RU2672798C1 - Disposable edible toothpick for astronauts - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to medical technology, namely, a disposable edible toothpick. Toothpick is made monolithic in the form of an elongated blade of white dental material and does not have an aggressive effect. Toothpick includes a handle with a reservoir. Reservoir has a shell and toothpaste with anti-infective substance. Reservoir contains an elongated bayonet with a working end 1–4 mm wide. Surface of the bayonet is covered with a porous layer no more than 1.5 mm thick with a rough surface. Dead-end internal channel connects the cavity of the reservoir with a porous material. Toothpick is entirely made of edible materials. Handle is made hollow in the form of a rectangular straw with a rough outer surface. Reservoir with an inner shell and abrasive toothpaste with antiseptic activity is placed in the cavity of the handle. At a temperature of +5…+37 °C the wall of the handle, the reservoir and the shell have the ability to compress and push the paste out under the pressure of the astronaut's fingers. Paste has flow properties. Reservoir and canal are completely filled with paste. Channel has a diameter of 0.5–1 mm, opens in the middle of the end part of the bayonet. Inner surface of the channel is covered with a shell. Inner surface of the shell of the reservoir and the channel is covered with a material with water-repellent activity. Free end of the channel is closed tightly bursting film. Bursting film is made of shell. Bayonet is angled to the handle 140–160° with left or right bend.EFFECT: elimination of domestic debris, free spacecraft flying in the air, cross contamination of the spacecraft flying in the air, cross contamination with dental microflora of the astronauts from each other is achieved, improved quality and aesthetic result of oral hygiene, whether the astronaut is right-handed or left-handed one.1 cl, 1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to medical equipment, in particular to personal hygiene products, and can be used for brushing teeth and established dental structures in astronauts during long manned space flights.

Known toothpick in a fur coat, made monolithic in the form of an elongated blade of white dental materials that do not have an aggressive effect, the working end of which has a lower and upper plane covered with a sponge, the free end has a width of 1-4 mm, the sponge is made of colored opaque material, the thickness of the sponge layer is not more than 1.5 mm, a cleaning layer made of a darker than a sponge hard fine-grained abrasive material is firmly glued to the outer surface of the sponge on the bayonet’s surface. cleaning for heavily soiled surfaces (RU 2622676).

A disadvantage of the known tool is the narrow scope, low efficiency, safety and accuracy, which excludes the automatic use of toothpaste, making it difficult for astronauts to use and a source of household garbage in a spaceship during a long space flight. The fact is that the known device is not edible, does not contain a reservoir of friction toothpaste, requires an additional tube of toothpaste, therefore makes it difficult to use and is a source of household garbage that can freely fly in the air of a spaceship’s cabin in zero gravity conditions, get stuck in the crevices of clothes and various mechanical structures, causing mechanical damage to the body of the astronauts and worsening the work of structures. The fact is that the known device requires the additional use of a tube of paste to remove hard to remove stains from the surface of the tooth. Moreover, the known device requires the use of both hands of the astronaut, since to apply toothpaste to the bayonet of the device, the astronaut is forced to hold this device with one hand, and the tube with toothpaste with the other hand. Moreover, before this, a tube of toothpaste needs to be taken out and opened, for which the astronaut is also forced to use both hands at the same time. All this increases the time required for brushing your teeth, and leads to the appearance of household garbage inside the spacecraft’s cabin in the form of a used unscrewed cork, a used tube, and also in the form of a used toothpick.

In addition, the known device does not provide one-time use, chewing and safe swallowing, therefore, it allows repeated and repeated use by different astronauts, accidentally swallowing and inhaling by them the whole device or its broken off, or broken off elements, as well as accidental free placement in the spacecraft’s office in weightlessness. In this case, the ingestion of non-edible and non-digestible foreign bodies into the stomach or upper respiratory tract by mistake, by negligence or by accident can lead to gastritis, bronchitis and the need for their treatment, including surgical treatment aimed at removing foreign bodies. And the free placement of used toothpicks inside the ship can lead to unauthorized and uncontrolled intervention in the work of various mechanical systems of the ship.

