Intraoral suction device

Abstract

The present invention provides 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. The 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.

Description

intraoral suction device

[0001] The present invention relates to an oral suction device having a vacuum tip.

[0002] Dentistry uses suction devices, which attach a suction device to the end of a vacuum hose to remove unwanted materials from the oral cavity. The main suction devices are a saliva ejector, which exclusively aspirates liquids (saliva, blood, or moisture), and a vacuum tip, which can aspirate both liquids and solids (such as loose teeth or metal fragments). These intraoral suction devices are also required to have practical lighting functions. When using a conventional operating light, shadows are cast by the dentist's cutting handpiece or mirror, or the assistant's suction vacuum tip, in the narrow space of the oral cavity. Therefore, the dentist must illuminate the affected area while avoiding the cutting handpiece or vacuum tip. Even slight changes in the angle of the patient's mouth necessitate frequent adjustments. In particular, the light from the operating light has difficulty reaching the root canal openings on the distal buccal and mesio-buccal sides of maxillary molars. To address this issue, intraoral devices with lighting functions have been developed to replace conventional operating lights (see Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which light is guided by an optical fiber or the like to the base end of a saliva ejector, and Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose a method in which light is guided to the base end of a vacuum tip by a light-guiding member provided on the saliva ejector or vacuum tip, and then guided into the oral cavity.

[0004] US Patent No. 5,931,670 Patent Publication No. 2002-506676 Patent Publication No. 2005-177143

[0005] Such conventional techniques have drawbacks such as high manufacturing costs when an optical fiber is used as the light source, and a relatively complex structure for guiding light to the vicinity of the tip of the vacuum tip.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide an oral suction device that has a structure that can scatter light over the entire vacuum tip or any location, particularly near the tip of the vacuum tip, and can irradiate light that is suitable for treatment, and that has a relatively simple structure to achieve this.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has the following configurations. 1) An aspect of the present invention is an oral suction device that can be attached to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, and includes a tubular vacuum tip with a suction port at its tip and at least a portion of the tube wall made of a light guide, the light guide tube wall having a reflective surface for reflecting light to travel, and an uneven portion at least near the tip of the vacuum tip and on the reflective surface on at least the inner peripheral surface of the vacuum tip. 2) In the above aspect, the tube wall of the vacuum tip has a two-layer structure consisting of a non-light guide tube wall and a light guide tube wall laminated on at least a portion of the outer surface of the non-light guide tube wall. 3) In the above aspect, the uneven portion is formed by prism processing. 4) In the above aspect, the uneven portion is formed by blast processing. 5) In the above aspect, the uneven portion is located within a range of up to 5 cm from the suction port. 6) In the above aspect, the oral 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 the end surface thereof serves as a light-emitting surface, and further comprises a light source body fitted into the inside of the oral suction device, wherein the end surface of the base end, which is the other end of the vacuum tip relative to the tip, and the light-emitting surface are positioned opposite each other. 7) In the above aspect, the uneven portion extends over the entire reflective surface of the tubular wall of the vacuum tip. 8) In the above aspect, the oral suction device comprises at least one protrusion that protrudes and extends toward the base end of a part of the tubular wall of the vacuum tip near the base end, which is the other end of the vacuum tip relative to the tip, and the protrusion is a light guide. 9) In the above aspect, the oral suction device further comprises one or more light sources installed on its outer circumferential surface, wherein the light-emitting surface of the light source and the tip surface of the protrusion are positioned opposite each other.10) Another aspect of the present invention is a tubular oral suction device that can be attached to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, comprising: a tubular vacuum tip with a suction port at its tip; a single light source; a fixture that supports the light source at the center of the tubular body of the vacuum tip; and a roughly conical cap that covers the light-emitting surface of the light source with a bottom surface that has roughly the same shape as the light-emitting surface, wherein the vacuum tip has an inner surface with a textured portion at least near its tip. 11) In the above aspect, at least the inner surface of the vacuum tip is coated with an optical thin film. 12) In the above aspect, the vacuum tip is characterized by having a diffusing member that diffuses light guided to its tip. 13) Another aspect of the present invention is an oral suction device attachable to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, comprising: a tubular vacuum tip having a suction port at a tip, a part of the tubular wall near the tip having an extension extending from the outer circumferential surface toward the tip, and a space extending in the tubular wall from an insertion opening located on the outer circumferential surface near the base end, which is the other end of the tip, or on the base end face, to near the tip of the extension, and a wiring member inserted from the insertion opening into the space, having a length such that the tip reaches the extension, and having a light source at least at the tip. 14) In the above aspect, the tubular wall of the vacuum tip is characterized in that it has a two-layer structure consisting of a tubular wall without the space and a tubular wall with the space laminated on part of its outer surface.

