TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a device aimed at safely removing foreign objects in the mouth of infants aged between 0-3 years. The invention also facilitates the lives of trichophagia patients.

BACKGROUND

There are many oral hygiene devices available for babies and children. These devices include toothbrushes, tongue cleaners, and teethers used to stimulate gums. These devices and toys are made of different materials and come in various shapes, sizes, and patterns. Despite the variety of products, brands, and models available, according to field research data, there is currently no device on the market specifically designed to remove foreign objects from the mouths of infants. The invention has been developed to fill this gap and meet this need.

One of the common problems experienced by parents around the world who have infants is that during the oral period, which is an important stage of the developmental process and corresponds to the age range of 0-12 months (which can last up to 24 months in some children), their children try to recognize all objects around them by putting them in their mouths. Although this process is a natural stage of development, it can also lead to some unwanted problems. The most common unwanted situations include choking that occurs as a result of swallowing foreign objects, mouth infections, ulcers in the stomach and intestines, bezoars, allergies, and disorders such as allergic asthma. In addition to physical disorders that can even lead to death, the way foreign objects are removed and the behavior of adults during removal can leave psychological damage on the child. These damages can result in long-term problems that will also negatively affect the individual's life, such as anxiety, swallowing difficulty, swallowing disorders, fear, stress, anxiety, tics, and other postevent effects. Studies have shown that many foreign object ingestion cases occur in children between the ages of 0-17. More than one-third of these cases (38%) occur in children aged 6 months to 5 years.

There are geographical and cultural differences (for example, fish bones being a regional problem in far east countries), but in a study conducted in our country, the following items were observed in cases where doctors were consulted: coins, sewing needles, hair clips, toy marbles, fish bones, bezoars, twigs, teaspoons, iron wire, buttons, apricot pits, gelatin, tokens, chicken bones, jewelry, metal zippers, battery terminals, batteries, nail clippers, water-filled toys, food debris, rings, and many other objects are swallowed by children. Hair, dust, paper, napkin, cotton, fiber, etc. are not life-threatening and can easily pass through the esophagus, so if the family fails to remove them on their own, swallowing is often overlooked. The traumas mentioned above can also occur in infants and children during the removal of foreign objects. In addition, bacteria, viruses, or microorganisms that are transmitted to the mouth from the adult's finger, nail, or inappropriate tool usage, rather than the foreign object itself, can multiply in the mouth with degeneration and cause wounds. To prevent the aforementioned physical and psychological damages to some extent, especially during the oral and crawling stages, there is a need for a specially designed apparatus that differs from toothbrushes or dental flosses to quickly and efficiently remove unwanted objects from the mouth and prevent their contamination.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Single Direction Hooked Shape

Figure2. Bidirectional Hooked Shape

Figure3. L shape

Figure4. T shape Figures. + shape

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is related to an oral hygiene device that creates a technical effect with its design and the function arising from this design. The design related to the invention is not just a component that creates differentiation, but also the most important element that provides the fundamental functional feature of the product. The technical effect provided by the design of the invention is to provide a greater and easier benefit to remove unwanted substances from the surface to be applied. The curved surfaces and hook-like structures comprised by the oral hygiene apparatus subject to the invention form the basis of the technical effect.

The invention comprises two main parts, a body and a head section. The body of the apparatus is designed with an ergonomic structure to facilitate holding, while the head section is designed with at least one of the following hooked, L-shaped, T- shaped, or plus (+) shaped structures to provide a surface (bristles) that makes sweeping in the mouth easier. This structure is shown between Figures 1-5. While the hooked structure is more suitable for adults and hair strands (as adults' mouth is less sensitive), the L-shaped structure is more suitable for babies as it has a blunt tip and can pick up more paper and dust.

In one embodiment of the invention, the surface (bristles) of the apparatus that will come into contact with the tongue is in a hooked structure. The arrangement of these hooked structures on the apparatus can be distributed in a single direction (right or left) or in two directions starting from the middle.

