cavity and a grip portion side as a negative electrode is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-28.
No. 3310.

According to this electronic toothbrush, the part puruled due to alveolar pyorrhea or the like exhibits acidity, and the protein in that part naturally exists as a positive ion. However, the oral cavity is usually neutral to weakly acidic. In many cases, a near-neutral dentifrice is used, and proteins in the oral cavity are negatively charged because teichoic acid and lipoteichoic acid are projected on the surface layer.

In fact, "Journal of the Japanese Society of Periodontology", Vol. 20, No. 1,
According to No. (Saburo Yawata, etc.), the amino acid composition of plaques is rich in aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and alanine, which are acidic amino acids.
The electrophoresis of the isoelectric point of the protein was performed at pH = 4.0-6.
It is shown that only 10 acidic bands separated on the acidic side of 0.

Therefore, in a healthy oral cavity that is free of inflammation such as suppuration and is not particularly acidic, the plaque protein is negatively charged.
An electronic toothbrush having a positive electrode on the grip side and the oral cavity such as teeth and gingiva cannot remove proteins or bacteria in the oral cavity, and cannot provide the effect of preventing tooth decay. Contrary to the toothbrush, it has been proposed to use an electronic toothbrush in which the brush portion of the toothbrush is used as a positive electrode and the inside of the oral cavity such as teeth and gums and the gripping portion side are used as a negative electrode.

On the other hand, as a conventional method for removing bacteria, sterilization by irradiation of ultraviolet rays, radiation or ultrasonic waves, heat sterilization, electric sterilization, gas sterilization, sterilization by chemicals, and the like are performed. For example, electrodisinfection is a method in which a cell membrane of bacteria is directly damaged by applying a high-voltage pulsed electric field, or a substance having a bactericidal action such as hydrogen peroxide, chlorine, or a platinum complex is generated by alternating current electrolysis.

However, since these methods sterilize under extremely severe conditions, there is a high possibility of damaging a living body or a product, and it is difficult to selectively kill microorganisms under mild conditions.

As a safe method for killing Escherichia coli and general bacteria in water, as described in JP-A-5-154480, a working electrode formed of activated carbon fiber and a counter electrode are used. There is an electrochemical device that sterilizes bacteria adhering to the activated carbon fiber by applying a predetermined potential.

"Electrochemistry" Vol.56, No.12, 1082-1085 (1
988) (Yoji Kitajima et al.) Shows that an electrochemical bactericidal effect can be obtained only when bacteria come into contact with an electrode maintained at a constant potential.

Each of the above-described conventional electronic toothbrushes
An electronic toothbrush having a structure using two electrodes (working electrode and counter electrode). When used, saliva in the oral cavity is used as a medium, and the electrode of the grip portion of the toothbrush → hand → body → teeth → brush bristles → brush head of the toothbrush , A closed circuit is formed.

However, with such an electronic toothbrush, it is extremely difficult to electrochemically sufficiently kill caries in the oral cavity. Because the pH of saliva in the oral cavity
Not only does the body change depending on the physical condition, and there are individual differences, but also because the human body constitutes a part of the above closed circuit, the potential between the electrode of the brush part and the tooth This is because it is extremely difficult to maintain a constant potential required for sterilizing bacteria.

[0024]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such conventional circumstances, and has as its object to stably apply a constant potential required for sterilizing bacteria contained in plaque (plaque). An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic toothbrush that can hold and retain a plaque and remove plaque by reliably introducing fluorine ions and the like.

[0025]

That is, the present invention provides a working electrode for applying a predetermined potential to the oral cavity, a counter electrode for the working electrode, and a reference electrode which is used as a reference when setting the potential in the oral cavity. And an electric toothbrush having a potential applying device to which these electrodes are connected (hereinafter, referred to as an electronic toothbrush of the present invention).

According to the electronic toothbrush of the present invention, since the electric toothbrush has the above-mentioned working electrode, counter electrode and reference electrode, and is provided with the potential applying device connecting these electrodes, the electric potential of the above-mentioned reference electrode is increased. , The potential of the working electrode, that is, the potential in the oral cavity, can always be maintained at the set potential. Therefore, regardless of the potential in the oral cavity (particularly, the pH in the oral cavity) due to factors such as the physical condition of the user, individual differences, etc., the constant potential required for the electrochemical sterilization of bacteria such as carious bacteria contained in plaques. Can be applied and held.

