Intraoral suction device

Abstract

To provide an intraoral suction device which comprises a structure that is capable of scattering light throughout the entirety of a vacuum tip or in an arbitrary location of the vacuum tip, particularly near the leading end of the vacuum tip, to enable irradiation with light suitable for a surgical procedure and that has a relatively simple configuration for achieving such irradiation.SOLUTION: An intraoral suction device is attachable to a vacuum hose which is connected to a suction source, and comprises a suction port at the leading end thereof and has a tubular vacuum tip which has a tube wall that is at least partially constituted by a light guide element. The tube wall, which is the light guide element, comprises a reflection surface for allowing light to travel by reflection, and further comprises an uneven finish part in the reflection surface that is at least near the leading end of the vacuum tip and that is at least on the inner peripheral surface-side of the vacuum tip.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an intraoral suction device having a vacuum chip.

Background Art

[0002] In dentistry, a suction device is used that attaches a suction tool to the tip of a vacuum hose to suck and remove unwanted substances in the oral cavity. The main tip suction tools are a saliva ejector tube that exclusively sucks only liquid (saliva, blood, or moisture), and a vacuum chip that can suck both liquid and solid (such as teeth or metal fragments that have fallen into the oral cavity). In this intraoral suction device, it is required to have a practical lighting function. When using a general shadowless lamp, if a cutting handpiece, mirror held by a dentist, or a vacuum chip for suction held by an assistant enters the narrow space of the oral cavity, shadows will be formed. Therefore, the affected area must be illuminated while avoiding the cutting handpiece and the vacuum chip. Whenever the angle of the patient's mouth changes even slightly, it is necessary to adjust the angle each time. In particular, there was a situation where it was difficult for the light of the shadowless lamp to reach the root canal orifices on the distal buccal side or the mesial buccal side of the upper molar teeth. Therefore, inventions related to intraoral devices having a lighting function instead of a general shadowless lamp have been made (see Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a method of guiding light induced by an optical fiber or the like up to the proximal end of a saliva ejector tube, and Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose a method of guiding light induced by an optical fiber or the like up to the proximal end of a vacuum chip to the inside of the oral cavity by a light guiding member provided in the saliva ejector tube or the vacuum chip.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Such prior art has drawbacks such as high manufacturing costs when using an optical fiber as a light source and a relatively complex structure for guiding light to the vicinity of the tip of the vacuum chip.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an intraoral suction device having a structure capable of scattering light and irradiating light suitable for treatment at the whole or any location of the vacuum chip, particularly in the vicinity of the tip of the vacuum chip, and having a relatively simple structure for realizing the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above-described problems, the present invention has the following configuration. 1) An aspect of the present invention is An intraoral suction device attachable to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, having a vacuum chip with a suction port at the tip and a tube body in which at least a part of the tube wall is made of a light guide, wherein the tube wall made of a light guide has a reflecting surface for advancing light by reflection, and has an uneven processing portion on at least the reflecting surface on the inner peripheral surface side in the vicinity of at least the tip of the vacuum chip. 2) In the above aspect, the tube wall of the vacuum chip has a two-layer structure of a non-light guide tube wall and a light guide tube wall laminated on at least a part of the outer surface thereof. 3) In the above aspect, the uneven processing portion is characterized in that unevenness is formed by prism processing. 4) In the above aspect, the uneven processing portion is characterized in that unevenness is formed by blasting. 5) In the above aspect, The concavo-convex processed portion is characterized by being located within a range of up to 5 cm at the longest from the suction port. 6) In the above aspect, the oral cavity suction device includes a cylindrical light source holder and a plurality of light sources installed along the circumferential direction within the cylindrical wall of the light source holder such that the end face thereof serves as a light emitting surface, and further has a light source body inserted and fitted inside the oral cavity suction device, and is characterized in that an end face of a proximal end, which is the other end with respect to the distal end of the vacuum chip, and the light emitting surface are positioned to face each other. 7) In the above aspect, the concavo-convex processed portion is characterized by extending over the entire reflecting surface of the tube wall of the vacuum chip. 8) In the above aspect, at least one protruding portion is provided in the vicinity of the proximal end, which is the other end with respect to the distal end of the vacuum chip, such that a part of the tube wall of the vacuum chip protrudes and extends in the proximal end direction, and the protruding portion is a light guide. 9) In the above aspect, the oral cavity suction device further has one or more light sources installed on its outer peripheral surface, and is characterized in that a light emitting surface of the light source and a distal end surface of the protruding portion are positioned to face each other. 10) Another aspect of the present invention is an oral cavity suction device of a tube body attachable to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, including a vacuum chip of a tube body having a suction port at its distal end, a single light source, a fixture for supporting the light source at the center inside the tube of the vacuum chip, and a substantially conical cap that covers the light emitting surface of the light source with a bottom surface having substantially the same shape as the light emitting surface, and is characterized in that at least the inner peripheral surface near the distal end of the vacuum chip is provided with a concavo-convex processed portion. 11) In the above aspect, it is characterized in that at least the inner peripheral surface of the vacuum chip is coated with an optical thin film. 12) In the above aspect, the vacuum chip is characterized by including a diffusion member that diffuses the light guided to the tip thereof. 13) Another aspect of the present invention is an intraoral suction device attachable to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, comprising a vacuum chip of a tube body having a suction port at the tip, a protruding portion in which a part of the tube wall near the tip extends from the outer peripheral surface toward the tip, and a space extending from an insertion opening located on the outer peripheral surface or the base end surface near the base end, which is the other end with respect to the tip, to the vicinity of the tip of the protruding portion provided inside the tube wall, and a wiring member inserted into the space from the insertion opening, having a length such that the tip reaches the extending portion, and including a light source at least at the tip. 14) In the above aspect, the tube wall of the vacuum chip is characterized by a two-layer structure including a tube wall without the space and a tube wall with the space laminated on a part of the outer surface thereof.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] With the intraoral suction device according to the present invention, it is possible to scatter the light emitted from the light source over the whole or an arbitrary location of the vacuum chip, particularly in the vicinity of the tip of the vacuum chip, and appropriately irradiate the vicinity of the treatment target.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 5

