WO2022028632A1

WO2022028632A1 - Dental protective suction device

Info

Publication number: WO2022028632A1
Application number: PCT/CZ2021/050072
Authority: WO
Inventors: Josef Řehořík; Frederik Březina; Alexandr Lazarov
Original assignee: PFA Industry s.r.o.
Priority date: 2020-08-04
Filing date: 2021-06-23
Publication date: 2022-02-10
Also published as: CZ2020442A3

Abstract

Auxiliary device for dental procedures, which facilitates the work of the dentist while forming a protective aid for dentists and other potentially involved persons. This protective aid is a dental suction device, including air supply and mouth retractors, based on a design where supporting arms are attached to the suction device, and onto them the retractors are attached. The retractors are then attached to the supporting arms flexibly. The suction device has a constant cross-section along its entire length with the simultaneously changing shape of the cross-section. At the inlet, the suction device has a cylindrical shape and is beveled or rounded. The suction device outlet is inside the notional main ellipse of the retractors, while the tangent vector of the suction device outlet simultaneously closes the alpha angle in the plus-minus 10-degree range with the lower surface of the retractors.

Description

Dental protective suction device

Technical specification

The invention concerns an auxiliary device for use during dental procedures, which facilitates the work of a dentist while forming a protective aid for dentists and other potentially involved persons, as it protects the attending physician or dentist and their surroundings from aerosol and droplets through which the patient could realistically spread a disease.

Present state of the technology

Currently, several products are known that aim to achieve a similar purpose. One example is a device according to US 7 300 401 B2, intended for dental use, which is placed in the patient’s mouth during the dental procedure and consists of a front suction part and right and left parts for stretching the mouth open.

Also known are saliva extraction devices using tubular extractors. These are sometimes combined with illumination for better visibility in the area of the patient’s mouth.

Still other devices are known designed primarily to protect the dentist and ensure the extraction (exhaust) of air from the space just above the patient’s mouth, thus creating an air barrier preventing aerosol from escaping.

The closest state of technology is EP 3 360508, which is an auxiliary device for dental procedures. This device consists of at least two parts and contains a means of gas supply that is connected to the other part of the device. This second part of the device is fixed and contains a central part, to which two equal arched parts on the sides connect for providing support in the distal areas of the patient’s mouth. This enables keeping the mouth open and separating the teeth from the lips to facilitate the dentist’ s work.

A fundamental deficiency and disadvantage of this product is that it is a fixed device, i.e., by its construction and shape characteristics, it is rigid in shape, so it cannot be used for a larger number of patients due to the degree of variability in the size of individual mouths. Thus, the dentist or attending physician must have available a larger number of sizes of this device to make its use viable, and to attempt to use a size that suits the particular patient according to mouth size.

Principle of the Invention

The invention eliminates the disadvantages of existing products, whereas the dental suction device, including air supply and mouth retractors, is based on a design where supporting arms are attached to the suction device, and onto them the retractors are attached. The retractors are then attached to the supporting arms flexibly. The suction device has a constant cross-section along its entire length with the simultaneously changing shape of the cross- section. At the inlet, the suction device has a cylindrical shape and is beveled or rounded. The suction device outlet is inside the notional main ellipse of the retractors, while the tangent vector of the suction device outlet simultaneously closes the alpha angle in the plus-minus 10-degree range with the lower surface of the retractors.

The connection of the supporting arms to the suction device is performed by means of a wedge- shaped reinforcement element.

The retractor size and shape are given by the main and secondary radius of the notional main ellipse, whose parts on the right and left, when viewed from the front or rear, copy the bottom of the right and left retractors. The ends of the retractor are rounded.

The supporting arms of the suction device can be hollow, in which case they have an outlet to the bottom of the retractor.

The dental protective suction device is designed as integral from a single piece made of a biocompatible material, such as polyamide.

Both retractors can be made of at least two parts, which are connected to the suction device by separate branches of the supporting arms.

The dental suction device effectively helps the patient in a fixed position to keep the mouth open, securing it in this position.

It significantly protects the staff, especially dentists and attending physicians, by effectively sucking aerosols and droplets arising during the treatment procedure being performed by the dentist away to the exhaust and filtration equipment of the dental engine.

It is extremely important that the product according to the invention consists of a single, integral piece made of biocompatible material, which is certified as healthy and qualified for the manufacture of medical products and for contact with human tissue, which by its properties allows it to be repeatedly sterilized in an ethanol solution as well as through use of autoclave technology.