As a result, the potential in the oral cavity can be kept constant. If a potential suitable for introducing fluorine ions or the like is set in advance, a toothpaste containing the ions can be used. , The ions can be reliably introduced and made to work effectively. Further, by selecting and setting a potential suitable for removing bacteria and proteins that are deeply involved in plaque formation, plaque formation can be inhibited and the plaque formation can be sufficiently removed.

Here, the working electrode is an electrode for measuring and applying a potential and is also called a test electrode, and the counter electrode is an electrode for the working electrode that allows current to flow without any trouble. In the present invention, in order to always keep the potential of the working electrode constant, the above-mentioned reference electrode, which is also an electrode serving as a reference for potential setting and also referred to as a reference electrode, is used as the reference electrode. The potential is applied while measuring the potential difference between the working electrode. The reference electrode includes a standard hydrogen electrode (NHE) and a saturated calomel electrode (S
CE), a silver / silver chloride electrode (Ag / AgCl) or the like is used.

The above-mentioned potential applying device is preferably configured as a constant potential applying device (potentiiostat), and measures the potential difference between the reference electrode and the working electrode while measuring the potential difference between the working electrode and the oral cavity. Is a device that can automatically adjust and hold the electric potential of the device at a preset constant potential.

[0030]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In an electronic toothbrush according to the present invention,
It is desirable to attach a potential applying device that can set the potential of the working electrode to a potential that can kill caries in the oral cavity. In addition, electrochemical sterilization as in the present invention,
It only occurs when bacteria come into contact with an electrode held at a constant potential.Therefore, in order to keep the potential constant and bring bacteria in the mouth into contact, conduction is made to the working electrode, counter electrode and reference electrode of the potential application device. Electrodes can be provided on the surface of the electronic toothbrush.

That is, in the electronic toothbrush of the present invention, it is preferable that the working electrode, the counter electrode, and the reference electrode are provided in the surface area of the main body, and the potential applying device is mounted on the main body. Here, the main body is the main body of the electronic toothbrush. The potential applying device may be provided at any one of the brush head portion, the grip portion, and the connection portion of the electronic toothbrush, but is practically provided at the grip portion, and is provided inside the electronic toothbrush main body. It is better to be.

Also, in the present invention, an operation amplifier (operation amplifier) having a working electrode and a reference electrode connected to an input side and a counter electrode connected to an output side, respectively, is provided in a potential applying device, and the working electrode and the operation electrode are connected to each other. It is preferable that a potential setting power supply and a current-voltage converter (for example, a resistor) are connected in parallel with the amplifier.

It is desirable that the potential applying device having such a structure is configured as a constant potential applying device (potentiometer), but other than that, any device generally used as a potential applying device may be used. Any device that can be applied to the electronic toothbrush of the present invention, such as output voltage, output power, and device size, can be used.

In the electronic toothbrush of the present invention, a structure in which a counter electrode and a reference electrode are provided on a brush head portion and a working electrode is provided on a grip portion is given as an example.

That is, by providing a counter electrode on the brush head portion and a working electrode on the grip portion, the tooth,
The inside of the oral cavity (living body side) such as the gingiva is always maintained at a potential suitable for sterilization, and the living body side such as teeth is charged positively and the brush head side is charged negatively. Therefore, when a toothpaste containing fluorine ions is used, fluorine ions can be effectively introduced into the teeth, and bacteria can be effectively eliminated.

In order to effectively introduce the fluorine ions into the teeth and enhance the effect of preventing tooth decay, it is desirable that the potential applied to the oral cavity be +0.6 to +1.5 V vs SCE. Here, the unit “VvsSCE” indicates a potential (V) with respect to the potential of the reference electrode as a saturated calomel electrode (the same applies hereinafter).

