GB1580040A

GB1580040A - Saliva extractor for use in dentistry

Info

Publication number: GB1580040A
Application number: GB23338/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1976-06-05
Filing date: 1976-06-05
Publication date: 1980-11-26

Description

(54) SALIVA EXTRACTOR FOR USE IN DENTISTRY (71) I, JUNE THORNTON, a British subject of 1 Over Lane, Baslow, Near Bakewell, Derbyshire, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a saliva extractor for use in dentistry.

The term "saliva extractor" employed in this specification and claims is intended to refer to an extractor which is capable of effecting withdrawal of material produced during dental treatment such as solid particles, saliva and other liquids e.g. blood, from the mouth of a patient when a suction source (an aspirator) is coupled-up with the extractor.

In conventional dentistry, i.e. treatment of a patient in a reclining, but non-horizontal position, a dentist is usually requied to use a saliva extractor intermittently during a dental treatment. However, during treatment of a patient in a substantially horizontal position (which is being increasingly carried out in Great Britain and to a greater extent in some countries overseas) there is a requirement for a saliva extractor to be employed for considerably longer periods of time than in conventional dentistry. This means that a dentist has to carry out a large part of the treatment while being encumbered by the presence of the saliva extractor in the patient's mouth. Furthermore, dental treatments usually require also the intermittent use of a dental mirror, which still further encumbers the dentist. This problem exists both in horizontal dental treatment, and also in conventional dentistry.

It is known from British Patent No.

1,255,719 to provide a saliva extractor which incorporates a dental mirror. The saliva extractor comprises a housing which has an inlet through which saliva and the like is admitted to the interior of the housing when a suction source is connected to the saliva extractor.

The mirror is mounted wholly within the housing, and accordingly an opening is formed in the housing which is larger than the mirror to enable the mirror to pass through the opening and to be mounted inside the housing. The inlet for saliva is in fact defined between the outer periphery of the mirror and the edge of the opening.

Accordingly, the size of the housing is dictated by the size of the mirror, and this means that the known saliva extractor is large, heavy and difficult to manipulate, these factors all being undesirable both to the dentist carrying out the treatment and to the patient.

It is an object of the invention to provide a saliva extractor having a dental mirror and which is of light weight and small size for easy manipulation, and yet which can function satisfactorily to extract minerals produced during dental treatment.

According to the invention there is provided a saliva extractor for use in dentistry, comprising a tubular housing connectible to a source of suction and having a straight suction head provided with a suction opening at one end for admitting saliva and the like to the interior of the housing, and a dental mirror mounted externally on said suction head, in which the dental mirror extends generally parallel to the axis of the suction head and projects axially beyond said suction opening.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded side view of a saliva extractor according to the invention Figures 2a, 2b and 2c are end views taken in the direction of the arrow X in Figure 1 and illustrating different cross-sections for a suction head of the saliva extractor; and Figure 3 is a side view of an alternative construction for part of the suction head.

Referring now to the drawings, a saliva extractor for use in dentistry is designated generally by reference numeral 10 and comprises a housing 11 which, in use, will be located in a patient's mouth, the housing 11 comprising a main tubular portion 12 and a straight suction head 13 provided at one end of tubular portion 12 and inclined relative thereto. A dental mirror 14 is provided externally on the housing 11, and is detachably mounted in a hole provided in suction head 13 by means of an integral threaded portion 15. It will be noted that the mirror 14 is located adjacent an inlet end 23 of the suction head 13, and yet it does not obstruct the path of travel of material to the interior of the suction head 13. Also, the mirror 14 extends parallel to the axis of the suction head 13 and projects axially beyond the inlet end 23.

Suction is applied to the housing 11 by means of a suction tube 16, and suction tube 16 and tubular portion 12 have mutually interlockable end parts 17 and 18 which can be brought into locking engagement, and maintained in locking engagement, by means of a sleeve 19. The sleeve 19 is slideable longitudinally over and relative to tubular portion 12 and suction tube 16 between a release position in which the end parts 17 and 18 can be disengaged, and a holding position in which end parts 17 and 18 are maintained in locking engagement. As illustrated in the drawings, end parts 17 and 18 are shaped so as to interlock and resist relative rotation occuring between suction tube 16 and tubular portion 12.

Referrring to Figures 2a to 2c, alternative cross-sections are illustrated for the suction head 13 as viewed in the direction of the arrow X in Figure 1. Preferably, the crosssection is substantially constant throughout the length of the head 13, as illustrated, though this is not essential.

In Figure 2a, there is shown a "half-moon" section for the head 13 having a straight line or flat 20 of the semi-circle located lowermost and remote from and parallel to the mirror 14. It has been found that this shape is particularly useful in obtaining withdrawal of material from the mouth of a patient. Figure 2b shows a circular cross-section 21 and Figure 2c a rectangular cross-section 22 for the head 13 which are also useful.

Referring again to Figure 1, it will be noted that the inlet end 23 of the suction head 13 is located radially inwardly (as seen in plan) of the periphery of the mirror 14. It has been found in practice that this is a significant feature in reducing the tendency for withdrawal of soft mouth tissue through the saliva extractor to occur while still enabling satisfactory extraction of the required material from the mouth i.e. saliva, blood and small particles of solid material producing during dental treatment.

In order further to improve the withdrawal of material, a throat may be provided in the saliva extractor at some position intermediate the inlet end 23 of the suction head 13 and a suction supply opening 24 at the end part 17. By way of example only, an internal throat 25 may be provided near the bottom end of tubular part 12, the internal crosssection of the throat 25 being larger in area that that of the suction head 13.

Referring to Figure 3, there is shown an alternative construction for the end part 18.

