WO2006087927A1

WO2006087927A1 - Ion injection toothbrush

Info

Publication number: WO2006087927A1
Application number: PCT/JP2006/301890
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yasuhiro Sato; Tomohiro Kunita; Toyokatsu Okamoto; Yasuhiro Kishigami; Makoto Haga
Original assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.; Tokyo University Of Science Educational Foundation Administrative Organization
Priority date: 2005-02-15
Filing date: 2006-02-03
Publication date: 2006-08-24
Also published as: JP2006223369A

Abstract

An ion injection toothbrush exhibiting significant injection effect of fluorine ions on the surface of the teeth. The toothbrush comprises a handle provided with a grip electrode touching the hand of a user, and a brush head having an electrically conductive portion. A power supply supplying a current is provided between the grip electrode and the brush head and charges them with reverse polarities. The power supply is arranged to generate a pulse current. Since the teeth of the user are charged periodically and unwanted polarization in the teeth is reduced, quantity of fluorine ions being introduced onto the surface of the teeth is increased and prevention effect of caries is enhanced.

Description

Specification

Ion implantation toothbrush

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ion-implanted toothbrush for effectively introducing fluorine ions into a tooth.

Background art

[0002] An ion-implanted toothbrush disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-80324 is used together with a dentifrice to prevent caries by injecting fluorine ions into a tooth. This toothbrush is equipped with a grip electrode on the handle, which charges the user's teeth to the positive pole when in contact with the user's hand. The brush provided at one end of the handle is negatively charged and sends out fluorine ions toward the positively charged tooth for injection. This toothbrush is provided with a power supply for supplying a constant current, and the grip electrode and the brush are always charged. However, it is recognized that such a toothbrush cannot efficiently introduce fluorine ions into the tooth due to intra-dental polarization generated on the tooth surface due to the penetration of fluorine ions. Such intra-dental polarization acts to generate the next fluorion and limits the amount of fluorine ions accumulated in the tooth surface.

Disclosure of the invention

[0003] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, and is to provide a high ion implantation type toothbrush having an effect of introducing fluorine ions into teeth. The ion implantation type toothbrush according to the present invention includes a handle having a grip electrode that comes into contact with a user's hand and a brush head having a conductive portion. A power supply for supplying a current between the grip electrode and the brush head is provided to charge the grip electrode and the brush head with opposite polarities. A feature of the present invention is that a power source that generates a Nors current as a current is provided. For this reason, the user's teeth are periodically charged, and the amount of fluorine ions captured in the tooth surface is increased by reducing undesirable intra-polarization, thereby preventing caries. Can be improved. [0004] Preferably, the power supply can significantly reduce the endodontic polarization by generating the above-described pulse current having a pulse width longer than a pause period between pulses. Most preferably, the power supply is configured to generate a square wave pulse current having a pulse width of about 1. Oms and a rest period of about 0.1ms. Furthermore, it is possible to configure the power supply so as to temporarily reverse the polarity of the pulse current to effectively reduce the intradental polarization and promote the introduction of fluorine ions into the tooth.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an ion implantation type toothbrush according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram of current generated by the above toothbrush.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing test results regarding the amount of fluorine introduced into the teeth.

FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram showing another current that can be used in the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an ion implantation type toothbrush according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The toothbrush includes a handle 10 and a brush head 20 formed at the front end of the handle. The handle 10 is provided with a cylindrical grip electrode 12 that surrounds the rear end of the handle. The brush head 20 holds a plurality of bristle mosquito brushes, which include conductive bristle 22. The handle 10 is provided with a battery and supplies an operating voltage to a power source composed of a pulse generator 42 and a pulse controller 44.

