Abstract:
An instrument for broaching and dilating an incision of soft tissue in a tunnel-like shape, the instrument stretches and supports tissue to allow the insertion and passage materials, and comprises a handle, and one or more arched plate members.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to an instrument for use by dentists or surgeons for retracting and opening incisions in soft tissue, and more particularly to dental instruments used in the operation of bone grafting augmentation.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    It is common in dentistry to build up the gum tissue of individuals who have lost their teeth and suffered bone decay in the alveolar process to provide support for artificial teeth. In cases in which there are natural abutment teeth of sufficient strength and rigidity, artificial teeth may be supported by conventional bridgework. However, this is not always the case, and it then becomes necessary to either implant a support structure in the jaw bone, or to build up the alveolar ridge of the jaw bones to provide a firm base on which to mount the artificial tooth.  
           [0003]    Often surgical and dental procedures require the insertion of substitute bone graft materials or implant material through narrow and small incisions in tissue and it is desirably done with the incision retracted open to sufficient aperture to allow unhindered passage of materials of various shape and length with minimal trauma to receiving tissue. In dental procedures for augmentation of the alveolar ridge graft material, such as strings of hydroxyapatite pearls, is inserted in the narrow tunnel-like space between the gingival soft connective tissue and the alveolar ridge of the mandible.  
           [0004]    Known methods of building up the alveolar ridge of jawbones include cutting a long incision along the gum tissue, inserting the graft material along the alveolar ridge, and stitching the gum over the graft material or, alternatively, cutting a small incision, spreading the incision, and inserting a tubule of graft material into the incision and along under the gum tissue and along the alveolar ridge, and then stitching up the incised gum opening. Cutting a small incision and spreading it apart is less invasive than cutting a longer incision, provides less trauma to the tissue, and requires fewer stitches. However, it is problematic to properly spread the small incision, and at the same time insert a flexible graft material into the small opening and along the bone line to build up the gums. With existing conventional hand held instruments it is cumbersome for dentists implanting material for ridge augmentation to retract the soft tissue opening in a form suited to accommodate the shape and size of implant material for passage with one hand while maintaining separation of connective tissue and bone as implant material is being coaxed in with the other hand. Due to mental nerve enervation and shrinkage of soft tissue with re-absorption and narrowing of mandibular alveolar ridge the incision size is limited complicating an otherwise simple step in procedure. Often dentists will go through a pick-up-and-putdown routine of several different dental instruments to tend to the various acts of broaching, retracting, tissue separating, and implanting during a ridge augmentation, which is disruptive of the dentist&#39;s concentration and complicates what is otherwise a simple step in procedure. Moreover, often conventional instruments used to retract and maintain opening to the incision compromise or obstruct the available entrance space to the opening. Further complicating the process is the flexibility of existing graft material which does not remain rigid during the handling and insertion steps.  
           [0005]    A need therefore remains for a dental surgical tool that will aid in the spreading of the incision and serve to guide the flexible graft material along under the gums and along the bone, to make the operation quicker and thus less traumatic to the individual. A need also remains for a method of using such a tool.  
           [0006]    The following represents a list of known related art:  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,225, to Winslow, et al., issued Jul. 4, 2000;  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,147 to Moskovitz, et al., issued Apr. 6, 1999;  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,329, to Stuck-McCormick, issued Oct. 5, 1999;  
           [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,962, to Rosenlicht, issued Jun. 29, 1999;  
           [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,033, to Elia, issued Jun. 2, 1998;  
           [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,235, to Elia, issued Mar. 14, 1995;  
           [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,639 to Weiss, et all, issued May 24, 1977; and  
           [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,840 to Bori, issued Oct. 10, 1989.  
           [0015]    The teachings of each of the above-listed citations (which does not itself incorporate essential material by reference) are herein incorporated by reference. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus solving the aforementioned problems is desired.  
           [0016]    Heretofore, a surgical tunnel retractor as described herein has not previously been provided. A surgical tool designed for use in inserting bone graft material into the gum tissue of a patient and along the bone line to augment the bone line, which is minimally invasive, and which requires only a small incision, and which serves to guide the insertion of material into and under the tissue and along the target bone has not been provided. A surgical tool designed for use in inserting bone graft material into the gum tissue of a patient and along the alveolar ridge of the inferior or superior maxilla to augment the alveolar ridge, which is minimally invasive, and which requires only a small incision, and which serves to guide the insertion of augmentation material into and under the tissue and along the target alveolar ridge zone has not been provided.  