When the tubular portion 12 and the suction tube 16 are provided with a relatively soft coating or surface finish e.g. silvered, the releasable coupling shown in Figure 1 functions satisfactorily. However, it if is desired to improve the retention action of the sleeve 19 by providing a hook-like shaping on one of the end parts 17 or 18. By way of example, an inclined hook-like shaping 26 is shown in Figure 3 applied to end part 18 which can mate satisfactorily with an inclined surface of end part 17 while the hook 27 engages the internal surface of sleeve 19.

The saliva extractor illustrated in the drawings is, inter alia, suitable for use in horizontal-position dentistry, whereby it is no longer necessary for a dentist to use a separate mirror, but the saliva extractor is also suitable for use in conventional dentistry.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A saliva extractor for use in dentistry, comprising a tubular housing connectible to a source of suction and having a straight suction head provided with a suction opening at one end for admitting saliva and the like to the interior of the housing, and a dental mirror mounted externally on said suction head, in which the dental mirror extends generally parallel to the axis of the suction head and projects axially beyond said suction opening.

2. A saliva extractor according to claim 1, in which said suction opening is contained in a plane which extends perpendicular to the plane of the dental mirror.

3. A saliva extractor according to claim 1 or 2, in which said suction opening is circular, semi-circular, or rectangular.

4. A saliva extractor according to claim 3, in which the suction opening is semicircular and arranged so that the "flat" of the opening is remote from and extends parallel to the mirror.

5. A saliva extractor according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said dental mirror is removably mounted on said suction head.

6. A saliva extractor according to any one of the preceding claims, including a throat provided in said suction head upstream of said suction opening.

7. A saliva extractor according to any

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. Referring now to the drawings, a saliva extractor for use in dentistry is designated generally by reference numeral 10 and comprises a housing 11 which, in use, will be located in a patient's mouth, the housing 11 comprising a main tubular portion 12 and a straight suction head 13 provided at one end of tubular portion 12 and inclined relative thereto. A dental mirror 14 is provided externally on the housing 11, and is detachably mounted in a hole provided in suction head 13 by means of an integral threaded portion 15. It will be noted that the mirror 14 is located adjacent an inlet end 23 of the suction head 13, and yet it does not obstruct the path of travel of material to the interior of the suction head 13. Also, the mirror 14 extends parallel to the axis of the suction head 13 and projects axially beyond the inlet end 23. Suction is applied to the housing 11 by means of a suction tube 16, and suction tube 16 and tubular portion 12 have mutually interlockable end parts 17 and 18 which can be brought into locking engagement, and maintained in locking engagement, by means of a sleeve 19. The sleeve 19 is slideable longitudinally over and relative to tubular portion 12 and suction tube 16 between a release position in which the end parts 17 and 18 can be disengaged, and a holding position in which end parts 17 and 18 are maintained in locking engagement. As illustrated in the drawings, end parts 17 and 18 are shaped so as to interlock and resist relative rotation occuring between suction tube 16 and tubular portion 12. Referrring to Figures 2a to 2c, alternative cross-sections are illustrated for the suction head 13 as viewed in the direction of the arrow X in Figure 1. Preferably, the crosssection is substantially constant throughout the length of the head 13, as illustrated, though this is not essential. In Figure 2a, there is shown a "half-moon" section for the head 13 having a straight line or flat 20 of the semi-circle located lowermost and remote from and parallel to the mirror 14. It has been found that this shape is particularly useful in obtaining withdrawal of material from the mouth of a patient. Figure 2b shows a circular cross-section 21 and Figure 2c a rectangular cross-section 22 for the head 13 which are also useful. Referring again to Figure 1, it will be noted that the inlet end 23 of the suction head 13 is located radially inwardly (as seen in plan) of the periphery of the mirror 14. It has been found in practice that this is a significant feature in reducing the tendency for withdrawal of soft mouth tissue through the saliva extractor to occur while still enabling satisfactory extraction of the required material from the mouth i.e. saliva, blood and small particles of solid material producing during dental treatment. In order further to improve the withdrawal of material, a throat may be provided in the saliva extractor at some position intermediate the inlet end 23 of the suction head 13 and a suction supply opening 24 at the end part 17. By way of example only, an internal throat 25 may be provided near the bottom end of tubular part 12, the internal crosssection of the throat 25 being larger in area that that of the suction head 13. Referring to Figure 3, there is shown an alternative construction for the end part 18. When the tubular portion 12 and the suction tube 16 are provided with a relatively soft coating or surface finish e.g. silvered, the releasable coupling shown in Figure 1 functions satisfactorily. However, it if is desired to improve the retention action of the sleeve 19 by providing a hook-like shaping on one of the end parts 17 or 18. By way of example, an inclined hook-like shaping 26 is shown in Figure 3 applied to end part 18 which can mate satisfactorily with an inclined surface of end part 17 while the hook 27 engages the internal surface of sleeve 19. The saliva extractor illustrated in the drawings is, inter alia, suitable for use in horizontal-position dentistry, whereby it is no longer necessary for a dentist to use a separate mirror, but the saliva extractor is also suitable for use in conventional dentistry. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A saliva extractor for use in dentistry, comprising a tubular housing connectible to a source of suction and having a straight suction head provided with a suction opening at one end for admitting saliva and the like to the interior of the housing, and a dental mirror mounted externally on said suction head, in which the dental mirror extends generally parallel to the axis of the suction head and projects axially beyond said suction opening.

7. A saliva extractor according to any

one of the preceding claims, in which said tubular housing comprises a first tubular portion which constitutes said suction head and a second tubular portion which is inclined relative to the first tubular portion and is adapted for coupling with a suction supply line.

8. A saliva extractor according to claim 7, including a longitudinally slidable sleeve for releasably coupling said second tubular portion to the suction supply line.

9. A saliva extractor according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.