US2800896A - Apparatus for illuminating the cavity of the mouth - Google Patents

Description

July 30, 1957 A. THUM 2,800,896

APPARATUS FOR ILLUMINATING THE CAVITY OF THE MOUTH Filed Deo. 10, 1954 lNYENTDR WML @@M APPARATUS FOR ILLUMINATING THE CAVITY F THE MOUTH Adolf Timm, Weiler-im Allgau, Germany Appiication December 10, 1954, Serial No. 474,5i91

Claims priority, application Germany December 12, 1953 6 Claims. (Cl. 12S-13) The present invention relates to an apparatus for illuminating the cavityI of the mouth in a manner required particularly by dentists, throat or ear specialists and also for other purposes, and which can be fitted directly in .the mouth ofthe patient. The-invention differs from the known .apparatus of this type, which usean illuminating element lying exposed on a carrierv adapted to be lixed on the head, for example, the'forehead or the cheek of the patient, in that it is constructed as a preferably separable combination of a source of direct or indirect light with a hollow gag or arresting device, preferably lofwedgeshape, which is at least partly translucent and surrounds-the-source'of light, `preferably on all sides. This construction offers a number of advantages, for example, such an apparatus, especially if it isof wedge shape, enables'the patient to keep rhis mouth open without straining thezmuscles, because the jaw or teeth is or are entirely supported by the apparatus in the desired open positionso that'the muscles can practically relax. Particularly preparatory work is facilitated because such an apparatus, given the proper shape and'position, can 4also hold down the tongue andv inserted wads of cotton -Wool. The extent to whichy the mouth is opened is adjustable by' pushing the-wedgey more or less deeply intothe lmouth cavity. By vmounting the source of light in a hollow arresting'device, Vthe source of light requires no additional space in the mouth cavity, so that it does not obstruct theexamination'or'the work of the doctor.

Furthermore, the source yof light` being-covered in on all sides by the casing of the gag, there is nodanger of the source of .light coming into contact with the mucous membrane of the. mouth sov that all danger of burning is excluded. The casing also prevents the heat radiated by the source yof light from being .perceptible 'or uncomfortable.

The .prevention of Contactbetweenthe'source of' light and the patient simplifies the sterilization ofztheapparatus because only the'casing of the source of light, which is practically insensitive, needs now to be sterilized. This can be carried out easily and reliably on account of the shape which must be as simple and smooth as ypossible to fulll its purpose. The hollow casing, which is preferably made of some suitable syntheticl material, can be rendered germ-free by anysterilization up to 206 C.

ln an advantageous form of construction. the casing is provided with an apertureon the; narrow side directed outwards near the entrance to the mouth, which aperture is closed by a plate carrying the source of light, its holder and so forth, so thatfthefcasing and thefsource of light can easily be separated, which makes'the Sterilisation still easier. Horeover, such casings can, for example, be made in wedge shapeV to tit the mouth and are then simple and'cheap to produce and can be kept in stock; Vmoreover, a number of such casings can be simultaneously sterilized, thus'saving a considerable amount of time.

The construction of "the apparatus vas a closed, at least partly translucent gag or arresting device also possesses the advantage that the entire cavity of the mouth Y2,800,896 Patented July 30, 1957 2 is exposed to view and illuminated without any shadow and without the operator being in any way dazzled.

The apparatus according to the invention, in addition, has a psychological effect because the patient, whois usually somewhat nervous when undergoing treatment by a doctor or dentist, is reassured or paciiied when a smooth, not at all complicated device is merely slipped into his mouth like a piece of cake, Without any complicated manipulations or preparations being necessary. This psychological effect isparticularly apparent in the case of children who are also very interested and diverted by the illuminated, translucent mouth wedge.

Other details will be gathered from the forms of construction hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective viewV showing' an illuminating apparatus according tothe invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. l, partly in section;

Fig. 3 is an end View of the apparatus, actually in use;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 .is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of another form of the device;

Fig. 6 is an end View;

Fig. 7 a top plan View in actual use, and

Fig. 8 a cross-section on line 8 8 of Fig. 5.