[0008] The oral suction device of the present invention scatters light emitted from the light source throughout the entire vacuum tip or at any location, particularly near the tip of the vacuum tip, making it possible to properly illuminate the area near the treatment target.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an oral suction device and a vacuum hose according to the present invention, where (a) shows the main components separated and (b) shows the main components connected. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a portion of a vacuum tip according to the present invention, where (a) is a schematic side view of a portion of the vacuum tip, (b) is a schematic bottom view of (a) viewed from below, (c) is a schematic front view of (a) viewed from the left, and (d) is a schematic back view of (a) viewed from the right. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a vacuum tip in which a tube wall serving as a light guide is later welded to a portion of the vacuum tip shown in Fig. 2, where (a) is a schematic side view of the vacuum tip, (b) is a schematic bottom view of (a) viewed from below, (c) is a schematic front view of (a) viewed from the left, and (d) is a schematic back view of (a) viewed from the right. Fig. 4(a) is a schematic diagram showing how light emitted from a light source travels through the tubular wall of a vacuum tip in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. (b) shows an example of textured surface processing, and (c) shows another example of textured surface processing. 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 the main components separated, and (b) shows the main components connected. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a light source body in the modified example shown in Fig. 5, where (a) is a schematic front view taken along the line A-A' in Fig. 5(a), and (b) is a schematic perspective view of the light source body. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing how light emitted from a light source body travels through the tubular wall of a vacuum tip in the modified example shown in Fig. 5, where (a) is a schematic view of the base end of the vacuum tip, and (b) is a schematic view of the tip end. Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an intraoral suction device and a vacuum hose in another embodiment, where (a) shows the main components separated and (b) shows the main components connected. Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing how light emitted from a light source body travels through the tube wall of a vacuum tip in the embodiment shown in Fig. 8, where (a) is a schematic view of the base end of the vacuum tip and (b) is a schematic view of the tip. Fig. 10(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of an intraoral suction device and a vacuum hose in another modified example of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, and (b) is a schematic perspective view showing a light source provided in an attachment.Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing how light emitted from a light source travels within the tube wall at the base end of the vacuum tip in the modified example shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of the vicinity of the connection between the oral suction device and the vacuum hose in a modified example of the embodiment shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 13 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the shape and hardness of the vacuum tip 1. Fig. 14(a) is a schematic perspective view showing the tip of a vacuum tip when an edge tip is provided at the tip, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing the travel of light at the tip. Fig. 15 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment in which a wiring member is inserted into a cavity in the tube wall. (a) is a schematic side view showing each component, (b) is a schematic side view showing the state in which the components are connected, and (c) is a schematic side view of a modified example.

[0010] The oral suction device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or similar components are basically designated by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the description of the same or similar components already described in other embodiments may be omitted.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an oral suction device according to the present invention. This cross-section is a longitudinal cross-section that appears when hollow tubular bodies, namely, a vacuum tip 1, an attachment 2, and a vacuum hose 3, are cut approximately in half along their longitudinal direction (the same applies to the following similar figures). In the following description, from the viewpoint of Fig. 1(a), the left end of each of the vacuum tip 1, the attachment 2, and the vacuum hose 3 is referred to as the distal end, and the right end as the proximal end.

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

[0013] The vacuum tip 1 is inserted directly into the oral cavity and sucks liquids and solids in the oral cavity through a suction port 12 at its tip. The vacuum tip 1 is preferably a tubular body made of a hard resin. At least a portion of the tubular wall 11 of the vacuum tip 1 serves as a light guide. The interior of the tubular wall 11, which serves as a light guide, is configured so that light incident from the base end surface 13 travels toward the tip while being reflected. The surface from which the light is reflected is referred to as a reflective surface 20. For example, in FIG. 1( a), the lower tubular wall 11 from the viewpoint of the figure may function as a light guide, and the remaining portion, including the upper tubular wall, may be a tubular wall 11 that does not function as a light guide. The entire circumference of the tubular wall 11 may also be a light guide.

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

[0015] The tube wall 11, which serves as a light guide, has an uneven portion 15 on the reflecting surface 20 at least near the tip. In particular, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the uneven portion 15 is provided on at least the reflecting surface 20 on the inner peripheral surface 17 side of the vacuum tip. The uneven portion 15 has delicate unevenness formed thereon. The unevenness will be described later with reference to FIG. 4. Light traveling within the tube wall 11 while repeatedly reflecting off the reflecting surface is scattered to the outside of the tube wall 11 by the unevenness of the uneven portion 15.

[0016] The attachment 2 has a vacuum hose 3 connected to its base end and a vacuum tip 1 connected to its tip end, thereby enabling connection between the vacuum tip 1 and the vacuum hose 3. For convenience of explanation in this specification, the attachment 2 is considered to be one of the components, but it is not an essential component, and it is sufficient if the function realized as the attachment 2 described below is realized as a function of the oral suction device.

[0017] The connection between the attachment 2 and the vacuum hose 3 may be made by inclining the outer peripheral surface near the base end of the attachment 2 to change the tube diameter, so that the attachment 2 stops after a certain distance of insertion. There are no limitations on the connection method, but it is necessary to maintain the suction function of the suction device and ensure that the attachment 2 does not easily come off the vacuum hose 3 due to friction. The attachment 2 is connected by inserting the base end of the vacuum tip 1 into the tip side of the attachment 2. The length of insertion in these connections is, for example, about 1 to 2 cm.

