APPARATUS FOR EXAMINING A PATIENT BY MEANS OF LIGHT

Abstract: An apparatus for examining a patient comprises a movable shaft (1) defining an axis in a longitudinal direction of the movable shaft, a holder (5) adapted to be positioned inside the movable shaft (1), one ore more light emitting means (6) being held in position by the holder (5), said light emitting means (6) emitting light in a predetermined direction, and means (3) for directing the emitted light towards the target area, said direction means (3) being mounted on the movable shaft (1). The light emitting means (6) may be an LED in order to maintain a temperature sufficiently low for it to be positioned within the mouth or another opening or orifice of a patient.

Description: APPARATUS FOR EXAMINING A PATIENT BY MEANS OF LIGHT The present invention relates to an apparatus for analysing and/or preparing an object. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for analysing and/or preparing one or more objects in the human body. In a wide range of applications wherein an object is to be analysed, it ispreferable, that the apparatus used for the analysis comprises a variety of analysing means so as to obtain maximum information about the object and to save time. In a number of applications, it is preferred, that the analysing apparatus in addition to the analysing means, comprises e.g. illumination means so as to facilitate analysis of an object in a dark environment. As an example, such a dark environment could be hollow spaces in the human body, e.g. oral cavity or rectum. Analysing the human body puts specific requirements to the temperature stability of the analysing apparatus, since heating of the human tissue must be controllable. In the field of dental care, systems comprising both a mirror and a light source have been implemented. In one of these systems, a halogen lamb is positioned in the base of the shaft of a handheld instrument so as to generate white light with high intensity. The light is guided through a transparent shaft. At the other end of the shaft, the light is scattered in a defuse manner so as to generate light in the oral cavity. It is a disadvantage of the above-mentioned system that due to the heat generated by the halogen lamb, the shaft becomes hot. It is a further disadvantage of the system that it is difficult to keep a hot shaft sterilised. Another disadvantage of the system is related tothe defuse scattering process at the other end of the shaft making it difficult for the dentist to obtain a sufficient light intensity at a given location in the oral cavity. Another system developed for the dental care industry includes an optical fibre which has been mounted in the shaft. White light emitted by a halogen lamb is coupled into the fibre at a remote location. A disadvantage of both halogen-based systems is the high power consumption of the halogen lamb. A further disadvantage of both halogen-based systems is the limited lifetime of the halogen lamb. The lifetime may be significantly reduced if the halogen lamb is accidentally supplied with a voltage level which is higher than the nominal voltage of the halogen lamb. A still further disadvantage of both halogen-based systems is the effect of de-gassing of the glass constituting the halogen lambs. Such a de-gassing effect in a halogen lamb typically modifies the emission properties due to a change in the optical transmission properties of the glass whereby the spectral components of the emitted light are modified accordingly. A still further disadvantage of the halogen lamb based systems is the fact that upon illumination of an object using a halogen lamb, the filament in the halogen lamb may be projected onto the object. Such a projection of the filament will disturb the analysis of the object. A still further disadvantage of the halogen-based system is the fact that handling of the halogen lambs is rather difficult. The present invention relates to a solution of the above-mentioned problems. In a first aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for analysing an object, the apparatus comprising: - a movable shaft defining an axis in a longitudinal direction of the movable shaft, - a holder being adapted to be positioned inside the movable shaft at normal operation, - one or more light emitting means being held in position by the holder, said light emitting means emitting light in a predetermined direction, and - means for directing the emitted light towards the object, said directing means being mounted on the movable shaft. The light emitting means of the apparatus may in principle be chosen arbitrary with the visible range (from 400 nm to 800 nm). The light emitting means may be alight emitting device (LED) or a solid state laser, such as a semiconductor laser diode. The light emitting properties of the light emitting means may be improved by including a reflector means positioned adjacent to the light emitting means. By improving is meant that the directivity may be enhanced. The reflector means may be mounted on the holder. Since a LED and a laser diode are direct light sources without filaments, problems relating to projection of filaments onto the object are completely avoided. Further, LEDs and laser diodes are generally not sensitive to handling. Even further, LEDs and laser diodes are both suitable for autoclaving. It is an advantage that the shaft of the apparatus may be autoclaved. It is an object of the first aspect of the present invention that