873results about "Saliva removers" patented technology

The ligation clip applicator and ligation clip design are provided which are particularly applicable to placement of a surgical ligation clip during a laparoscopic surgical procedure. The clip includes a support member and a clamping arm having enlarged portions thereon. The applicator device has a magazine including first and second longitudinally extending partially closed channels within which the enlarged portions of the support member and the clamping arm are received with the clip held in an open position. First and second articulated jaws are attached to the magazine and have first and second channel extensions therein aligned with the first and second channels of the magazine, so that a clip can be received from the magazine in the jaws with the first and second enlarged portions of the support member and the clamping arm being received in the first and second channel extensions of the jaws. The channel extensions include first and second releasing openings. The jaws are closed about a vessel to pre-clamp the vessel. The clip is pushed forward into the jaws to a position where the enlarged portions of the support member and the clamping arm are aligned with the releasing openings and the support member and the clamping arm are released allowing the support member and the clamping arm to move toward each other to ligate the vessel therebetween.

A combination placement tool and light device (10, 50) is disclosed which allows the dentist or surgeon to hold a dental appliance with a vacuum supplied to a flexible skirt (18, 90), position the dental appliance, and then tack the dental appliance in place with a light source (28, 60, 62) using light activated adhesive. The device (10, 50) can also be used to provide a full cure. The device (10, 50) can also have a source of drying air to aid the procedure. The device (50) can be used with a disposable molded acrylic collimator (76).

Devices for collecting a fluid sample from the oral cavity, the device including a mouthpiece that includes a chamber, the chamber including front and rear inner walls; and means for collecting the fluid sample from the oral cavity; and methods of collecting and analyzing samples of fluid from the oral cavity, including the steps of placing the device in the oral cavity, collecting the fluid sample and conducting an analysis of the fluid sample.

This invention relates to chemiluminescent suction devices and methods for using the devices. The devices may be useful as medical, industrial, and consumer products. They may be disposable and may employ an integrated or attachable chemiluminescent source. In some variations, the device may include a supporting structure or body that is at least partially translucent or transparent for transmitting chemiluminescent illumination.

An essentially a U-shaped oral isolation device having a tongue arm, a buccal arm, and a hinge section is provided. The device is an essentially hollow member having an upper suction chamber and a lower suction chamber within the hollows of the oral isolation device. Each chamber further comprising suction inlet apertures through which saliva, fluid, aerosol mist, and debris can be evacuated from the operative site, and a suction outlet chamber through which the collected saliva, fluid, and debris are removed from the device. A U-shaped hinge member joins the buccal arm and the tongue arm. It has position memory which permits the user to squeeze the arm members toward one another for placement in the mouth and upon release, the arm members exert opposing positional influence against the tongue and cheek. Also provided is a method of use for the device in which the tongue arm and buccal arms are forced toward one another. The hinged member is then inserted into the patient's oral cavity and placed around the rearmost tooth. Upon proper placement of the device, the user releases the pressure on the arms of the device, the arms thereby exerting opposing positional influence against the cheek and tongue, resulting in retraction of the tongue and cheek, thereby creating a clear operative field. A reduced pressure high volume device is then attached to the upper chamber suction outlet and a low pressure reduced volume device is attached to the lower chamber outlet.

A hand-held self-powered combination dental tool is capable of performing multiple concurrent functions including suction, retraction, and intra-oral lighting so that dental treatment can be carried out easily under good lighting. (A suction connection is required). Another lighting mode (blue to ultraviolet) also allows inspection of the oral cavity for lesions such as hyperplasia or neoplasia using local changes in tissue fluorescence as an indicator. Internal batteries are rechargeable. Measurements of tissue fluorescence can be made and reported using internal detection and digital measurement.

An intraoral device includes a one-piece, flexible, injection molded body made of a single homogeneous material. The body includes upper front and rear flaps, and lower front and rear flaps. Upper edges of the front flaps and lower edges of the lower flaps are sealed by respective upper and lower parts of a patient's mouth to form upper and lower evacuation channels when the body is disposed within the patient's mouth. Evacuation holes in the flaps are in communication with the evacuation channels. A connection section is in communication with the evacuation channels and is configured to extend outside of the patient's mouth to connect with a vacuum source for evacuating fluid from the patient's mouth through the evacuation holes and the evacuation channels.

