Device for Tooth Cleaning in the Disabled

0933337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。不经常刷牙最终会导致牙石的形成，从而导致龋齿和牙周炎。在手灵巧度降低的残疾人中，刷牙不够严格以保持口腔卫生。这导致这些人群中龋齿和牙周炎的发病率较高。口腔健康状况不佳不仅会对营养状况产生不利影响，还会严重影响生活质量，使这些人对慢性心血管和肺部疾病的易感性大大增加。这为开发一种新型的免提清洁牙齿设备提供了动力，目的是改善残疾人的口腔健康。在本提案中，我们的目标是评估两种技术，这两种技术结合起来将减少由压电条产生的空化所需的功率，与清洁牙齿相关。为实现这些目标，我们建议：(1)制造定制化的压电条，可以产生不同的超声频率，并以不同的相位偏移操作，确定产生空化所需的功率降低。(2)开发含有预成型气泡和颗粒的凝胶，进一步降低产生空化所需的功率，确定产生空化所需的功率降低。(3)确定该装置在离体猪牙齿清洁中的效果。智力优势：该提案的科学和技术影响在于推进我们对可用于降低产生空化所需的超声波功率的因素的了解，特别关注可用于清洁和再生牙齿表面的颗粒成分。更广泛的影响：本研究产生的基本原理对提高清洁装置的效率（特别是提出的牙齿清洁装置）以及降低生物医学治疗应用中超声波使用的能量阈值具有重要意义。此外，它对手部活动能力受损的残疾人的长期健康和生活质量有直接影响。一个广泛的超声换能器设计和应用的教育计划将同时发展，将重点放在教育不仅是本科生和研究生，而且高中学生，教师和一般公众。将建立一个网站，提供超声教程（展示压力传播的有限元素电影及其在空化中的作用），以及该领域的进展对潜在疗法发展的可能影响。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的讲习班、研讨会和为高中生举办的讲习班。这些人不仅要参加培训课程和研讨会，而且还要进行动手实验室演示。本科教育将辅以本科生的研究机会，在拟议的研究和形成高级技术选修，超声成像和治疗。拟议的研究将由博士和硕士学生进行，其中至少有一名少数族裔女学生。研究生也将积极参与向公众以及针对高中学生和教师的推广工作。

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.