Development of an Electrostatic Oral Cavity Generator Driven by Occlusal Force

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Energy Harvesting

Background:

• Mouthguard sensors offer potential for pre-illness detection and preventive medicine.
• A significant challenge for these sensors is a reliable power supply method.
• Existing power solutions for such in-mouth devices are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel electrostatic oral cavity generator for powering mouthguard sensors.
• To compare the power generation capabilities of the proposed electrostatic generator with a piezoelectric generator.
• To assess the feasibility of using occlusal force for in-situ energy harvesting within the oral cavity.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a sheet-form electrostatic generator using electret, dielectric elastomer, and copper electrodes.
• Design and construction of a prototype electrostatic generator.
• Estimation and measurement of power generation from both electrostatic and piezoelectric generators under simulated occlusal conditions.

Main Results:

• The prototype electrostatic oral cavity generator achieved a power output of 18.0 μW.
• This output was approximately 560 times greater than a similarly sized piezoelectric generator.
• The generated power, while promising, is currently below the threshold required for direct sensor operation.

Conclusions:

• The proposed electrostatic oral cavity generator demonstrates a viable approach to powering mouthguard sensors using occlusal force.
• Further optimization of design parameters is necessary to meet the power demands of mouthguard sensors.
• This technology holds potential for advancing wearable healthcare monitoring and preventive medicine.