Abstract:
A combined mouth retracting and saliva ejecting device has a forward suction portion, a right cheek retractor portion, a left cheek retractor portion, and a rearward suction portion, the device being configured to be placed within the mouth of a dental patient. The device is constructed of a single piece of rigid, but resilient, tubular material, the material having an elastomeric memory. The device is tubular and has a cylindrical or other shape cross section and can be constructed of material so as to be either disposable or nondisposable, the nondisposable version being capable of heat or chemical sterilization. The device can be made in almost any size to accommodate the wide variety of patients that it may be used with, including children. The device may also incorporate fiber optic technology whereby light transmissive fibers are imbedded into the device to allow for selective illumination within the patient&#39;s mouth as either a light source for light curable dental compounds or for enhanced visualization.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/560,503, filed Apr. 8, 2004. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to dental procedures and to instruments and devices used by professionals during the performance of dental procedures. More particularly, it relates to a combined mouth expanding and saliva ejecting device to provide access to the dentist&#39;s working field and to help keep that working field dry during the procedure. In an alternative embodiment, it provides for such a dental device that also incorporates fiber optic technology to direct light into the working field, such light being used for enhanced visualization and for light-curing dental compounds.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     During the performance of various dental procedures, the dentist&#39;s continuous visualization of and access to all points within the patient&#39;s mouth is absolutely essential. A number of devices have long been used to retract the patient&#39;s lips and cheeks to provide such access. In the experience of this inventor, such devices have a tendency to be relatively complex in construction and in use. Similarly, suction tubes have long been used by practitioners to evacuate blood and saliva from the patient&#39;s mouth. Most frequently, the procedure being performed must be briefly interrupted to allow the dental assistant to insert the suction tube, evacuate the patient&#39;s mouth and then remove the tube, the dental assistant being in an almost continuous state of standby. What is needed is a device that combines the mouth retraction function as stated above with this suction capability.  
         [0004]     In the experience of this inventor, such combined devices have also been attempted in the prior art. But again, such devices tend to lack simplicity in design, in manufacture and in functionality. For example, such attempts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,255 issued to Cohen et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,298 issued to Hickham.  
         [0005]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful dental device that combines mouth retraction capabilities with suction capabilities. It is another object to provide such a dental device that is simple in construction and easy to use. It is still another object to provide such a dental device that can be constructed to be disposable or nondisposable. It is yet another object to provide such a dental device that can be constructed to accommodate patient mouths of any size. It is still a further object to provide such a dental device that can incorporate fiber optic technology to provide a selective light source as such is desired or required by the particular procedure that is being performed.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The combined retractor and saliva ejector apparatus of the present invention has obtained these objects. It provides for a combined mouth retracting and saliva ejecting device having a forward suction portion, a right cheek retractor portion, a left cheek retractor portion, and a rearward suction portion. The device is functionally adapted and configured to be placed within the mouth of a dental patient. In the preferred embodiment, the device is constructed of a single piece of rigid, but resilient, tubular material, the material having an elastomeric memory. Although preferably cylindrical, it is to be understood that any tubular material, including a tubular material having an oblate or other cross section, could be used without deviating from the scope of this invention. The device can be constructed of material so as to be either disposable or nondisposable, the nondisposable version being capable of heat or chemical sterilization. The device can be made in almost any size to accommodate the wide variety of patients that it may be used with, including children. In an alternative embodiment, the device incorporates fiber optic technology whereby light transmissive fibers are imbedded into the device to allow for selective illumination within the patient&#39;s mouth as either a light source for light curable dental compounds or for enhanced visualization.  
         [0007]     The foregoing and other features of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description that follows. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a front and slight bottom perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing use of the device with a dental patient.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged front, top and right side perspective view of the device shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the device shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a rear elevational view of the device shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a right side elevational view of the device shown in  FIG. 2 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]     Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numbers represent like elements throughout,  FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of the retractor and saliva ejector device, generally identified  10 , constructed in accordance with the present invention. As shown, the device  10  includes several major portions. Specifically, the device  10  includes a forward suction portion  20 , a right cheek retractor portion  40 , a left cheek retractor portion  50 , and a rearward suction portion  60 . See  FIG. 2 . Referring again to  FIG. 1 , it will be seen that the device  10  is functionally adapted and configured to be placed within the mouth  90  of a dental patient. Details of this placement will be discussed later in this detailed description.  
