ORAL CLEANING APPLIANCE PRODUCING PULSES OF GAS WITH MOUTHWASH

摘要

An oral care appliance comprises: a fluid pump assembly (46); a source of gas (12); and a source of mouthwash (50), wherein the pump is in operative communication with the source of the mouthwash and gas to produce a series of gas-injected fluid pulses or a series of fluid slugs in a jet stream directed to a nozzle assembly (80) from which the resulting pulses are directed to the teeth, wherein the pulses or slugs produce a breakdown effect on the mouthwash to its active ingredients, making the mouthwash more effective against the biofilm. The pulses have a pulse width within the range of 0.001-0.5 seconds, a pulse height from 0.1-10 Newtons, a rise/fall time range of 0.5-250 ms, a repetition rate in the range of 2H to 20Hz, and wherein the gas/liquid mixture range from 40-95% volume to volume gas to liquid. The fluid slugs in the jet flow have a volume in the range of 0.05-0.5 ml per orifice, a diameter in the range of 0.1-2 mm and a repetition rate within the range of 2Hz to 20Hz.