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Figure 8

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Figure 12

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Figure 15

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, the intraoral suction device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or similar components are basically denoted by the same reference numerals. Also, the description of the same or similar components already described in another embodiment may be omitted.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the intraoral suction device according to the present invention. This cross-section is a longitudinal cross-section that appears when the vacuum chip 1, the attachment 2, and the vacuum hose 3, which are hollow tubes, are divided approximately in half along their longitudinal directions (the same applies to the following similar figures). In the following description, from the perspective of FIG. 1(a), the left ends of the vacuum chip 1, the attachment 2, and the vacuum hose 3 are taken as the tips, and the right ends are taken as the base ends.

[0012] The vacuum hose 3 to which the oral suction device of the present invention is attached is connected to a suction source (not shown), such as an exhaust pump, on the proximal end side. The vacuum hose 3 is preferably a flexible tube. For example, it may be made of a material such as soft vinyl chloride, silicone rubber, or polyurethane resin, and may be one used in existing dental treatments.

[0013] The vacuum chip 1 is directly inserted into the oral cavity, and the liquid and solid in the oral cavity are sucked from the suction port 12 at its tip. The vacuum chip 1 is preferably a hard resin tube. At least a part of the tube wall 11 of the vacuum chip 1 serves as a light guide. Inside the tube wall 11 serving as a light guide, the light incident from the base end surface 13 is configured to travel while being reflected toward the tip. The surface on which the light is reflected is defined as the reflection surface 20. For example, in FIG. 1(a), from the viewpoint of the figure, the lower tube wall 11 functions as a light guide, and the portion including the upper tube wall other than that may be a tube wall 11 that does not function as a light guide. The entire circumference of the tube wall 11 may be a light guide.

[0014] For the tube wall 11 serving as a light guide, a resin that serves as a light guide, such as silicone rubber, polycarbonate, or polyacrylate, is used. When the entire circumference of the tube wall 11 is a light guide, usually the entire vacuum chip 1 is made of a resin that serves as a light guide. The tube wall 11 serving as a light guide that extends from the base end to the tip of the vacuum chip 1 preferably has a cross-sectional area sufficient to receive the light from the light source 5.

[0015] The tube wall 11 serving as a light guide is provided with an uneven processing portion 15 at least in the vicinity of the reflection surface 20 near its tip. In particular, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the uneven processing portion 15 is provided at least on the reflection surface 20 on the inner peripheral surface 17 side of the vacuum chip. The uneven processing portion 15 has fine unevenness. The uneven processing will be described later with reference to FIG. 4. The light in the tube wall 11 that travels while being repeatedly reflected by the reflection surface is scattered to the outside of the tube wall 11 by the unevenness in the uneven processing portion 15.

[0016] The attachment 2 connects the vacuum hose 3 to its proximal end and the vacuum chip 1 to its distal end, enabling the connection between the vacuum chip 1 and the vacuum hose 3. In this specification, for convenience of explanation, the attachment 2 is regarded as one of the components, but it is not an essential component. It is sufficient if the function realized as the attachment 2 described later is realized as the function of the oral suction device.

[0017] The connection between the attachment 2 and the vacuum hose 3 may be made by providing an inclination and a change in tube diameter on the outer peripheral surface near the proximal end of the attachment 2, and making it stop by inserting it at a certain distance. There is no limitation on the connection method, but it is necessary to maintain the suction function as a suction device, and it is required that the attachment 2 does not easily come off from the vacuum hose 3 due to friction. The proximal end of the vacuum chip 1 is inserted into the distal end side of the attachment to connect them. The insertion length in these connections is, for example, about 1 - 2 cm.

[0018] In the example of FIG. 1, the tube body of the vacuum chip 1 is partially curved from the proximal end to the distal end. The approximate length from the proximal end to the distal end of the vacuum chip 1 is, for example, 10 - 15 cm. As another example, the vacuum chip 1 may be a tube body that is gently curved as a whole or a straight tube body. The cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tube body is, for example, circular, or may be a shape that changes from circular to rectangular from the proximal end to the distal end.

[0019] The suction port 12 has a shape in which the tip of the tube body is notched obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction. As shown by the arrow in FIG. 1(b), the vacuum chip 1 is usually used with the side where the suction port 12 faces towards the object to be sucked. Therefore, the convex curved surface on the side where the suction port 12 faces is the working side surface, and the concave curved surface on the opposite side is the non-working side surface. As an example, the inner diameter of the vacuum chip 1 is about 8 mm - 20 mm.

[0020] The intraoral suction device shown in Fig. 1(a) has one light source 5. It is preferable to use an LED (light-emitting diode) with a long irradiation distance as the light source 5, and select an intensity that can ensure the amount of light required for work in the oral cavity. Even when a plurality of small-sized LEDs that do not occupy space are provided, if the required amount of light cannot be ensured, a single light source may be advantageous as shown in Fig. 1(a). It is preferable to provide a cover 9 so that the suction object does not adhere to the light source 5. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the light source 5 can be directly fixed to the attachment 2, or can be fixed by the cover 9.

[0021] The cover 9 is preferably composed of a light-transmissive resin or the like at least on the light-emitting surface 51 side of the light source 5, and desirably composed of the same material as the vacuum chip. This can alleviate the attenuation in the process of the light emitted from the light source 5 traveling to the tube wall 11 of the vacuum chip 1. After installation on the attachment 2, it may be coated with a light-transmissive resin or the like so that the suction object does not adhere to the light source 5.