Re-use of the used device by different astronauts may occur. This can happen by chance, by ignorance or by mistake. As a result of such use of toothpicks, it can cause cross-infection of cosmonauts by microflora from each other. Such an infection can be another cause of dysfunction and even a digestive system disease that can occur in one of the astronauts inside the spacecraft. The fact is that the composition of the astronaut team can be international and it can include citizens of different states, people of different nationalities, so some astronauts may have microflora in the oral cavity, unusual for other astronauts.

In addition, the known device does not provide an elongated blade with a handle with a rectangular cross-section, with faces and a rough surface, which allows the handle to be completely round, with a smooth and slippery surface. This worsens the fixation of the handle between the fingers of the astronaut’s fingers and allows uncontrolled axial rotation of the handle, which reduces the accuracy of attaching a toothpick bayonet to the surface of the selected tooth and the quality of its cleaning with this bayonet.

Therefore, the known device does not provide effective tooth whitening, dissolution and removal of colored plaque from the surface of the teeth. Under these conditions, the astronauts part of the food remains on the surface of some teeth for a long time and becomes the environment for the propagation of microorganisms, the appearance of halitosis, the cause of caries and periodontal disease.

Known toothbrush with the supply of fluid for caring for the oral cavity, having a housing containing a handle, a head connected to the distal end of the handle, and an internal reservoir with a shell of the reservoir and a fluid for caring for the oral cavity, and also a channel in the housing passing from reservoir to the hole in the outer surface of the housing, an applicator containing capillary material and in communication with the oral fluid. This channel contains a feed element in the form of an elongated rod, and the actuator is functionally connected to the shell of the tank (RU 2549315 C1).

A disadvantage of the known device is the narrow scope, low efficiency, safety and accuracy, which complicates its use by astronauts and is a source of household garbage in a spaceship during a long space flight. The fact is that the known device does not ensure its execution from edible materials and with the actuator for supplying toothpaste with those fingers of the astronaut’s hand that hold the handle of the device when cleaning the oral cavity in the range +5 - + 37 ° С. The known device requires the additional participation of the fingers of the other hand to squeeze the paste from the tank. Therefore, the known device requires the use of both hands of the astronaut. At the same time, the astronaut is forced to hold this device with one hand, and with the other hand he is forced to squeeze paste from his tank. Therefore, the known device is "two-handed" and leads to the appearance of household waste inside the spacecraft cabin in the form of a used device. At the same time, uncontrolled household garbage appears, which can freely fly in the air of the spacecraft cabin under conditions of space zero gravity, get stuck in the cracks of clothes and various designs, causing mechanical damage in the body of astronauts and impairing the operation of instruments and tools. In addition, the occupation of both hands of the astronaut in cleaning the oral cavity does not ensure the immobility of the astronaut's body in zero gravity. This can lead to accidental injury, including damage to the teeth and even the jaw.

In addition, the known device does not provide a one-time use, chewing and safe swallowing; therefore, it allows repeated and repeated use by different astronauts, accidental swallowing and inhalation by them of the whole device or its broken off or broken off elements. In this case, the ingestion of non-edible and non-digestible foreign bodies into the stomach or upper respiratory tract by mistake, by negligence or by accident can lead to gastritis, bronchitis and the need for their treatment, including surgical treatment aimed at removing foreign bodies from the internal cavities of the astronauts bodies .

Regardless of this, due to the lack of disposability and the possibility of re-using the used device by different astronauts, which can happen by accident, by ignorance or by mistake, it leads to cross-infection of astronauts with dental microflora from each other. This may be another cause of dysfunction and even illness of the digestive system of one of the astronauts inside the spacecraft. The fact is that the composition of the cosmonaut team can be international and the cosmonaut team can be updated during long space missions. At the same time, astronauts may appear inside the spacecraft’s cabin, having microflora in the oral cavity, unusual for other astronauts. The ingress of unusual microflora can cause dysbiosis.