It helps the patient to keep the mouth open, allowing the attending dentist easier handling of medical instruments outside the patient’s oral cavity, and thereby space around the patient’s teeth is neither reduced nor eliminated.

The shape and method of connecting the supporting arms to the suction device and both parts of the retractor result in the fact that the retractors change only their distance from each other, and thanks to the other parts of the product, there are no undesirable deformations or twisting of those parts of the product that are in direct contact with the patient. Due to the constant position of the product vis-a-vis the patient, despite the change of the resulting opening between the two retractors, it is possible to apply a single product according to the invention to a wide range of patients with varying lip circumference without the need to replace any of the parts or product itself, even with constant rigidity of the supporting arms.

The attending physician and the working environment are not exposed to the emission of unwanted viruses and bacteria that would otherwise spread through droplets and aerosols arising during the dental procedure. This is due to the air flow, where this liquid is drawn by the air current into the exhaust and filtration equipment.

Clarification of drawings

The exemplary design of the invention is shown in the attached images, where Figure 1 shows the first variant of the dental protective suction device design in an axonometric view from above, Figure 2 shows the first variant of the dental protective suction device design in an axonometric view more from the side, Figure 3 shows the first variant of the dental protective suction device design from above, Figure 4 shows the first variant of the dental protective suction device design from the front from the vantage point of the patient’s mouth, Figure 5 shows the first variant of the dental protective suction device design from the side, Figure 6 shows the first variant of the dental protective suction device design from the side in a partial section, Figure 7 shows the second variant of the dental protective suction device design in an axonometric view, and Figure 8 shows the third variant of the dental protective suction device design in an axonometric view.

Exemplary realization of the invention

The invention concerns an auxiliary device for dental procedures, which facilitates the work of a dentist while forming a protective aid for dentists and other possibly involved persons, as it protects the attending physician or dentist and their surroundings from aerosol and droplets through which the patient could realistically spread a disease.

Example number 1

The exemplary design of the dental suction device consists of a single entire piece, as shown in Figures 1 to 6. The total product can be divided into three specific parts, each of which has its own indispensable and significant function. This was achieved after complex, iterative and sophisticated research using complex computational and simulation algorithms.

The material from which the whole product is made is not essential for the basic functions of the technical solution, but can be a biocompatible material, such as polyamide. This guarantees dentists the possibility to disinfect and clean this protective aid in the autoclave after each use, and thus its reuse. The first of these parts is the suction tube j_. This is formed by a cylindrical tube 7 with a circular cross-section, which gradually changes to the profile of the inlet ellipse 18, and in this part, it is further referred to as the suction device 6. These two cross-sections are specific in that the entire length of this suction tube 1, the same cross-section is achieved. This leads to maximum elimination of the loss of fluid flow exhausted by this part of the product, thus ensuring maximum efficiency of this process. At the bottom, i.e. at the beginning of this suction tube 1, the central line consists of a straight line, along the length of which the cross-section of the tube is formed by a circle, and at the beginning, the cylindrical tube 7 is designed with beveling or rounding for easier connection to the distributions of the dental engine. The outer diameter of the suction tube 1 gradually changes in a specific way, allowing easy fixed attachment of the exhaust hose leading from the dental engine to the cylindrical tube 7 of the dental protective suction device, and at the other end, where the patient is being treated, it then has the shape of an inlet ellipse 18 for adequate exhaust of aerosols and droplets from the patient’s mouth. This other end of the suction tube 1 creates the suction device 6 in the shape of an inlet ellipse 18, which ends with an outlet 2 with a recess 15, which is developed so that the extracted aerosol and droplets from the patient’s oral cavity are absorbed to the maximum extent by this suction tube 1.

