New bite block

Abstract

We provide bite blocks, medical structures for protecting teeth. [Solution] The bite block of the present invention comprises a tooth protection member 11 having a perforation and a sleeve 12 provided on the front side of the tooth protection member and communicating with the perforation, wherein the sleeve communicates with the perforation, allowing for the insertion of an endotracheal tube and entry into the user's oral cavity. When in use, the tooth protection member is positioned between the user's upper and lower jaws and is placed in the user's mouth and bitten, preventing the user's teeth from moving or breaking in the event of a reflexive teeth clenching.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a medical structure for protecting teeth, particularly a novel bite block.

Background Art

[0002] Many patients who have received surgical anesthesia or have brain diseases need to go through the process of awakening and recovery observation. If the time is prolonged, they will be transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) and further to the subacute respiratory care ward according to the prescribed procedures, and subsequent recovery treatments will be carried out. During the recovery process, the suppressed upper motor neurons enhance the jaw jerk and cause tooth clenching. Therefore, generally during the period of this process, a bite block is placed in the patient's oral cavity to maintain the oral space, so as to avoid the upper and lower teeth from occluding and the damage to the endotracheal tube caused by the occluding force affecting respiratory support and recovery.

[0003] The currently used bite blocks are designed to be always fixed in the anterior tooth area in order to facilitate fixation with the endotracheal tube. Such a design may concentrate the stress on the bite block near the anterior teeth for patients who have reflexive tooth clenching. Since the average human biting force is about 44 kilograms (88 pounds), when reflexive tooth clenching occurs, often the rocking and fracture of the patient's anterior teeth and alveolar bone will occur, and further problems such as tongue puncture wounds and oral pressure sores will occur.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, providing a bite block that has a good tooth protection effect for users such as patients has become the goal pursued by current persons skilled in the art.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, the present invention provides a new bite block comprising a tooth protection member used for positioning the upper and lower teeth of a user, the tooth protection member having a perforation that penetrates the tooth protection member laterally, and a sleeve provided on the front side of the tooth protection member and communicating with the perforation.

[0006] In one embodiment, the tooth guarding member includes an upper tooth pad having an upper recessed groove and a lower tooth pad having a lower recessed groove, and the sleeve has an upper tubular portion and a lower tubular portion provided on the upper tooth pad and the lower tooth pad, respectively, and when the upper tooth pad and the lower tooth pad are joined, the upper recessed groove and the lower recessed groove join to form the perforation, and the upper tubular portion and the lower tubular portion join to form the sleeve.

[0007] In one embodiment, the lower surface of the upper tooth pad and the upper surface of the lower tooth pad are each provided with at least one projection and at least one locking groove corresponding to the at least one projection, or the lower surface of the upper tooth pad and the upper surface of the lower tooth pad are each provided with at least one locking groove and at least one projection corresponding to the at least one locking groove, so that the upper tooth pad and the lower tooth pad are coupled when the projection engages with the corresponding locking groove.

[0008] In one embodiment, one side of the upper tooth pad and the lower tooth pad are connected and can swing relative to each other.

[0009] In one embodiment, the tooth protection member includes a left tooth pad having a left groove and a right tooth pad having a right groove, and the sleeve has a left semi-tubular portion and a right semi-tubular portion provided on the left tooth pad and the right tooth pad, respectively, and when the left tooth pad and the right tooth pad are joined, the left groove and the right groove join to form the perforation, and the left semi-tubular portion and the right semi-tubular portion join to form the sleeve.

[0010] In one embodiment, the tooth guarding member has opposing upper and lower portions, and upper tooth grooves and lower tooth grooves provided in the upper and lower portions, respectively.

[0011] In one embodiment, the tooth guarding member further has a tongue restraining plate extending diagonally from the tooth guarding member on its rear side.

[0012] In one embodiment, the tooth-protecting member further has a gingival plate on its front side.

[0013] In one embodiment, a notch is provided above or below the gingival plate.

[0014] In one embodiment, the tooth protection member has an arc-shaped structure.