In addition, the known device does not provide the execution of the handle faceted, namely with longitudinal faces and with a cross section of the handle in the form of a rectangle, as well as with a rough surface. All this allows the handle to be completely round, with a smooth and slippery surface. This affects the fixation of the handle between the fingers of the astronaut’s hands and allows uncontrolled axial rotation of the handle of the device, which reduces the accuracy of applying the surface of the working part to the surface of the selected tooth and the quality of its cleaning. Therefore, the known device does not provide effective removal of colored plaque. Under these conditions, the astronauts part of the food remains on the surface of some teeth for a long time and becomes the environment for the propagation of microorganisms, the appearance of halitosis, the cause of caries and periodontal disease.

A solid confectionery product, which has an oval shape, a mass of about 1-2 g, is known to be an edible hard candy in the form of a hard pressed tablet with one domed side and a smooth surface and with the other side including abrasive inclusions that form a rough surface that is formed by many parallel ridges extending perpendicular to one of the sides of the product, suitable for cleaning the upper surface of the tongue. Moreover, abrasive inclusions contain one or more granular bicarbonates and one or more granular food acids that interact in the oral cavity to produce an effervescent effect, and the abrasive inclusions are formed from a material selected from the group consisting of solid matrix of carbohydrates, solid matrix of high molecular weight alcohols, extruded carbohydrates, extruded high molecular weight alcohols and mixtures thereof, inclusions contain abrasive particles, which mainly have particle sizes, the values of which are in the range of 100-2000 μm, and the abrasive surface itself is provided at least partially by surface elements having at least one scraper edge. Moreover, the product in its composition contains one or more antibacterial substances, one or more dental active substances (RU 2370089 C2).

A disadvantage of the known device is the narrow scope, low efficiency, safety and accuracy, since it is not intended for the controlled cleaning of the surface of a chosen tooth by astronauts during long manned flights. Therefore, the known device does not provide effective removal of plaque. Under these conditions, the astronauts part of the food remains on the surface of some teeth for a long time and becomes the environment for the propagation of microorganisms, the appearance of halitosis, the cause of caries and periodontal disease.

A disposable toothbrush is known, comprising a handle, a head connected to one end of the handle, the head has a cleaning part containing a plurality of cleaning elements, one or more recesses therein, a toothpick and a spherical capsule, the capsule containing an oral care substance (Application RU 2005109557 A).

A disadvantage of the known device is the narrow scope, low efficiency, safety and accuracy, which makes it difficult for astronauts to use and is a source of household garbage in a spaceship during a long manned space flight. The fact is that the known device does not provide its performance from edible materials and with abrasive toothpaste. Therefore, after the first use, the device is suitable for subsequent applications and may be left in error for reuse without careful fixation. At the same time, the device becomes a source of uncontrolled household garbage that can fly freely in the air of the spacecraft cabin under conditions of space zero gravity, get stuck in the cracks of clothes and various mechanical switches of instruments and tools, causing mechanical damage in the body of astronauts and worsen the operation of devices and tools.

In addition, the device does not automatically supply toothpaste to the working surface of the toothpick. Moreover, the known device is essentially "two-handed" and leads to the appearance of household garbage inside the spacecraft cabin in the form of a used device.

In addition, the known device does not provide its safe chewing and swallowing, therefore, it allows accidental ingestion and inhalation by the astronauts of the device as a whole or its broken off or broken off elements. In this case, the ingestion of non-edible and non-digestible foreign bodies into the stomach or upper respiratory tract by mistake, by negligence or by accident can lead to gastritis, bronchitis and the need for their treatment, including surgical treatment aimed at removing foreign bodies from the internal cavities of the astronauts bodies .

The known device does not provide the execution of the handle faceted, namely with longitudinal faces and with a cross section of the handle in the form of a rectangle, and also with a rough surface. All this allows the handle to be completely round, with a smooth and slippery surface. This worsens the fixation of the handle between the fingers of the astronaut’s hands and allows uncontrolled axial rotation of the handle of the device, which reduces the accuracy of applying the surface of the working part of the toothpick to the surface of the selected tooth and the quality of its cleaning. Therefore, the known device does not provide effective removal of plaque from the surface of the teeth. Under these conditions, the astronauts part of the food remains on the surface of some teeth for a long time and becomes the environment for the propagation of microorganisms, the appearance of halitosis, the cause of caries and periodontal disease.