[0022] The light source 5 and the cover 9 may be configured to be detachable from the attachment 2. In this case, the light source 5 can be removed and the attachment 2 can be cleaned. Instead of the cover 9, a heat sink such as aluminum may be provided so as to contact the side peripheral surface of the light source 5, and the heat of the light source 5 may be dissipated by the air flow generated in the tube of the intraoral suction device. Also in this case, it is desirable that the light-emitting surface 51 side of the light source 5 is composed of a light-transmissive resin or the like and is composed of the same material as the vacuum chip 1.

[0023] The power supply for the LED may be supplied from a commercial power supply or an external battery. In the example of Fig. 1(a), an example is shown in which the attachment 2 is provided with a rechargeable battery 62. As the rechargeable battery 62, for example, a small cylindrical pin-type lithium-ion battery or the like can be used. Also, it may be configured such that the battery 62 can be charged by connecting a USB cable to the connector 69 from an external power source. The battery 62 may have a structure built into the light source 5.

[0024] The intraoral suction device may be provided with a switch 64 that allows the user to turn the light source 5 on and off and adjust its intensity at hand. The switch unit 61 is provided with a circuit that enables this. It is preferable that a box 63 is provided so that saliva or the like does not adhere to the battery 62 or the switch unit 61 during use of the intraoral suction device.

[0025] As an example of the arrangement of the battery 62, it may be provided at the lower part of the attachment 2 from the perspective of Fig. 1(a). With this arrangement, it can be stably held during use of the intraoral suction device. When a plurality of pin-type lithium-ion batteries are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the attachment 2 as the battery 62, they may be arranged such that more batteries 62 are arranged downward. Regarding the arrangement of the switch unit 61 as well, providing it at the lower part of the attachment 2 as shown in Fig. 1(a) contributes to the stable holding of the intraoral suction device.

[0026] The switch 64 is preferably provided at the upper part of the attachment 2 from the perspective of Fig. 1(a) so that it can be easily operated by the thumb of the user of the intraoral suction device. For example, a tact switch is used for the switch 64. The wiring between the switch 64 and the switch unit 61 can be carried out through the tube wall of the attachment 2.

[0027] An electrical connection is made from the battery 62 to the light source 5 via the switch unit 61. The connection between the switch unit 61 and the light source 5 may be made, for example, by providing a hole in a part of the tube body of the attachment 2 and connecting directly with a conducting wire through the hole. As another method, a conductor 27 (Fig. 1(b)) that penetrates a part of the tube body of the attachment 2 can also be provided. Wiring is carried out from the switch unit 61 to the conductor 27, and similarly wiring is carried out from the light source 5 to the conductor 27, and wiring for power supply to the light source 5 is made.

[0028] Fig. 1(b) shows a state where the vacuum chip 1 and the vacuum hose 3 are connected to the attachment 2. The intraoral suction device is used in this state. It is necessary to design the tube diameter or material so that the vacuum chip 1 does not easily fall out of the attachment 2 when inserted. In the inserted state, it is preferable that the base end surface 13 of the vacuum chip 1 and the light emitting surface 51 of the light source 5 (Figs. 1(a) and 2(a)) face each other and are in contact (Fig. 1(b)). When the light source 5 is covered with the cover 9, the cover 9 and the base end surface 13 will come into contact.

[0029] As the light source 5, either a bullet-shaped LED with a hemispherical top or a flat LED can be used. The flat LED, which is relatively small compared to the bullet-shaped LED, is advantageous when aiming for miniaturization. On the other hand, the radiation angle of the flat LED is about 120 degrees, while that of the bullet-shaped LED is about 30 degrees. From the viewpoint of effectively incident light into the tube wall, the bullet-shaped LED can be advantageous. When using a surface-mounted LED instead of a bullet-shaped LED for miniaturization, a stainless steel case (spacer) with a round cylindrical or square aluminum heat sink for light quantity intensification and heat dissipation can also be used.

[0030] The tube wall 11 serving as a light guide may be provided by retrofitting. The retrofitted tube wall 11 is particularly referred to as a retrofitted tube wall 18 (see Figs. 1 and 3). Fig. 2 shows the state of the vacuum chip 1 before the retrofitted tube wall 18 (see Fig. 1) is provided. In the example of this figure, the tube wall 11 of the vacuum chip 1 in this state does not function as a light guide. The vacuum chip 1 in this state is also a tube body and has a tube wall (Fig. 2(c)). It exists so as to surround the suction port 12 from the viewpoint of Fig. 2(c).

[0031] The vacuum chip 1 used in this embodiment is provided with wings 19 whose tips spread outward when viewed from below in Fig. 2(a) as shown in Fig. 2(b). It functions to guide the attractant to be easily sucked into the suction port 12. The state where the wings 19 are on both sides of the suction port 12 is shown in the front view of Fig. 2(c).

[0032] To laminate the attachable pipe wall 18 (Fig. 3), the vacuum chip 1 in the state of Fig. 2(a) has a lamination surface 21 which is a plane above it in the perspective of this figure. The lamination surface 21 can also be visually recognized in the perspective of Fig. 2(c). Fig. 3(a) shows the vacuum chip 1 in a state where the attachable pipe wall 18 serving as a light guide is laminated on the vacuum chip 1 having the non-light-guide pipe wall 11 shown in Fig. 2(a). As can be confirmed from the perspectives of Figs. 3(c) and (d), the upper surface of the attachable pipe wall may be a curved surface. The method for lamination is, for example, welding.

[0033] In the state where the attachable pipe wall 18 is laminated, as shown in Fig. 3(a), above the pipe wall 11 of the vacuum chip 1, there is a two-layer structure of the non-light-guide pipe wall 11 and the attachable pipe wall 18. In the perspective of Fig. 3(a), the upper reflection surface 20 of the attachable pipe body 18 which is a light guide becomes the outer peripheral surface 16 of the vacuum chip 1. On the other hand, since the lower reflection surface 20 of the attachable pipe wall 18 has a two-layer structure, it is not the inner peripheral surface 17 of the vacuum chip 1. This can also be confirmed in Figs. 3(c) and (d).