When the surface of the tooth is treated with fluorine ions, the hydroxyapatite in the surface layer of the tooth enamel is changed to an acid-resistant fluoroapatite, the dissolution of the enamel by the dental caries is reduced, and the activity of the dental caries is reduced. Is suppressed, and the presence of fluorine ions interferes with the sugar metabolism of bacteria such as tooth decay fungi, thereby simultaneously suppressing the formation of plaque.

Further, the purulent part such as alveolar pyorrhea is acidic, and the protein in this part is present as a positive ion. Therefore, by using the brush head as the negative electrode, the protein is electrically removed and the alveolar pyorrhea is removed. Etc. can be cleaned.

In the electronic toothbrush of the present invention, a structure in which a working electrode and a reference electrode are provided on a brush head portion and a counter electrode is provided on a grip portion is also given as an example.

In this case, since the working electrode is provided on the brush portion and the counter electrode is provided on the grip portion, the inside of the mouth, such as teeth and gingiva, is negatively charged, and the brush head side is positively charged.

As described above, plaque (plaque) protein is negatively charged in a healthy oral cavity that is free of inflammation such as suppuration and is not particularly acidic, so that the brush head side is positive. (The inside of the mouth such as teeth and gums is negatively charged), it is possible to efficiently remove plaque (removal of protein) using the electrochemical effect. This is the potential in the oral cavity (and therefore the potential of the working electrode)
Can always be maintained at a constant potential suitable for sterilization, and thus can be reliably and sufficiently realized.

In the electronic toothbrush of the present invention, the counter electrode and the working electrode can be configured to be functionally interchangeable.

That is, a structure in which a counter electrode is provided on the brush head portion and the working electrode is provided on the grip portion side, and a structure in which the working electrode is provided on the brush head portion and the counter electrode is provided on the grip portion. Since the functions can be interchanged, the two functions described above can be appropriately selected with one electronic toothbrush.

For example, when using a dentifrice containing fluorine ions, if a structure in which a counter electrode is provided on the brush head and a working electrode is provided on the grip portion side is selected,
Fluoride ions can be effectively introduced into the teeth,
If a structure in which the working electrode is provided in the brush head portion and the counter electrode is provided in the grip portion is selected, plaque in a healthy oral cavity can be effectively removed.

As an operation for exchanging the above two functions, it is only necessary to manually or automatically exchange the conduction between the working electrode and the counter electrode by a changeover switch or the like.

Further, the electronic toothbrush of the present invention can be configured so that the counter electrode and the working electrode can be functionally exchanged when the oral cavity has a predetermined pH value.

Here, plaque (plaque) is divided into bacterial components contained therein and matrix components forming the same. In this specification, the protein contained in the matrix component is referred to as a matrix protein.

As described above, the mat forming the plaque
Since the isoelectric point of the rix protein is in the range of pH = 4.0 to 6.0, if the pH is less than 4.0, the matrix protein acts as a base and becomes positively charged (when the basic group is To partially ionize). PH = 6.
Above zero, the matrix protein acts as an acid,
Negatively charged (because acidic groups partially ionize proteins).

Therefore, at a certain point in the range of pH = 4.0 to 6.0, on the acidic side from this point, the matrix
Because the protein is positively charged, a structure that positively charges the teeth, that is, a counter electrode is provided in the brush head,
A structure in which the working electrode is provided on the grip portion side can be selected. On the basic side from the above point, since the matrix protein is negatively charged, a structure that negatively charges the teeth, that is, the working electrode is provided on the brush head portion, and the counter electrode is provided on the grip portion. Structure can be selected.

In the electronic toothbrush of the present invention, when the pH value in the oral cavity is at one point within the range of pH = 4.0 to 6.0, particularly when pH = 4.0, the counter electrode is automatically set. And the working electrode are preferably configured to be functionally interchangeable. If the pH is less than 4.0, matrix
Since proteins are always positively charged, making the oral cavity positive ensures the plaque removal effect.

That is, due to inflammation such as suppuration, the pH in the oral cavity
Is less than the above one point (especially less than 4.0), the matrix protein is positively charged. At this time, it is necessary to make the working electrode of the gripping portion positive to positively charge the tooth potential. Thereby, plaque can be effectively removed. In particular, if fluoride is contained in the dentifrice, the fluoride ions effectively act on the teeth.