[0018] In the example shown in Figure 1, the tubular body of the vacuum tip 1 is partially curved from the base end to the tip. The approximate length of the vacuum tip 1 from the base end to the tip is, for example, 10 to 15 cm. As another example, the vacuum tip 1 may be a tubular body that is gently curved overall or a straight tubular body. The cross-sectional shape of the tubular body perpendicular to the longitudinal direction may be, for example, circular, and may change from circular to rectangular as it moves from the base end to the tip.

[0019] The suction port 12 has a shape in which the tip of the tube is cut out at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction. As shown by the arrow in Figure 1(b), the vacuum tip 1 is usually used with the side facing the suction port 12 facing the object to be vacuumed, so the convex curved surface facing the suction port 12 is the working side, and the concave curved surface on the opposite side is the non-working side. As an example, the inner diameter of the vacuum tip 1 is approximately 8 mm to 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 within the oral cavity. Even if multiple small LEDs that do not occupy a lot of space are provided, if the required amount of light cannot be ensured, a single light source as shown in Fig. 1(a) may be advantageous. It is preferable to provide a cover 9 to prevent the suction material from adhering to the light source 5. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the light source 5 may be fixed directly to the attachment 2 or may be fixed by a cover 9.

[0021] The cover 9 is preferably made of a light-transmitting resin or the like at least on the light-emitting surface 51 side of the light source 5, and is made of the same material as the vacuum tip 1. This reduces attenuation of the light emitted from the light source 5 as it travels to the tube wall 11 of the vacuum tip 1. The light source 5 may be coated with a light-transmitting resin or the like after installation on the attachment 2 to prevent the suction object from adhering to it.

[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 to clean the attachment 2. Instead of the cover 9, a heat sink made of aluminum or the like may be provided in contact with the side surface of the light source 5, and heat from the light source 5 may be dissipated by the airflow generated in the tube of the intraoral suction device. In this case, too, the light emitting surface 51 side of the light source 5 is made of a light-transmitting resin or the like, and is preferably made of the same material as the vacuum tip 1.

[0023] The power supplied to the LED may be supplied from a commercial power source or an external battery. In the example of FIG. 1( a), the attachment 2 is provided with a rechargeable battery 62. For example, a small cylindrical pin-type lithium ion battery can be used as the rechargeable battery 62. Alternatively, the battery 62 may be configured to be rechargeable by connecting a USB cable from an external power source to the connector 69. The battery 62 may also be built into the light source 5.

[0024] The oral suction device may be provided with a switch 64 that allows the user to turn on / off or adjust the intensity of the light source 5. A circuit that enables this is provided in the switch unit 61. It is preferable that a box 63 is provided to prevent saliva and the like from adhering to the battery 62 and the switch unit 61 during use of the oral suction device.

[0025] As an example of the arrangement of the battery 62, it may be provided at the bottom of the attachment 2 in the perspective of Fig. 1(a). This arrangement allows the oral suction device to be stably held when in use. 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 so that many batteries 62 are arranged at the bottom. Regarding the arrangement of the switch unit 61, providing it at the bottom of the attachment 2 as shown in Fig. 1(a) also contributes to stable holding of the oral suction device.

[0026] 1(a) so that the switch 64 can be easily operated by the thumb of a user of the oral suction device. For example, a tactile switch is used as the switch 64. Wiring between the switch 64 and the switch unit 61 can be routed through the tube wall of the attachment 2.

[0027] 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 forming a hole in a part of the tubular body of the attachment 2 and connecting directly with a conductor through the hole. As an alternative method, a conductor 27 ( FIG. 1( b) ) may be provided that penetrates a part of the tubular body of the attachment 2. Wiring is run from the switch unit 61 to the conductor 27, and similarly, wiring is run from the light source 5 to the conductor 27, thereby providing wiring for supplying power to the light source 5.

[0028] Figure 1(b) shows the state in which the vacuum tip 1 and vacuum hose 3 are connected to the attachment 2. The oral suction device is used in this state. The tube diameter or material must be designed so that the vacuum tip 1 does not easily fall out of the attachment 2 when inserted. In this inserted state, it is preferable that the base end surface 13 of the vacuum tip 1 and the light-emitting surface 51 of the light source 5 (Figures 1(a) and 2(a)) are positioned opposite and in contact with each other (Figure 1(b)). If a cover 9 is attached to the light source 5, the cover 9 and the base end surface 13 will come into contact with each other.

[0029] The LEDs (light-emitting diodes) used as the light source 5 can be either bullet-shaped LEDs with hemispherical tops or flat LEDs. Flat LEDs are relatively smaller than bullet-shaped LEDs and are therefore advantageous when miniaturization is desired. On the other hand, the radiation angle of bullet-shaped LEDs is about 30 degrees, compared to about 120 degrees for flat LEDs, so bullet-shaped LEDs can be advantageous from the perspective of effectively directing light into the tube wall. When using surface-mounted LEDs rather than bullet-shaped LEDs for miniaturization, a stainless steel case (spacer) with a round, cylindrical or rectangular aluminum heat sink can also be used to concentrate the light and dissipate heat.