[0034] The merit of attaching the pipe wall later is that the thickness can be adjusted according to the size of the light-emitting surface 51 of the light source 5, and it is possible to avoid the light source 5 from illuminating outside the pipe wall 18. Also, the vacuum chip 1 before installing the attachable pipe wall 18 can be made of an opaque material such as polycarbonate, and the attachable pipe wall 18 can be made of a highly transparent material such as polycarbonate, so that the attractant such as blood flowing in the vacuum chip 1 cannot be visually observed.

[0035] Fig. 4(a) is a schematic diagram showing the progress of the light 55 emitted from the light source 5 in this embodiment. The attachable pipe wall 18 in this embodiment has an uneven processing part 15 on the inner peripheral surface 17 side of the vacuum chip 1, which is the reflection surface 20 near its tip.

[0036] Figures 4(b) and (c) are schematic views showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the tip of the vacuum chip 1 in order to illustrate the concavo-convex processed portion 15. Figure 4(b) is an example in which concavities and convexities are formed by prism processing. The prism processing is performed so that prisms are formed at regular intervals. Figure 4(c) is an example in which concavities and convexities are formed by blasting. Blasting is a process performed by projecting and colliding granular abrasive materials. In addition to these processes, concavities and convexities can also be formed by, for example, dot processing. The characteristics of each process can change the characteristics of the scattered light. Any of these processes is used to form delicate concavities and convexities in the concavo-convex processed portion, and the purpose is to scatter light there.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4(a), most of the light 55 emitted from the light source 5 travels toward the tip while repeating total reflection, and the light exits from the outer peripheral surface 16 of the vacuum chip 1 at the concavo-convex processed portion and goes outside, or exits from the tip surface of the vacuum chip 1. That is, the intraoral suction device in the present embodiment functions such that the light from the light source 5 illuminates upward or leftward from the viewpoint of Figure 1(a) in the vicinity of the tip.

[0038] In this way, by performing a process of forming concavities and convexities in consideration of the degree of curvature of the tube body of the vacuum chip 1, scattering can be generated at an arbitrary location. That is, with such an optical design, an arbitrary location can be irradiated. Further, by appropriately designing the angle of the suction port 12, the angle with respect to the outer peripheral surface 16, the thickness of the attached pipe wall 18, etc., for example, assuming a reference line C as shown in Figure 4(a), the angle L of the light emitted upward from the tip surface in the drawing and the angle M of the light emitted downward from it can be adjusted. For example, L is 70 degrees and M is 30 degrees.

[0039] The concavo-convex processed portion 15 is preferably in the range up to 5 cm at the longest from the suction port 12. By limiting the scattering of light in the vicinity of the suction port in this way, it is possible to brightly irradiate only the vicinity of the object to be sucked, leading to facilitating the visual observation of the object to be sucked by the operator.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an intraoral suction device and a vacuum hose in a modified example of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, where (a) shows a state in which main components are separated, and (b) shows a state in which the main components are connected. Since the basic configuration is common to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the description thereof is omitted.

[0041] The main difference between this modified example and the embodiment of FIG. 1 is that the intraoral suction device includes a plurality of light sources 5. Note that in this modified example, the entire circumference of the pipe wall 11 serves as a light guide. In this case, the reflecting surface 20 of the pipe wall through which light travels coincides with the inner circumferential surface 17 or the outer circumferential surface 16 of the vacuum chip 1.

[0042] The intraoral suction device shown in FIG. 5(a) has a light source body 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the light source body 6 includes a cylindrical light source holder 52 and a plurality of light sources 5 installed along the circumferential direction within the cylindrical wall of the light source holder 52 such that the end face thereof becomes a light emitting surface 51. The outer circumference of this light source body 6, that is, the outer circumference of the light source holder 52, fits with the inner circumference of the attachment 2, and the light source body 6 is inserted from the tip of the attachment 2.

[0043] The light source body 6 may be coated with a light-transmissive resin or the like so that no suction matter adheres thereto. The coating on the light emitting surface 51 side is preferably made of the same material as the vacuum chip 1. On the portion of the light source body 6 other than the light emitting surface 51 side, a heat radiation plate such as aluminum may be placed in contact instead of the coating so that the heat of the light source 5 is dissipated by the air flow generated in the pipe. The light source body 6 may be configured to be detachable from the attachment 2. In this case, the light source 5 can be removed and the attachment 2 can be cleaned.

[0044] It is preferable to use an LED (light emitting diode) as the light source 5. The light sources 5 may be arranged side by side in the circumferential direction with substantially no gap in the light source holder 52 as shown in FIG. 2(a), for example, but are not limited thereto, and the number or intensity that can ensure the required amount of light in intraoral work may be selected.

[0045] The power supply and the like supplied to the LED are basically the same as those in the embodiment of FIG. 1. Regarding the electrical connection from the battery 62 to the light source 5 of the light source body 6 via the switch section 61, for example, a conductor 27 (FIG. 5(b)) that penetrates a part of the tube body of the attachment 2 is provided in the same manner as in the embodiment of FIG. 1. Wiring is performed from the switch section 61 to the conductor 27. On the other hand, an electrode 53 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the light source body 6 (FIG. 6(b)). When the light source body 6 is inserted into the attachment 2, the conductor 27 and the electrode 53 are configured to come into contact. Inside the light source body 6, wiring for supplying power from the electrode 53 to each light source 5 is performed. A notch 56 is provided in a part of the outer peripheral surface of the light source body 6 so that the conductor 27 and the electrode 53 come into contact surely. Correspondingly, a convex portion (not shown) is provided in a part of the inner peripheral surface of the attachment 2, and the direction in which the light source body 6 is inserted can be fixed. This convex portion and the notch 56 function advantageously in terms of facilitating attachment and detachment when the light source body 6 is detachable from the attachment 2.