That is, when using a dentifrice containing fluorine, the electrode of the grip portion is manually switched to the working electrode, the tooth side is positively charged, the electrode in the mouth is the counter electrode, and the brush head is the negative electrode. As a result, fluorine ions can be effectively taken into the teeth, and the caries prevention effect can be enhanced.

On the other hand, in the normal case, when the pH in the oral cavity exceeds the above one point (especially when it exceeds 4.0),
Since the matrix protein is negatively charged, the protein can be effectively removed by setting the counter electrode of the grip portion to a negative polarity and negatively charging the teeth.

That is, when the electrode of the brush head portion in the oral cavity is switched to the working electrode, the conducting portion of the working electrode in the oral cavity extremely effectively kills caries when the electronic toothbrush is used,
If there is no inflammation in the oral cavity, protein removal will be effective.

In an electronic toothbrush configured so that the counter electrode and the working electrode can be functionally exchanged automatically at the above-mentioned predetermined pH, the potential difference between the reference electrode and the counter electrode causes It is preferable that a pH measuring unit for measuring pH is provided.

In the electronic toothbrush of the present invention, the bristles have conductivity, and the bristles can function as a working electrode or a counter electrode.

That is, for the electrochemical sterilization of bacteria in the oral cavity, it is preferable to directly contact the bacteria with an electrode maintained at a constant potential. The contact area between the electrode and the bacteria is increased, and it is possible to effectively kill bacteria in the oral cavity.

As the electrode provided in the electronic toothbrush of the present invention, an electrically stable material among known good conductors such as titanium, carbon, gold, silver, platinum and copper can be used. Similarly, when using as an electrode,
A known good conductor material having excellent durability can be used.

When the brush bristles are used as the electrodes, for example, carbon fibers or the like can be used as the brush bristles, or other known means such as plating, sputtering, CVD (chemical vapor deposition), and vapor deposition. Thereby, the brush bristles such as resin can be coated with the above-described good conductor material or a known good conductor material such as ITO (indium tin oxide). In addition, a good conductor can be kneaded into a commonly used raw material such as a resin to impart conductivity to the brush bristles.

In the electronic toothbrush of the present invention, the brush head and the grip can be made detachable. If the brush head and the gripper become unusable by making the brush head and the gripper detachable, one of them, especially the brush head alone, can be replaced with a new one.

In the electronic toothbrush of the present invention, a constant potential is applied to kill bacteria in the oral cavity, and it is desirable to set this potential to a potential that can kill caries in the oral cavity. . When using a toothpaste containing fluorine ions, the potential can be set to a value that allows fluorine ions to be effectively introduced into the teeth.

The potential at which the above-mentioned oral cavity can be killed can be set in the range of +0.6 to +1.5 V vs SCE. The potential applied to this oral cavity is + 0.6VvsS
If it is less than CE, sterilization is not performed sufficiently and +1.5 V
When the value exceeds vsSCE, the electrode itself may be electrolyzed and may cause discomfort during use.

[0063]

The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to examples.

Embodiment 1 FIGS. 1 to 5 show an electronic toothbrush 40 according to this embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along line II of FIG. 2, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a potential application device provided in the electronic toothbrush (however, such a potential application device may be provided in another embodiment described later), and FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the use state of the electronic toothbrush.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the electronic toothbrush 40 according to the present embodiment has a grip (or handle) 1, a brush head 2, and a connection for connecting the grip 1 and the brush head 2. And part 3. In the brush head part 2,
Brush bristles 4, counter electrode (CE) 5 and reference electrode (RE) 6
Is provided, and a working electrode (WE) 7 and a potential applying device 8 are provided on the grip portion 1. Potential application device 8
Are the lumens 42, 43 formed on the brush body 41,
The electrodes 5, 6, and 7 are connected by lead wires 45, 46, and 47 through 44.