           [0017]    Therefore, it is highly desirable to create an article and method to meet these needs and objects. Potential customers for articles and methods that meet these objects include dentists, dental and surgical supply companies, oral surgeons, hospitals, clinics, medics, etc. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 shows a view of the embodiment displayed in FIG. 1 along the  2 - 2  line.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 shows a view of one of the half tube ends of the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 shows a view of the other half tube end of the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 shows an environmental view of an embodiment of the present invention in use. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]    Before beginning a detailed description of the subject invention, mention of the following is in order. When appropriate, like reference materials and characters are used to designate identical, corresponding, or similar components in differing figure drawings. The figure drawings associated with this disclosure typically are not drawn with dimensional accuracy to scale, i.e., such drawings have been drafted with a focus on clarity of viewing and understanding rather than dimensional accuracy.  
         [0024]    A surgical tunnel retractor is provided. Referring to FIG. 1, a surgical tunnel retractor  10  according to the present invention is shown comprising an elongated handle  12  having opposing first and second ends,  30  and  32  respectively, and an arched plate member  14  connected to said first end  30  of said handle. As shown in FIG. 1, the surgical tunnel retractor can be further provided with a second arched plate member  16  connected to said second end  32  of said handle. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first and second arched plate members are preferably of different size to provide more options to the user, but the sizes need not be different. As shown in FIG. 1, said surgical tunnel retractor can be further provided with shank elements,  34  and  36 , disposed between said handle ends and said arched plate members. The handle portion is preferably straight and tapered on both ends. Those skilled in the art will know that said handle be configured in numerous equivalent ways.  
         [0025]    The arched plate member is semi-circular in cross-sectional shape with proximal  14   a  and distal  14   b  ends in relation to handle, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2,  3 , and  4 . As shown in FIG. 2, towards the distal end  14   b  of said arched plate, the lateral edges of said plate taper into the curvature to the height of the arch, rounding off in plow-like tip for inserting in and under the gum tissue of patient. The tip, as seen in FIG. 5, provides for broaching incisions in soft tissue  22  while the arched plate member lifts and retracts the tissue in a convenient tunnel-like shape for passing materials  18  into, along, and under the tissue. The arch plate member can have a varying arc radius preferably in the range of 1.5 mm to 4 mm. The arch plate member preferably has a longitudinal length in the range of 4 mm to 20 mm. Those skilled in the art will know that said arched plate members be configured in numerous equivalent ways. The dimensions provided are adapted for use of the instrument on human patients. Those skilled in the art will know that the disclosed tunnel retractor can equally be used on non-human patients with a simplistic adaption of the foregoing dimensions to scale. The invention is thus not limited to human patients and by the foregoing dimensions.  
         [0026]    When the surgical retractor is provided without shank elements, the arched plate members extend away from the handle at an obtuse angle to the longitudinal axis of the handle, with the distal ends of said plate members furthest away from the ends of said handle.  
         [0027]    As shown in FIGS. 1, 2,  3 ,  4  and  5 , when a shank element  34  is provided, the shank element connects to arched plate member at the proximal end  14   a  on the convex side of the arched plate at the general apex of said arched plate. The shank element connects to the arched plate member preferably to form right angle, 90 degrees, between the longitudinal axes of the arched plate member and the shank element, oppositely extending from the angle to which the shank element connects to the handle. The angle between the longitudinal axes of the shank element and the arched plate member can be any angle in the range of 10 degrees to 150 degrees. The shank element connects to the handle preferably to form an obtuse angle, preferably 135 degrees, between the longitudinal axes of the handle and the longitudinal axes of the shank. The obtuse angle between the longitudinal axes of the shank element and the handle can be any angle in the range of  60  degrees to  170  degrees.  
         [0028]    The present invention is made of medical grade metal. Methods and procedures for making surgical implements of medical grade metal are well known in the art.  
         [0029]    In operation, after a surgical incision is made into the gum tissue of a patient, cutting into the gingival membrane overlying the jawbone, the distal end of either the first or second arched plate members is inserted into the incision and along and under the gum tissue, with the arched plate member lifting and spreading the gum tissue, and the arched plate member creating a tunnel under the gum tissue and along the alveolar ridge of the jaw bone. This is displayed in FIG. 5. A portion of the arched plate member may remain outside of the gum tissue leaving an opening into the tunnel created by the insertion of the tunnel retractor portion. Material  18 , which can be graft material, is pushed into the created tunnel, the arched plate member acting to guide the flexible graft material along under the gums and along the bone until the tunnel is filled. The graft material is tamped down. The arched plate member is then removed from incision and the tissue is closed over the cavity, and in some cases the tissue is sutured depending upon the size of the incision.  
         [0030]    The present invention, while particularly well suited for use in the field of dentistry to aid in the provision of support for artificial teeth, is of general medical application for humans and other vertebrates. Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications and changes may be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. It will, of course, be understood that modifications of the invention, in its various aspects, will be apparent to those skilled in the art, some being apparent only after study, others being matters of routine mechanical, chemical and electronic design. No single feature, function or property of the preferred embodiment is essential. Other embodiments are possible, their specific designs depending upon the particular application. As such, the scope of the invention should not be limited by the particular embodiments herein described but should be defined only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.