Researchers of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed nano size toothbrush for brushing your teeth.
The toothbrush is made out of millions of cardbon nono tubes that are 30 times stronger than stel and five times less dense. The tooth brush bristles are usually made of animal hairs, polymer fibres and metal wires. Thesehave problems of corroding, wekening and melting. But the new toothbrush will have no such problems. This unique feature will probably give them an advantage to be motorised as well.The researchers who had designed the brushes, have made the base out of silicon carbide fibre with a single row of bristles. The end of the base is coated with gold that will act as a handle and will also prevent the nano tube growth in that end. The size of the bundle of nanotubes will typically be some micrometers in diameter.
The brush can clean extremely well the very small particles using electrostatic interactions. The handle of the three pronged brush is attached with a small electric motor that can clean the contaminants off the walls for a better brushing effect.
The researchers hope to use the brush for a number of biomedical aspects as well. Their research was published in the new edition of the journal Nature Materials.
Reference: Nature Materials, June 2005, toothbrush, cardbon nono tubes, silicon carbide fibre, single row of bristles, coated with gold, micrometers in diameter