Further, as shown in FIG.
An operational amplifier (operation amplifier) 24 is provided therein, and a working electrode (WE) is connected to a non-inverting input terminal on the input side.
Reference electrode (RE) to lead wire 47 and inverting input terminal
6 lead wire 46 is connected, and the counter electrode (CE) is connected to the output side.
Are connected. Then, between the positive terminal of the working electrode (WE) 7 and the operational amplifier 24, the potential setting power (E _S) 25 and the current - voltage converter (resistor R _L)
26 are connected in parallel, and the potential applying device 8 is configured as a so-called constant potential applying device (potentiometer).

That is, according to the electronic toothbrush 40, the working electrode 7 on the surface of the gripper 1, the reference electrode 6 and the counter electrode 5 on the surface of the brush head 2 are controlled by the potential applying device 8 built in the gripper 1. Thus, a constant potential effective for sterilization in the oral cavity can be applied to and maintained in the human body.

The operation of the potential applying device 8 will be described.
The potential of the working electrode (WE) 7 fluctuates due to the phenomenon described above.
When an excessive (or under) current flows through the resistor, the resistance (R _L )
The voltage at the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 24 drops (or rises) due to the voltage drop by 26, and its output goes low (or high). As a result, the output potential decreases (or increases), and the counter electrode (CE) 5 and the working electrode (W
E) and the current flowing between them decreases (or increases) until the potential of the working electrode (WE) 7 reaches a predetermined set value, and the voltage drop due to the resistance ( _RL ) 26 returns to the original value. Will return to value. Thus, the voltage difference (potential) between both input terminals of the operational amplifier 24, that is, the voltage of the working electrode (WE) 7 is always constant.

In the electronic toothbrush 40, the inside of the mouth such as teeth and gums is positively charged by the working electrode (WE) 7 and the brush bristles 4 are negatively charged by the counter electrode (CE) 5. In addition to being able to set a potential effective for sterilization, when using a toothpaste containing fluorine ions, fluorine ions can be effectively introduced into the teeth to enhance the caries prevention effect.

In the present embodiment, as schematically shown in FIG. 5, the grip portion 1 of the electronic toothbrush 40 is positively charged,
Since the brush head portion 2 is negatively charged, the human body-teeth 49 -from the working electrode (WE) 7 through the finger 48.
By forming a closed circuit including the counter electrode (CE) 5, the teeth 49 are positively charged, and fluorine ions (F ⁻ ) are easily introduced into the teeth 49.

In the potential applying device 8, the potential applied to the working electrode (WE) 7 is set to 0.6 to 1.5 V _VS SC
E, for example, set to 1.2 V _VS SCE in advance (this is the same in other embodiments described later). Such a potential setting is performed by the resistance (R _L ) 26 and the operation amplifier 2
4. It can be arbitrarily performed by appropriately changing the power supply E _S , but this can be determined at the electronic toothbrush manufacturing stage.

In order to manufacture the electronic toothbrush according to the present embodiment (the same applies to other embodiments described later), the main body 41 is molded from, for example, a synthetic resin and a potential is applied to the accommodation space formed in the main body. The device 8 is arranged, leads are led through each lumen, and each electrode is fixed to the body surface. The main body 41 may be produced by joining portions molded using a so-called split mold, and each lead wire or the like may be embedded at the time of molding the main body by a so-called insert molding method.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 6 shows an electronic toothbrush 50 according to this embodiment.

The electronic toothbrush 50 is different from the electronic toothbrush 40 of FIG. 1 in that the working electrode (WE) 7 and the counter electrode (C
E) It has a structure in which the position of 8 is interchanged. That is,
As for the working electrode (WE) 7 and the counter electrode (CE) 8, the former is provided on the brush head 2, and the latter is provided on the gripper 1.
Except for such a change in the position of the electrode and the position of the wiring associated therewith, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Therefore, in the case of this embodiment, the working electrode (W
E) By providing 7 on the brush head portion and the counter electrode (CE) 5 on the grip portion 1, the inside of the oral cavity such as teeth and gums
It will be negatively charged by the counter electrode.

This electronic toothbrush 50 is suitable for a person whose oral cavity is healthy. That is, in the healthy oral cavity that is not inflamed such as suppuration and is not particularly acidic, the protein of the plaque (plaque) is negatively charged.
By setting the inside of the oral cavity such as the gingiva to a negative polarity and the brush portion to a positive polarity, efficient plaque removal using electrostatic force can be performed.