the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation does not exceed 10 °C. Preferably, the temperature increase of the light emitting means does not exceed 8 °C, more preferably the temperature increase does not exceed 6 °C, more preferably the temperature increase does not exceed 4 °C, more preferably the temperature increase does not exceed 2 °C and even more preferably the temperature increase is less than 1 °C. The apparatus further comprises means for directing the emitted light towards the object. The directing means may comprise a movable holder and a reflective member. The movable holder may be capable of positioning the reflective member so that the emitted light either hits or passes by the reflective member. The movable holder further acts as a holder for mounting the reflective member. The reflective member may be a mirror having at least one reflective surface. The longitudinal axis of the movable shaft and a normal to the reflective surface of the mirror defines an angle φ, wherein φ is in the range from 0 to 90 degrees, preferably in the range from 20 to 70 degrees, more preferably in the range from 40 to 50 degrees, more preferably in the range from 42 to 48 degrees, more preferably in the range from 44 to 46 degrees, such as approximately 45 degrees. In a second aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for preparing an object, the apparatus comprising: - a movable shaft, - a holder being adapted to be positioned inside the movable shaft at normal operation, - one or more light emitting means being held in position by the holder, said light emitting means emitting light in a predetermined direction, and - means for preparing the object, said preparing means being held in position by the holder. The light emitting means of the apparatus may in principle be chosen arbitrary with the visible range (from 400 nm to 800 nm). The light emitting means may be alight emitting device (LED) or a solid state laser, such as a semiconductor laser diode. It is also an object of the second aspect of the present invention that the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation does not exceed 10 °C. Preferably, the temperature increase of the light emitting means does not exceed 8 °C, more preferably the temperature increase does not exceed 6 °C, more preferably the temperature increase does not exceed 4 °C, more preferably the temperature increase does not exceed 2 °C and even more preferably the temperature increase is less than 1 °C. The apparatus further comprises means for preparing the object. The preparing means may comprise a motor, such as a direct current motor (DC-motor) or an alternating current motor (AC-motor). In case of a DC-motor the motor may be a brush-less motor. The motor may drive a drill, brush etc. In the following, the present invention will be described with reference to the following figures wherein Fig. 1 shows a top/side view of the first aspect of the present invention, Fig. 2 shows a side view of a part of the first aspect of the present invention, Fig. 3 shows a top view of the holder and the light emitting means according to the first aspect of the present invention. In addition Fig. 3 shows means for improving the light emitting properties of the light emitting means, Fig. 4 shows a top/side view of the movable shaft, the movable holder and the reflective member according to the present invention, where the reflective member is positioned in the light path of the emitted light, and Fig. 5 shows a top/side view of the movable shaft, the movable holder and the reflective member according to the present invention, where the reflective member is positioned so that the emitted light passes by the reflective member. Referring now to Fig. 1 an apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is shown. The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is adapted for being used in the area of dental care. Fig. 1 shows an apparatus comprising a movable shaft 1 and a base 4 for holding the movable shaft. The apparatus further comprises a movable holder 2 and a reflective member 3. The reflective member 3 is mounted in the movable holder 2. The movable holder 2 is mounted on the movable shaft 1. Preferably, the reflective member 3 is a mirror. The movable shaft may be manufactured from an autoclavable material, such as a metal, such as aluminium, or from a synthetic material, such a plastic. Fig. 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 where the movable shaft has been removed. In Fig. 2, the light emitting means 6 is being held in position by the holder 5. The holder 5 is fixed to the base 4 of the apparatus. The position of the light emitting means 6 leads to the important effect, that the light emitting means 6 is at least partly introduced into the body of the patient during the analyses of a given object - e.g. teeth. Preferably, the light emitting means is a LED emitting light at a plurality of wavelengths between 400 nm and 800 nm. The LED may be of the type White Discrete LED from the company Marl Optosource. Fig. 3 is a top/side view of the apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention. In order to improve the light emitting properties of the light emitting means 6, a reflector means 7 has been positioned adjacent to the light emitting means 6. The reflector means 7 is preferably mounted on the holder 5. Fig. 4 is a top/side view of the movable shaft 1 according to the first aspect of the present invention. Fig. 4 shows the movable shaft 1 , the movable holder 2 and the reflective member 3 (mirror). In Fig. 4 the reflective member 3 is positioned so as to direct the emitted light towards the object - e.g. in the light path of the emitted light. Fig. 5 is a top/side view of the movable shaft 1 according to the first aspect of the present invention. In Fig. 5 the reflective member 3 is positioned so that the emitted light passes by the reflective member.