Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for detecting an oral condition of a subject during an oral treatment procedure. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to systems and methods that employ an oral care device configured to induce thermal changes over a target region within a subject's oral cavity during an oral treatment procedure, and then thermally detect one or more oral conditions without stopping the oral treatment procedure. In embodiments, the oral care system includes an oral care device comprising a temperature change element and a temperature sensing element, both disposed at least partially within a head portion of the oral care device that is configured to be received in the subject's oral cavity.

Abstract: Proposed is a head component for an oral hygiene product for cleaning teeth by emitting a cleaning fluid. The head component comprises a nozzle configured, in use, to emit a burst of cleaning fluid to the teeth of user via a fluid outlet located at the end of the first nozzle. The nozzle is configured to be moveable by emitting the burst of cleaning fluid to rotate the fluid outlet from a resting position to a different, cleaning position.

Abstract: A fluid based tooth cleaning system includes a holdable body configured to be coupled to a head, a fluid delivery unit configured to be coupled to a nozzle within the head for emitting fluid, at least one sensor configured to provide information relating to the head with respect to a user's teeth, wherein the at least one sensor has a movement sensor for determining velocity information relating to a velocity of the head with respect to the user's teeth, and a control unit configured to utilize the velocity information from the movement sensor to enable the fluid delivery unit to emit fluid from the nozzle onto the user's teeth, and stop the fluid delivery unit from emitting fluid from the nozzle when a velocity of the head is greater than a first threshold level and/or is less than a second threshold level.

Abstract: A mouthpiece device for oral cleaning with a dedicated mechanical structure (termed an anchoring member) for providing a support onto which the user can hold fast their jaw in order to anchor the non-moving part of the mouthpiece to the reference frame of the jaw, such that the moving part of the mouthpiece (which carries cleaning elements) moves in an approximately predictable way relative to the upper and lower rows of teeth. The anchoring member is supported mechanically in such a way that it is moveable relative to the part of the mouthpiece which carries the cleaning elements in a transverse direction (that is, in a direction approximately parallel with the plane of the mouthpiece), so as to permit, in use, the mouthpiece portion to be moved sideways in the mouth to reach all teeth.

Abstract: An oral care system for sensing blood in an oral cavity and in gum tissue. The sensing is performed magnetically using a magnetic field source (16) and magnetic sensing arrangement (18) incorporated into a cleaning or treatment portion of an oral care device (e.g. a brush head of a toothbrush or mouthpiece part of a brushing mouthpiece device). The field source generates (16) a reference field and the sensing arrangement (18) is arranged to sense the field strength of the reference field at one or more spatial points. Since blood is magnetic, when brought into the reference field, it magnetically interacts with the field, which may alter field strength, field shape, or flux distribution. This enables presence of blood to be detected. It also allows for detecting specific oral features or disease states associated with presence of blood or abnormal amounts or concentrations of blood. For example, this can be based on application of detection criteria which relate to one or more properties of the sensed field.

Abstract: An oral cleaning arrangement for an oral care device permitting pivoting of a cleaning element unit having at least two groups of cleaning elements defining different respective spatial/geometric arrangements/patterns, such that both groups of cleaning elements may be angled in such a way that they can be applied simultaneously to a tooth surface to be cleaned.

Abstract: A Plasma Activated Water (PAW) generating device (20) which includes an integrated water demineralizer (24), configured for plasma-activating water demineralized by the integrated water demineralizer (24). wherein the water plasma-activation means (26) is arranged for plasma-activating water demineralized by the water demineralization means (24).

Abstract: The invention provides a mouthpiece for dental cleaning system and the dental cleaning system itself. The mouthpiece has a base and inner and outer arches. An actuator is for applying motion to the inner arch and/or the outer arch, relative to the base. A coupling arrangement converts motion of one of the inner and outer arches in one direction relative to the base to motion in an opposite direction relative to the base of the other of the inner and outer arches. By forming the mouthpiece as a central stationary base enveloped by two contour-following and moving arches, an anti-phase brushing motion at opposite tooth sites along the tooth arch is enabled, giving increased reach toward the molars as well as a reduction in device vibration in the mouth.

Abstract: A system for oral irrigation comprises a fluid delivery tube with a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is configured to receive fluids for oral irrigation. The system also comprises a nozzle at the distal end of the fluid delivery tube with an aperture for fluid delivery. The nozzle is configured to at least partially obstruct the flow of fluid from the fluid delivery tube through the nozzle when the aperture is in contact with a tooth relative to when the aperture is away from said contact. A pump is configured to pump fluids through the fluid delivery tube based on a pump configuration and a sensor is used for sensing a pressure or flow rate in the fluid delivery tube. A controller is configured to detect whether the nozzle is in an interdental space based on the sensor detecting a pressure drop or a flow rate increase in the fluid delivery tube and adjust the pump configuration based on the nozzle being in an interdental space.

Abstract: Provided is a brush head for an oral cleaning device for cleaning teeth with a combination of brushing and emitting of a cleaning agent. The brush head comprises a bristle set for brushing the teeth and a nozzle for emitting the cleaning agent. When actuating the bristle set from a first configuration, which is optimized for brushing, to a second configuration, which is optimized for emitting of a cleaning agent, at least a part of the bristle 5 set is moved away from the nozzle and/or away from a path of the cleaning agent when being emitted from an orifice of the nozzle.

