Abstract
The present invention relates to a mouth cleaning device using incoming fluid, a mouth cleaning system comprising such device and a method for using the mouth cleaning device. The mouth cleaning device comprises: a housing extending in a longitudinal direction comprising: an incoming fluid inlet; an outgoing fluid outlet; a cleaning head with an incoming fluid outlet and an outgoing fluid inlet; and a cleaning head connector configured for connecting the cleaning head to the housing, and the cleaning head connector comprising an incoming fluid channel configured for operatively connecting the incoming fluid inlet and incoming fluid outlet, and an outgoing fluid channel configured for operatively connecting the outgoing fluid inlet and outgoing fluid outlet, wherein the cleaning head connector comprises an incoming fluid connection and an outgoing fluid connection that are provided at a connection distance in the longitudinal direction of the housing.
Claims
1. A mouth cleaning device comprising: a housing extending in a longitudinal direction comprising: a incoming fluid inlet; a outgoing fluid outlet; a cleaning head with an incoming fluid outlet and an outgoing fluid inlet; and a cleaning head connector configured for connecting the cleaning head to the housing, and the cleaning head connector comprising an incoming fluid channel configured for operatively connecting the incoming fluid inlet and incoming fluid outlet, and an outgoing fluid channel configured for operatively connecting the outgoing fluid inlet and outgoing fluid outlet, wherein the cleaning head connector comprises an incoming fluid connection and an outgoing fluid connection that are provided at a connection distance in the longitudinal direction of the housing.
2. The mouth cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising a filter.
3. The mouth cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the filter is provided in or attached to the cleaning head connector.
4. The mouth cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the connection between the housing and the cleaning head connector comprises a housing contact surface in contact with a connector contact surface.
5. The mouth cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the incoming fluid connection of the cleaning head connector comprising a Luer lock coupling.
6. The mouth cleaning device according to claim 5, wherein the outgoing fluid connection of the cleaning head connector comprising a Luer lock coupling.
7. The mouth cleaning device according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning head connector comprises a closing ring that is configured to provide sufficient force for the Luer lock coupling in an operative state of the device.
8. The mouth cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a head incoming fluid conduit is a disposable conduit.
9. The mouth cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the outgoing fluid channel substantially surrounds the head incoming fluid conduit.
10. The mouth cleaning device according to claim 9, wherein the head outgoing fluid channel is at least partially transparent.
11. The mouth cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured for controlling the flow or flows through the device.
12. A mouth cleaning system comprising: a mouth cleaning device comprising: a housing extending in a longitudinal direction comprising: an incoming fluid inlet; and and outgoing fluid outlet; a cleaning head with an incoming fluid outlet and an outgoing fluid inlet; and a cleaning head connector configured for connecting the cleaning head to the housing, and the cleaning head connector comprising an incoming fluid channel configured for operatively connecting the incoming fluid inlet and incoming fluid outlet, and an outgoing fluid channel configured for operatively connecting the outgoing fluid inlet and outgoing fluid outlet, wherein the cleaning head connector comprises an incoming fluid connection and an outgoing fluid connection that are provided at a connection distance in the longitudinal direction of the housing; and a base station configured for receiving the mouth cleaning device.
13. The mouth cleaning system according to claim 12, further comprising an incoming fluid reservoir and an outcoming fluid reservoir.
14. The mouth cleaning system according to claim 12, further comprising a sensor, preferably a temperature sensor, a contamination level sensor, and/or a flow rate sensor.
15. The mouth cleaning system according to claim 13, wherein the mouth cleaning system comprises a periodontal cleaning system.
16. A method for operating a mouth cleaning device according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: providing a mouth cleaning device; and operating the mouth cleaning device.
Description
[0057] Advantages, features and details of the invention are elucidated on the basis of preferred embodiments thereof, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0058] FIGS. 1 A-B show a perspective view of an example of a device according to the invention;
[0059] FIGS. 2 A-2D show side views of the example of FIG. 1;
[0060] FIGS. 2 E-2F show top views of the example of FIG. 1;
[0061] FIGS. 3 A-B show a detailed view of the cleaning head, housing and cleaning head connector of the example of the device of FIG. 1;
[0062] FIG. 4 shows a partial cross-section of the example of the device of FIG. 1;
[0063] FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-section of the example of the device of FIG. 1 without the cleaning head;
[0064] FIG. 6 shows an example of a system according to the invention; and
[0065] FIG. 7 shows an example of a mouth cleaning system according to the invention.
