Oral care device and method
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsLutz Christian Gerhardt, Neil Francis Joye, Mark Thomas Johnson, Achim Rudolf Hilgers, Amir Hussein Rmaile
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An oral care device (8) adapted to generate an RF field for performing an oral cleaning function. The device includes a cleaning unit (10) for receipt in the mouth which includes a conductor arrangement (18, 19) which is driven with a drive signal to generate an RF field which cleans surfaces in the mouth. Means is further provided for sensing an electrical or electromagnetic signal arising from interaction of the RF energy with bodies in the mouth, for performing a sensing function with the same RF system components used for generating the RF field for cleaning or treatment.
Claims15
An oral care device, comprising:
- a cleaning unit for receipt in an oral cavity of a user, the cleaning unit comprising at least one conductor arrangement, adapted to generate an RF field responsive to receipt of an RF drive signal;
- an RF generator arranged to supply the RF drive signal to the at least one conductor arrangement to induce an RF field, the RF field adapted to perform an oral cleaning and/or treatment function during use;
- and
- a controller arranged to receive and process a sensed electrical or electromagnetic signal caused by interaction of the generated RF field with foreign objects in the oral cavity, and to adjust an operation of the oral care device based upon the received and processed signal, wherein the electrical or electromagnetic signal is sensed using the at least one conductor arrangement used to generate the RF field,
- wherein the at least one conductor arrangement and the RF generator together form an RF eneratic ad whe vin ensing of the electrical or electromagnetic signal is based detecting variation in one or more electrical characteristics of the RF generation circuit,
- wherein the conductor arrangemen omprises a east one pair of electrode the electrodes spaced from one another, and the electrodes adapted to generate an RF field in an area around and between the electrodes sive to receipt of an altematin drive signal applied to the electrodes.
A method, comprising:
- generating and supplying an RF drive signal to at least one conductor arrangement of an oral cleaning unit, the cleaning unit for receipt in an oral cavity of a user, and the conductor arrangement adapted to generate an RF field responsive to receipt of the RF drive signal, and the RF field adapted to perform an oral cleaning and/or treatment function during use;
- sensing an electrical or electromagnetic signal caused by interaction of the generated RF field with foreign objects in the oral cavity, wherein the sensing is performed using the at least one conductor arrangement used to generate the RF field;
- and
- receiving and processing the sensed electrical and electromagnetic signal, and adjusting an operation of the oral care device based upon the received and processed signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.