JP2011120608A - Lighting device for dental treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely inform the intention of a patient to a dentist watching the inside of an oral cavity and performing treatment. <P>SOLUTION: When a patient during treatment operates an operation part 1, an electric circuit connected with the electric system of a dental light 4 is switched from a normal electric circuit to an emergency electric circuit A or B in an output change part 3. The irradiation form of the dental light 4 irradiating the inside of the oral cavity of the patient is changed from a normal irradiation form of irradiating the inside of the oral cavity of the patient at fixed illuminance to an emergency irradiation form of repeatedly changing the intensity of illuminance, and the attention of the dentist is called. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an irradiation apparatus for dental practice that irradiates a patient's oral cavity.

Dental practice is often painful, and there is an aspect that imposes a mental and physical burden on the patient side, such as cooling water supplied from the handpiece accumulates in the pharynx and makes breathing difficult. However, since the patient who is undergoing the examination is forced to open his / her mouth, the intention cannot be communicated to the dentist with words. Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus that transmits a patient's intention to the dentist by alerting the dentist with a notification means such as a buzzer sound or light that is activated by the operation of the patient.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-95994

  Dental care is often performed in an environment that is always surrounded by operating sounds of medical equipment such as handpieces and vacuums, and alerting with a buzzer sound does not always exhibit the desired effect. In addition, since there are cases where a plurality of patients are treated at the same time, it may be difficult to specify which patient's operation the buzzer sound is caused by. On the other hand, it is effective to call attention with light, but it is necessary to always install a dedicated light emitter in a place where it is easy for a dentist to check and does not interfere with medical care. Moreover, since the dentist usually concentrates on the examination in the patient's oral cavity and the treatment performed there, it is fully possible that he / she will not notice the lighting of the light emitter.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an irradiation means for irradiating a patient's oral cavity, an irradiation mode changing means for changing the irradiation mode of the irradiation means to a mode different from a mode at the time of medical care, and a patient undergoing a medical examination Is configured as an irradiating apparatus for dental practice provided with operating means for operating the irradiation mode changing means. The irradiation means is attached to a general dental examination table, and irradiates the patient's oral cavity from a position that does not interfere with the medical treatment, and the irradiation mode can be changed by the operation on the patient side, The patient's intention can be surely communicated to a dentist who is performing medical care while paying attention to the inside of the oral cavity, and the dentist can confirm the patient's intention when the irradiation mode is changed.

  Since the operation means has an external shape that can be operated in a state in which the patient being examined is in the hand, the patient can perform the operation extremely easily and reliably.

  The irradiation mode of the irradiation unit when the patient under examination operates the operation unit is an irradiation mode in which the intensity of the illuminance is repeatedly switched for a predetermined time, so that the dentist's attention can be effectively evoked. it can.

  By changing the irradiation mode of the irradiation means that irradiates the patient's oral cavity by the operation on the patient side, the patient's intention can be surely communicated to the dentist who pays attention to the oral cavity and performs medical care At the same time, the dentist can confirm the patient's intention when the irradiation mode is changed.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of an irradiation apparatus for dental practice. The operation unit 1 is a signal input means for inputting an electrical signal to the control unit 2 of the present system, and has an external shape with a size and shape that can be accommodated in the hands of a patient who is in a supine posture on a dental examination table. ing. The operation unit 1 includes a main body 1a, a button 1b, an electric circuit 1c built in the main body 1a, and an electric cable 1d connected to the electric system of the control unit 2 shown in FIG. When the patient who has the main body 1a in his / her hand performs an operation of pressing the button 1b with his / her hand or finger, the electric circuit 1c forms a closed circuit only while the button 1b is being pressed. The control unit 2 detects that the patient has operated the operation unit 1 or continues the operation based on a change in electrical resistance.

  In response to the operation of the operation unit 1, the control unit 2 outputs a predetermined electrical signal toward the output changing unit 3. The output changing unit 3 selects one of the plurality of electric circuits that determine the irradiation mode of the dental light 4 and connects it to the electric system of the dental light 4. The normal-time electric circuit is an electric circuit that is selected when there is no change in the electronic signal input from the operation unit 1 to the control unit 2, that is, when the patient is not operating the operation unit 1. When energization of the system is started, the normal electric circuit is automatically selected, and the dental light 4 irradiates the patient's oral cavity with a constant illuminance.