In another embodiment of the invention, the surface (bristles) of the device that will come into contact with the tongue is in the shape of an L. The arrangement of the L-shaped structures on the device can be distributed in a single direction (right or left) or in a manner that looks in both directions starting from the center (not shown in the figures). The end parts of the L-shape are parallel to the tongue.

In another embodiment of the invention, the surface (bristles) of the device that will come into contact with the tongue is in the shape of a T. The arrangement of the T-shaped structures on the device can be placed next to a horizontal T form with a vertical T form on the side. The end parts of the T-shape are parallel to the tongue.

In another embodiment of the invention, the surface (bristles) of the device that will come into contact with the tongue is in the shape of a plus sign (+). The arrangement of the plus shaped structures on the device is created by distributing them on the surface to fit the plus shape. The plus shaped form is parallel to the tongue.

In the above embodiments, the surfaces (bristles) that will come into contact can be of equal length or of different lengths, forming different shapes. For example, a surface can be covered with bristles of different lengths that come together to form a wavy shape.

The fact that the above embodiments can be oriented to the right, left, or both right and left directions is related to the user's right or left-handedness, the way the device is held and used by both the user and others, and the direction and angle of the sweeping motion. The sweeping device should be used by moving it outward from the center of the tongue. Since the angle and direction of the sweeping motion can vary depending on the user, a unidirectional brush may be insufficient in a situation where a parent applies the brushing process to their child based on their own use of the device.

The entire device or only the tip that will come into contact with the mouth is made of silicone rubber or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. The reason for this is that these materials have different properties and advantages, but they fulfill similar functions. One of the differences between them is that while silicone requires vulcanization, TPE can be formed without it. The cost advantage and environmental friendliness of TPE are some of the advantages that make it a preferred choice. As for our product, the prominent benefits of the two materials are as follows: high chemical and fluid resistance, high heat resistance, high flexibility, low deformation under pressure, good low-temperature flexibility, impermeability to water, being odorless and tasteless, ease of coloration, and high transparency. The fact that the product will be used in the oral region, requires frequent disinfection and may be exposed to pressure, makes these benefits stand out in the use of materials.

The apparatus subject of the invention can be in a one-piece structure or with a detachable head part from the body. In the structured where the head part is detachable from the body, the head part fits tightly onto the body by a tight-fit method. The head part may comprise a space where a finger can be inserted.

Various social and economic gains emerge within the scope of the technical effect of the invention. From a social perspective, physical health problems that may arise due to unwanted substances entering the mouths of young children and babies and then into the digestive system can be prevented. On the other hand, when objects enter the lungs, it causes longer-term health problems such as coughing, shortness of breath, allergies, and asthma, leading to increased healthcare costs. The invention has the potential to contribute to the prevention of these problems.

The invention will enable parents who panic even for a small hair or feather to solve the problem more calmly and easily, thus raising psychologically healthy children.

One of the significant gains provided by the invention is that it will serve as a professional tool to help children who have a compulsive disorder of hair/feather eating, called trichophagia, to remove foreign objects they have taken into their mouths. This will make life easier for parents who have children with this disorder. Of course, to eat hair and feathers, they must first be plucked. Therefore, it is usually associated with a compulsive behavior of hair and feather pulling, known as trichotillomania. Some trichophagic individuals not only eat their own hair but also the hairs they find around, on carpets, etc. In extreme cases, a hairball (trichobezoar) may form in the digestive tract. There are not many healthy studies on the prevalence of this disease. The reason for this may be the denial of the disease, avoidance of seeking professional support, concealing the disease, or shortcomings in reporting. However, existing studies show that the disease is not as rare as once thought. According to one study, one in every 50 people experiences trichotillomania at some point in their lives. On the other hand, a study conducted in 2013 estimated that between 0.6% and 4.0% of the general population in America has the disease, and 1 % reported experiencing trichotillomania in their lifetimes in the United States. This means that approximately 2.5 million Americans could be affected by this condition at some point in their lives. Based on this, it can be assumed that this disease affects nearly 60 million people worldwide. Therefore, a large audience may need this product to remove foreign objects in babies' oral periods or due to this disease.