Patent ID: 8453288

Claim:
A tooth cleaning bristle comprising a monofilament with a solid cross-sectional area with an outer surface having a contour along at least a portion of a length of the monofilament, wherein the contour defines alternating projections and depressions about a periphery of the monofilament, each of the projections are laterally delimited by a pair of straight side walls while a raised top side of each projection between between the respective side walls has a slightly convex configuration, each of the depressions being U-shaped and being defined by the side walls of adjacent projection and a bottom extending between the respective side walls, each of the projections further have in the peripheral direction a somewhat greater width than the depressions, wherein a ratio of a circumference of the outer surface of the monofilament to a cross-sectional area of the monofilament is in a range from about 34 mm −1 to about 35 mm −1 and further wherein an inner envelope circle is defined by the depressions and an outer envelope circle is defined by the projections, and wherein a ratio of the outer envelope circle to a diameter of the inner envelope circle is in a range from about 1.1 to about about 1.2.