  The emergency electric circuit A is an electric circuit for irradiating the dental light 4 in such a manner that intensity switching of illuminance is repeated for a predetermined time. When the operation unit 1 is operated, the output changing unit 3 switches the electric circuit connected to the electric system of the dental light 4 from the normal electric circuit to the emergency electric circuit A, and the irradiation mode of the dental light 4 is fixed. The normal irradiation mode for maintaining the illuminance is changed to the emergency irradiation mode in which the intensity switching of the illuminance is repeated for a predetermined time. When a predetermined time elapses, the circuit is automatically switched to the normal-time electric circuit and returns to the normal-time irradiation mode.

  The emergency electric circuit B is an electric circuit for irradiating the dental light 4 in the emergency irradiation mode while the operation of the operation unit 1 is continued, that is, while the patient continues to press the button 1b of the operation unit 1. Circuit.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart regarding the irradiation mode changing process in the dental medical irradiation apparatus. The flowchart starts when the dentist energizes the system. When energization of the system shown in FIG. 1 is started, the normal-time electric circuit is automatically selected by the output changing unit 3, and the dental light 4 irradiates the oral cavity of the patient with a constant illuminance (STEP 1). At this time, the operation unit 1 is in the hands of the patient who is undergoing a medical examination and can be operated at any time by the patient's intention. When the patient operates the operation unit 1 during medical treatment (STEP 2), the irradiation mode of the dental light 4 is changed to the emergency irradiation mode (STEP 3). As a result, the dental light 4 repeats switching of the intensity of the illuminance for a predetermined time, and the dentist who has received attention takes measures such as temporarily interrupting the medical care and asking the patient about the situation. The dental light 4 automatically returns to the normal irradiation mode when a predetermined time elapses after the operation unit 1 is operated (STEP 4).

  When the patient continues to operate the operation unit 1 (STEP 5), the dental light 4 continuously switches between strong and weak (STEP 3). Usually, the illuminance of the dental light 4 is switched between strong and weak for a predetermined time in STEP 3 and the dentist's attention is drawn up and the medical treatment is interrupted. In such a case, the dentist's attention is further evoked by continuously switching the intensity of the dental light 4 based on the patient's continuous operation. When the patient interrupts the continuous operation of the operation unit 1, the dental light 4 automatically returns to the normal irradiation mode (STEP 4).

  When resuming the interrupted medical treatment, the dental light 4 automatically returns to the normal irradiation mode, so that the dentist can resume the medical treatment without requiring any special operation. Even while the resumed medical treatment is continued, the patient keeps the operation unit 1 in his / her hand, and can be operated any number of times to prompt the interruption of the medical treatment. When the dentist cuts off the power to the system, the medical treatment is finished (STEP 6), and the flowchart is finished.

  The emergency illumination mode of the dental light 4 is not limited to the mode of repeatedly switching the intensity of illuminance, but can be replaced with another mode. For example, a colored light such as red may be added to the dental light 4 and the dentist may be alerted by irradiating the oral cavity with a color different from that in the normal irradiation mode.

System block diagram of dental treatment irradiation equipment Perspective view of the operation unit Flow chart relating to irradiation mode change processing in an irradiation apparatus for dental practice

Explanation of symbols

1 Operation part 2 Control part 3 Output change part 4 Dental light

Claims (3)

  Irradiation means for irradiating the patient's oral cavity, irradiation mode change means for changing the irradiation mode of the irradiation means to a mode different from the mode at the time of medical treatment, and operation for the patient undergoing the operation to operate the irradiation mode change unit Irradiation device for dental treatment provided with means.   The dental treatment irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation means has an outer shape that can be operated in a state where a patient undergoing a medical examination is contained in a hand.   The irradiation apparatus for dental practice according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an irradiation mode of the irradiation unit when a patient under examination operates the operation unit is an irradiation mode in which intensity switching of illuminance is repeated for a predetermined time.

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