Drilling of an implant shaft is carried out with a handpiece tool whose location and angular orientation with respect to a radiographic working guide is updated in real time with respect to the radiographic working guide and anatomical structures of the patient, free of viewing obstructions. Prior to the drilling, the radiographic working guide is fitted to a particular patient. Real-time imaging support is provided on a display of a computer, wherein the radiographic workpiece guide includes a plurality of fiducial markers that define a substantially planar reference surface of the radiographic workpiece guide. The radiographic workpiece guide also includes an alignment structure located a predetermined distance from a pilot hole proximate the work site. The image is updated based on an initial radiographic scan and updated position information from the handpiece tool as to location and angular orientation of the handpiece tool relative to the workpiece guide.

A suction swab includes a suction tube having a hollow body provided with first and second open end portions and a bend portion. The hollow body includes a transverse bore arranged proximate to the second end which defines first and second openings. The resilient tip includes a main body having a first end section, a second end section and first and second opposing side sections and a central passage. The central passage extends through the main body and is open at each of the first and second end sections so as to define a first aperture arranged at the first end section and a second aperture arranged at the second end section. The resilient tip also includes a transverse passage that extends between one of the first and second opposing side sections and the central passage defining third and fourth openings which are smaller than the first and second openings.

A dental system for cleaning a user's teeth and marginal gingiva with a drug solution includes a mouthpiece made for each user and having substantially the same shape as the teeth and the marginal gingiva of the user. The mouthpiece is designed to produce a gap between the mouthpiece and the teeth together with the marginal gingiva when placed to cover the teeth and the marginal gingiva of the user. The dental system also includes a drug solution supply unit and a drain unit, both connected to the mouthpiece, and a suction unit connected to the drain unit. The mouthpiece adheres to the marginal gingiva by a suction applied from the suction unit. The dental system cleans the teeth and the marginal gingiva with a stream of the drug solution flowing through the gap.

A suction system in a laser device for the bonding of prosthesis parts in dental technology formed of an annular suction nozzle that concentrically surrounds the laser focusing unit or an annular nozzle encircling the latter for the introduction of protective inert gas. The lower rim of the laser focusing unit or the annular nozzle for the supply of protective gas projects beyond the annular suction nozzle by 10 to 25 mm.

An intra-oral device includes a tongue shield aspirator, a bite member, a bite grip, and an evacuation tube. The tongue shield aspirator may include a tongue retractor portion and a cheek retractor portion, and may be an open, unitary, and / or flexible component made of position-memory material. The bite member includes a conduit which receives the tongue shield aspirator through one end and the evacuation tube through the opposite end. The free end of the evacuation tube is connectable directly to a HVE valve to aspirate fluid / debris from the mouth. The device may be positioned in the mouth by bending the distal (free) end of the tongue shield aspirator, inserting the bite member into the mouth first, followed by the tongue shield aspirator as the device is moved towards the patient's cheek, releasing the free end of the tongue shield aspirator, and having the patient bite down on the bite member.

The invention describes methods, devices, kits and systems for isolating one or more teeth. The devices include a topology conformable device that can be constrained into a shape that can be delivered into an oral cavity and unconstrained to allow the device to isolate a target tooth and initiate a working field.

Provided herein is a retraction device for retracting soft tissue from the dental surfaces in the oral cavity of a patient. The retraction device is comprised of a topology conformable structure, where the topology conformable structure is adaptable to be delivered to the oral cavity in a constrained shape. The device can then undergo a conformation change in the oral cavity, where the device transforms into its unconstrained shape. The unconstrained shape of the device creates a useable working field in the oral cavity. The useable working field can provide increased accessibility to and / or visibility within the oral cavity. Also provided herein are methods for using the device and kits.

A cannula assembly is removably mountable to a syringe body having a pair of side-by-side chambers; there being an opening into each chamber at a bottom of the syringe. The cannula assembly comprises a connector and a dual lumen assembly extending from the connector. The dual lumen assembly comprises a pair of tubes defining two fluid paths. The connector comprises fluid paths which, when the cannula assembly is mounted to the syringe, place the fluid path of one of the tubes in fluid communication with one of the syringe body chambers and the fluid path of the other of the dual lumen tubes in fluid communication with the other of the syringe body chambers.

The present invention relates to a method for improving the oral health of a subject by exposing the oral cavity of the subject to a device comprising a light source that emits a therapeutically effective amount of light. The present invention further relates to devices utilized in exposing light to the oral cavity of a subject in the method of the present invention.

Various embodiments for cleaning carious regions of a tooth are disclosed herein. For example, a dental apparatus can include a fluid platform having a chamber sized and shaped to retain fluid. The chamber can be configured to be coupled to the tooth over the carious region. A pressure wave generator having a distal end may be configured to be positioned in the chamber. The pressure wave generator may be configured to generate pressure waves in the retained fluid sufficient to clean the carious region.