[0015] In one embodiment, the tooth protection member and the sleeve are integrally molded.

[0016] In one embodiment, the tooth guarding member has a defined horizontal line, and the sleeve has a defined axis, with the angle between the horizontal line and the axis being 0° to 5°.

[0017] In one embodiment, the diameter of the sleeve is 1 centimeter.

[0018] In one embodiment, the tooth protection member is made of silicone material.

[0019] In summary, the novel bite block according to the present invention is used for the insertion and installation of an endotracheal tube through the perforation and sleeve of the tooth-protecting member, and the tooth-protecting member can be placed in the user's mouth and bitten on, thereby preventing tooth movement or breakage in the event of a reflexive teeth-clenching, and thus achieving the objective of protecting the user's teeth. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a new type of bite block according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the rear first viewing angle of the new bite block according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a three-dimensional structure diagram of the rear second viewing angle of the new tool bit block according to the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the A-A cross-section line of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] This is a schematic structural diagram of the second embodiment of the new tool bit block according to the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic structural diagram of the third embodiment of the new tool bit block according to the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] The following describes the technical content of the present invention according to specific specific embodiments. Those skilled in the technical field can easily understand the advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. However, the present invention can also be implemented or applied by other different specific embodiments.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional structure diagram of the new tool bit block according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional structure diagram of the rear first viewing angle of the new tool bit block according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional structure diagram of the rear second viewing angle of the new tool bit block according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the A-A cross-section line of FIG. 1. The new tool bit block according to the present invention is hereinafter abbreviated as "tool bit block". As shown in the figure, the tool bit block 1 according to the present invention includes a tooth guard member 11 and a sleeve 12. Details are as follows.

[0023] The dental protection member 11 is provided for the arrangement of the upper and lower teeth of the user, and includes a perforation 111 penetrating the dental protection member 11 in the lateral direction. In this embodiment, the dental protection member 11 can be arranged between the upper and lower teeth of the user, support the upper and lower jaws of the user, and maintain a space through which a medical tube such as an endotracheal tube or an endoscope (hereinafter, the endotracheal tube will be described as an example) can enter. Further, when the user bites, the dental protection member 11 comes into contact with most or all of the user's teeth simultaneously, and when reflexive tooth clenching occurs during the use process (for example, the awakening stage after anesthesia), the dental protection member 11 evenly disperses the biting force of the upper and lower jaws to achieve the purpose of preventing damage to the user's teeth. Furthermore, the perforation 111 penetrates the dental protection member 11 in the lateral direction, whereby when the user bites the dental protection member 11, the oral cavity of the user and the external environment are communicated through the perforation 111. In other words, the perforation 111 communicates the front and rear sides of the dental protection member 11.

[0024] The sleeve 12 is provided on the front side of the dental protection member 11 and communicates with the perforation 111. That is, the sleeve 12 and the perforation 111 communicate to form a through hole 13, the endotracheal tube can be installed through the through hole 13, and the endotracheal tube can be fixed in the sleeve 12 by a tape or other adhesive member.

[0025] In one embodiment, the sleeve 12 and the dental protection member 11 have an integrally formed structure. That is, due to the integrally formed design of the two, the possibility of mutual displacement between the sleeve 12 and the dental protection member 11 caused by the dental protection member 11 receiving an external force is prevented.

[0026] In one specific embodiment, the inner diameter of the sleeve 12 is 1 centimeter. This is advantageous for the penetration installation and fixation of the endotracheal tube.

[0027] In actual use, first, the endotracheal tube is inserted through the sleeve 12 and the perforation 111 into the bite block 1 according to the present invention. Next, the bite block 1 according to the present invention is introduced into the user's oral cavity together with the endotracheal tube, and the tooth protection member 11 is placed in the user's mouth or bitten on, thereby avoiding damage to the endotracheal tube due to user negligence and the problems associated therewith (e.g., insufficient ventilation of the user). Furthermore, the bite block 1 according to the present invention, with the tooth protection member 11 positioned between the user's upper and lower jaws, makes contact with most or all of the user's teeth simultaneously when the user bites, dispersing the occlusal force of reflexive teeth clenching and avoiding the problem of stress from occlusal force concentrating in one place, as is the case with conventional bite blocks. This achieves the objective of preventing tooth collapse and resulting oral injury. As can be seen from the above, by having the tooth protection member 11 receive the occlusal force of the user's teeth from front to back, it is possible to avoid the problems of tooth damage and oral injury caused by stress concentrating in one place or on the front teeth.