This is also achieved thanks to the suitably chosen trajectory of the central line of the suction device 6 at this end, where this cross-section in in the shape of the inlet ellipse 18 is located, with the help of a groove 15 on one of its sides. This shape of the end part of the suction device 6 is optimal based on testing in terms of suction effect. The alpha angle of the tangent vector of this suction device outlet 6 is shown in Figure 6. This concerns the angle of the tangent vector of the suction device outlet 6 in relation to the lower surface of the retractors 9, which usually ranges from minus 10 to plus 10 degrees. The result is maximum efficiency in pulling down the stream of extracted aerosols and droplets, which would otherwise be adversely emitted from the patient’s oral cavity into the immediate area of the dentist and the surrounding space. The position of this suction tube outlet 1 at the top end of the suction device 6 is also key. This was determined based on the relative position of the front lower teeth and lips of patients with regard to sufficient space for dentists to handle their instruments at this front of the patient’s teeth, while considering the need for space for flexible tightening of retractors 9, i.e. reducing the distance between them. So the suction device outlet 6 is inside the notional main ellipse 17 of the retractors 9 at a specific distance from its lower part, when this distance is referred to as depth 11, and the tangent vector of the suction device mouth 6 simultaneously closes with the lower surface of the retractors 9 to the alpha angle described above. From the technical solution aspect, and in light of the functional fulfillment of this part of the product described above, it does not matter what the actual shape is of the trajectory of the central line of the suction device 6 from the place where the patient’s chin is positioned after application of this product to the place where the cylindrical tube 7 is located, to which the exhaust hose that is part of the dental engine is connected. It is therefore feasible that, in light of the manufacturing technologies producing this product, the shape of this part of the product may be slightly different from that shown in the exemplary version, for example, in Figure 1.

The second part of this product is the supporting arm 3. This part is paired, located on the right and left when looking at the product from the front or back. It is specific in shape and size. The cross-section resulting from the section perpendicular to the central line leading outside this supporting arm 3 is formed by ellipses gradually changing in content. Furthermore, such a length of the central line of this supporting arm 3 is used, i.e. its length from the place where its connection 12 occurs through the wedge-shaped reinforcement element 14 to the suction tube 1 at one end to the place at the other end, where connection is then made to the retractor 9, so that its rigidity when considering the variability of its mentioned cross-section would be adequate for the necessary force, which must act on these retractors 9 for the comfortable application of this product by the attending physician to the patient, and at the same time for the possibility of comfortable adjustment of the retractor_9 in relation to the size of the patient’s lip circumference. The cross- sectional characteristics and oval shape are the result of the calculation of the rigidity of the supporting arms 3, thus ensuring the correct bending mechanics of these parts of the product. The connection of the supporting arms 3 to the suction device 6 is made using a specific addition of material at the place where one of the parts passes into the other. This eliminates the deformation of the suction tube 1 while achieving an appropriate level of springing of the supporting arms 3, i.e., an appropriate degree of regulation of the distance of the retractors 9 in relation to each other in light of the relative force exerted on these members or acting on these two parts. This results in an ideal springing of this part of the product.

Alternatively, exhaust of aerosols and other products resulting from the dentist’s procedure on the patient can be designed inside the supporting arms_3, whereas the outlet of the tube thus formed in retractor 9 would go into a groove 16, which would be routed along the entire circumference inside the retractor 9. However, such a solution is associated with a certain loss of draw and a smaller degree of exhaust (extraction) of aerosols into the filtration equipment.

The third part of this product is the mouth extractor 9, which is also a paired part of this product. It is characterized by both its dimension and shape. The size of the opening of the mouth retractor 9 is created by the main and secondary radius of the notional main ellipse 17, whose parts on the right and left, when viewed from the front or rear, copy the bottom 8 of the right and left retractors 9. The design of the ends of the retractor 9 at the bottom on the right and left considers, on one hand, the spatial possibilities of the outlet of the suction device 6 at the top in the shape of the input ellipse 18, and on the other hand, patient comfort and trouble-free use of this product on the patient or treated individual.

The shape of the retractor 9 aims for comfort and painless use for users of this product, as it creates a support wall 4 for the patient’s mouth during the procedure. It is specific in that at its ends in the bottom and top part from the front when viewed from the patient’s oral cavity, this retractor 9 has, by beveling 10 or rounding, a modified support wall 4, which is based on its bottom 8.

The bottom 8 of the retractor 9 fulfills the function of comfortable opening of the patient’s oral cavity, while its support walls 4 ensure fixation of this product to prevent adverse emission. The retractor 9 is therefore the part on which the patient’s lips rest and which is rounded at the ends 5.

The resulting shape of the entire product was achieved after detailed modifications in part of each of its individual parts, and in part by determining the specific positions where these individual parts meet, i.e., where one passes into one another.

Thanks to the connection of the right and left retractor 9 by the supporting arms 3 to the suction device 6, flexible approach and distancing of both sides of the retractor 9 according to the force applied to these supporting arms 3 are achieved by their bendings Their shape and method of connecting to the suction device 6 and both parts of the retractor 9 result in the fact that the retractors 9 change only their distance from each other, and due to the other parts of the product, there are no undesirable deformations or twisting of those parts of the product that are in direct contact with the patient. In other words, even if the product in question were flexible, according to this technical solution, despite the possible change in the relative applied force to the retractor 9, the relative position of the entire product remains unchanged in relation to the patient’s oral cavity. Or rather, even if the opening of the retractor 9 is resized, the relative position of the product relative to the patient’s oral cavity remains the same. This results in the ability to change the area of the opening at will based on the patient’s need.

