Abstract:
The present invention is a method for performing on-site mobile dentistry utilizing a mobile dental chair and mobile dental lamp in combination. The mobile dental chair can be wheeled to a site and can elevate and recline a patient to a comfortable position for the patient and dentist or dental care provider. The mobile dental chair is driven onto and parked on the flat support base of mobile dental lamp, thereby holding the mobile dental lamp in a safe and stable position. The mobile dental lamp provides high intensity illumination suitable for providing modern dental care. The mobile dental lamp may be provided with removable wheels to aid in transporting the lamp to and from a site.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a method for performing on-site mobile dentistry utilizing a mobile dental chair and lamp configured to provide an elevated and reclined chair as well as a mobile and stable dental lamp. The disclosed invention allows for on-site dentistry by providing a mobile dental chair that can be wheeled on site, reclined and elevated to place the patient in position for a dentist or dental assistant to perform work, and also by providing a mobile dental lamp that can be wheeled on site and stabilized by placing the mobile dental chair onto part of the lamp&#39;s base, thereby holding the lamp in a safe and stable position. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Mobile medical care, including dentistry, was once the norm, as practitioners moved from place to place providing their services in “house calls” or even in the street. As dental practices improved and specialized tools were introduced, the model turned to offices, with specialized equipment and staff, where patients were seen by appointment. This office model limited access to dental care to people who could travel to the office and wait to be seen. For many people in need of dental care, this model imposed insurmountable obstacles. In particular, the poor, elderly, workers, and children faced difficulties in traveling to a dental office, waiting to be treated, and taking time from work or school. In 2000, a report by the U.S. Surgeon General called dental disease a “silent epidemic”, for which lack of access to care, especially to low income children, was a significant factor. See http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/DataStatistics/SurgeonGeneral/Report/ExecutiveSummary.htm. 
         [0003]    In recent years, mobile dentistry has gained popularity. Early applications of mobile modern dentistry focused on efforts to provide dental screening and sometimes preventative care to under served populations by hosting clinics set up in school gyms and community centers. The use of vehicles, such as buses, converted to mobile dental centers, was adopted and this model has predominated the field of mobile dentistry. Such vehicles often include, apart from the vehicle&#39;s controls and power train, multiple treatment rooms, a sterilization area, a staff restroom, as well as compressed air systems, power generators, fresh and waste water systems, wheelchair lifts, lighting systems, and heating and air-conditioning systems. These mobile dentistry vehicles seek to replicate a dentist&#39;s office and are large, expensive, and require substantial space to locate and time to set up. 
         [0004]    Some of the basic problems that mobile dentistry can best solve are not always addressed by these mobile dentist offices. For example, some patients, often elderly patients who cannot move far, if at all, are still not reached. Also, these centers are set up in central locations, but even these may not succeed in reaching many under served populations. For some patients, an on-site visit is the best, or only, means of providing dental care. For such persons, on-site mobile dental services could provide dental care that would otherwise be impossible or very difficult to obtain. 
         [0005]    In addition to providing dental care to under served populations, demand has increased for on-site dental services to people traditionally served by dental office visits. Such patients may lack the time, owing to work demands, to travel to a dentist&#39;s office and wait to be seen. For such patients, a system of on-site dental services would result in more frequent and efficient dental care. 
         [0006]    On-site mobile dentistry is hindered by the specialized equipment needed to hold a patient in a position best suited to the examination of the patient&#39;s teeth by the dentist or dental care provider. Dental care can be performed while a patient is sitting in a chair or lying on a bed. This is often the only practical way to provide dental care can be provided to elderly patients who cannot leave a care facility or home. However, a chair or a bed will not hold the patient in a comfortable position for the patient or a good position for the dentist to see and work on the patient&#39;s teeth. Chairs and beds are too low for the dentist to perform services without bending over in a highly uncomfortable and stressful position. Performing dental services on a daily basis from an awkward bent position leads to harmful, chronic back pain. In addition, chairs that do not recline and stay in different tilted positions do not hold a patient in a comfortable position to receive dental work, nor is the position conducive to the dentist&#39;s performance of dental services. In particular, elderly patients sometimes have trouble swallowing when seated in an upright chair. 