A tube brush is known, which contains bristles fixed to the handle-holder, a tube with cleaning agent and a cork that allows the tool to be squeezed directly above the bristles. The device comprises a movable bed made with sides for fastening the tube and guides for fastening and moving the handle-holder along them, and a stopper made in the form of a movable rod having a stopper. The handle-holder is equipped with two stops, and the movable bed has a protrusion and a limiter. A tube brush allows you to get a toothbrush with a removable tube with toothpaste moving along the handle for ease of use (RU 2255708 C2).

A disadvantage of the known device is the narrow scope, low efficiency, safety and accuracy, which makes it difficult for astronauts to use and is a source of household garbage in a spaceship during a long manned space flight. The fact is that the known device is not disposable and edible, it is not a toothpick and is not intended to clean the surface of the selected tooth and does not provide functional suitability at a temperature of +5 - + 37 ° C.

The device does not ensure its execution from edible materials and with an actuator for supplying toothpaste with those fingers of the astronaut's hand that hold the handle of the device. The known device requires additional participation of the fingers of the other hand of the astronaut to extrude the paste from the tank. Therefore, to use the device when cleaning the oral cavity, the known device requires the use of both hands of the astronaut. At the same time, the astronaut is forced to hold this device with one hand, and with the other hand he is forced to squeeze paste from his tank. Therefore, the known device is "two-handed" and leads to the appearance of household waste inside the spacecraft cabin in the form of a used device.

In addition, the known device can be reused and reused by various astronauts, accidentally swallowing and inhaling by them the entire device or its broken off, or broken off elements. In this case, the ingestion of non-edible and non-digestible foreign bodies into the stomach or upper respiratory tract by mistake, by negligence or by accident can lead to gastritis, bronchitis and the need for their treatment, including surgical treatment aimed at removing foreign bodies from the internal cavities of the bodies astronauts.

Due to the design of the device reusable and with the possibility of its repeated use sequentially by different astronauts, they can be cross-infected with each other's microflora. This may be another cause of dysfunction and even illness of the digestive system of one of the astronauts inside the spacecraft. The fact is that the composition of the cosmonaut team can be international and the cosmonaut team can be updated during long space missions. At the same time, astronauts may appear inside the spacecraft’s cabin, having microflora in the oral cavity, unusual for other astronauts. The ingress of unusual microflora can cause dysbiosis.

In addition, the known device does not provide a handle with a rough surface and faceted, namely with longitudinal faces and with a cross section of the handle in the form of a rectangle. All this allows the handle to be completely round, with a smooth and slippery surface. This does not provide reliable fixation of the handle between the fingers of the astronaut’s hands and allows uncontrolled axial rotation of the handle of the device, which reduces the accuracy of applying the surface of the working part to the surface of the selected tooth and the high quality of its cleaning. Therefore, the known device does not provide effective removal of plaque. Under these conditions, the astronauts part of the food remains on the surface of some teeth for a long time and becomes the environment for the propagation of microorganisms, the appearance of halitosis, the cause of caries and periodontal disease.

The objective of the invention is to expand the scope, increase efficiency, accuracy and safety when brushing teeth by an astronaut inside a spacecraft during a long manned space flight by making the device disposable, made of edible materials, with a handle made in the form of a rectangular straw with elastic walls with a rough outer surface a surface with a reservoir placed inside the straw cavity filled with friction toothpaste with antiseptic activity and providing vayuschim at +5 - + 37 ° C the paste extrusion through an inner channel at the center of the working edge compression fingers of the hand grip spaceman, and with a bayonet, made in the form of stick left or right bend.

The technical result is the elimination of household garbage, freely flying in the air of a spaceship, cross-infection of astronauts with dental microflora from each other, improving the quality and aesthetic result of oral hygiene regardless of whether a right-handed or left-handed astronaut.