[0028] Furthermore, the sleeve 12 of the present invention protrudes from the tooth protection member 11 and is overall connected to the tooth protection member 11. This allows healthcare professionals to hold the sleeve 12 in their hand and attach the tooth protection member 11 to the user's mouth, thereby increasing the convenience for healthcare professionals when attaching the bite block 1 and preventing the healthcare professional's hand from being bitten by the user when attaching the bite block 1.

[0029] In one embodiment, the tooth protection member 11 has an arc-shaped structure that conforms to the user's dental arch (or dentition) and can make contact with most or all of the user's teeth simultaneously when the user bites. Furthermore, a accommodating space 112 is partitioned on the rear side of the arc-shaped structure, and the user's tongue can be accommodated and its position restricted within this accommodating space 112.

[0030] In another embodiment, the tooth protection member 11 is provided with opposing upper and lower portions, and upper tooth grooves 113 and lower tooth grooves 114 provided in the upper and lower portions, respectively. The upper tooth grooves 113 and lower tooth grooves 114 are used to accommodate the user's upper and lower teeth, providing better protection for the user's teeth and achieving the objective of preventing the bite block 1 from coming out of the user's mouth during use. In one specific embodiment, the tooth protection member 11 can be designed like an orthodontic appliance.

[0031] In one embodiment, the tooth protection member 11 may further include a tongue restraining plate 115 extending diagonally from the tooth protection member 11 on its rear side, and a gingival protection plate 116 provided on its front side. This allows the tongue restraining plate 115 to press against the user's tongue when the bite block 1 is placed in the user's mouth, thereby reliably restricting the user's tongue to the receiving space 112. The gingival protection plate 116 also protects the user's teeth and gums by covering them. Furthermore, a notch 117 can be provided above or below the gingival protection plate 116. The design of the notch 117 can avoid the user's labial frenulum in the mouth, preventing injury to the labial frenulum (e.g., upper labial frenulum) when the bite block 1 is fitted.

[0032] In another embodiment, the upper tooth groove 113 and lower tooth groove 114 of the bite block 1 according to the present invention are formed by being surrounded by the gingival plate 116, the rear side of the tooth protection member 11, and the tongue restraint plate 115, eliminating the need to additionally process the recessed tooth groove structure in the tooth protection member 11.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the tooth protection member 11 has a defined horizontal line L1, and the sleeve 12 has a defined axis line L2, and the angle Θ between the horizontal line L1 and the axis line L2 is 0° to 5°. In this embodiment, the angle Θ between the axis line L2 and the horizontal line L1 is specifically 5°, so that the conduction hole 13 formed by the sleeve 12 and the perforation 111 is designed to be inclined upward from the outside of the tooth protection member 11 toward the user's oral cavity. As a result, the endotracheal tube moves toward the user's throat along the conduction hole 13, reducing the chance of it being obstructed by the tongue.

[0034] Furthermore, the bite block 1 according to the present invention may be manufactured from a silicone material, which can provide the user with a soft and comfortable feel, and silicone material does not generate toxins harmful to the human body.

[0035] Furthermore, the bite block 1 according to the present invention is customizable according to the shape of the entire dental arch, has different model numbers and adjustment spaces depending on the size of the dental arch of different users, and can have different thicknesses added depending on the dental space of the upper and lower jaws, for example, the thickness of the anterior edge is about 1 cm and the thickness of the posterior edge is about 0.5 cm. In addition, the sleeve 12 of the bite block 1 according to the present invention is a protruding tube with a diameter of about 1 cm, is designed in a side-opening mode to facilitate the placement and fixation of the endotracheal tube and prevent damage or rupture of the endotracheal tube, and has the advantage of fixing the position of all teeth, distributing occlusal forces, and preventing damage to the teeth and associated periodontal tissues and neighboring oral soft tissues.