Abstract: A cleaning device (10) comprising: a body portion (12); a nozzle member (14) mounted on the body portion and comprising a nozzle head (16), wherein the nozzle member is configured to allow passage of liquid and/or air from a reservoir in the body to the nozzle head; and an orifice (40) in the nozzle head configured to allow the liquid and/or air to exit the nozzle head, wherein the orifice is configured to shape the exiting liquid and/or air into at least one liquid sheet having a length greater than a width at a target cleaning distance.

Abstract: There is provided a controller for use with an oral care device; wherein the controller is configured to estimate the location of the oral care device relative to an interdental space in a mouth using predetermined data and current use data, the current use data relating to at least one of: actions of the user during use of the oral care device, operations of the oral care device; and generate a control signal based on the outcome of the estimation. There is also provided an oral care system and a kit of parts, and a computer implemented method for an oral care device.

Abstract: A personal care device (12) comprising an RF signal generator (32) for generating RF-frequency electromagnetic emissions for a cleaning or treatment function. The RF emissions may be output from a set of two or more RF electrodes (22) (e.g. electrodes) upon stimulation with an RF drive signal in a frequency range from 3 kHz to 30 GHz from an RF signal generator. The device further includes a controller (34) for detect a degraded functional state of the RF electrodes (22) via monitoring changes or variations in one or more electrical characteristics of the RF signal generator (32), e.g. drift in one or more electrical characteristics from reference factory levels, or sudden changes in the characteristics, indicating a short-circuit.

Abstract: A tooth arch receiving element has an arch formed of a conformable structure for receiving the teeth of a user. An actuator is used to increase the rigidity of the conformable structure after it has been shaped to correspond to a shape of a tooth arch of a subject during an arch fitting stage.

Abstract: A shielding barrier (32) is carried by one or more electrodes (22) of a cleaning and/or treatment unit (12) for an oral care device, and arranged for interposing contact of an exposed conductive portion (25) of the electrodes (22) by other components or external objects. The shielding barrier is arranged such that the exposed conductive portion is still at least partially open to the environment surrounding the electrodes (22).

Abstract: A shielding barrier (32) is carried by one or more electrodes (22) of a cleaning and/or treatment unit (12) for an oral care device, and arranged for interposing contact of an exposed conductive portion (25) of the electrodes (22) by other components or external objects. The shielding barrier is arranged such that the exposed conductive portion is still at least partially open to the environment surrounding the electrodes (22).

Abstract: Gag reflex when a mouthpiece of an oral care device contacts the posterior oral cavity is reduced by provision of a projection on the handpiece that contacts the user's skin in such a way that gag reflex is reduced or eliminated due to stimulation of nerves in the user's face. In an embodiment, the projection has a tip that contacts the user's face on or near the groove between the lower lip and the chin, exerting mechanical pressure, vibration, or electrical stimulation, which stimulates nerves to reduce the gag reflex.

Abstract: A personal care device (12) comprising an RF signal generator (32) for generating RF-frequency electromagnetic emissions for a cleaning or treatment function. The RF emissions may be output from a set of two or more RF electrodes (22) (e.g. electrodes) upon stimulation with an RF drive signal in a frequency range from 3 kHz to 30 GHz from an RF signal generator. The device further includes a controller (34) for detect a degraded functional state of the RF electrodes (22) via monitoring changes or variations in one or more electrical characteristics of the RF signal generator (32), e.g. drift in one or more electrical characteristics from reference factory levels, or sudden changes in the characteristics, indicating a short-circuit.

Abstract: A system for oral irrigation comprises a fluid delivery tube with a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is configured to receive fluids for oral irrigation. The system also comprises a nozzle at the distal end of the fluid delivery tube with an aperture for fluid delivery. The nozzle is configured to at least partially obstruct the flow of fluid from the fluid delivery tube through the nozzle when the aperture is in contact with a tooth relative to when the aperture is away from said contact. A pump is configured to pump fluids through the fluid delivery tube based on a pump configuration and a sensor is used for sensing a pressure or flow rate in the fluid delivery tube. A controller is configured to detect whether the nozzle is in an interdental space based on the sensor detecting a pressure drop or a flow rate increase in the fluid delivery tube and adjust the pump configuration based on the nozzle being in an interdental space.

Abstract: A subgingival cleaning system (10) for cleaning a subgingival region such as a periodontal pocket is disclosed. The system comprises a liquid flow source (60) for producing a liquid flow and a gas flow source (70) for producing a gas flow. Each of the liquid flow source and the gas flow source are coupled to a nozzle arrangement (40) arranged to be aimed at a subgingival region to be cleaned, the nozzle arrangement comprising at least one nozzle (41, 42, 43). The system is configured to produce a fluid stream comprising a series of liquid pulses from said liquid flow source, said liquid pulses each having a duration of 5-100 ms, preferably 8-40 ms, with an interval of 1-50 ms, preferably 2-10 ms, between subsequent liquid pulses; and a gas flow from said gas flow source at least partially filling said intervals. Also disclosed is a nozzle arrangement for forming such a subgingival cleaning system.