In Figs. 1 to 4 a mouthwedge 1 of ordinary shapev to be inserted between the jaws, forms, according to the invention, a carrier for a source of light 2.

The carrier for the source of light is composed chiefly of some suitable synthetic material, which should preferably be unbreakable and capable of being sterilised. lt may however consist, at least partly, of metal.

When using the mouth wedge 1 as carrier for a source of light 2 the latter may be in the form of a small incandescent bulb of spherical, tubular-.or other shape, or of a strip lamp, with .or without mirrored surface, with or without rellector and with or without a built-on or fused-on convex lens.

A connection sleeve 3 forms the socket for a contact plug similar to a telephone plug, by means of which the supply of current for the source of light 2 located within the carrier is effected. In this form of construction the carrier for the source of light is at least partly transparent or translucent, for example its wall surface on the tongue-side or the throat-side is made entirely or partly of an unbreakable transparent material, such as, for example, safety glass or the like. Also in this form of construction the sources of light may be of any suitable shape, if desired with mirrored surfaceand fused-on lens or the like. Furthermore, one or other of the inner surfaces of the source of .light carrier, according to the desired direction of the light concentration, can be mirror-coated, or the translucent `wall of the carrier can be constructed as a convex lens or made of a material intensifying the illuminating power or worked to produce this effect. Thus, for example, a portion of the wall or the entire wall of the carrier for the source of light can be made uorescent and have an after-glow effect by suitable treatment, with the result that the consumption of current can be reduced to the quantity necessary for charging and a greenish light, which is good for the eyes, can be used.

Moreover, the source of light is preferably operated with low-voltage current. With suitable safety measures and insulation ordinary mains current can also be used. Fluorescent tubes with gas filling or the like can then also be used. Finally, any suitable batteries, including the latest types of miniature dry batteries can ne used.

Figs. 5 to 8 show a modied form of construction of a source of light carrier in the form of a mouth wedge 4 which, for the purposes of the invention, is adapted in a special mannen The primary feature of this mouth wedge'4 is that it is constructed as a wedge-shaped casing .Y

Y'op'enat its Wider end, the aperture being closed by an inserted cover plate 5 of insulating material or metal, to which a source of light 6-together-with a holderv7 are connected, the holder being either-soldered;on to or if'constructed as a Vhollow-screwscrewed into the plate 5 which also carries current connecting contacts 8,

for example in the form of terminal screws. The smaller end of the mouth wedge 4 isabruptly reduced in height Vas at 4b and the terminal smaller end is rounded as at i fitting and removal ofthe cover plate,for` example, for t sterilising the casing. The plate 5 need only be pressed into the casing and is held by the force-tit of the two sides 'or the upper and lower edges or by engagement in suitable recesses in the casing walls or behind protrusions formedthereon or by some other means.

Furthermore, the Wedge surfaces serving for supporting i the rows of teeth can be gripping surfaces by unevenness 9 in suitable arrangement and form, so that the mouth wedge sits firmly. This unevenness 9 may be formed on a suitably shaped gripping sleeve (friction sleeve) of rubber or synthetic material, which sleeve is slipped on to the casing of the mouth wedge, leaving f ree the transparent side. thereof. The upper and lower Wedge surfaces of the source of light carrier are extended beyond the cover plate 5 and bent over at the ends to form lip rests 11 which prevent the lips from coming into contact with the cover plate 5, which should be set back a distance of about 3 mms. in the wedge.

To prevent the mouth prop introduced between Ythe jaws of the patient from slipping sideways into the interior of the cavity of the mouth, a rim 4d is formed on the upper and lower longitudinal edge of the casing at the side facing the cheek of the patient, which rim 4a projects substantially perpendicularly of the upper and lower surface of the casing. As shown in Fig. 6, this rim 4a constitutes an abutmentpfor the teeth and prevents the wedge-shaped mouthY prop from slipping in lateral direction i. e., towards the left in Fig. 6.