In this case, since the working electrode (WE) 7 is in the oral cavity, an optimal potential for sterilization is always applied and maintained in the vicinity of the working electrode. It is possible to perform it.

The potential application device used in this case may be obtained by exchanging the electrodes 5 and 7 and inverting the polarity of the power supply 25 in FIG.

Embodiment 3 FIGS. 7 to 9 show an electronic toothbrush 70 according to this embodiment (however, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 8).

That is, the gripper 1 is provided with a potential application device 8, an electrode selection or switching circuit 9, an electrode 11, and a switch 12.
The brush bristles 4, the reference electrode (RE) 6, and the electrode 10 are provided.

In the electronic toothbrush 70 of this embodiment, the following two modes (1) and (2) can be manually selected by the switch 12 in the switching circuit 9.

(1) When selecting the “fluorine” mode When using a dentifrice containing fluorine ions, the electrode 10 is connected to the counter electrode (CE) by the switch 12 via the manual switching circuit 9 and the electrode 11 Is fixed to the working electrode (WE),
An electronic toothbrush having the same function as that of the first embodiment and effective for causing fluorine ions to act on teeth is provided.

(2) When the mode of “sterilization” side is selected When a normal dentifrice containing no fluoride ion is used, the electrode 1 is switched by the switch 12 through the manual switching circuit 9.
1 is fixed to the counter electrode (CE), and the electrode 10 is fixed to the working electrode (WE). That is, an electronic toothbrush having a function similar to that of the second embodiment is obtained.

In the present embodiment, each mode is displayed as "fluorine" and "sterilization", but other displays that are easy for the user to understand may be used.

Embodiment 4 FIGS. 10 to 12 show an electronic toothbrush 80 according to the present embodiment (however, FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 11, and FIG. 12 is a left side of FIG. 11). Front view).

That is, the gripper 1 is provided with a potential applying device 8 and a working electrode (WE) 7, and the brush head 2
Are provided with conductive brush bristles 13 and a reference electrode (RE) 6.

The brush bristles 13 are made of, for example, carbon fiber provided on the electrode plate 81, and therefore have conductivity. The conductive bristles 13 also have the function of the counter electrode (CE). Have.

For the electrochemical sterilization of bacteria in the oral cavity, it is preferable that the bacteria are brought into direct contact with the electrode maintained at a constant potential. Therefore, as in this embodiment, the brush bristles 13 are connected to the counter electrode (CE). By doing so, the contact area between the electrode and the bacterium is increased, and it is possible to effectively sterilize the oral cavity.

As in the above embodiment, the electrode 13 may be a working electrode (WE) and the electrode 7 may be a counter electrode (CE).

Embodiment 5 FIGS. 13 to 15 show an electronic toothbrush 90 according to this embodiment (however, FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 14, and FIG. Front view).

That is, the gripper 1 is provided with the potential applying device 8 and the working electrode (WE) 7, and the brush head 2
The brush bristles 4, the reference electrode (RE) 6, and the counter electrode (C
E) 5 are provided.

In this embodiment, the reference electrode (RE) 6
Is provided directly below the brush bristles 4, so that a more accurate potential can be measured and applied.

Embodiment 6 FIG. 16 shows an electronic toothbrush 100 according to this embodiment.

The electronic toothbrush 100 is an electronic toothbrush in which the brush head part 2 and the connecting part 3 and the grip part 1 are divided and these parts are detachable.

That is, the holding portion 1 has a conductor 31 projecting from the tip thereof, a concave portion 33 which can be connected to the convex portion 32 of the connecting portion 3 by concave and convex fitting, and a slit (or a long groove) of the connecting portion 3.
A protruding portion 35 is provided that can be coupled to 34. Also,
The support 31a of the conductor 31 is a defective conductor, and around this end 46a of the lead wire 46 of the reference electrode (RE) 6
A good conductor 36 for connecting the potential application device 8 to the potential application device 8 is provided. The other end of the lead wire 45 of the counter electrode (CE) 5 is configured as a coil portion 45a having a spring property.

