WO2014170724A1

WO2014170724A1 - Trans-buccal magnetic-clamp for intra-oral fastening of dental surgical utilities

Info

Publication number: WO2014170724A1
Application number: PCT/IB2013/053107
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mohamed ELGHAMRAWY; Tamer ELSAMADONI
Original assignee: Elghamrawy Mohamed; Elsamadoni Tamer
Priority date: 2013-04-19
Filing date: 2013-04-19
Publication date: 2014-10-23

Abstract

A trans-buccal magnetic-clamp appliance for intra-oral fastening of dental surgical utilities such as saliva ejector tubes (1) and intra-oral light sources wherein said appliance is comprised of two magnetic pieces wherein one of said two pieces (2b) is positioned intra-orally and the other (3b) positioned opposite thereto extra-orally on the external surface of the cheek such that the mutual magnetic attraction between said two pieces yields a trans-buccal clamping action that secures each of said two pieces at the respective position thereof; and wherein the piece which is positioned intra-orally comprises attachment means by which a dental utility, such as a saliva ejector suction tube, may be anchored thereupon.

Description

TRANS-BUCCAL MAGNETIC-CLAMP FOR INTRA-ORAL FASTENING OF DENTAL

SURGICAL|UTILITIES

5 TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to appliances used for securing the intra-oral position of saliva ejectors and other dental operative utilities during dental procedures.

10 BACKGROUND ART

It is well known to those versed in the art that saliva ejectors (suction tubes) are essential procedural requirements for the majority of clinical operative procedures. Said saliva ejectors evacuate the operative field (the patient's mouth) from the fluid mix, attributable mainly to 15 saliva secretion and handpiece coolant water-spray, which accumulates therein during dental procedures. For the evacuation process to be effective, it is very important to hold the suction tip of the saliva ejector in a position such that the suction holes thereof are in tight proximity to locations of pooling of said fluid.

20 In many occasions, a dental assistant holds the saliva ejector in position or, in situations where an assistant is not available, the practitioner may ask the patient to hold the saliva ejector in place. In other situations the practitioner may use a saliva ejector provisioned with mechanical means by which the intra-oral position thereof can be self-reliantly maintained throughout the dental procedure; said means for maintaining the position thereof may conform

25 to any one of a myriad of innovations which, collectively, constitute pertinent prior art heretofore. Some prior art approaches implement bendable saliva ejector tubes such that the shape thereof can be adapted conformingly to intra-oral anatomical features in order to acquire a level of adherence which maintains the position thereof. Other prior art approaches implement bite-blocks which utilizes the pincer-like lock between the upper and lower jaws thereupon in

30 fixation of the saliva ejector. Another approach adopted in many prior art models is that wherein attachment is achieved through embracing various bony features of the jaws. Other prior art models rely partially on fixation through vacuum which is brought forth by suction. The following earlier patents are representative of prior art pertaining to methods of securing saliva ejectors in a dental operative field:

U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,401,646; 1,698,331; 1,731,322; 1,986,275; 2,529,499; 2,701,916; 2,859,519; 2,873,528; 3,049,806; 3,735,491; 3,753,292; 4,019,255; 4,167,814; 4,259,067; 4,260,378; 4,354,837; 5,037,298; 5,071,347; 5,460,524; 5,516,286; 5,873,718; 5,688,121; 5,924,866; 7,261,560.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION As an alternative to prior art approaches mentioned hereinbefore, the present invention consists in providing a convenient method for securing saliva ejectors intra-orally by means of trans-buccal magnetic clamping.

For those versed in the art, it will be obviously clear in light of the ongoing description that a typical embodiment of the present invention may easily, with very little or no modification, be employed for intra-oral fixation of other dental utilities beside saliva ejectors; other dental utilities may include: intra-oral light sources as those provided by operative lighting optic fibers, reflectors of all sorts, and x-ray films or sensors. The remainder of this description, however, will focus on fixation of saliva ejectors.

The present invention, in all its embodiments, is comprised of two parts. The first part is a ferromagnetic metal part of a geometric shape which complements certain intra-oral anatomical features; henceforth, this part shall be referred to as the "intra-oral piece". The second part comprises a permanent magnet and the shape thereof is conformant with certain external facial anatomical features related to the mouth; henceforth, this part shall be referred to as the "extra- oral-piece".

The intra-oral piece comprises attachment means by which a saliva ejector (suction tube) may be mounted and attached thereto. The method for fixing said saliva ejector tube intra-orally is as follows: Said intra-oral-piece is inserted intra-orally along with the suction tube mounted thereon at the location wherein the practitioner requires the suction tube be fixed. The practitioner, simultaneously, places the extra-oral-piece on the patient's cheek at a position that faces extra-orally said intra-oral-piece such that the magnetic attraction between said two pieces generates a clamping action which fixes both pieces in place; thusly anchoring said saliva ejector tube. The invention may be customized in certain embodiments to be compatible with standard commercially available saliva ejector tubes. Other embodiments may be customized for compatibility with custom saliva ejector tubes and, in other embodiments, the saliva ejector tube may be combined with said intra-oral-piece such as to form one individual part.