In Figs. 6 and 8 the mouth wedge, serving as carrier of the source of light bulged, is on both sides as in the case of the ordinary mouth wedges illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, but its surface 12 adjacent the tongue is concaved so that it fits better and is not in the way. Y

Furthermore, a reector is shown in Fig. 8 fitted in the mouth wedge 4 on the side facing the cheeks.

From the above detailed'description of the invention, it is believed that the construction will at once be apparent, and while there are herein shown and described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. i

I claim:

1. Apparatus for illuminating the cavity of the'mouth, comprising a thin-walled hollow casing made of rigid, translucent plastic material in the form Vof a wedges-shaped mouth prop adapted to be introduced between the jaws of a patient, said casing being made in one-piece and having an opening only at the wider end thereof, the smaller end being abruptly reduced in height and rounded to escape longer teeth at the back ofthe jaws, and a light source carrier extending from the wider end of said wedge-shaped casing into the free hollow space thereof and spaced from the Walls of the casing.Y

2. Apparatus for illuminating the cavity of the mou comprising a thin-walled hollow casing made of rigid translucent plastic material in the form of a wedge-shaped dental mouth prop adapted to be introduced between the jaws of a patient, said casing being made in onepiece and open at the Wider end thereof, a cover plate for the wider end of the wedge-shaped casing and supported therein, and a light source attached lto said cover plate and projecting into the hollow interior of the casing at a distance from the walls thereof.

3. Apparatus for illuminating the cavity of the mouth comprising a thin-walled hollow casing made of `rigid translucent plastic material in the form of a wedge-shaped dental mouth prop adapted to be introduced between the The source of light arranged within the mouth wedge 'i can also be adjustable, that is can be swung laterally or moved up and down to enable the light to be Ydirected in a certain direction or on to certain points. Fig. 5shows the arrangement of a reflector 13 soldered on to or bent out from or stamped with the front cover plate 5 and directed towards the cheeks in the wedge-shaped illuminating casing. This reflector is in the form of a truncated cone open towards the point of ,the wedge like a megaphone and having a glass-clear transparent wedge point shape. By this arrangement the apparatus can be used as an illuminating wedge for specially lighting the throat cavity as required by throat and nose specialists. Moreover, a slit or ventilation slot is preferably provided in the cover plate 5 for cooling the mouth wedge and this slot may at the same time serve as a guide for the vertical adjustment of the source of light. AAs guide. slot, it will suice if one or two ofthe four bent-over sides of the cover plate 5 is or are about 1/2 mm. distant from the wedge casing, that is do not bear against the casing, whereas the other edges, for example those at the top and bottom, beartghtly and `wedge against the casing,VV

jaws of a patient, said casing being made in one-piece and open at the Wider end thereof, a cover plate for the wider end of the Wedge-shaped casing and supported therein, and a light source attached to said cover plate and projecting into the hollow interior of the casing at a distance from Vthe walls thereof in Ythe range of the wider end thereof and extensions on the upper and lower walls of the casing protruding beyond the cover plate and forming lip rests bent outwardly from the plane of the walls.

4.V Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the hollow casing has a concave surface on the side directed towards the tongue and an opposite convex surface directed towards the cheek. f

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a rim on the upper and lower longitudinal edge of the casing at the side whichV is adjacent'the cheek of the patient, said rim projecting substantially perpendicularly of the upper and lower casing surface and adapted to be engaged by the teeth of the patient for preventing the apparatus from sliding off laterally within the cavity of the mouth when inserted between the jaws of the patient.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a rim on the upper and lower longitudinal edge of the casing at the side which is adjacent the cheek of the patient, said rim projecting substantially perpendicularly of the upper and lower casing surface and adapted to be engaged by theteeth of the patient for preventing the apparatus from sliding olf laterally within the cavity of the mouth when inserted between the jaws of the patient.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,026,065Y Rohr .I. Dec. 31, 1935 2,247,258 Shepard June 24, 1941 2,528,458 Stone Oct. 31, 1950 OTHER REFERENCES mar- N

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