The essence of a disposable edible toothpick, made monolithic in the form of an elongated scapula of white dental materials and not exerting an aggressive effect, including a handle with a reservoir having a shell and toothpaste with an anti-infectious substance, an elongated bayonet with a working end 1-4 mm wide, the surface of which is covered a porous layer with a thickness of not more than 1.5 mm with a rough surface, and a blind internal channel connecting the cavity of the reservoir with the porous material consists in the fact that the toothpick is intact the lump is made of edible materials, the handle is hollow in the form of a rectangular straw with a rough outer surface, a reservoir with an inner shell and abrasive toothpaste with antiseptic activity is placed in the cavity of the handle, at a temperature of + 5- + 37 ° C the walls of the handle, the tank and the shell they have the ability to compress and push the paste out under the pressure of the astronaut’s fingers, the paste has flow properties, the reservoir and the channel are filled with the whole paste, the channel has a diameter of 0.5-1 mm, opens in gray the end of the bayonet, the inner surface of the channel is covered with a shell, the inner surface of the shell of the tank and the channel is covered with material with water-repellent activity, the free end of the channel is closed by a tightly bursting film made of the shell, the bayonet is made at an angle to the handle 140-160 ° with a left or right bend .

Performing a toothpick entirely from edible materials ensures its edibility and safety when swallowed by an astronaut. In this case, a toothpick is a type of elastic food product such as pasta, inside which is placed an edible paste, and the product can be chewed safely. Therefore, after using such a toothpick, the astronaut chews it and swallows along with the used paste and with plaque removed. To facilitate the act of chewing and swallowing, the astronaut can wash a toothpick with water when chewing it. In this regard, the implementation of a toothpick from edible material increases efficiency and safety, since it eliminates the appearance of household garbage in the air of a spacecraft and eliminates cross-infection of astronauts by microflora from each other.

In addition, the implementation of the handle hollow in the form of a rectangular straw with a rough outer surface increases the friction force and the reliability of holding the handle between the fingers of the astronaut’s fingers while using a toothpick to clean a selected tooth surface, eliminates uncontrolled axial rotation of the handle. This ensures the accuracy of applying the working part of the toothpick bayonet to the selected surface, which allows the claimed device to be used by astronauts with increased sensitivity to conventional toothpicks, as well as with increased bleeding gums and with a predisposition to periodontal disease.

The implementation of the handle with a tank placed in its cavity with an inner shell and with abrasive toothpaste with antiseptic activity from materials that, at a temperature of +5 - + 37 ° C, provide the paste with flow properties, the wall of the handle, the reservoir and the shell, the ability to compress and push the paste out under pressure of the astronaut’s fingers, the declared toothpick ensures the semi-automatic and timely appearance of toothpaste on the working surface of the bayonet, and the presence of paste with abrasive and antiseptic activity espechivaet high efficiency of removal and decontamination of dental plaque. The high efficiency of removing plaque from the tooth surface is ensured in the claimed device by the presence of abrasive toothpaste with antiseptic activity. At the same time, thanks to the compressible reservoir, the abrasive toothpaste is squeezed out by those fingers of the astronaut's hand with which he holds the toothpick. Therefore, the astronaut’s second hand remains free. Thanks to this, he can use his free hand to securely fix his body in the space inside the spacecraft’s cabin, which in zero gravity conditions prevents unnecessary movement of the astronaut’s body, trauma, damage to the soft tissues of the astronaut’s body with hard blunt objects and bruising.

Due to filling the entire tank and the channel with the paste, making the channel with a diameter of 0.5-1 mm, the presence of a gas bubble inside them is eliminated and the paste is pulled out easily and reliably when the tank is pressed by the fingers of the astronaut's hands.

Due to the presence of a shell with water-repellent activity inside the tank and channel, as well as due to the deaf channel, premature interaction of toothpaste with the walls of the toothpick is excluded. This ensures high efficiency of the device.

Due to the implementation of the channel with a diameter of 0.5-1 mm, functional suitability is ensured, on the other hand, sufficient strength of the device, since with a smaller channel diameter the toothpaste is extruded at a temperature of + 5 ° C under very high pressure, which cannot be created by the fingers of women and children, and with a larger diameter of the canal, the floss of the toothpick wall becomes excessively thin and brittle.

Performing a toothpick with a channel opening in the middle of the end part of the bayonet ensures reliable extrusion of friction toothpaste “to the right place”. This minimizes the consumption of paste and its presence in the device.

The implementation of the channel with a free end, tightly closed by a bursting film made of a shell with a water-repellent inner surface, ensures the reliability of the device and its functional suitability when squeezing the handle in the tank area with the fingers of the astronaut's hands.