Since said intra-oral-piece comes into contact with potentially infectious biological matter, it is fabricated such that it be disposable or autoclavable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 illustrates a standard commercial disposable saliva ejector bendable tube.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the coil variant of the intra-oral-piece of the tubular embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the partial cylinder variant of the intra-oral-piece of the tubular embodiment of the invention. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the intra-oral-piece of Fig. 2 with the saliva ejector tube of Fig. 1 inserted therein.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the intra-oral-piece of Fig. 3 with the saliva ejector tube of Fig. 1 mounted thereupon.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the extra-oral-piece of the tubular embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7 is an illustration of the tubular embodiment of the invention set up in the mouth. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the intra-oral-piece of the cheek-plate embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the intra-oral-piece of Fig. 8 with the saliva ejector tube of Fig. 1 mounted thereupon. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the extra-oral-piece of the cheek-plate embodiment of the invention. Fig. 11 is an illustration of the cheek-plate embodiment of the invention set up in the mouth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As explained hereinbefore, any given embodiment of the present invention is comprised of two pieces, an intra-oral-piece and an extra-oral-piece. Two embodiments of the present invention shall be described in detail hereinafter. Both are adapted for use with a standard commercial bendable disposable saliva ejector tube 1.

The first of said two embodiments shall henceforth be referred thereto as the "tubular" embodiment; it is specifically devised for fixation of said standard saliva ejector tubes 1 at the bottom of the lower buccal vestibule (the floor of the mouth in the area between the teeth and the cheek). The second of said two embodiments shall henceforth be referred thereto as the "cheek-plate" embodiment; it is specifically devised for fixation of said standard saliva ejector tubes 1 sublingually.

As for the tubular embodiment of the invention Figs. 2-7:

The intra-oral-piece is designed to sit comfortably with anatomical conformity within the buccal vestibule, said intra-oral-piece Figs.2-3 has two variants. The first, is a spring coil 2ta made of ferromagnetic elastic wire such that it easily bends to follow the anatomy of the buccal vestibule when seated therein. The second, is a hollow partial cylinder 2tb made of ferromagnetic material. Either variant Figs.2-3 is designed such that said saliva ejector tube 1 can be inserted and attached thereupon by press-fit or friction-grip as illustrated in Figs. 4-5.

The extra-oral-piece Fig. 6 of this embodiment is a permanently magnetized bracket 3t of triangular cross-section with a side that is curved so as to fit comfortably to the lower area of the cheek at the bottom border of the mandible. The permanent magnetization of the latter is preferably attained by means of a neodymium magnet embedded therein. To set up this appliance as illustrated in Fig. 7, the intra-oral-piece, 2ta or 2tb, and the saliva ejector tube 1 mounted thereupon is seated at the location chosen by the practitioner in the buccal vestibule and, thence, the extra-oral-piece 3t is applied to contact the lower border of the cheek; at some point during the application thereof, the magnetic attraction between the two pieces will take over and a clamping action across the cheek will be generated such as to fix both pieces in their respective positions.

As for the cheek-plate embodiment of the invention Figs. 8-11:

The intra-oral-piece 2b is a curved ferromagnetic plate designed to rest comfortably with anatomical conformity on the mucosal (inner) surface of the cheek wherein an extension of said plate 2b features a semicircular notch 2n for the purpose of attachment of said saliva ejector tubes 1.

The extra-oral-piece Fig. 10 of this embodiment is a permanently magnetized plate 3b wherein said magnetization is preferably attained by means of a neodymium magnet embedded therein.

To set up this appliance as illustrated in Fig. 11, the intra-oral-piece 2b and the saliva ejector tube 1 mounted thereupon is applied to the mucosal (inner) surface of the cheek and, thence, the extra-oral-piece 3b is applied to contact the cheek externally; at some point during the application thereof, the magnetic attraction between the two pieces will take over and a clamping action across the cheek will be generated such as to fix both pieces in their respective positions.

Said two embodiments with little or no modification to the design thereof as described hereinbefore also suffice for fixation of a standard commercial saliva ejector tube 1 caudally towards the pharynx wherein mid-operative fluid pooling is common in certain dental procedures that require certain head-positions to be attained for the convenience of the practitioner.

As remarked hereinbefore, the intra-oral-piece of any given embodiment is made such as to be autoclavable or disposable and said intra-oral-piece may be customized for fixation of dental utilities other than saliva suction tubes such as intra-oral light sources and reflection elements.

Claims

That which is claimed is:

1- An appliance for intra-oral fixation of operative dental utilities such as saliva ejector tubes and light sources and reflectors wherein said appliance is characterized by generating a clinching action between two ferromagnetic pieces located at opposite sides of the cheek wherein said two pieces are comprised of an intra-oral piece and an extra-oral piece wherein at least one piece of said two pieces is permanently magnetized such that one piece attracts the other by magnetic force transmitted across said cheek thus producing a clamping action which secures said two pieces at the respective positions thereof and wherein said intra-oral piece features attachment means by which said saliva ejector tubes or other said operative dental utilities may be anchored thereupon. 2- An appliance for intra-oral fixation of operative dental utilities as in claim 1 wherein said intra-oral piece comprises two variants devised for placement within the buccal vestibule such that said two variants conform to the anatomy of said buccal vestibule and wherein the first of said two variants is a ferromagnetic tubular partial cylinder and the second of said two variants is an elastic ferromagnetic tubular coil; and wherein said extra-oral piece is constituted by a permanently magnetized bracket of triangular cross section wherein one side of said bracket is concavely curved such as to be placed in contact with the lower border of said cheek in anatomical conformity therewith.

3- An appliance for intra-oral fixation of operative dental utilities as in claim 1 wherein said intra-oral piece is devised for placement on the intra-oral surface of the cheek wherein said intra-oral piece is constituted by a curved ferromagnetic plate; and wherein said extra-oral piece is constituted by a permanently magnetized plate wherein the surface geometry thereof is complementary to said curved ferromagnetic plate.