         [0007]    In addition to the need for a dental chair, dentistry requires very good lighting, so that the dentist can see the patient&#39;s teeth, even the teeth far back in the mouth. Dental offices and large mobile dental vehicles are equipped with specialized dental lamps that can provide proper lighting by which dental work can be performed. Such dental lamps are heavy and often mounted to walls within reach of the dental chair or to a dental chair secured to the floor. For on-site mobile dentistry, conventional home, school, community residence, or other such lighting does not illuminate a patient&#39;s teeth adequately, even if the light is directed into a patient&#39;s mouth. Small lights, such as dental headlamps, are sometimes used, but these are not capable of providing the lighting a dental lamp can provide. Similarly, light-weight, portable, sometimes battery-powered, LED dental floor lamps are available, but these still fail to provide the illumination of larger dental lamps. In addition, these light-weight lamps stand on flimsy, outwardly extending legs and pose a tripping hazard to the patient and dental staff. Also, these light-weight lamps are prone to falling over, owing to their light weight and unbalanced, relatively top heavy configuration. 
         [0008]    Needed is an on-site mobile dental care system that provides a mobile dental chair capable of reclining and elevating a patient into a comfortable position from which a dentist or dental care provider can perform services optimally. Such an on-site mobile dental chair should be easily transportable to various locations, such as a patient&#39;s home, residence facility, or community facility, and capable of elevating and reclining a patient into a position from which the dentist or dental care provider can comfortably perform dental services. Also needed is an on-site mobile dentistry system that can provide a mobile dental lamp capable of providing substantial, directed illumination of a patient&#39;s teeth. Such an on-site mobile dental lamp should be easily transportable to various locations where dental services will be rendered, and also be stable and not pose a tripping hazard to the patient, dentist, dental care provider, staff, or other persons present. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The disclosed invention allows for on-site mobile dentistry by providing a mobile dental chair that can be wheeled on site, reclined and elevated to place the patient in position comfortable for the patient and for a dentist or dental assistant to perform work, and also provides an on-site mobile dental lamp that can be wheeled on site and stabilized by placing the mobile dental chair onto part of the lamp&#39;s base. The stand is partially stabilized by a base plate of aluminum with a diamond plate gripping surface. The base plate may be round with a diameter large enough to provide substantial support, but small enough so that the person moving the lamp can fit it easily through standard doorways. The lamp&#39;s base is thin enough to allow the mobile chair to be moved easily onto and parked on the base surface, and the gripping surface prevents the chair&#39;s wheels or the staff from slipping on its surface. By parking the mobile chair on the top surface of the lamp base, the dental light will be in close proximity to the chair and the patient, which helps provide excellent lighting conditions for treating patients. Furthermore, by parking the mobile dental chair on the top surface of the baseplate, exceptional stability for the mobile dental lamp is achieved. The mobile chair may weigh over 250 pounds and the average dental patient weighs about 150 pounds, thereby placing about 400 plus pounds onto the mobile lamp&#39;s base, making it stable while in use. The mobile dental chair may have battery power to move it and control the seat&#39;s elevation and reclining functions. The mobile dental lamp may have removable wheels to make transportation easier and, when in place, take the wheels out of the way of patients and staff. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a three-quarter perspective view of the mobile dentistry chair and lamp of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the mobile dentistry chair of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a three-quarter view of the mobile dentistry lamp of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a three-quarter perspective view of the mobile dentistry lamp with transport wheels in place. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a three-quarter perspective view of the mobile dentistry chair and lamp of the present invention in use. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 5  shows the mobile dentistry chair  11  and lamp  30  set up  10  for a dentist or dental assistant  50  to treat a patient  51 . The chair  11  has wheels  13  and  13 ′ to move the chair  11  into an area where dental work will be performed. For example, the mobile chair  11  can be moved into a patient&#39;s home, workplace, or location where patients will come for treatment. The chair  11  may be pushed into place or self-propelled by a person sitting in it, or the chair  11  may be powered, such that it can be driven into position. A chair control  27  allows a person sitting in or standing next to the chair  11  to drive it into position, or a remote control (not shown) can operate the chair&#39;s  11  powered systems and allow dental staff to drive the chair  11  into position without being seated or standing next to it. The chair control  27  can also manage other powered systems, such as the seat&#39;s  14  height, reclining the backrest  15 , raising the legrest  18 , as described below. 
