Patent ID: 7611354

Claim:
An intraoral illumination system, comprising: an intraoral illumination device including a flexible body having means for biting and retaining the intraoral illumination device in a fixed position in a patient's mouth, means for delivering illumination for illuminating the patient's mouth, means for aspirating fluids and oral debris from the patient's mouth, means for retracting and protecting a cheek of the patient on a side of the mouth opposite the biting and retaining means, and means for connecting the aspirating means and the illumination delivering means to a heat sink device, the connecting means configured to extend both within and outside the patient's mouth; and a heat sink device detachably connectable to the connecting means of the intraoral illumination device outside the patient's mouth, the heat sink device including means for emitting light and heat for illuminating the illumination delivering means of the intraoral illumination device, means for transferring aspirated fluid from the aspirating means of the intraoral illumination device, and heat sink means thermally coupled to the light and heat emitting means and the aspirated fluid transferring means for transferring heat away from the light and heat emitting means.