[0030] The tube wall 11 serving as a light guide may be installed later. The installed tube wall 11 is specifically referred to as an after-installed tube wall 18 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). FIG. 2 shows the state of the vacuum tip 1 before the after-installed tube wall 18 (see FIG. 1) is installed. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the tube wall 11 of the vacuum tip 1 in this state does not function as a light guide. The vacuum tip 1 in this state is also a tube and has a tube wall (FIG. 2(c)). As viewed from the perspective of FIG. 2(c), it exists so as to surround the suction port 12.

[0031] The vacuum tip 1 used in this embodiment has wings 19 that spread outward at the tip when viewed from below in Fig. 2(a), as shown in Fig. 2(b). These wings 19 serve to guide the object to be sucked so that it can be easily sucked into the suction port 12. The front view in Fig. 2(c) shows the wings 19 on both sides of the suction port 12.

[0032] To laminate the retrofit tube wall 18 (FIG. 3), the vacuum tip 1 in the state shown in FIG. 2(a) has a flat lamination surface 21 at the top as viewed in the figure. The lamination surface 21 can also be seen in FIG. 2(c). FIG. 3(a) shows the vacuum tip 1 in a state in which the retrofit tube wall 18, which serves as a light guide, has been laminated on the vacuum tip 1 having the non-light guide tube wall 11 shown in FIG. 2(a). As can be seen in FIGS. 3(c) and 3(d), the upper surface of the retrofit tube wall 18 may be curved. The lamination method may be, for example, welding.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3(a), when the retrofit tube wall 18 is laminated, the upper part of the tube wall 11 of the vacuum tip 1 has a two-layer structure consisting of the non-light-guiding tube wall 11 and the retrofit tube wall 18. From the perspective of Figure 3(a), the upper reflective surface 20 of the retrofit tube body 18, which is a light-guiding body, is the outer peripheral surface 16 of the vacuum tip 1. On the other hand, the lower reflective surface 20 of the retrofit tube wall 18 has a two-layer structure and is therefore not the inner peripheral surface 17 of the vacuum tip 1. This can also be seen in Figures 3(c) and 3(d).

[0034] The advantage of retrofitting the tube wall is that the thickness can be adjusted to match the size of the light emitting surface 51 of the light source 5, thereby preventing the light source 5 from illuminating the outside of the tube wall 18. Furthermore, the vacuum tip 1 before the retrofit tube wall 18 is installed can be made of an opaque material, such as polycarbonate, and the retrofit tube wall 18 can be made of a highly transparent material, such as polycarbonate, so that the suctioned material, such as blood, flowing through the vacuum tip 1 cannot be seen.

[0035] 4A is a schematic diagram showing the propagation of light 55 emitted from the light source 5 in this embodiment. The retrofit tube wall 18 in this embodiment has a reflective surface 20 near its tip, which is provided with an uneven portion 15 on the inner peripheral surface 17 side of the vacuum tip 1.

[0036] Figures 4(b) and (c) are enlarged schematic diagrams of the vicinity of the tip of the vacuum tip 1 to illustrate the textured portion 15. Figure 4(b) is an example of texture formed by prism processing. Prism processing is performed to form prisms at regular intervals. Figure 4(c) is an example of texture formed by blast processing. Blasting is a process performed by projecting and colliding granular abrasive material. In addition to these processes, texture can also be formed by, for example, dot processing. The characteristics of the scattered light can be changed depending on the characteristics of each process. Both processes are used to form delicate textures in the textured portion, with the aim of scattering light there.

[0037] 4(a), most of the light 55 emitted from the light source 5 travels to the tip while repeatedly being totally reflected, and at the uneven portion, the light either exits the outer peripheral surface 16 of the vacuum tip 1 and goes out, or exits from the tip surface of the vacuum tip 1. That is, the intraoral suction device in this embodiment functions so that the light from the light source 5 illuminates the area near the tip upward or to the left as viewed in FIG.

[0038] In this way, by processing the tube of the vacuum tip 1 to form irregularities taking into account the degree of curvature, it is possible to generate scattering at any location, i.e., by such optical design, it is possible to irradiate any location. Also, by appropriately designing the angle of the suction port 12, its angle relative to the outer surface 16, and the thickness of the retrofit tube wall 18, it is possible to adjust the angle L of the light emitted from the tip surface above the reference line C in the drawing and the angle M of the light emitted below it, assuming a reference line C as shown in Figure 4(a). For example, L is 70 degrees and M is 30 degrees.

[0039] The unevenly processed portion 15 preferably has a maximum range of 5 cm from the suction port 12. By limiting the scattering of light to the vicinity of the suction port in this way, it is possible to brightly illuminate only the vicinity of the suction target, which makes it easier for the practitioner to visually check the suction target.