The execution of the bayonet at an angle to the handle 140-160 ° with a left or right bend provides high efficiency cleaning the outer and inner surfaces of the teeth of the right and left half of the jaw, regardless of whether the astronaut is right-handed or left-handed.

The claimed temperature range is most likely for emergency use of toothpicks in a spaceship, since toothpastes are stored at temperatures above + 5 ° C, and the temperature of the astronaut's fingers does not normally exceed + 37 ° C.

The drawing shows Figure 1.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a disposable edible toothpick for astronauts: a general view.

The claimed device is a modified elongated scapula-stick, consists of a handle 1, a reservoir 2, a channel 3, a free end of a channel closed by a bursting film 4, an elongated bayonet of a scapula-5 with a right or left bend 6 and abrasive toothpaste 7.

The device is used as follows.

Choose a toothpick with the “right” size of the working end and its “right” bend, depending on whether the astronaut is right-handed or left-handed and where the tooth surface chosen for cleaning is located: in the upper or lower jaw, as well as in the right or in the jaw her left half. The handle 1 of the toothpick is taken with the fingers of the hands in the same way as the pen is taken, the working end of the device is directed outward from the hand, the toothpick is rotated around its longitudinal axis until the working end of the toothpick comes into contact with the selected surface in the oral cavity. After that, the pressure exerted by the fingers on the toothpick handle in the reservoir area is increased until the toothpaste appears on the edge of the working end and this edge is brought into close contact with the selected tooth surface. Then, the end edge of the working end, which is the free slot of the stick, begins to carefully wipe the tooth surface, changing the angle of inclination and the vector of reciprocating movements and controlling the effectiveness of removing plaque from a selected area on the eye. After completing the hygiene procedure, the entire toothpick is chewed with a portion of squeezed toothpaste and plaque removed and swallowed with water.

The use of a disposable edible toothpick eliminates the appearance of household garbage in the spaceship, cross-infection of astronauts with dental microflora from each other, improves the quality and aesthetic result of oral hygiene, regardless of whether a right-handed or left-handed astronaut.

At the same time, a toothpick is a portable device, it can have different sizes of the width of its free slot, it is a stick made with a right or left bend, therefore it can be represented by a portable set that can be placed in an everyday bag for personal hygiene of a right-handed or left-handed person, respectively. The use of a toothpick, the working part of which is made in the form of a club with a right or left bend and with a channel opening in the center of the slot, ensuring the appearance of abrasive toothpaste in the “right place” and at the “right” moment provides high cleaning efficiency of the front and back surfaces of the teeth, excludes mechanical irritation, damage to tooth enamel, gums, cheeks and dental structures. All this extends the scope of application, increases the efficiency, safety, accuracy, speed and usability of the device, which is a portable elastic disposable and edible spatula with a self-lubricating friction toothpaste bayonet.

Claims (1)

Disposable edible toothpick made of a monolithic in the form of an elongated scapula of white dental materials and not exerting an aggressive effect, including a handle with a reservoir having a shell and toothpaste with an anti-infectious substance, an elongated bayonet with a working end 1-4 mm wide, the surface of which is covered with porous a layer with a thickness of not more than 1.5 mm with a rough surface, and a blind internal channel connecting the cavity of the tank with a porous material, characterized in that the toothpick is completely weathered it is made of edible materials, the handle is hollow in the form of a rectangular straw with a rough outer surface, a tank with an inner shell and abrasive toothpaste with antiseptic activity is placed in the cavity of the handle, at a temperature of +5 - + 37 ° C the walls of the handle, the tank and the shell have the ability to squeeze and push the paste out under the pressure of the astronaut’s fingers, the paste has flow properties, the reservoir and the channel are filled with the whole paste, the channel has a diameter of 0.5-1 mm, the torus opens in the middle Eve bayonet part, the inner surface of the channel is covered with a shell, the inner surface of the tank shell and the channel is covered with a material with a water repellent activity, free end of the duct is closed tightly bursting film formed of a shell formed a bayonet handle at an angle to 140-160 ° left or right bend.

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