[0036] As can be seen from the above, the design of the present invention extends the occlusal plane to the first molars on both sides, and regardless of whether the user is missing teeth or not, the occlusal force of the user (e.g., patient) is evenly distributed to the tooth protection member 11 made of elastic material, thereby reducing the possibility of tooth extraction due to trauma. Furthermore, due to the issue of opening size, the tooth protection member 11 according to the present invention can be designed to be thicker at the front and thinner at the back, and both the anterior and posterior edges of the tooth protection member 11 are designed with upward and downward arcs. In this way, after insertion, the user's teeth can be stabilized within the space of the tooth protection member 11.

[0037] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second embodiment of the novel bite block according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the structure of this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the previous embodiment, but the difference is that the tooth protection member 11' may include an upper tooth pad 14 and a lower tooth pad 15. Here, the upper tooth pad 14 and the lower tooth pad 15 each have an upper recessed groove 141 and a lower recessed groove 151. The sleeve 12 also has an upper semi-tubular portion 121 and a lower semi-tubular portion 122 provided on the upper tooth pad 14 and the lower tooth pad 15, respectively. When the upper tooth pad 14 and the lower tooth pad 15 are joined, the upper recessed groove 141 and the lower recessed groove 151 join to form the perforation 111 shown in Figure 2, and the upper semi-tubular portion 121 and the lower semi-tubular portion 122 join to form the sleeve 12.

[0038] In actual use, if an endotracheal tube is already inserted into the user's mouth, the upper tooth pad 14 and the lower tooth pad 15 can be separated, and the upper groove 141 and the upper half-tube portion 121, and the lower groove 151 and the lower half-tube portion 122 can be fitted to the outside of the endotracheal tube. This eliminates the need to remove the endotracheal tube, allowing the bite block 1 of the present invention to be directly attached to the user's mouth. Therefore, injury to the user due to repeated insertion and removal of the endotracheal tube can be avoided.

[0039] In one specific embodiment, the lower surface of the upper tooth pad 14 and the upper surface of the lower tooth pad 15 are each provided with at least one projection 142 and at least one locking groove 152 corresponding to the at least one projection 142. Furthermore, the lower surface of the upper tooth pad 14 and the upper surface of the lower tooth pad 15 are each provided with at least one locking groove 143 and at least one projection 153 corresponding to the at least one locking groove 143. Thus, the upper tooth pad 14 and the lower tooth pad 15 can be joined by the projection 142 engaging with the corresponding locking groove 152 (or the projection 153 engaging with the corresponding locking groove 143), or they can be separated from each other by the projection 142 disengaging from the locking groove 152 (or the projection 153 disengaging from the locking groove 143).

[0040] Furthermore, since one side of the upper tooth pad 14 and the lower tooth pad 15 are connected, they can swing relative to each other. As a result, when in use, the endotracheal tube can be gripped by the bite block according to the present invention simply by opening the upper tooth pad 14 and the lower tooth pad 15.

[0041] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a third embodiment of the novel bite block according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the structure of this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the previous embodiment, but the difference is that the tooth protection member 11" may include a left tooth pad 16 and a right tooth pad 17. Here, the left tooth pad 16 and the right tooth pad 17 have a left recessed groove 161 and a right recessed groove 171, respectively. The sleeve 12 has a left semi-tubular portion 123 and a right semi-tubular portion 124 provided on the left tooth pad 16 and the right tooth pad 17, respectively. When the left tooth pad 16 and the right tooth pad 17 are joined, the left recessed groove 161 and the right recessed groove 171 join to form the perforation 111 shown in Figure 2, and the left semi-tubular portion 123 and the right semi-tubular portion 124 join to form the sleeve 12. As a result, the bite block of this embodiment can be used by being clamped onto an endotracheal tube by the left tooth pad 16 and the right tooth pad 17, and it is also possible to install the bite block without removing the endotracheal tube.

