Self-powered manual toothbrush with sensors

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         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.   
     
     
         2 . 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.   
     
     
         3 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the information is dynamically provided to the user. 
     
     
         4 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the information provided to the user comprises visual information, audible information, or both. 
     
     
         5 . 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. 
     
     
         6 . 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. 
     
     
         7 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the indicator comprises a persistent display device. 
     
     
         8 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the indicator comprises an electrophoretic display device, an electrochromic display device, or both. 
     
     
         9 . 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. 
     
     
         10 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sensing mechanism comprises at least one piezoelectric charge generator. 
     
     
         11 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sensing mechanism comprises a kinetic energy assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the kinetic energy assembly comprises a coil and a magnet configured to move within the coil. 
     
     
         13 . 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. 
     
     
         14 . 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. 
     
     
         15 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the copolymer alternative comprises polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE). 
     
     
         16 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sensing mechanism comprises the energy scavenging mechanism. 
     
     
         17 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a signal conditioning mechanism configured to condition the electric signal provided to the indicator. 
     
     
         18 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the energy scavenging mechanism is further configured to provide operating power to the signal conditioning mechanism. 
     
     
         19 . 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. 
     
     
         20 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the indicator reset mechanism comprises a circuit formed in connection with the toothbrush body. 
     
     
         21 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the energy scavenging mechanism is further configured to provide operating power to the indicator reset mechanism. 
     
     
         22 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the energy scavenging mechanism is embedded within the toothbrush body. 
     
     
         23 . The toothbrush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the energy scavenging mechanism comprises at least two components, one of which is a photovoltaic (PV) component. 
     
     
         24 . 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. 
     
     
         25 . 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.