[0046] FIG. 5(a) is a longitudinal sectional view of a state where the light source body 6 is inserted into the attachment 2. FIG. 5(b) shows a state where the vacuum chip 1 and the vacuum hose 3 are further connected to the attachment 2. In this state, the oral suction device is used. In this connected state, it is preferable that the base end surface 13 of the vacuum chip 1 and the light emitting surface 51 (FIGS. 5(a) and 6(a)) of the light source body 6 face each other and are further in contact (FIG. 1(b)). At this time, in order to allow the light from the light source 5 to enter the tube wall 11 of the vacuum chip 1 without waste, it is desirable that the tube wall 11 has a thickness sufficient to cover the light emitting surface 51 of each light source 5.

[0047] The material of the light source body 6 should have sufficient hardness for insertion into the attachment 2 and fixing of the light source 5. Further, the front surface of the light source body 6 that becomes the light emitting surface 51 is preferably made of the same material as the vacuum chip 1 so that the light emitted from the light source 5 does not attenuate before entering the tube wall 11 of the vacuum chip 1. Instead of covering the light emitting surface of the light source 5 with the light source body 6, the above coating may be performed with the same material as the vacuum chip 1.

[0048] In order to explain the progress of the light 55 emitted from the light emitting surface 51 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 7(a) shows an enlarged view of the base end portion 101 (FIG. 5(a)) near the base end of the vacuum chip 1, and FIG. 3(b) shows an enlarged view of the tip portion 100 (FIG. 5(a)) near the tip of the vacuum chip 1. In this embodiment, the vacuum chip 1 is provided with a concavo-convex processing portion 15 on the inner peripheral surface 17 near its tip. The concavo-convex processing portion 15 refers to a portion on the surface of the vacuum chip 1 where, for example, prism processing has been performed. In addition, blasting or the like may be performed.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 7(a), the light 55 emitted from the light emitting surface 51 travels toward the tip while being reflected inside the tube wall 11 of the vacuum chip 1 as a light guide. The traveling light 55 hits the unevenness of the concavo-convex processing portion 15 formed on the portion that becomes the inner peripheral surface 17 of the vacuum chip 1, which is the reflecting surface 20 near the suction port 12 as shown in FIG. 7(b), causing the light to scatter. The scattered light 55 exits through the outer peripheral surface 16 of the vacuum chip 1 to the outside. Not all of the light 55 scatters to the outer peripheral surface 16 side of the vacuum chip 1; there is also light 55 that exits from the tip surface of the vacuum chip 1.

[0050] In this way, by performing concavo-convex processing in consideration of the degree of curvature of the tube body of the vacuum chip 1, scattering can be caused at an arbitrary location, that is, with such an optical design, an arbitrary location can be irradiated.

[0051] As another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4(a), uneven processing portions 15 can also be provided on the inner peripheral surface 17 and the outer peripheral surface 16 of the entire vacuum chip 1. That is, the uneven processing portions 15 extend over the entire reflecting surface 20 of the tube wall 11 of the vacuum chip 1. The tube wall 11 of this embodiment can also be provided as a retrofit. Regarding other configurations, for example, when the vacuum chip 1 and the attachment 2 are connected, the base end surface 13 of the vacuum chip 1 and the light emitting surface 51 of the light source body 6 face each other (FIG. 5(b)), and the battery 61, switch 64, switch portion 64, etc. provided on the attachment are common to the above embodiments, so the description is omitted.

[0052] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, in order to explain the progress of the light 55 emitted from the light emitting surface 51, FIG. 9(a) shows an enlarged view of the base end portion 101 (FIG. 4(a)) near the base end of the vacuum chip 1, and FIG. 9(b) shows an enlarged view of the tip portion 100 (FIG. 4(a)) near the tip of the vacuum chip 1.

[0053] In this embodiment, since uneven processing is performed on the entire reflecting surface of the tube wall 11, that is, the inner peripheral surface 17 and the outer peripheral surface 16 of the entire vacuum chip 1, as soon as the light 55 emitted from the light source 5 installed in the light source body 6 enters the tube wall of the vacuum chip 11, it hits the unevenness of the uneven processing portion 15 and scatters. At this time, a part of the light 55 exits through the inner peripheral surface 17 side or the outer peripheral surface 16 side of the tube wall of the vacuum chip. Also in this case, a part of the light 55 travels in the tip direction. In this way, the entire vacuum chip 1 can be illuminated with a smaller amount of light than in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. It can also be designed so that soft light without glare is emitted from the entire vacuum chip 1.

[0054] As a modification in all of the above-described embodiments, the vacuum chip 1 can also include a protruding portion 7 in which a part of the tube wall near the base end protrudes and extends in the base end direction (FIG. 10(a)). The end surface at the end point where the protruding portion 7 extends is defined as the tip surface 8. The protruding portion 7 is a part of the vacuum chip 1 and is made of the same material as the tube wall 11 of the vacuum chip 1.

[0055] In this modification, one or more light sources 5 are installed on the outer periphery of the attachment 2 separately from the light source 5 disposed inside the tube described above, or without using the light source 5 disposed inside the tube (FIG. 10(a)). The number of the light sources 5 is preferably the same as that of the protrusions 7, but the number or intensity that can ensure the required amount of light in the oral cavity work may be selected. FIG. 10(b) shows a perspective view of the attachment with a plurality of light sources 5 installed as viewed from above the tip side. FIG. 10(a) is a longitudinal sectional view of the oral aspiration device in that case.

[0056] In a state where the vacuum chip 1 and the attachment 2 are connected, it is desirable that the light emitting surface 51 of the light source 5 and the tip surface 8 of the protrusion 7 are opposed to each other and in contact (FIG. 10(a)).