[0007] When receiving the operating voltage, the noise generator 42 generates a pulse voltage, and the pulse controller 44 shapes the pulse voltage to interpose the rest period R as shown in FIG. Convert to a series of intermittent rectangular pulses. The output voltage of the pulse controller 44 is applied between the grip electrode 12 and the conductive bristle 22, charging the grip electrode positive and bristle 22 negative, charging the user's teeth with the handle 10. Let

[0008] As a result, the pulse current flows from the bristle 22 to the gripping electrode through the user's teeth, human body, and hand to the grip electrode. A pulse current flows toward the tooth. For this reason, fluorine ions supplied from the fluorine compound dentifrice into the user's mouth are repelled from the bristle 22 and injected into the tooth surface. Pulse voltage is 1-5 volts, preferably 3 volts, pulse width W is given in about 1.0 milliseconds and rest period R is given in 0.1 milliseconds. For this reason, the pulse controller 44 has a duty ratio control for setting the above-mentioned pulse width and rest period.

[0009] By providing a rest period, it is expected that depolarization will occur within the tooth surface, and this should occur during the period of pulse application and inhibit further introduction of fluorine ions. It cancels out the in-tooth polarization and allows more fluoride ions to be accepted in the tooth surface.

[0010] This depolarization effect can be confirmed by the test result force in FIG. This test was performed using patient-extracted teeth. Three teeth were immersed in a 4% aqueous solution of sodium fluoride, each tooth was connected to the anode, and a cathode was placed in the solution. A current of about 3 volts was passed between the anode and cathode for about 1 hour, corresponding to the total daily brushing time for 30 days. One tooth (T1) gives a continuous current, the other tooth (T2) gives a rectangular pulse with a pulse width of 10 milliseconds and a rest period of 10 milliseconds, and the remaining tooth (T3). A rectangular pulse with a pulse width of 1 millisecond and a rest period of 0.1 millisecond was given. Thereafter, measurement by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) was performed to determine the amount of fluorine on the surface of each tooth (ratio of fluorine atoms to the total number of atoms in the analysis region). As can be seen in Fig. 3, the test force of the tooth (T1) treated with a continuous current is 3 atomic% and no force is recognized, but the tooth treated with a pulse current (T2, Τ3) is more. Of fluorine, that is, 8 atomic% and 24 atomic% were observed. In particular, for the tooth (Τ3), a better fluorine uptake effect is observed. Therefore, this test result suggests that the rest period effectively causes depolarization to allow more fluorine ions to be introduced into the tooth surface, and 1 millisecond It can be inferred that a rest period of 0.1 millisecond relative to the pulse width is the most effective for capturing a large amount of fluorine ions. In addition, a short pulse width of about 1 millisecond should minimize intradental polarization, and a short rest period of about 0.1 millisecond should be sufficient to cause depolarization within the tooth surface. Inferred.

[0011] However, the present invention can use other appropriate numerical values other than those in which the pulse width and the pause period are limited to these limited numerical values. Preferably, the Knoll width is 0 5 to 2 milliseconds, rest period is 0.05 to 0.2 milliseconds.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, depolarization may be promoted by temporarily inverting the polarity of the pulse current, that is, by periodically inverting one of the pulse trains. !

In the above-described embodiment, generation of a rectangular wave pulse has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and trapezoidal pulses and other pulses can also be used. Further, a ratio other than that disclosed herein can be used for the ratio between the pulse width and the rest period.

[0014] Furthermore, as for the brush head, a part of the brush head that can be accommodated in the user's oral cavity can be used instead of the conductive prism if it repels the fluorine ions and injects it into the tooth surface. It is also possible to configure to include a conductive member.

Claims

The scope of the claims

[1] Ion implanted toothbrush with the following configuration

A handle with a grip electrode in contact with the user's hand,

A brush head having a conductive member;

A power source for charging these electrodes with opposite polarity by passing a current between the grip electrode and the brush head;

The power source was configured to flow the current as a pulse current.

[2] In the ion-implanted toothbrush according to claim 1,

The power source was configured to generate the pulse current having a pulse width longer than the pause period between pulses.

[3] In the ion-implanted toothbrush according to claim 2,

The power supply was configured to generate a rectangular pulsed current with a pulse width of approximately 1. Oms and a rest period of approximately 0.1ms.

[4] In the ion-implanted toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

The power source was configured to temporarily reverse the polarity of the pulse current.