# US 2013/0239346 A1 · Self-powered manual toothbrush with sensors > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0239346 A1 - Document ID: US20130239346A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/420,488 - Filed: 2012-03-14 - Published: 2013-09-19 - Earliest claimed: 2012-03-14 - Assignees: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated - Inventors: John C. Knights; Tse Nga Ng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130239346A1 ## CPC - A46B 15/0006: {with a controlling brush technique device, e.g. stroke movement measuring device} - A46B 15/004: {with an acoustic signalling means, e.g. noise} - A46B 2200/1066: Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures (A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04) - A46B: BRUSHES (handles not integral with brushware B25G) ## Abstract A toothbrush assembly can include a plurality of bristles and a toothbrush body. The toothbrush body can include an indicator to provide information to a user using the toothbrush during a teeth cleaning session. The indicator can operate independent of any power supply external to the toothbrush assembly. A sensing mechanism can provide an electric signal to the indicator responsive to the user using the toothbrush assembly during the teeth cleaning session. An energy scavenging mechanism can provide operating power to the indicator responsive to the user using the toothbrush assembly during the teeth cleaning session. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A toothbrush assembly, comprising: a plurality of bristles; a toothbrush body coupled with the plurality of bristles, the toothbrush body comprising: an indicator configured to provide information to a user using the toothbrush during a teeth cleaning session, wherein the indicator is further configured to operate independent of any power supply external to the toothbrush assembly; and an energy scavenging mechanism configured to provide operating power to the indicator responsive to the user using the toothbrush assembly during the teeth cleaning session; and a sensing mechanism configured to provide an electric signal to the indicator responsive to the user using the toothbrush assembly during the teeth cleaning session, wherein the information provided to the user is based at least in part on the electric signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the information provided to the user comprises at least one of a group consisting of: information pertaining to how long the user has been using the toothbrush assembly during the teeth cleaning session; information pertaining to how much longer the user should use the toothbrush assembly during the teeth cleaning session; information pertaining to how many strokes the user has made with the toothbrush assembly during the teeth cleaning session; information pertaining to how much pressure has been applied to the toothbrush assembly during the teeth cleaning session; information pertaining to how many additional strokes the user should make with the toothbrush assembly during the teeth cleaning session; and information pertaining to whether the user is using the toothbrush assembly properly during the particular teeth session. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the information is dynamically provided to the user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the information provided to the user comprises visual information, audible information, or both. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The toothbrush assembly of claim 4, wherein the visual information corresponds to at least one of a group consisting of: how many strokes the user has made with the toothbrush assembly during the teeth cleaning session, how many additional strokes the user should make with the toothbrush assembly during the teeth cleaning session, and how much pressure has been applied to the toothbrush assembly during the teeth cleaning session. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The toothbrush assembly of claim 5, wherein the visual information comprises at least one of a group consisting of: a number, a bar chart, and a line. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a persistent display device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises an electrophoretic display device, an electrochromic display device, or both. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The toothbrush assembly of claim 8, wherein the electrophoretic display device comprises a plurality of bars corresponding to a number of brush strokes the user has made or has yet to make with the toothbrush assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensing mechanism comprises at least one piezoelectric charge generator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensing mechanism comprises a kinetic energy assembly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The toothbrush assembly of claim 11, wherein the kinetic energy assembly comprises a coil and a magnet configured to move within the coil. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The toothbrush assembly of claim 12, wherein the information presented to the user comprises information pertaining to whether the user is using the toothbrush assembly properly during the teeth cleaning session based at least in part on movement of the magnet within the coil. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the energy scavenging mechanism comprises at least one strip of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or copolymer alternative configured to generate an electric charge responsive to movement of the toothbrush assembly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The toothbrush assembly of claim 14, wherein the copolymer alternative comprises polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE). ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensing mechanism comprises the energy scavenging mechanism. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, further comprising a signal conditioning mechanism configured to condition the electric signal provided to the indicator. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The toothbrush assembly of claim 17, wherein the energy scavenging mechanism is further configured to provide operating power to the signal conditioning mechanism. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, further comprising an indicator reset mechanism configured to reset the indicator responsive to a termination of the teeth cleaning session. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The toothbrush assembly of claim 19, wherein the indicator reset mechanism comprises a circuit formed in connection with the toothbrush body. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The toothbrush assembly of claim 19, wherein the energy scavenging mechanism is further configured to provide operating power to the indicator reset mechanism. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the energy scavenging mechanism is embedded within the toothbrush body. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the energy scavenging mechanism comprises at least two components, one of which is a photovoltaic (PV) component. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensing mechanism is coupled with the plurality of bristles, and wherein the sensing mechanism is configured to provide the electric signal to the indicator responsive to an application of pressure to the sensing mechanism. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bristles comprises the sensing mechanism, and wherein the sensing mechanism is configured to provide the electric signal to the indicator responsive to an application of pressure to the plurality of bristles.