[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 the main components are separated, and (b) shows a state in which the main components are connected. The basic configuration is the same as the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0041] The main difference between this modified example and the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is that the oral suction device includes a plurality of light sources 5. In this modified example, the entire periphery of the tube wall 11 is a light guide. In this case, the reflective surface 20 of the tube wall 11 through which light travels coincides with the inner circumferential surface 17 or the outer circumferential surface 16 of the vacuum tip 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 in the cylindrical wall of the light source holder 52 along the circumferential direction so that the end face of the light source holder 52 becomes the light emitting surface 51. The outer periphery of this light source body 6, i.e., the outer periphery of the light source holder 52, is fitted into the inner periphery of the attachment 2, and the light source body 6 is fitted into the tip of the attachment 2.

[0043] The light source body 6 may be coated with a light-transmitting resin or the like to prevent the suctioned object from adhering to it. The coating on the light-emitting surface 51 side is preferably made of the same material as the vacuum tip 1. Instead of a coating, a radiation plate made of aluminum or the like may be placed in contact with the portions of the light source body 6 other than the light-emitting surface 51 side, so that the heat of the light source 5 is dissipated by the air current generated inside the tube. 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 LEDs (light-emitting diodes) as the light sources 5. For example, as shown in Fig. 2(a), the light sources 5 may be arranged in a circumferential direction of the light source holder 52 with almost no gaps between them, but this is not limitative, and the number or intensity of the light sources may be selected so as to ensure the amount of light required for work within the oral cavity.

[0045] The power supply to the LEDs and other components are also basically the same as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 . Regarding the electrical connection from the battery 62 to the light sources 5 of the light source body 6 via the switch unit 61, for example, a conductor 27 ( FIG. 5( b) ) is provided that penetrates a portion of the tubular body of the attachment 2, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , and wiring is run from the switch unit 61 to the conductor 27. On the other hand, an electrode 53 ( FIG. 6( b) ) is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the light source body 6, so that the conductor 27 and the electrode 53 come into contact when the light source body 6 is inserted into the attachment 2. Wiring for supplying power from the electrode 53 to each light source 5 is provided inside the light source body 6. To ensure contact between the position of the conductor 27 and the electrode 53, a notch 56 is provided on a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the light source body 6. A corresponding protrusion (not shown) is provided on a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the attachment 2, allowing the orientation of the light source body 6 to be fixed. The protrusion and the notch 56 advantageously function to facilitate easier attachment and detachment when the light source body 6 is detachable from the attachment 2.

[0046] Fig. 5(a) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the light source body 6 inserted into the attachment 2, and Fig. 5(b) shows the state in which the vacuum tip 1 and the vacuum hose 3 are further connected to the attachment 2. The oral suction device is used in this state. In this connected state, the base end surface 13 of the vacuum tip 1 and the light-emitting surface 51 of the light source body 6 (Figs. 5(a) and 6(a)) are positioned opposite each other and preferably in contact with each other (Fig. 1(b)). In this case, in order to allow light from the light source 5 to be incident on the tube wall 11 of the vacuum tip 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 must have sufficient hardness to be inserted into the attachment 2 and to secure the light source 5, and further, the front surface of the light source body 6, which becomes the light-emitting surface 51, is preferably made of the same material as the vacuum tip 1 so that the light emitted from the light source 5 does not attenuate before entering the tube wall 11 of the vacuum tip 1. The light-emitting surface of the light source 5 may not be covered with the light source body 6, and the above-mentioned coating may be performed using the same material as the vacuum tip 1.

[0048] To explain the progression of light 55 emitted from light-emitting surface 51 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 7(a) shows an enlarged view of base end 101 (FIG. 5(a)) near the base end of vacuum tip 1, and FIG. 3(b) shows an enlarged view of tip end 100 (FIG. 5(a)) near the tip of vacuum tip 1. In this embodiment, vacuum tip 1 has an unevenly processed portion 15 on its inner circumferential surface 17 near its tip. The unevenly processed portion 15 refers to a portion on the surface of vacuum tip 1 that has been subjected to, for example, prism processing. Alternatively, blast processing or the like may be applied.

[0049] As shown in Figure 7(a), light 55 emitted from the light-emitting surface 51 travels toward the tip while reflecting inside the tube wall 11 of the vacuum tip 1, which acts as a light guide. As shown in Figure 7(b), this traveling light 55 is scattered when it hits the unevenness of the unevenly processed portion 15 formed on the part that becomes the inner surface 17 of the vacuum tip 1, which is the reflecting surface 20 near the suction port 12. The scattered light 55 exits through the outer surface 16 of the vacuum tip 1 to the outside. Not all of the light 55 is scattered toward the outer surface 16 of the vacuum tip 1, but some light 55 exits from the tip surface of the vacuum tip 1.

[0050] In this way, by providing the unevenness taking into consideration the degree of curvature of the tube body of the vacuum tip 1, scattering can be generated at any location, that is, with such optical design, any location can be irradiated.