[0042] As described above, the novel bite block according to the present invention, for example, involves inserting a tubular wire such as an endotracheal tube through the sleeve and perforation, and having the user hold the tooth-protecting member in their mouth and bite down on it, thereby protecting the user's teeth when the user reflexively clenches their teeth.

[0043] The embodiments described above are illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. Those familiar with the art may modify or change the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of protection of the invention is defined by the claims appended to the invention and is encompassed within the technical content of this disclosure, provided that it does not affect the effects and purposes of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1-byte block 11, 11', 11” Tooth protection components 12 sleeves 13 Conduction holes 14 Upper tooth pad 15 Lower tooth pad 16 Left tooth pad 17 Right tooth pad 111 Perforation 112 Containment space 113 Upper tooth groove 114 Lower tooth groove 115 Tongue restraint plate 116 Protective gingival plate 117 Notches 121 Upper half tube section 122 Lower half tube part 123 Left semitube 124 Right semitube 141 Upper concave groove 142 Protrusion 143 Locking groove 151 Lower groove 152 Locking groove 153 Protrusion 161 Left concave groove 171 Right groove AA section line L1 horizontal line L2 axis Θ Angle

Claims

1. A tooth protection member used for positioning the user's upper and lower teeth, comprising a tooth protection member including a perforation that penetrates the tooth protection member laterally, A sleeve provided on the front side of the tooth protection member and communicating with the perforation, A new type of bit block characterized by having the following features.

2. The tooth guarding member includes an upper tooth pad having an upper groove and a lower tooth pad having a lower groove. The sleeve has an upper tubular portion and a lower tubular portion provided on the upper tooth pad and the lower tooth pad, respectively. The novel bite block according to claim 1, characterized in that when the upper tooth pad and the lower tooth pad are joined, the upper recessed groove and the lower recessed groove are joined to form the perforation, and the upper half-tube portion and the lower half-tube portion are joined to form the sleeve.

3. The novel bite block according to claim 2, characterized in that the lower surface of the upper tooth pad and the upper surface of the lower tooth pad are each provided with at least one projection and at least one locking groove corresponding to the at least one projection, or the lower surface of the upper tooth pad and the upper surface of the lower tooth pad are each provided with at least one locking groove and at least one projection corresponding to the at least one locking groove, so that the upper tooth pad and the lower tooth pad are coupled when the projections engage with the corresponding locking grooves.

4. The novel bite block according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that one side of the upper tooth pad and the lower tooth pad are connected and can swing relative to each other.

5. The tooth protection member includes a left tooth pad having a left recess and a right tooth pad having a right recess. The sleeve has a left half-tube portion and a right half-tube portion provided on the left tooth pad and the right tooth pad, respectively. The new bite block according to claim 1, characterized in that when the left tooth pad and the right tooth pad are joined, the left recess and the right recess join to form the perforation, and the left half-tube portion and the right half-tube portion join to form the sleeve.

6. The bite block according to claim 1, characterized in that the tooth protection member has opposing upper and lower portions, and upper tooth grooves and lower tooth grooves provided in the upper and lower portions, respectively.

7. The new bite block according to claim 1, characterized in that the tooth protection member has a tongue-pressing plate that extends diagonally to the rear side.

8. The bite block according to claim 1, characterized in that the tooth-protecting member has a gingival plate on its front side.

9. The novel bite block according to claim 8, characterized in that a notch is provided above or below the gingival plate.

10. The bite block according to claim 1, characterized in that the tooth protection member has an arc-shaped structure.

11. The new bite block according to claim 1, characterized in that the tooth protection member and the sleeve have an integrally molded structure.

12. The tooth protection member has a defined horizontal line, The sleeve has an axis defined, The new type of cutting block according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle between the horizontal line and the axis line is 0° to 5°.

13. The novel bite block according to claim 1, characterized in that the diameter of the sleeve is 1 centimeter.

14. The new bite block according to claim 1, characterized in that the tooth protection member is made of silicone material.

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