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An apparatus for analysing an object, said apparatus comprising - a movable shaft defining an axis in a longitudinal direction of the movable shaft, - a holder being adapted to be positioned inside the movable shaft at normal operation, - one or more light emitting means being held in position by the holder, said light emitting means emitting light in a predetermined direction, and - means for directing the emitted light towards the object, said directing means being mounted on the movable shaft. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation does not exceed 10 °C. 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation does not exceed 8 °C. 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation does not exceed 6 °C. 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation does not exceed 4 °C. 6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation does not exceed 2 °C. 7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation is less than 1 °C. 8. An apparatus according to any of the claims 1-7, wherein the light emitting means emits light at a plurality of wavelengths in the range from 400 nm to 800 nm. 9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the light emitting means is a LED. 10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the light emitting means is a laser diode. 5 11. An apparatus according to any of the claims 1-10 further comprising means for improving the light emitting properties of the light emitting means. 12. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the means for improving the light emitting properties of the light emitting means is a reflector so as to improve the directivity 10 of the emitted light. 13. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the means for directing the emitted light towards the object comprises a movable holder and a reflective member, the movable holder being capable of positioning the reflective member so that the emitted light passes 15 by the reflective member. 14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the movable holder is mounted on the movable shaft. 20 15. An apparatus according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the reflective member is mounted in the movable holder. 16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the reflective member is a mirror having at least one reflective surface. 25 17. An apparatus according to any of the claims 1-16, wherein the longitudinal axis of the movable shaft and a normal to a reflective surface of the mirror defines an angle φ. 18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein φ is in the range from 0 to 90 degrees. 30 19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein φ is in the range from 20 to 70 degrees. 20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein φ is in the range from 40 to 50 degrees. 35 21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein φ is in the range from 42 to 48 degrees. 22. An apparatus according to claim 21 , where φ is in the range from 44 to 46 degrees, such as approximately 45 degrees. 5 23. An apparatus for preparing an object, said apparatus comprising - a movable shaft, - a holder being adapted to be positioned inside the movable shaft at normal 10 operation, - one or more light emitting means being held in position by the holder, said light emitting means emitting light in a predetermined direction, and 15 - means for preparing the object, said preparing means being held in position by the holder. 24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation does not exceed 10 °C. 20 25. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation does not exceed 8 °C. 26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the temperature increase of the light 25 emitting means during normal operation does not exceed 6 °C. 27. An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation does not exceed 4 °C. 30 28. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation does not exceed 2 °C. 29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the temperature increase of the light emitting means during normal operation is less than 1 °C. 35 30. An apparatus according to any of the claims 22-29, wherein the light emitting means emits light at a plurality of wavelengths in the range from 400 nm to 800 nm. 31. An apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the light emitting means is a LED. 5 32. An apparatus according to claim 31 , wherein the light emitting means is a laser diode. 33. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the means for preparing the object comprises a motor. 10 34. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the motor is a DC-motor. 35. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the motor is a brush-less motor. 36. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the motor is an AC-motor 15

Inventors: REIPUR JOHN, REIPUR, JOHN
Applicants: REIPUR JOHN, REIPUR TECHNOLOGY A S, REIPUR TECHNOLOGY A/S, REIPUR, JOHN
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A61B1
IPC codes: A61B1, C07K1, C08F283, C08G65