[0051] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4( a), an uneven portion 15 can be provided on the inner circumferential surface 17 and the outer circumferential surface 16 of the entire vacuum tip 1. That is, the uneven portion 15 extends over the entire reflective surface 20 of the tube wall 11 of the vacuum tip 1. The tube wall 11 of this embodiment can also be provided later. Other configurations, such as the fact that the base end surface 13 of the vacuum tip 1 and the light-emitting surface 51 of the light source body 6 face each other when the vacuum tip 1 and the attachment 2 are connected ( FIG. 5( b)), and the battery 61, switch 64, switch unit 64, etc. provided on the attachment are the same as those in the above embodiment, and therefore will not be described here.

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

[0053] In this embodiment, the entire reflective surface of the tube wall 11, i.e., the inner and outer peripheral surfaces 17 and 16 of the entire vacuum tip 1, are textured. As soon as light 55 emitted from the light source 5 installed in the light source body 6 enters the tube wall of the vacuum tip 11, it strikes the textured portion 15 and is scattered. At this time, some of the light 55 exits the tube wall 11 of the vacuum tip from the inner peripheral surface 17 side or the outer peripheral surface 16 side. Even in this case, some of the light 55 travels toward the tip. In this way, the entire vacuum tip 1 can be illuminated with a weaker light intensity than in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 . The vacuum tip 1 can also be designed to emit a soft, glare-free light from the entire vacuum tip 1.

[0054] As a modification of all the above-described embodiments, the vacuum tip 1 may be provided with a protruding portion 7, which is a portion of the tube wall near the base end that protrudes and extends toward the base end (FIG. 10(a)). The end face of the end point of the extension of this protruding portion 7 is referred to as the distal end face 8. The protruding portion 7 is part of the vacuum tip 1 and is made of the same material as the tube wall 11 of the vacuum tip 1.

[0055] In this modification, one or more light sources 5 are installed on the outer periphery of the attachment 2, separate from the light sources 5 installed inside the tube described above, or without using the light sources 5 installed inside the tube (FIG. 10(a)). The number of light sources 5 is preferably the same as the number of protrusions 7, but the number or intensity may be selected so as to ensure the amount of light required for work inside the oral cavity. FIG. 10(b) shows a perspective view of an attachment equipped with multiple light sources 5, viewed from above on the tip side. FIG. 10(a) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the oral suction device in this case.

[0056] When the vacuum tip 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 positioned opposite and in contact with each other (FIG. 10(a)).

[0057] It is preferable that a light source box 65 is provided to prevent saliva and the like from adhering to the light source 5 during use of the intra-oral suction device. The light source 5 may be fixed directly to the attachment 2, but it 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 provided from a charged battery 62 via a switch unit 61 to each light source 5 in a light source box 65, and power is supplied to each light source 5. The power supply to each light source 5 is turned on and off by a switch 64 provided on the top of the attachment 2, and a conductor 67 connecting the switch 64 and the switch unit 61 may be passed through the tube wall of the attachment 2 as shown in Fig. 6(b). As shown in Figs. 10(a) and 10(b), the distal end surface 22 of the attachment 2 and an end surface 66 of the light source box 65 are located on the same plane as viewed in Fig. 10(a), and the light emitting surface 51 of the light source 5 is located downward from the distal end surface 22 of the attachment toward the base end of the attachment 2.

[0059] Since it is important that the light-emitting surface 51 and the tip surface 8 of the protrusion 7 face each other and are in contact with 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 positioned in the same plane. However, the arrangement shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b) is preferable because the light source box 65 can prevent the tip surface 8 from shifting up or down from the light-emitting surface 51 when viewed from the perspective of Figure 10(a).

[0060] 11 shows an enlarged view of the proximal end 101 near the proximal end of the vacuum tip 1 shown in FIG. 10A. The light 55 emitted from the light source 5 enters the protrusion 7 because the light emitting surface 51 of the light source 5 and the distal end surface 8 of the protrusion 8 are in contact with each other, and then travels toward the tube wall 11 of the vacuum tip 1 using the protrusion 7 as a light guide, and further travels toward the distal end of the vacuum tip 1 while being reflected.

[0061] Light 55 travels toward the tip side of the vacuum tip 1 shown in Figure 10 (a) and is scattered when it hits the unevenness of the unevenly processed portion 15 at the tip portion 100, which is the same as the explanation using Figure 4 or Figure 7, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0062] Since this embodiment has the same basic configuration as the above-described embodiment, description thereof will be omitted except for matters related to the protrusion 7 and the light source 5. In addition, the light source 5 can be attached to both the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the attachment 2, and this configuration can be realized by providing the light source body 6 described in Fig. 6 to the intraoral suction device in the embodiment shown in Fig. 10, for example.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment and modified example, the light travels inside the tube wall, but it is also possible to provide a light source 5 inside the tube of the oral suction device, and as the light travels inside the tube, the light is scattered inside the tube and exits the tube. For example, as shown in Fig. 12, the oral suction device has a fixture 81 for arranging the light source 5 at the center inside the tube of the attachment 2. In the example of Fig. 12, the light source 5 has a built-in battery 62. A switch 63 arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the attachment and the battery 62 are wired by a conductor 82 extending along the fixture.

