# PHS 2018-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC, and FDA for Small Business Innovation Research Gra

> **NIH ALLCDC R44** · ASTER LABS, INC. · 2020 · $341,409

## Abstract

Abstract
In this Phase II SBIR project, ASTER Labs will enhance a hands-free automatic oral hygiene device in the form
of a comfortable mouthpiece that was designed and successfully tested and evaluated during a Phase I study
for persons with oral hygiene disabilities and their caregivers, and then investigate the device’s efficacy in
reducing dental plaque and reducing burden, thereby improving quality of life. Many people with neurological,
neuromuscular, and developmental disorders, including those suffering physical injury or tremors, are at a
higher risk of poor oral health, dental caries, periodontal disease, and soft tissue pathology compared to those
without disability. This population of roughly 32 million disabled Americans encounters barriers to routine,
comfortable, and effective oral hygiene care, due to problems with grasp, muscle control, range of motion, and
reduced dexterity. Many face reduced independence, requiring caregiver assistance to perform daily dental
care. These caregivers report great difficulty effectively performing these services due to lack of training, time,
or confidence in managing complexities of oral hygiene care. Surveys of current devices to aid these tasks for
disabled persons show only limited manual solutions, including props to keep the mouth open and modified
toothbrush grips. Current electric toothbrushes require manual control. Inadequate daily hygiene promotes oral
disease in the disabled, who are then subject to dental care access barriers due to limited finances, inadequate
Medicaid coverage, and a limited pool of professionals trained in disability care. A significant unmet need
exists to support better oral hygiene for the disabled and their caregivers with a safe, automatic, affordable,
practical solution to promote daily dental care and reduce burden. To address this problem, ASTER Labs, Inc.
has developed an effective and novel prototype hands-free automatic system to simplify routine oral hygiene
care. The device uses powered moving bristles in a flexible mouthpiece, simply inserted into the mouth to
gently remove plaque and debris from teeth and gums. The design includes multiple features to ensure comfort
and safety during daily care, including embedded sensors to adjust intensity and speed of the bristle motion.
Usage information is wirelessly transmitted to caregivers monitoring care status via an LCD display on a
recharging and cleaning base station. These regular reports will promote adherence by preventing disruption in
daily hygiene. By providing a technically advanced but practical dental care system for this vulnerable
population to use in their homes or care facilities, regular, effective oral hygiene can be improved, reducing risk
of preventable oral disease and need for treatment. This Phase II SBIR will evaluate efficacy of this system to
provide patients and caregivers with an effective, hands-free method for routine oral hygiene care to improve
quality of life, reduce effort ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10146250
- **Project number:** 5R44DD001286-02
- **Recipient organization:** ASTER LABS, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Suneel Ismail Sheikh
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $341,409
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2021-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10146250

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10146250, PHS 2018-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC, and FDA for Small Business Innovation Research Gra (5R44DD001286-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10146250. Licensed CC0.

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