         [0016]    In the preferred embodiment disclosed, the chair  11  has large primary wheels  13  located in the mid-section of the chair&#39;s  11  base  12 . This arrangement provides substantial support where the majority of the weight of the chair and patient will be exerted. Secondary support wheels  13 ′ provide additional support, especially fore and aft, so that loads exerted, such as when the backrest  15  is lowered and legrest  18  extended, will be supported. The mobile dental chair  11  has a seat  14  with a backrest  15 , headrest  19 , and legrest  18  with footrests  17 . For purposes of dental care, the use of non-absorbent, waterproof and washable upholstery for the seat  14 , backrest  15 , headrest  19 , and legrest  18  is preferred so as to aid sanitation and sterilization. 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the backrest  15  has been reclined and legrest  18  extended to place the patient  51  in a near recumbent position, comfortable for the patient and suitable for the dentist  50  to perform work from a convenient and comfortable position. The seat  14  supports a patient&#39;s  51  posterior  52 . The reclining backrest  15  supports the patient&#39;s  51  back  53 . Footrests  17  support the patient&#39;s  51  feet  57 . The headrest  19  supports the patient&#39;s  51  head  55 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the headrest  19  is supported on the chair  11  by an adjustable support  25 . A headrest adjustment lever  26  can release the headrest  19  so that it can be moved into position and then the lever  26  can operate as a brake to fix the headrest  19  in position. In  FIG. 5  a neck rest or pillow  20  has been placed under the patient&#39;s  51  neck to provide support, helpful during long procedures, and especially helpful for elderly patients. The legrest  18  supports the patient&#39;s  51  legs  56 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the legrest  18  and footrests  17  are secured to the chair  11  by an adjustable leg support chassis  22 . A manual adjuster  23  operates as a brake that can be released to allow the leg support chassis  22  to be tilted up and forward, then fixed in that position by tightening the adjuster  23 . In the tilted and forward position, the legrest  18  holds the patient&#39;s  51  legs  56  during treatment, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The adjuster  23  can be released to return the legrest  18  to the upright position, as shown in  FIG. 1 , facilitating exit from the chair  11  and allowing the chair  11 , with or without a patient in it, to be transported and wheeled into or out of position. 
         [0018]    The chair  11  has a seat  14  mounted to the chassis base  12  by a telescoping elevator  24 . The elevator  24  allows the seat to be raised or lowered and held securely in at a selected height. The elevator  24  may be an hydraulic telescope  24 , operated manually, such as with a lever (not shown), or powered by an electric hydraulic pump (not shown) to operate an hydraulic telescoping elevator  24  through the chair control  27 . Alternatively, the elevator  24  may be a mechanical system, such as a scissor jack (not shown), or a geared system, such as a rack and pinion powered by an electric motor  29 . Either mechanical system may be operated manually, such as by a crank (not shown), or electrically powered and controlled by the chair control  27 . Whether manual or powered, elevator  24  holds the seat  14  at the desired height. In the case of a powered elevator  24 , the hydraulic or electric motor and associated mechanisms (not shown) may operate as a brake to hold the seat  14  at the desired height. In addition, the position of the reclining backrest  15  may be adjusted manually, such as by a lever, or powered with electrical motors through the control  27 . Similarly, the legrest  18  may be adjusted as described above or electrically powered and controlled by the chair control  27 . Whether manually or electrically operated, leg adjuster  23  or brake holds the legrest  18  in the desired location. In the case of an electrically powered legrest  18 , the electric motor and associated mechanism may operate as the brake to hold the legrest  18  in the desired position. For a chair  11  with driven wheels and power-adjusted positions, re-chargeable battery power (not shown) can be incorporated on or within the chassis base  12 . 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the on-site mobile dentistry chair  11  has been moved onto the base  31  of an on-site mobile dentistry lamp  30 . In the disclosed embodiment, the lamp base  31  is circular and large enough so that at least two of the chair&#39;s  11  wheels,  13  and  13 ′, rest on the lamp base  31 . Although the dental lamp&#39;s upper mounting  33 , swivel arm  34 , and light  35  are top heavy, the weight of the mobile chair  11  (about 250 pounds for a battery-powered chair with powered elevation and reclining systems), the patient (about 150 pounds), as well as the lamp&#39;s base  31  and counterweight  43  (seen in  FIG. 3 ), securely hold the dental lamp  30  in place even as the heavy dental light  35  is moved to direct light into the area of the patient&#39;s  51  mouth being worked on. In a preferred embodiment, the base  31  is formed of ⅛-inch thick plate aluminum and is approximately 29.5 inches in diameter. Aluminum works well for the base plate  31 , because it is strong enough to support the dental lamp&#39;s upper mounting  33 , swivel arm  34 , and light  35 , yet light enough for easy transport. A base plate  31  thickness of ⅛-inch is thin enough to allow the chair  11  to roll onto and park on the base  31 , yet thick enough to provide a stable mounting for the heavy upper mounting  33 , swivel arm  34 , and light  35  of the dental lamp  30 . The base  31  may also include an anti-skid surface  40 , such as a diamond pattern formed in the aluminum plate, to prevent the wheels of the mobile chair from slipping the plate&#39;s surface and to prevent patients, dental staff, or other persons from slipping on its surface. The diameter of the base  31  may be large enough so that at least two of the mobile dental chair&#39;s  11  wheels,  13  and  13 ′, will rest on the plate&#39;s surface  31 . Also, the 29.5 inch diameter of the base  31  should allow the dentistry lamp  30  to fit easily through standard doorways. The mobile dentistry lamp  30  has a tube  32  to hold the dental light  35  at the correct height for performing work on a patient  51 . A tube  32  length of 65 inches has been found to hold the dental light  35  at the right height for lighting a patient&#39;s mouth and teeth when the seat  14  of the mobile dental chair  11  is elevated and the backrest  15  is reclined to provide a comfortable position for the patient  51  and dentist  50 . Nevertheless, it will be appreciated that the tube  32  may be adjustable to allow the light  35  to be placed at different heights and to make transportation easier. Aluminum tube  32  having a diameter of 2 inches has been found to provide a lightweight and strong support for the heavy upper mounting  33 , swivel arm  34 , and light  35  of the dental lamp  30 . An electrical cord  41  travels from the dental light  35 , through the arms,  34  and  36 , and tube  32 , and exits the tube  32  near the base  31 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the lamp base  31  also includes an iron counterweight  43  to add additional weight at the lamp&#39;s  30  base  31 , thereby enhancing stability. The tube  32  may be threaded into or welded to the counterweight  43  or base  31 . In the preferred embodiment, the mobile dentistry lamp  30  includes a removable transport wheel structure  44  to make transporting the lamp  30  easier. The transport wheel structure  44  has a pair of wheels  47  mounted on each end of a cross piece  46 . The cross piece  46  is held on an extension tube  45  that fits into a receiver  48  on the counterweight  43 . The transport wheels  44  can be placed in the lamp&#39;s receiver  48  to allow the lamp  30  to be transported to the location where dental work is performed, then the wheels  44  can be removed so that the dentist  50 , dental staff and patient  51  will not trip over it. A releaseable pin (not shown) may be used to hold the extension tube  45  in the receiver  48 . To transport the lamp  30  from the site, the mobile chair is driven off the base  31 , the lamp&#39;s power cord  41  is unplugged, the wheels  44  are replaced by sliding the extension tube  45  into the receiver  48 , the lamp  30  is tilted so that it is supported by its wheels  47 , and the lamp  30  is wheeled out. 
         [0020]    The disclosed invention allows for on-site mobile dentistry by providing a mobile dental chair  11  and mobile dental lamp  30  that may be transported in a car or van (not shown) to a site for treating a patient  51 , such as the patient&#39;s home, school, workplace, or care facility, or to a central location, such as a community center. The mobile dental chair  12  can be removed from the car or van and pushed or driven into the site. Similarly, the mobile dental lamp  30  may be removed from the car or van and wheeled into the site. The mobile dental lamp  30  is placed in position at the site and its transport wheels  44  removed. The mobile dental chair  11  is parked on the lamp&#39;s  30  base  31 . The lamp&#39;s  30  power cord  41  is plugged into a power outlet (not shown) at the site. The patient  51  sits in the chair  11  and the seat  14  is elevated, backrest  15  reclined, and legrest  18  raised to a comfortable position for the patient  51  to receive and for the dentist  50  to perform dental work. The upper mounting  33 , swivel arm  34 , and light  35  are adjusted to direct light  35  into the patient&#39;s  51  mouth and dental work is performed. After dental services are completed, the upper mounting  33 , swivel arm  34 , and light  35  are swung out of the way, the seat  14  is lowered, and the backrest  15  and legrest  18  are returned to the sitting position to allow the patient  51  to exit. The mobile dental chair  11  is driven off the base  31  of the mobile dental lamp  30 . The power cord  41  is unplugged and the transport wheels  44  secured to the mobile dental lamp  30 . The mobile dental chair  11  and lamp  30  can then be removed from the site and returned to the car or van for transportation to the next site. 
         [0021]    The drawings and description set forth here represent only some embodiments of the invention. After considering these, skilled persons will understand that there are many ways to perform on-site mobile dentistry with a mobile dentistry chair and lamp according to the principles disclosed. The inventor contemplates that the use of alternative structures, materials, or manufacturing techniques, which result in a method of performing on-site mobile dentistry according to the principles disclosed, will be within the scope of the invention.