Therefore, when the tip of the gripper 1 is inserted into the rear end (right side in the drawing) of the connecting part 3 in the direction of arrow 101 from the separated state shown in FIG.
While a is elastically contracted by the pressure input of the conductor 31, the slit 34 and the convex portion 35 and the concave portion 33 and the convex portion 32 are engaged. As a result, the connection portion 3 and the grip portion 1 are connected, and the potential applying device 8 and the electrodes 5 and 6 are connected by the coil portion 45a-the conductor 31, the lead wire end 46a-the good conductor 36
Connected via

The electronic toothbrush 100 of this embodiment has the same function as that of the electronic toothbrush of the first embodiment. However, the electronic toothbrush of the first embodiment can be divided into a brush head portion, a connecting portion, and a grip portion. It is a detachable electronic toothbrush. Therefore, either one can be easily replaced with a new one.

Next, of the above-described embodiments, for example, the following sterilization test was performed on the electronic toothbrush of the embodiment 2.

<Sterilization Test> Using the electronic toothbrush of Example 2, a sterilization test of S. sangus (Gram-positive bacterium, Streptococcus sangis) as an oral bacterium was performed.

First, sterilized artificial saliva (component: NaC
1, KCl, CaCl ₂ , NaPO ₄ .5H ₂ O, Na
30 g of S.9H ₂ O, CO (NH ₂ ) ₂ and H ₂ O)
Then, 0.2% by weight of albumin was added as a protein component to make the composition closer to saliva.

S. sangus was inoculated from a cell colony and added to the solution having the above composition so that the cell concentration was 2 × 10 ⁵ cells / ml.

30 ml of the bacterial solution thus prepared was transferred to a beaker, and kept at 37 ° C., using the electronic toothbrush of Example 2 (applied potential: 1.2 V vs. SCE) to obtain 1 to 3 ml.
The cells were allowed to act on the bacterial solution for 3 minutes, and the number of bacteria was measured. Table 1 below shows the measurement results of the number of bacteria.

[0104]

As shown in Table 1, Ss was measured in only 1 minute by the electronic toothbrush of Example 2 (applied potential: 1.2 V _VS SCE).
99.5% of the angus could be sterilized in 99.5% in just 2 minutes.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments, the embodiments described above can be variously modified based on the technical idea of the present invention.

For example, the shapes, materials, sizes and the like of the working electrode, counter electrode and reference electrode can be appropriately selected, and the circuit configuration and connection method of the above potential applying device are limited to those described above. It will not be done.

The shape and size of the working electrode, the counter electrode and the reference electrode may be, for example, polygonal or round as long as the potential in the oral cavity can be measured appropriately. Further, the shape may be concave or convex, not in the same plane as the surrounding surface. The shape of the main body does not have to be the connecting portion as shown in the above-described example.

An operational amplifier (operation amplifier), a potential setting power supply, and a current-voltage converter (eg, a resistor) in the potential application device can be variously used as long as they are suitable for the present invention. The power source of the potential setting power source is preferably fixed and incorporated when the electronic toothbrush is manufactured, but may be a rechargeable battery or a rechargeable power source as appropriate.

Further, as described in the fourth embodiment, by imparting conductivity to the brush bristles and using the brush bristles as electrodes, the sterilization function can be greatly improved. Also, in the above-described electronic toothbrushes of Examples 5 to 6, etc., the brush bristles may be given conductivity.

The electronic toothbrush in which the working electrode and the counter electrode are replaced in the fourth embodiment, and the electronic toothbrush in which the working electrode and the counter electrode are replaced in the fifth embodiment may be used.

The electronic toothbrushes of the above-described embodiments 1 to 5 and the like may be detachable electronic toothbrushes that can divide the brush head and the connecting portion and the holding portion, like the electronic toothbrush of the sixth embodiment. The brush bristles may be replaceable.

Further, the electric toothbrush of the above-described example may employ an electric structure in which the brush portion operates electrically. The above-mentioned gripping part does not necessarily need to be gripped by the user, in short,
A closed circuit may be formed via teeth in the oral cavity.