A strainer / filter unit for effectively collecting solid, liquid or gaseous substances at the source and the method of using the strainer / filter unit. The strainer / filter unit includes a housing, a one-way valve at one end of the housing, and a filter having a certain depth and thickness within the housing. The filter is formed from a plurality of layers of material with pores such that pores of one layer partially overlap pores of subsequent adjacent layers. Matters entering the strainer / filter unit are collected in the filter while travelling through filter via a tortuous path.

A system and method for retaining a tissue specimen obtained via a collection tube is provided. Embodiments provide a system including a collection device removably and serially disposed between a collection tube and a suction tube so as to allow fluid communication therebetween via the collection device. The collection device includes a screen for retaining a tissue specimen drawn into the collection device by and towards the suction tube while allowing any fluid accompanying the tissue to be drawn through the collection device and into the suction tube. The system also includes one or more end caps for sealing the collection device such that the collection device may store and / or transport the retained tissue specimen in a preservation fluid. A system for identifying and organizing collection devices retaining tissue specimens from various anatomical regions is also provided.

The present invention is concerned with a vacuum release suction device for regulating and controlling suction in an aspiration line, and which may be included in aspirators such as for example dentistry, surgery, or cosmetic tools. When operated, such tools generally generate noise which may become harmful to the tool user or for the patient on which the tool is used. More specifically, the suction device of the present invention includes a body having an inlet port and an outlet port defining a chamber in the body and a bypass inlet intersecting the chamber at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the chamber, such that a main fluid stream is generated with minimized occurrences of flow separation, turbulence and therefore minimized generated aerodynamic noise.

A surgical instrument (10) is provided that includes a handle (18) defining a longitudinal axis (20). The handle has an outer surface (22) including a plurality of longitudinal fins (24) that define a plurality of longitudinal grooves (26) therebetween. At least one of the longitudinal fins may project radially from the outer surface of the handle. A pair of the fins may project radially from the outer surface of the handle and are diametrically opposed. A pair of the fins may be opposed and disposed in a plane tangential to the outer surface of the handle. Two separate pairs of the fins can project radially from the outer surface of the handle and are diametrically disposed. The two separate pairs are offset 90° relative to the longitudinal axis. Two separate pairs of the fins can be opposed and disposed in alternate planes tangential to the outer surface of the handle.

A method of using a heat sink device with an intraoral illumination device includes inserting an intraoral illumination device at least partially in a patient's mouth, connecting a heat sink device to the intraoral illumination device, the heat sink device including an illumination device that emits light and heat when activated and a heat sink member thermally coupled to the illumination device; activating the illumination device so that light is transmitted to the intraoral illumination device and into the patient's mouth, aspirating fluid from the patient's mouth at negative pressure; and causing aspirated fluid to flow past the heat sink member at negative pressure so that heat is removed from the heat sink member, causing the illumination device to be cooled.

A device for achieving high vacuum stability during phacoemulsification surgery includes a main aspiration line connected to a vacuum source which enables a fluid flow from a phacoemulsification handpiece tip to a drainage reservoir. A first tubing segment is provided in the main aspiration line along with a second tubing segment generally parallel to the first tubing section and a valve disposed in the second tubing segment regulates fluid flow through the second tubing segment in order to limit vacuum surge in the main aspiration line upon clearing of an occlusion in the phacoemulsification handpiece tip.

A method of using a heat sink device with an intraoral illumination device includes inserting an intraoral illumination device at least partially in a patient's mouth, connecting a heat sink device to the intraoral illumination device, the heat sink device including an illumination device that emits light and heat when activated and a heat sink member thermally coupled to the illumination device; activating the illumination device so that light is transmitted to the intraoral illumination device and into the patient's mouth, aspirating fluid from the patient's mouth at negative pressure; and causing aspirated fluid to flow past the heat sink member at negative pressure so that heat is removed from the heat sink member, causing the illumination device to be cooled.

A hand drying apparatus has a casing, a cavity formed in the casing for receiving a user's hands, a fan located in the casing and creating an airflow, and a plurality of openings communication with the fan and arranged to direct an airflow transversely across the cavity. The cavity has an entrance delimited by a front edge and a rear edge in which the openings are located. The shape of the front and rear edges is such that, when in use the user's hands are introduced to the cavity, the distance between the user's hands and the nearest opening is substantially uniform. Alternatively, one of the edges is substantially straight and the other of the said edges is curved so that the distance between the edges varies along the length of the cavity entrance. These arrangements enhance the drying efficiency of the dryer.