[0064] The light source 5 disposed in the center of the tube of the oral suction device is preferably an LED with a long irradiation distance. When an LED with a long irradiation distance and a relatively long longitudinal length is used, it is preferable to dispose the light source 5 so that the light-emitting surface 51 protrudes beyond the end face of the tip side of the attachment 2, as shown in Fig. 12, for example. This makes it possible to dispose the light source 5 in the oral suction device without increasing the longitudinal length of the attachment 2 to match the longitudinal length of the light source 5.

[0065] The light-emitting surface 51 is covered with a roughly conical cap 84 so that 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 of this cone is roughly the same as the shape of the light-emitting surface 51 of the light source 5, and since the light-emitting surface 51 is circular in the example of Figure 12, the bottom of the cap 84 is also circular. For example, if the light source 5 is square, the cap 84 will be a roughly regular square pyramid. It is preferable that the cap 84 be made of a highly transparent resin so as not to impede the progression of light emitted from the light source 5.

[0066] 12, the line from the circumference of the base to the apex of the cone may be a gently bulging curve. An airflow for sucking in the object is generated along this line from the circumference of the base to the apex of the cone toward the side of the light source 5 in the direction of arrow 83. 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 airflow generated within the tube.

[0067] 12, the entire inner peripheral surface 17 of the vacuum tip 1 is provided with an uneven portion 15, and light generated from the light source 5 passes through the cap 84 and is scattered by the unevenness of the uneven portion before being emitted to the outside of the vacuum tip. The intraoral suction device may be provided with only the light source 5 installed in the tube shown in FIG. 12, or may be provided with the light source 5 shown in the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example in addition to that.

[0068] 13 shows an outline of a gently curved tubular vacuum tip 1 viewed from below its tip as an example of the vacuum tip 1 used in all embodiments and modifications. The portion of the vacuum tip 1 that appears to hang down from the tubular body near the tip is a hanging portion 72, which is indicated by diagonal lines in FIG.

[0069] The material of the hanging portion 72 of this vacuum tip 1 is the same as that of the other portions of the vacuum tip 1, but is softer and slightly less hard, allowing for a softer contact with the area inside the oral cavity.

[0070] In all embodiments and modifications, it is preferable that at least the inner circumferential surface of the vacuum tip be coated with an optical thin film, for example, using a fluorine-based coating agent. To achieve the intended light intensity or direction of light irradiation, for example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1( a), the arrangement of the textured portion and the grain size of the textured portion are designed so that light illuminates the tip or the vicinity of the tip upward and to the left from the viewpoint of the figure. Here, if the inner circumferential surface of the vacuum tip becomes contaminated with liquid or oil, such as the object to be sucked, or if scratches or other impurities are formed, the total reflection conditions until the light from the light source reaches the vicinity of the tip may be disrupted, or the scattering pattern at the textured portion may change in an unintended manner.

[0071] To avoid this situation, an optical thin film is formed on at least the inner peripheral surface of the vacuum tip 1. This optical thin film provides water and oil repellency, durability, and heat resistance while maintaining the properties of the material of the vacuum tip, as well as providing advantages such as prevention of deterioration due to UV rays and prevention of contamination. If these advantages can be obtained by forming an optical thin film on the outer peripheral surface of the vacuum tip 1, it is preferable to form the film on the outer peripheral surface as well.

[0072] The vacuum tip 1 may have an edge tip attached or welded to the suction port. Figure 14(a) shows the vicinity of the tip of the vacuum tip 1, to which the edge tip 71 is welded so as to cover the suction port 12. Because the edge tip 71 is made of a translucent material, light emitted from the light source described above in the description of each embodiment and traveling to the tip of the vacuum tip 1 passes through the edge tip and exits to the outside. Since the edge tip 71 is the component most likely to come into contact with a site in the oral cavity, it is desirable for it to have a smooth shape. In terms of hardness, a softer material with slightly lower hardness than the vacuum tip 1 is preferred. The edge tip 71 may be made of the same material as the vacuum tip 1.

[0073] Furthermore, the edge chip 71 can also be processed so as to be used as a diffusing member for the light 55. For example, minute particles may be mixed into the material of the edge chip 71 so as to diffuse and reflect the light 55, or a surface treatment may be applied to the light output surface 75 (FIG. 14(a)) through which the light 55 passes, so as to function as a minute lens, for example.

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

[0075] 15, a wiring member 90 equipped with a light source 5 is inserted into the canal wall 11, and the oral cavity is directly illuminated with light emitted from the light source 5. In this embodiment, the main components such as the vacuum tip 1, attachment 2, vacuum hose 3, switch unit 61, switch 64, and battery 62 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0076] Figure 15(a) shows the components of the oral suction device in this embodiment. In this figure, a portion of the tube wall 11 serves as a retrofit tube wall 18, and the tip of the retrofit tube wall 18 extends away from the outer peripheral surface 16 of the vacuum tip 1 and toward the tip of the vacuum tip 1. This extended portion is referred to as an extension portion 95. The base end surface of the retrofit tube wall 18 is open, and this opening is referred to as an insertion opening 97. A space 96 is provided within the tube wall of the retrofit tube wall 18, extending from the insertion opening 97 to near the tip 98 of the extension portion 95. The insertion opening 97 may be located not only on the base end surface of the retrofit tube wall 18, but also on the outer peripheral surface near the base end of the retrofit tube wall 18. Note that only the extension portion 95 may be provided later by welding or the like.