         [0014]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , it will be seen that the device  10  is, in the preferred embodiment, constructed of a single piece of tubular material  12 . Although preferably cylindrical, it is to be understood that any tubular material, including a tubular material having an oblate or other cross section, could be used without deviating from the scope of this invention. It is also preferable to use a plastic material that has sufficient resiliency to be bent slightly but provide adequate rigidity to allow the device to be used as a retractor within the patient&#39;s mouth  90 . Thus, the material used should have elastomeric memory such that the device  10 , even during use, is always attempting to return to its original formed shape and will, upon removal from the patient&#39;s mouth  90 , return to that original shape. In the preferred embodiment, the device  10  is made of a single tubular piece of glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG). PETG is clear, tough and has good gas and moisture barrier properties. Some of this plastic is used in PETG soft drink bottles and other blow molded containers. In the preferred embodiment, the device  10  is disposable. It is to be understood, however, that the device  10  of the present invention could also be made of other materials having properties and characteristics similar to PETG, including a nondisposable material that can be sterilized by cold chemical sterilization or by heat sterilization techniques, without deviating from the scope of the invention.  
         [0015]     It should also be apparent from the drawings that the device  10  is generally symmetrical along a central vertical plane. That is, the right and left portions of the device  10  are, in effect, mirror images of one another. See also  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Obviously, most patient mouths  90  are symmetrical. So too with a device that is placed within the mouth  90  for the purpose of balanced retraction. With respect to this detailed description, references made to right and left side of the device  10  will be from the orientation and perspective of the patient and his or her mouth  90 , not from that of the observer.  
         [0016]     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , it will be seen that the forward suction portion  20  of the device  10  includes a right side upright tubular first portion  22 , an upwardly and outwardly extending second portion  24 , a backward curved third portion  26  and an outward curved fourth portion  28 . The right side components  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  of the forward suction portion  20  form a flow continuum therethrough. Similarly, the forward suction portion  20  of the device  10  includes a left side upright tubular first portion  32 , an upwardly and outwardly extending second portion  34 , a backward curved third portion  36  and an outward curved fourth portion  38 . The left side components  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38  of the forward suction portion  20  form a flow continuum therethrough. The right and left side upright first tubular portions  22 ,  32 , respectively, terminate in a common air suction sleeve  14 . The sleeve  14  is connected to an air suction source (not shown) of known technology.  
         [0017]     Extending generally upwardly and outwardly from the left side and right side of the forward suction portion  20  is a right cheek retractor portion  40  and a left cheek retractor portion  50 , respectively. The right cheek retractor portion  40  extends generally upwardly and outwardly from the outward curved fourth right side portion  28  of the forward suction portion  20 . The right cheek retractor portion  40  includes an upwardly and inwardly curved first portion  42 , an outwardly and more sharply curved second portion  44 , a downwardly and inwardly curved third portion  46  and a backwardly extending and generally horizontal fourth portion  48 . The right side components  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  of the right cheek retractor portion  40  form a flow continuum therethrough. Similarly, the left cheek retractor portion  50  extends generally upwardly and outwardly from the outward curved fourth left side portion  38  of the forward suction portion  20 . The left cheek retractor portion  50  includes an upwardly and inwardly curved first portion  52 , an outwardly and more sharply curved second portion  54 , a downwardly and inwardly curved third portion  56  and a backwardly extending and generally horizontal fourth portion  58 . The left side components  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58  of the left cheek retractor portion  50  form a flow continuum therethrough as well. In the preferred embodiment, the flattened curve radius of the first cheek retractor portions  42 ,  52 , and the flattened curve radius of the third cheek retractor portions  46 ,  56 , are generally planar parallel, and the curve of the first and third cheek retractor portions  42 ,  52 ,  46 ,  56  need not be symmetrical. Those portions must be curvilinear so as to generally correspond to the contour of a patient&#39;s mouth  90 . Upon insertion, the uppermost, or apex, portion  45 ,  55 , of the right and left side cheek retractor portions  40 ,  50 , respectively, will be closer in proximity to one another than are the lowermost and rearwardly extending fourth portions  48 ,  58  due to flexing that will occur within those portions of the device  10 . The curve radius of the second portions  44 ,  54  of the right and left cheek retractor portions  40 ,  50 , respectively, should be sufficient to accommodate a portion of the patient&#39;s lip therewithin. See  FIG. 1 . It is also to be understood that the various radii described herein are generally a function of overall size of the device  10  which is a function of the overall size of the patient&#39;s mouth  90 . Accordingly, the device  10  of the present invention could be constructed in many different sizes so as to accommodate every patient size and age without deviating from the scope of the claims herein.  
