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AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsJohannes Hendrikus Maria Spruit, Mark Thomas Johnson, Menno Willem Jose Prins, Okke Ouweltjes, Steven Charles Deane, Edgar Martinus Van Gool
Estimating the term…
An apparatus is configured such that passage of a fluid through an open port of a distal probe tip enables detection of a substance that may be present on a surface, e.g., a surface of a tooth, based on measurement of a signal correlating to a substance at least partially obstructing the passage of fluid through the open port. The apparatus includes a proximal pump portion and at least one distal probe portion configured to be immersed in another fluid, e.g., water in toothpaste foam. A corresponding system includes one or two such apparatuses. A method of detecting the presence of a substance on a surface includes probing an interaction zone for at least partial obstruction of flow of the fluid through the distal probe tip. The distal probe tip may have a structural configuration for preventing blocking of the open port. The distal probe tip may also have a non-uniform wear profile. The at least one distal probe portion may include two or multiple components to improve performance and reliability.
An electric toothbrush comprising:
A method for detecting the presence of a substance on a dental surface, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.