[0057] It is preferable that a light source box 65 is provided so that saliva or the like does not adhere to the light source 5 during the use of the oral aspiration device. The light source 5 may be directly fixed to the attachment 2, but can also be fixed to the light source box 65. In this case, by designing the light source box 65 to be detachable from the attachment 2, the light source box 65 can be removed and the attachment 2 can be washed.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 10(a), electrical wiring is made from the charged battery 62 to each light source 5 in the light source box 65 via the switch section 61, and power is supplied to each light source 5. The on / off of the power supply to each light source 5 is performed by a switch 64 provided on the upper part of the attachment 2, and the conducting wire 67 connecting the switch 64 and the switch section 61 may pass through the tube wall of the attachment 2 as shown in FIG. 6(b). As shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), the tip surface 22 of the attachment 2 and the end surface 66 of the light source box 65 are located in the same plane from the viewpoint of FIG. 10(a), and the light emitting surface 51 of the light source 5 is located so as to descend from the tip surface 22 of the attachment to the proximal end side of the attachment 2.

[0059] Since it is important that the light emitting surface 51 and the tip surface 8 of the protruding portion 7 face and contact each other, it is also possible to configure the tip surface 22 of the attachment 2 and the light emitting surface 51 of the light source 5 to be located in the same plane. However, the arrangement relationship as shown in FIGS. 10(a) and (b) is preferable because, for example, from the viewpoint of FIG. 10(a), the tip surface 8 can be prevented from shifting vertically from the light emitting surface 51 by the light source box 65.

[0060] To explain the propagation of the light 55 emitted from the light emitting surface 51, FIG. 11 shows an enlarged view of the base end portion 101 near the base end of the vacuum chip 1 shown in FIG. 10(a). The light 55 emitted from the light source 5 enters the protruding portion 7 because the light emitting surface 51 of the light source 5 and the tip surface 8 of the protruding portion 8 face and contact each other, and travels to the tube wall 11 of the vacuum chip 1 with the protruding portion 7 as a light guide, and further travels while being reflected in the tip direction of the vacuum chip 1.

[0061] The fact that the light 55 travels to the tip side of the vacuum chip 1 shown in FIG. 10(a) and the light is scattered by hitting the unevenness of the uneven processing portion 15 at the tip portion 100 is common to the explanation using FIGS. 4 or 7, so the explanation is omitted.

[0062] Matters other than those related to the protruding portion 7 and the light source 5 are omitted in this embodiment because the basic configuration is the same as that of the above-described embodiment. Also, the light source 5 can be attached to both the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the attachment 2, and this configuration can be realized, for example, by providing the light source body 6 described in FIG. 6 in the intraoral suction device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10.

[0063] In the above-described embodiments and modified examples, it was an example where light travels inside the tube wall. However, a light source 5 can be provided inside the tube of the intraoral suction device so that light travels inside the tube and is scattered inside the tube and exits to the outside of the tube. As a configuration for this, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, the intraoral suction device includes a fixture 81 for arranging the light source 5 at the center inside the tube body of the attachment 2. In the example of FIG. 12, the light source 5 incorporates a battery 62. The switch 63 arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the attachment and the battery 62 are wired by a conducting wire 82 extending along the fixture.

[0064] The light source 5 arranged at the center inside the tube of the intraoral suction device is preferably an LED with a long irradiation distance. When using an LED with a long irradiation distance and an LED with a relatively long length in the longitudinal direction, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, it is preferable to arrange the light emitting surface 51 of the light source 5 to protrude from the end surface on the tip side of the attachment 2. This enables the light source 5 to be arranged inside the intraoral suction device without increasing the longitudinal length of the attachment 2 in accordance with the longitudinal length of the light source 5.

[0065] The light emitting surface 51 is covered with a substantially conical cap 84 so that the suction material sucked from the oral cavity does not adhere to the light emitting surface 51 of the light source 5. The shape of the bottom surface of this cone is substantially the same as the shape of the light emitting surface 51 of the light source 5. In the example of FIG. 12, since the light emitting surface 51 is circular, the bottom surface of the cap 84 is also circular. For example, if the light source 5 is square, the cap 84 is a substantially regular square pyramid. The cap 84 is preferably made of a highly transparent resin so as not to obstruct the progress of the light emitted from the light source 5.

[0066] Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the line from the circumference of the bottom surface to the apex of the cone may be a curved surface with a gentle bulge. Along the line from the circumference of the bottom surface to the apex of the cone, an air flow for sucking the suction material is generated in the direction of the arrow 83 to the side surface of the light source 5. By covering the periphery of the light source 5 with, for example, an aluminum heat sink, the heat of the light source 5 can be dissipated by the air flow generated inside the tube.

[0067] In the example of FIG. 12, the entire inner peripheral surface 17 of the vacuum chip 1 is provided with an uneven processing portion 15. The light generated from the light source 5 passes through the cap 84 and is emitted to the outside of the vacuum chip while being scattered by the unevenness of the uneven processing portion. The oral suction device may be provided only with the light source 5 installed in the tube shown in FIG. 12, but in addition to that, the light source 5 shown in the above-described embodiments and modified examples may also be provided.

[0068] FIG. 13 shows a schematic view of an example of the vacuum chip 1 used in all the embodiments and modified examples, as viewed from below the tip side of the vacuum chip 1 having a generally gently curved tubular body. A portion that appears to hang down from the tubular body of the vacuum chip 1 near the tip is defined as a hanging portion 72 and is shown by hatching in FIG. 13.

[0069] For this vacuum chip 1, a material of the hanging portion 72 is made of the same material as other portions of the vacuum chip 1 but is a soft material with a slightly reduced hardness. Thereby, the contact with the oral cavity site can be softened.

[0070] In all the embodiments and modified examples, it is preferable that at least the inner peripheral surface of the vacuum chip is formed with an optical thin film using, for example, a fluorine-based coating agent. In order to obtain the intended amount of light or the direction of light irradiation, for example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1(a), the design such as the arrangement of the concavo-convex processing portion and the particle size of the concavo-convexities is performed so that the light irradiates upward and leftward at the tip or near the tip from the viewpoint of the figure. Here, when dirt such as liquid or oil adheres to the inner peripheral surface of the vacuum chip or scratches are formed, the total reflection condition until the light from the light source reaches near the tip may be disrupted, or the scattering manner at the concavo-convex processing portion may change to an unintended one.