This makes this invention incomparably more comfortable to put it on the patient’s lips. This occurs where, by pressing on the supporting arms 3, due to their flexibility, the physician brings both retractors 9 together and inserts them into the patient’s mouth. Subsequently, the pressure on the supporting arms 3 is released and the bottoms 8 of both retractors 9 gradually rest on the patient’s mouth. In consequence this means that due to the constant position of the product vis-a- vis the patient, despite the change of the resulting opening between both retractors, it is possible to apply a single product according to the technical solution to a wide range of patients with varying lip circumference without the need to replace any of the parts or product itself, even with constant rigidity of the supporting arms.

Example number 2

The second version of the invention is shown in Figure 7. The reason for this variant of the invention was consideration to create the most comfortable and most variable sizes for opening or closing of the retractor 9 in order to cover as large a sample of dental patients as possible with just a single product.

The difference in this design is that between the forked supporting arms 3, as well as between the supporting arms 3 and the suction device 6, where the wedge-shaped reinforcement element 14 is again visible, this filler would be reduced to some extent or removed completely, and instead, a U or V-shaped sliding reinforcement of different sizes would be applied in the supporting arms 3 and the suction device 6, at the fork in order to achieve more regulated variability of retractor 9 rigidity, and thus that of the supporting arms 3 as well.

Example number 3

The third variant is a design in which a groove is added in each supporting arm 3, adapted for inserting a reinforcement element 14, which is made, for example, of metal with a predetermined thickness. This reinforcement element 14 is considered a structural element that regulates the rigidity of the supporting arms 3 and thus the resulting opening of the end arches. The resulting rigidity is regulated by the choice of material of the inserted reinforcement element 14. This solution is shown in Figure 8.

Industrial applicability

The invention can be used mainly for exhaust (extraction) of aerosols and droplets arising outside the patient’s oral cavity during a medical procedure, for improving access to the oral cavity from the aspect of the attending physician or dentist, and for increasing the comfort of the treated individual by helping to keep the mouth open and secure it. List of reference marks

1 - suction tube

2 - outlet

3 - supporting arm 4 - support wall

5 - end

6 - suction device

7 - cylindrical tube

8 - bottom 9 - retractor

10 - bevel

11 - depth

12 - connection

13 - retractable reinforcement 14 - reinforcement element

15 - recess

16 - groove

17 - main ellipse

18 - inlet ellipse

Claims

1. Dental protective suction device, including air supply and mouth retractors (9), characterized by the fact that supporting arms (3) are attached to the suction device (6), onto which the retractors (9) are attached.

2. Dental protective suction device, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the retractors (9) are attached to the supporting arms (3) flexibly.

3. Dental protective suction device, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the suction device (6) has a constant cross-section along its entire length with the simultaneously changing shape of the cross-section.

4. Dental protective suction device, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the suction device (6) has at its inlet a cylindrical shape, and has been beveled or rounded.

5. Dental protective suction device, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the suction device (6) has the shape of an inlet ellipse (18) at its outlet (2), whereas the outlet (2) of the suction device (6) is inside the notional main ellipse (17) of the retractors (9), and the suction device (2) tangent vector (6) simultaneously closes the alpha angle in the plus-minus 10-degree range with the lower surface of the retractors (9).

6. Dental protective suction device, according to claims 1 and 2, characterized by the connection (12) of the supporting arms (3) to the suction device (6) is performed by means of a wedge- shaped reinforcement element (14).

7. Dental protective suction device, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the size and shape of retractors (9) are given by the main and secondary radius of the notional main ellipse (17), whose parts on the right and left, when viewed from the front or rear, copy the bottom (8) of the right and left retractors (9).

8. Dental protective suction device, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the ends (5) of the retractors (9) are rounded.

9. Dental protective suction device, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the supporting arms (3) are hollow with the outlet at the bottom (8) of the retractors (9).

10. Dental protective suction device, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it is designed as integral from a single piece made of a biocompatible material, such as polyamide.

11. Dental protective suction device, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that both retractors (9) are made of at least two parts, which are connected to the suction device (6) by separate branches of the supporting arms (3).

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