         [0018]     Extending generally rearwardly and outwardly from the fourth portion  48  of the right side cheek retractor portion  40  and rearwardly and outwardly from the fourth portion  58  of the left side cheek retractor portion  50  is a rearward suction portion  60 . More specifically, the rearward suction portion  60  includes first right side portion  62  that extends generally rearwardly and outwardly from the fourth portion  48  of the right side cheek retractor portion  40 . Curving inwardly from the first right side portion  62  is a second right side portion  64 . A generally straight third right side  66  portion connects the second right side portion  64  to a forwardly and slightly downwardly curved fourth right side portion  68 . Similarly, the rearward suction portion  60  includes first left side portion  72  that extends generally rearwardly and outwardly from the fourth portion  58  of the left side cheek retractor portion  50 . Curving inwardly from the first left side portion  72  is a second left side portion  74 . A generally straight third left side portion  76  connects the second left side portion  74  to a forwardly and slightly downwardly curved fourth left side portion  78 . The fourth right and left side portions  68 ,  78 , respectively, culminate in a curved fifth portion  82 . The right side components  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68 , the left side components  72 ,  74 ,  76 ,  78 , and the fifth portion  82  of the rearward suction portion  60  form a flow continuum therethrough. The curved fifth portion  82  of the rearward suction portion  60  further includes a plurality of apertures  84  for suction of saliva and blood from the bottom of the patient&#39;s mouth therethrough. Although the apertures  84  are shown along the fifth portion  82  of the rearward suction portion  60 , it is to be understood that the apertures  84  could be placed anywhere along the single piece  12  of tubular material to accomplish suction throughout the patient&#39;s mouth. Such aperture  84  placement is not a limitation of the present invention.  
         [0019]     In application, and assuming that the patient has been properly sized for the device  10 , the dental professional places the device  10  within the patient&#39;s mouth  90 . This is accomplished by urging rearward suction portion  60  to the back of the mouth and by urging the right and left cheek retractor portions  40 ,  50 , respectively, generally inwardly such that the gap created between the first and third right side portions  42 ,  46  and the gap created between the first and third left side portions  52 ,  56  capture a portion of the patient&#39;s upper lip to either side of the mouth  90 . See  FIG. 1 . In this position, the forward suction portion  20  and the common air suction sleeve  14  simply rest on the patient&#39;s lower lip. The sleeve  14  is connected to an air suction source (not shown) of known technology. As the air suction source is actuated, saliva and blood are drawn into the plurality of apertures defined within the curved fifth portion  82  of the rearward suction portion  60  and through the flow continuum defined by the tube  12 . This suction continues as long as the suction source remains actuated.  
         [0020]     In an alternative embodiment, the tube  12  also includes one or more fiber optic cables (not shown) of known technology, the cables being imbedded just beneath the surface of outer periphery of the tube  12 . The cables can be abraded at appropriate points along the tube  12  to disrupt the light continuum and provide illumination for the dental professional and for hardening light sensitive dental materials. A light source (also not shown) would be imbedded within the sleeve  14  and could be actuated as desired or required. For example, the dental professional, knowing which tooth he or she will be working on, abrades the correlating portion of the device  10 . Following the placement of light sensitive dental material within the patient&#39;s mouth, the light source is actuated and light irradiates the material, thus allowing it to cure.  
         [0021]     Based upon the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided a new and useful dental device that combines mouth retraction capabilities with suction capabilities; that is simple in construction and easy to use; that can be constructed to be disposable or nondisposable; that can be constructed to fit any size or age of patient; and that can incorporate fiber optic technology to provide a selective light source as such is desired or required by the particular procedure that is being performed.