Patent CA-1114796-A (CA)
Title: Dental plaque disclosing light and method
Inventor: MACK WILLIAM
IPC: A61B5/00
Filed: 1978-12-07
Granted: 1981-12-22
Abstract: ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE        A  dental plaque disclosing light for use in conjunction with a fluorescent dye plaque disclosing solution contained in a periodontal area of an individual's mouth is disclosed.  A para-bolic reflector supports a light source providing only light which causes the fluorescent dye to fluoresce.  The light source is located in conjunction with the parabolic reflector to cause the parabolic reflector to project a solid, converging cone of light.      Preferably, the light source is located forward of the focus of the parabolic reflector.  A power supply is selectively connected to the light source for illuminating the light source.  The power supply may be one or more batteries, and if the batteries are of the rechargeable type, a means for selectively recharging the batteries is connected to the batteries.  A lens is supported adjacent the light source for projecting a solid, diverging cone of light having an axis concentric with the axis of the converging cone of light. A casing which supports the parabolic reflector also supports a reflecting surface adjacent the parabolic reflect-to such that, when the converging cone of light and diverging cone of light are directed toward the individual's mouth, the light re-flected by the fluorescent dye is reflected by the reflecting sur-face and directed toward the individual's eyes.  The light source may be a lamp and a filter means covering the lamp for filtering (i) and passing therethrough only light which causes the fluorescent dye to fluoresce.  In the preferred embodiment, the filter means is a dual-function, color filter lens having blue filtering sites and an end integrally connected to the sides which is a plano-convex blue filtering lens.  At an axial distance of sub-stantially four inches from the parabolic reflector, the diameter of the converging cone of light is substantially one-half inch and the diameter of the diverging cone of light is substantially two inches.  Alternatively, an optically inert primary lens may be connected to  and located over a portion of the parabolic reflec-tor and the parabolic reflector may terminate in a neck portion within which the light source is located and supported in position forward of the focus.             .         Alternatively, the device may be any system providing a first solid beam of light having a diameter of approximately two inches at an axial distance of substantially four inches and a second solid beam of light having a diameter of approximately one half inch at an axial distance of approximately four inches from the source.  Such an apparatus employs a method of locating plaque comprising the steps of applying a fluorescent dye plaque disclos-ing solution to an individual's mouth, illuminating a portion of the individual's mouth with an intense beam of light having a wavelength which causes the dye to fluoresce and simultaneously illuminating the individual's  entire mouth with a second beam of light of a wavelength which causes the dye to fluoresce.     (ii)