[0066] An example of mouth cleaning device 2 (see FIGS. 1-3) comprises housing 4 that extends in a longitudinal direction A over a length, and further comprises cleaning head 12 that at a lower end thereof is operatively connectable to an end portion of housing 4. Housing 4 comprises housing incoming fluid inlet 6 and housing outgoing fluid outlet 8, which in this example of housing 4 are both positioned near, or in this case in, lower outer end 10 of housing 4. In the illustrated embodiment housing incoming fluid inlet 6 and housing outgoing fluid outlet 8 are connectable to respectively a incoming fluid container for containing incoming fluid to be used in mouth cleaning and a outgoing fluid container for receiving outgoing fluid from the mouth cleaning. Such a connection may be formed for example by means of a click-lock connection or a screw connection. In this example, the housing incoming fluid inlet 6 and housing outgoing fluid outlet 8 are connectable to the respective containers via (separate) conduits (not shown). Cleaning head 12 further comprises head incoming fluid conduit 34, which in this embodiment is preferably a disposable conduit 34 that partially extends from top part or tip 13 of cleaning head 12. In use, head incoming fluid conduit 34 is mostly positioned in cleaning head 12 and extends substantially centrally therein, with only a part 34a optionally extending outside top part 13 of cleaning head. Mouth cleaning device 2 further comprises cleaning head connector 14 that connects cleaning head 12 and housing 4 with each other. Housing 4 further comprises housing incoming fluid outlet 66 and housing outgoing fluid inlet 70. Head incoming fluid conduit 34 is operatively or even directly (releasable) connectable to housing incoming fluid outlet 66, such that incoming fluid from a incoming fluid container is guidable via housing incoming fluid inlet 6 via a conduit in housing 4 (not shown), housing incoming fluid outlet 66 and head incoming fluid conduit 34 to a person's mouth. In the presently preferred embodiment mouth cleaning device comprises nozzle 18 (illustrated in FIGS. 3 A-B), preferably made of a silicon material.
[0067] Side views of mouth cleaning device 2 (FIGS. 2A-2D) show housing 4, cleaning head 12 and cleaning head connector 14 in more detail. Specifically, FIGS. 2A-2D shows that in the illustrated embodiment top part 13 of cleaning head 12 is positioned under a slight angle with respect to a central axis (extending in direction A) of device 2. This improves the handling and positioning of device 2. This also means that head incoming fluid conduit 34 emanates from top part 13 of cleaning 12 under an angle, which is also shown from a top view (FIG. 2E). Housing 4 (without connector 14 and cleaning head 12 attached to it) is also shown from a top view (FIG. 2F). It is clearly visible that housing incoming fluid outlet 66 and housing outgoing fluid inlet 70 are provided at upper outer end 9 of mouth cleaning device 2. Also visible is that, with respect to central axis A, housing outgoing fluid inlet 70 is positioned radially more outward than incoming fluid outlet 66 of housing 4. It is noted that housing incoming fluid outlet 66 is provided higher with respect to housing 4 than housing outgoing fluid inlet 70. This configuration provides for a fluidly disconnected and spatially separated configuration of the incoming fluid flow and the outgoing fluid flow. Preferably, the incoming fluid flow is provided more centrally and the outgoing fluid flow is (partly) surrounding the fluid flow. This provides additional protection for the incoming fluid flow. In the illustrated embodiments the design is such that there are no abrupt or big shape changes such that the accumulation of dirt is avoided and cleaning of the mouth cleaning device is made easier.
[0068] Mouth cleaning device 2 further comprises closing ring 32, which is shown in more detail in FIG. 3A. Closing ring 32 can be screwed between connector edge 42 of cleaning head connector 14 and housing threading 44 of housing 4 to provide an extra secure connection between connector 14 and housing 4, thereby preventing leaking. Further denoted in FIG. 3A are distances D3 and D4, which provide that the connection between housing 4 and cleaning head connector 14 is even more stable and fluid-tight. FIG. 3B shows mouth cleaning device 2 with the parts of FIG. 3A attached to each other. Mouth cleaning device 2 further comprises nozzle 18, which is connectable to top part 13 of cleaning head 12. Nozzle 18 comprises a connection with end part 34a of incoming fluid conduit 34 as well as a connection with outgoing fluid conduit 36 that extends parallel and concentric with conduit 34 within cleaning head 12.
[0069] Cleaning head 12 (FIG. 4) is provided with a head incoming fluid conduit 34 and a head outgoing fluid conduit 36 which is concentric with (and thus substantially surrounds) head incoming fluid conduit 34. Head incoming fluid conduit 34 extends from head cleaning inlet 76 to head incoming fluid outlet 16 and head outgoing fluid conduit 36 extends from head outgoing fluid inlet 18a to head outgoing fluid outlet 84. Incoming fluid connection 24 is the connection between housing incoming fluid outlet 66 and head incoming fluid inlet 76. In this embodiment incoming fluid connection 24 is a Luer lock connection. Outgoing fluid connection 26 is the connection between head outgoing fluid outlet 84 and housing outgoing fluid inlet 70. Filter 28 is provided near cleaning head connector 14. Connections 24, 26 are provided at a relative distance referred to as connection distance D. Connection distance D is the distance measured in longitudinal direction A between housing incoming fluid outlet 66 and housing outgoing fluid inlet 70. Connection distance D establishes that the incoming fluid flow and the outgoing fluid flow become separate flows that are substantially not fluidly connected to each other, such that fouling of the incoming fluid flow is prevented. In the illustrated embodiment head cleaning conduit 34 is provided in incoming fluid connection 24. Alternatively, it is possible that another connection is provided such that incoming fluid conduit 34 is connected to incoming fluid channel 20 with a Luer lock coupling.