[0071] To avoid such a situation, an optical thin film is formed on at least the inner peripheral surface of the vacuum chip 1. This optical thin film is provided with water and oil repellency, durability, heat resistance while maintaining the characteristics of the material of the vacuum chip, and also has advantages such as prevention of deterioration by UV and prevention of dirt. When these advantages can be obtained by forming an optical thin film on the outer peripheral surface of the vacuum chip 1, it is preferable to also form a film on the outer peripheral surface.

[0072] The vacuum chip 1 may have an edge chip attached or welded to the suction port. Fig. 14(a) shows the vicinity of the tip of the vacuum chip 1 to which the edge chip 71 is welded so as to cover the suction port 12. Since the edge chip 71 is made of a light-transmissive material, the light emitted from the light source described above in the description of each embodiment and traveling to the tip of the vacuum chip 1 passes through the edge chip and escapes to the outside. Since the edge chip 71 is the member most likely to come into contact with the site in the oral cavity, it preferably has a smooth shape. As the hardness, a softer one with a slightly lower hardness than the vacuum chip 1 is suitable. Note that the edge chip 71 may be made of the same material as the vacuum chip 1.

[0073] Furthermore, this edge chip 71 can also be processed for use as a diffusion member for the light 55. For example, fine particles may be mixed into the material of the edge chip 71 so that the light 55 is diffusely reflected, or surface processing such as serving as a minute lens may be performed on the light-emitting surface 75 (Fig. 14(a)) through which the light 55 passes.

[0074] The main function of this processed edge chip is to diffuse the light 55 emitted from the tip surface 14 (Fig. 10(a)) of the vacuum chip 1 over a wider range. It also incidentally functions to protect the vicinity of the tip surface 14 of the vacuum chip 1. When the processed edge chip 71 is used, the light emitted from the tip surface 14 of the vacuum chip 1 is diffused as shown in Fig. 14(b), making it possible to irradiate the oral cavity more uniformly.

[0075] The embodiment shown in the schematic side view of Fig. 15 inserts the wiring member 90 on which the light source 5 is arranged into the pipe wall 11 and directly irradiates the oral cavity with the light emitted from the light source 5. Also in this embodiment, since the main components such as the vacuum chip 1, the attachment 2, the vacuum hose 3, the switch section 61, the switch 64, and the battery 62 are common to the above-described embodiments, the description thereof is omitted.

[0076] Figure 15(a) shows each component of the intraoral suction device in this embodiment. In the figure, a part of the tube wall 11 forms an attachable tube wall 18, and the tip of the attachable tube wall 18 extends away from the outer peripheral surface 16 of the vacuum chip 1 and in the direction of the tip of the vacuum chip 1. This extended part is defined as an extension part 95. The base end surface of the attachable tube wall 18 is open, and this opening is defined as an insertion opening 97. Inside the tube wall of the attachable tube wall 18, there is a space 96 that extends from the insertion opening 97 to the vicinity of the tip 98 of the extension part 95. The insertion opening 97 may be located not only on the base end surface of the attachable tube wall 18 but also on the outer peripheral surface near the base end of the attachable tube wall 18. Note that only the extension part 95 may be provided later by welding or the like.

[0077] In this embodiment, in the tube wall 11 other than the attachable tube wall 18, there is no space 96, and the tube wall 11 of the vacuum chip 1 has a two-layer structure of a tube wall 11 without the space 96 and an attachable tube wall 18 with the space 96 laminated on a part of its outer surface. The method of lamination may be welding, which is common to the above-described embodiments.

[0078] Next, as shown in Figure 15(a), the intraoral suction device in this embodiment has a wiring member 90 provided with at least a light source 5 at its tip. This wiring member 90 is inserted into the space 96 in the attachable tube wall 18 through the insertion opening 97. The inserted state is shown in Figure 15(b). As shown in the figure, the wiring member 90 has a length such that its tip is located in the vicinity of the tip 98 of the extension part 95. For ease of insertion of the wiring member 90, it is preferable that the wiring member 90 is made of a material that has a certain strength and also has flexibility so that it can be inserted even if the space 96 is gently curved as shown in the figure. The wiring member is rod-shaped or plate-shaped, and the light source 5 is provided at its tip or upper surface. Although at least a light source 5 is required at the tip, a plurality of light sources 5 may be provided on the wiring member 90. In the example of the figure, an example where one light source 5 is provided at the tip is shown.

[0079] As wiring for power supply to each light source 5, for example, as shown in Fig. 15(a), a socket 92 may be provided on the proximal end side of the wiring member 90, and a socket 93 may also be provided in the box 63 on the battery 62 side, and they may be connected by a cable 94 therebetween. Fig. 15(b) shows the connection state. The periphery of these cables 94 may be covered with a cover (not shown) or the like. Similar to the above-described embodiment, the power supply to the light source can be turned on and off by the switch 64 (Fig. 15(a)).

[0080] The material of the rear - attached pipe wall 18 including the extending portion 98 is a translucent resin, but only, for example, the extending portion 98 around the position where the light source 5 is located may be made of a translucent material.

[0081] Fig. 15(c) shows a schematic side view according to a modified example of the embodiment shown in Figs. 15(a) and 15(b). The main difference is that the pipe wall 11 does not have the above - described two - layer structure and does not include the rear - attached pipe wall 18. A part of the pipe wall 11 extends from the outer peripheral surface 16 in the tip direction to form an extending portion 95. Similar to the above - described embodiment, in this modified example, the proximal end surface of the pipe wall 11 is open, and a space 96 extends in the pipe wall 11 from there to the vicinity of the tip 98 of the extending portion 95. In this modified example, since the space 96 extends substantially linearly, the wiring member 95 can be inserted up to the extending portion 95 without being bent. Similar to the above - described embodiment, the insertion opening 97 may be located not only on the proximal end surface of the rear - attached pipe wall 18 but also on the outer peripheral surface near the proximal end of the rear - attached pipe wall 18, but it is preferably located on the proximal end surface.