[0114]

According to the present invention, an electronic toothbrush
It has a working electrode for applying a predetermined potential to the oral cavity, a counter electrode for the working electrode, a reference electrode which is used as a reference when setting the potential in the oral cavity, and a potential applying device to which these electrodes are connected. As a result, it is possible to reliably introduce anions such as fluorine ions, to prevent plaque formation and to remove plaque, and to apply and hold a constant potential required for sterilization.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along line II of FIG. 2) of an electronic toothbrush according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same electronic toothbrush.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the electronic toothbrush.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of an example of a potential applying device provided in the electronic toothbrush.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a usage pattern of the electronic toothbrush.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an electronic toothbrush according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 8) of the electronic toothbrush according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the same electronic toothbrush.

FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of an example of a potential application device (A) and a switching circuit (B) provided in the electronic toothbrush.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 11) of the electronic toothbrush according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the same electronic toothbrush.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the electronic toothbrush.

13 is a sectional view (a sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 14) of the electronic toothbrush according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the same electronic toothbrush.

FIG. 15 is a side view of the same electronic toothbrush.

FIG. 16 is an exploded front view, partly in section, of an electronic toothbrush according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... grip part, 2 ... brush head part, 3 ... connection part, 4 ... brush bristle, 5 ... counter electrode (CE), 6 ... reference electrode (RE),
7 working electrode (WE), 8 potential applying device (potentiometer), 9 switching circuit, 10, 11, 81 electrodes
12 ... switch, 13 ... conductive bristles, 24 ... operational amplifier circuit (operational amplifier), 25 ... potential setting power (E _S), 26 ... current - voltage converter (R _L), 31,3
6, 37, 39, 45a: Conductor (good conductor), 32, 3
5: convex portion, 33: concave portion, 34: slit, 40, 50,
70, 80, 90, 100 ... electronic toothbrush, 41 ... body, 42, 43, 44 ... lumen, 45, 46, 47 ...
Lead, 46a ... terminal, 48 ... human body (finger), 49 ... teeth, F ^- ... fluorine ion

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A working electrode for applying a predetermined potential to the oral cavity, a counter electrode for the working electrode, a reference electrode serving as a reference when setting the potential in the oral cavity, and a potential connecting these electrodes. An electronic toothbrush having an application device. 2. The electronic toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein a working electrode, a counter electrode and a reference electrode are provided in a surface area of the main body, and an electric potential applying device is mounted on the main body. 3. A potential applying device having an operational amplifier having a working electrode and a reference electrode connected to an input side and a counter electrode connected to an output side, respectively, and a potential setting power supply between the working electrode and the operational amplifier. The electronic toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the current and voltage converter are connected in parallel. 4. The electronic toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the counter electrode and the reference electrode are provided on the brush head, and the working electrode is provided on the grip. 5. The electronic toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the working electrode and the reference electrode are provided on the brush head, and the counter electrode is provided on the grip. 6. The electronic toothbrush according to claim 4, wherein the counter electrode and the working electrode are configured to be functionally interchangeable. 7. The electronic toothbrush according to claim 6, further comprising a switch for functionally switching the counter electrode and the working electrode. 8. The electronic toothbrush according to claim 7, wherein the counter electrode and the working electrode are functionally interchangeable when the oral cavity shows a predetermined pH value. 9. The pH value in the oral cavity is pH = 4.0-6.0.
9. The electronic toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein the counter electrode and the working electrode are automatically and functionally interchangeable at a point within the range. 10. The electronic toothbrush according to claim 8, further comprising a pH measuring unit for measuring pH in the oral cavity based on a potential difference between the reference electrode and the counter electrode. 11. The brush bristle has conductivity, and the brush bristle functions as a working electrode or a counter electrode.
0. The electronic toothbrush according to any one of 0. 12. The electronic toothbrush according to claim 4, wherein the brush head and the grip are detachable. 13. The electronic toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined potential applied to the oral cavity is set to a potential that can kill caries in the oral cavity. 14. An electric potential capable of killing dental caries in the oral cavity is set to +
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the voltage is in the range of 0.6 to +1.5 V vs SCE.
3. The electronic toothbrush according to 3.