[0070] In the illustrated embodiment cleaning head connector 14 (FIG. 5) further comprises cleaning channel 20 extending from connector incoming fluid inlet 60 to connector incoming fluid outlet 62, and further comprises outgoing fluid channel 22 extending from connector outgoing fluid inlet 63 to connector outgoing fluid outlet 64. Head incoming fluid conduit 34 extends at least partially within cleaning channel 20 of cleaning head connector 14 to create a fluidly tight connection that prevents ingress of outgoing fluid from outgoing fluid channel 36. Therewith an additional safeguard against fouling of incoming fluid is prevented. Cleaning channel 20 has a longer length measured in longitudinal direction A than outgoing fluid channel 22. This provides that connector connection distance D2 (FIG. 4) is longer than connection distance D.
[0071] Mouth cleaning system 100 (FIG. 6) comprises mouth cleaning device 2 connected to incoming fluid reservoir 102 and outgoing fluid reservoir 104 by conduits 103, 105 respectively. Sensor 40a is provided near or in end portion 10 of mouth cleaning device 2 for measuring the flow rate of the incoming fluid and outgoing fluid (see FIG. 7). Mouth cleaning system 100 further includes drive 106 for pumping incoming fluid to nozzle 18 and sucking outgoing fluid from nozzle 18. In mouth cleaning system 100, drive 106 is preferably embodied as a pump (see FIG. 7). Drive 106 is controlled by controller or control unit 38, for controlling the flow rate of the incoming fluid and outgoing fluid. Controller 38 can regulate drive 106 such that for example the supply of incoming fluid and the suction of outgoing fluid are continuous during use, or in an alternative embodiment such that the supply pulse and the suction pulse are at predetermined intervals. In some embodiments controller 38 provides a pausing period between a supply pulse and a suction pulse, for example in the range of 150-500 ms. Furthermore, housing 108 may further also comprise a number of sensors 40b-40d, which may be flow sensors, contamination sensors, fluid level sensors and/or temperature sensors. Sensors 40b-40d are in this example positioned in housing 108 of mouth cleaning system 100 (see FIG. 7), yet may also be (additionally) positioned in reservoirs 102, 104 and/or conduits 103, 105 of mouth cleaning system 100.
[0072] In use, incoming fluid in mouth cleaning system 2 flows from incoming fluid reservoir 102 subsequently through housing incoming fluid inlet 6, housing incoming fluid conduit 68, housing incoming fluid outlet 66, connector incoming fluid inlet 60, incoming fluid channel 20, connector incoming fluid outlet 62, head incoming fluid inlet 76, head incoming fluid conduit 34 and head incoming fluid outlet 16 into a persons mouth. The outgoing fluid subsequently flows from head outgoing fluid inlet 18a through head outgoing fluid conduit 36, head outgoing fluid outlet 84, connector outgoing fluid inlet 63, outgoing fluid channel 22, connector outgoing fluid outlet 64, housing outgoing fluid inlet 70, housing outgoing fluid conduit 74, housing outgoing fluid outlet 8 to outgoing fluid reservoir 104.
[0073] In an embodiment according to the invention mouth cleaning device 2 is used to perform a mouth cleaning action. A user of the device, the operator, starts cleaning a persons mouth by providing incoming fluid from the housing incoming fluid inlet 6 to head incoming fluid outlet 16. At the same time outgoing fluid from the persons mouth is sucked in via head outgoing fluid inlet 18a to housing outgoing fluid outlet 8. After the mouth cleaning action, the operator releases closing ring 32 by screwing it off to de-attach cleaning head 12 from housing 4 and subsequently changes the used head incoming fluid conduit 34 for a new one. This is made possible due to the fact that cleaning head 12 is de-attached from housing 4 and head incoming fluid conduit 34 can thus be removed from cleaning head connector 14. After insertion of new incoming fluid conduit 34, cleaning head 12 can be attached to housing 4 and closing ring can be screwed on for a tighter closing of cleaning head 12 on housing 4. Then mouth cleaning device 2 can be used by the operator for the next person.
[0074] Mouth cleaning device 2 can be advantageously applied as periodontal cleaning device. This preferably involves achieving the correct pressure and pulses by controller 38, and an appropriate cleaning head 12, for example.
[0075] The present invention is by no means limited to the above described preferred embodiments thereof. The rights sought are defined by the following claims within the scope of which many modifications can be envisaged. For example, the mouth cleaning device could comprise two head incoming fluid conduits.
