Device for Tooth Cleaning in the Disabled

良好的口腔卫生习惯，如定期刷牙，对保持牙齿和牙周健康至关重要。缺乏定期刷牙最终导致牙石形成，这可能导致龋齿和牙周炎。在手灵活性降低的残疾人中，刷牙不足以保持口腔卫生。这导致这些队列中龋齿和牙周炎的发病率较高。口腔健康状况不佳不仅对营养状况产生不利影响，而且对生活质量产生严重影响，使这些人对慢性心血管和肺部疾病的易感性大幅增加。这为开发一种新型的免手持牙齿清洁设备提供了动力，其目的是改善残疾人的口腔健康。在这项提案中，我们的目标是评估两种技术，结合起来将减少所需的功率，以诱导由压电条产生的空化，与清洁牙齿的相关性。为实现这些目标，我们建议：（1）制造定制的压电条，其可以产生不同的超声频率并且以不同的相位偏移操作，并且确定产生空化所需的功率的降低，（2）开发包含预形成的气泡和颗粒的凝胶，以进一步降低产生空化所需的功率，并且确定产生空化所需的功率的降低，以及（3）确定该装置在体外猪牙齿的牙齿清洁中的功效。智力优点：该提议的科学和技术影响在于提高我们对可用于降低产生空化所需的超声功率的因素的认识，特别关注可用于清洁和再生牙齿表面的颗粒成分。从这项研究中产生的基本原理具有重要的意义，在提高效率的清洁设备（特别是提出的牙齿清洁设备），以及在降低能量阈值的使用超声在生物医学治疗应用。此外，它还直接影响到手部活动能力受损的残疾人的长期健康和生活质量。同时，还将制定一项关于超声换能器设计和应用的广泛教育计划，不仅关注本科生和研究生，还关注高中生、教师和公众的教育。将创建一个网站，提供超声教程（显示压力传播的有限元电影及其在空化中的作用），以及该竞技场的进步对潜在疗法开发的可能影响。该网站将包括正在进行的研究前沿的实时信息。针对高中生的教育工作将包括为高中教师举办讲习班，为高中生举办研讨会和讲习班。这些人员不仅将参加培训课程和研讨会，还将进行实验室演示。本科教育将由本科生在拟议的研究和形成一个高级技术选修，超声成像和治疗的研究机会补充。拟议的研究将由博士和硕士学生进行，其中至少有一人将是少数民族女学生。研究生还将积极参与面向公众的外联工作，以及针对高中学生和教师的工作。

0933337KothaGood oral hygiene practices, such as brushing teeth regularly, are critical to maintaining tooth and periodontal health. Lack of regular brushing eventually leads to calculus formation, which can lead to caries, and periodontitis. In disabled individuals with reduced manual dexterity, brushing is not rigorous enough to maintain oral hygiene. This leads to a higher incidence of caries and periodontitis in these cohorts. Poor oral health not only affects nutritional status adversely, it also has serious implications on quality of life with a substantial increase in the susceptibility of these individuals to chronic cardiovascular and pulmonary ailments. This provides the impetus to develop a novel, hands-free device for tooth cleaning, with the objective of improving oral health in the disabled. In this proposal, our goals are to evaluate two techniques that in combination will reduce the power required to induce cavitations produced by piezoelectric strips, with relevance towards cleaning teeth. To achieve these goals, we propose to: (1) Manufacture customized piezoelectric strips that can generate different ultrasound frequencies and be operated with different phase offsets and determine the reduction in power required to generate cavitations, (2) Develop gels that contain pre-formed bubbles and particulate to further reduce the power required to generate cavitations and determine the reduction in power required to generate cavitations, and (3) Determine the efficacy of the device in tooth cleaning of porcine teeth in vitro.INTELLECTUAL MERIT: The scientific and technological impact of this proposal lies in advancing our knowledge of factors that can be used to lower ultrasonic powers required to generate cavitations, with a special focus on particulate components that can be used to clean and regenerate tooth surfaces.BROADER IMPACT: The underlying principles generated from this study have important implications in improving the efficiency of cleaning devices (especially the proposed tooth cleaning device), as well as in lowering the energy threshold for use of ultrasound in biomedical therapeutic applications. In addition, it has direct influence on the long-term health and quality of life in disabled individuals with impaired hand mobility.A broad educational program on Ultrasound Transducer Design and Applications will be developed concurrently and will focus on the education of not only undergraduate and graduate students but also high school students, teachers and the general public. A web site will be created with tutorials on Ultrasound (showing finite element movies of pressure propagation and its role in cavitations), and the possible influences that advances in this arena has to the development of potential therapies. The web-site will include real-time information at the forefront of ongoing research. The education efforts aimed at high school students will include workshops for high school teachers, seminars and workshops for high-school students. These individuals will not only participate in training sessions and seminars but will also perform hands-on laboratory demonstrations. Undergraduate education will be complemented by research opportunities for undergraduates in the proposed research and the formation of a senior level technical elective, Ultrasound for Imaging and Treatment. The proposed research will be performed by PhD and MS students, at least one of whom will be a minority female student. Graduate students will also be actively involved in outreach efforts to the general public as well as efforts that target high school students and teachers.