[0082] In the above - described embodiment and modified example, since the light source 5 itself is covered by the extending portion 95 which is a part of the pipe wall 11, it is possible to avoid the suction object from adhering to the light source 5.

[0083] In all embodiments and their variations, the attachment 2 itself is described as a member that can be provided with a battery 62, a switch section 61, a light source body 6, a light source box 65, etc., and at the same time, as a connecting member between the vacuum chip 1 and the vacuum hose 3. This is for convenience of explanation, and for the oral suction device, it is sufficient that it can be connected to the vacuum hose 3 and can be equipped with a battery 62, etc. For example, the oral suction device may have a member other than the attachment as a connecting member to the vacuum hose 3.

[0084] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments of the present invention. However, even for a form in which one or more configurations described in one embodiment are combined with one or more configurations described in other embodiments, as long as it conforms to the gist of the present invention, it is included in one of the embodiments of the present invention. Also, as long as it conforms to the gist of the present invention, more various variations are possible, and they are also included in the embodiments of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0085] 1 Vacuum chip 2 Attachment 3 Vacuum hose 5 Light source 6 Light source body 7 Protrusion 8 Tip surface 9 Cover 11 Tube wall 12 Suction port 13 Base end surface 14 Tip surface 15 Concavo-convex processed portion 16 Outer peripheral surface 17 Inner peripheral surface 18 Rear-attached tube wall 19 Wing 20 Reflective surface 21 Laminated surface 22 Tip surface 27 Conductor 51 Light-emitting surface 52 Light source holder 53 Electrode 55 Light 56 Notch 61 Switch section 62 Battery 63 Box 64 Switch 65 Light source box 66 End face 67 Conductive wire 69 Connector 71 Edge chip 72 Sagging part 75 Light emitting surface 81 Fixture 82 Conductive wire 83 Arrow 84 Cap 90 Wiring member 92 Socket 93 Socket 94 Cable 95 Extended part 96 Space 97 Insertion opening 98 Tip 100 Tip part 101 Base end part PS Power supply C Reference line L Angle M Angle

Claims

1. An intraoral suction device attachable to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, having a vacuum chip with a suction port at its tip and a tube body in which at least a part of the tube wall is made of a light guide, wherein the tube wall made of a light guide has a reflecting surface for advancing light by reflection, and at least in the vicinity of the tip of the vacuum chip and at least on the inner peripheral surface side of the vacuum chip, the reflecting surface is provided with a concavo-convex processing portion. The intraoral suction device is characterized by this.

2. The intraoral suction device according to claim 1, wherein the tube wall of the vacuum chip has a two-layer structure of a non-light guide tube wall and a light guide tube wall laminated on at least a part of its outer surface.

3. The intraoral suction device according to claim 1, wherein the concavo-convex processing portion has concavities and convexities formed by prism processing.

4. The intraoral suction device according to claim 1, wherein the concavo-convex processing portion has concavities and convexities formed by blasting.

5. The intraoral suction device according to claim 1, wherein the concavo-convex processing portion is located in a range up to 5 cm at the longest from the suction port.

6. The intraoral suction device, comprises a cylindrical light source holder and a plurality of light sources installed in the cylindrical wall of the light source holder along the circumferential direction so that its end face becomes a light emitting surface, and further has a light source body inserted and fitted inside the intraoral suction device, The intraoral suction device according to claim 1, wherein the end face of the base end, which is the other end of the vacuum chip with respect to the tip, and the light emitting surface are positioned opposite to each other.

7. The intraoral suction device according to claim 1, wherein the concavo-convex processing portion extends over the entire reflecting surface of the tube wall of the vacuum chip.

8. The intraoral suction device according to claim 1, comprising at least one protruding portion in which a part of the tube wall of the vacuum chip protrudes and extends in the direction of the base end in the vicinity of the base end, which is the other end of the vacuum chip with respect to the tip, and the protruding portion is made of a light guide.

9. The intraoral suction device further has one or more light sources installed on its outer peripheral surface, The intraoral suction device according to claim 8, wherein the light emitting surface of the light source and the tip surface of the protruding portion are positioned opposite to each other.

10. An intraoral suction device of a tube body attachable to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, A vacuum chip of a tube body having a suction port at its tip, a single light source, a fixture for supporting the light source at the center inside the tube of the vacuum chip, and a substantially conical cap that covers the light emitting surface of the light source with a bottom surface having substantially the same shape as the light emitting surface. An intraoral suction device, characterized in that an uneven processing part is provided on at least the inner peripheral surface near the tip of the vacuum chip.

11. The intraoral suction device according to any one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that at least the inner peripheral surface of the vacuum chip is coated with an optical thin film.

12. The intraoral suction device according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the vacuum chip is provided with a diffusion member that diffuses the light guided to its tip.

13. An intraoral suction device attachable to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, having a suction port at its tip, having an extension part where a part of the tube wall near the tip extends from the outer peripheral surface in the tip direction, and having a space extending from an insertion opening located on the outer peripheral surface or the base end surface near the base end, which is the other end with respect to the tip, to near the tip of the extension part, provided inside the tube wall, a vacuum chip of a tube body, and a wiring member inserted into the space from the insertion opening, having a length such that the tip reaches the extension part, and having at least a light source at the tip.

14. The intraoral suction device according to Claim 13, characterized in that the tube wall of the vacuum chip has a two-layer structure of a tube wall without the space and a tube wall with the space laminated on a part of its outer surface.

Images