[0077] In this embodiment, the space 96 does not exist in the pipe wall 11 other than the post-attached pipe wall 18, and the pipe wall 11 of the vacuum tip 1 has a two-layer structure consisting of the pipe wall 11 without the space 96 and the post-attached pipe wall 18 with the space 96 laminated on part of its outer surface. As with the above-mentioned embodiments, the lamination method can be welding.

[0078] Next, as shown in FIG. 15( a), the oral suction device of this embodiment has a wiring member 90 equipped with a light source 5 at least at its tip. This wiring member 90 is inserted from an insertion opening 97 into a space 96 in the retrofit tube wall 18. The inserted state is shown in FIG. 15( b). As shown in the figure, the wiring member 90 has a length such that its tip is positioned near the tip 98 of the extension portion 95. To facilitate insertion of the wiring member 90, it is preferable that the wiring member 90 be made of a material that has a certain degree of strength while also having 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 on its top surface. At least the light source 5 is required at the tip, but multiple light sources 5 may be provided on the wiring member 90. The example in the figure shows an example in which one light source 5 is provided at the tip.

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

[0080] The material of the retrofit tube wall 18 including the extension portion 98 is a light-transmitting resin, but only the extension portion 98 around the light source 5 may be made of a light-transmitting material.

[0081] FIG. 15( c ) is a schematic side view of 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 a post-installed pipe wall 18 . A portion of the pipe wall 11 extends distally from the outer circumferential surface 16 to form an extension portion 95 . As with the above-described embodiment, in this modified example, the proximal end surface of the pipe wall 11 is open, and a space 96 extends from there within the pipe wall 11 to near the distal end 98 of the extension portion 95 . In this modified example, the space 96 extends substantially linearly, allowing the wiring member 95 to be inserted to the extension portion 95 without being bent. As with the above-described embodiment, the insertion opening 97 may be located on the outer circumferential surface near the proximal end of the post-installed pipe wall 18 in addition to the proximal end surface of the post-installed pipe wall 18 ; however, it is preferable that the insertion opening 97 be located on the proximal end surface.

[0082] In the above-described embodiment and modified example, the light source 5 itself is covered by the extension 95 that is part of the tube wall 11, so that the suctioned substance can be prevented from adhering to the light source 5.

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

[0084] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings showing embodiments of the present invention, a combination of one or more configurations described in one embodiment with one or more configurations described in another embodiment is also included in one embodiment of the present invention as long as it is in line with the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, various other modifications are possible as long as they are in line with the spirit of the present invention, and these are also included in embodiments of the present invention.

[0085] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vacuum tip 2 Attachment 3 Vacuum hose 5 Light source 6 Light source body 7 Protrusion 8 Tip surface 9 Cover 11 Pipe wall 12 Suction port 13 Base end surface 14 Tip surface 15 Textured portion 16 Outer surface 17 Inner surface 18 Post-installed pipe 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 portion 62 Battery 63 Box 64 Switch 65 Light source box 66 End surface 67 Conductor 69 Connector 71 Edge tip 72 Hanging portion 75 Light-emitting surface 81 Fixture 82 Conductor 83 Arrow 84 Cap 90 Wiring member 92 Socket 93 Socket 94 Cable 95 Extension portion 96 Space 97 Insertion opening 98 Tip 100 Tip portion 101 Base end portion PS Power source C Reference line L Angle M Angle

Claims

1. An oral suction device that can be attached to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, comprising a tubular vacuum tip having a suction port at its tip and at least a portion of the tube wall made of a light guide, the tube wall being a light guide having a reflective surface for reflecting light to travel, and an unevenly processed portion on the reflective surface at least near the tip of the vacuum tip and at least on the inner peripheral side of the vacuum tip.

2. The oral suction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tubular wall of the vacuum tip has a two-layer structure consisting of a tubular wall of a non-light-conducting material and a tubular wall of a light-conducting material laminated on at least a portion of the outer surface thereof.

3. The oral suction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the unevenness of the uneven portion is formed by prism processing.

4. The oral suction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the uneven surface is formed by blast processing.

5. The oral suction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the uneven surface is located within a range of up to 5 cm from the suction port.

6. The oral suction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the oral suction device comprises a cylindrical light source holder and a plurality of light sources arranged within the cylindrical wall of the light source holder along a circumferential direction so that the end face of the light source holder serves as a light emitting surface, and further comprises a light source body that is inserted into the inside of the oral suction device, and the end face of the base end, which is the other end of the vacuum tip opposite the tip end, is positioned opposite the light emitting surface.

7. The intra-oral suction device according to claim 1, wherein the uneven surface extends over the entire reflective surface of the tube wall of the vacuum tip.

8. An intraoral suction device as described in claim 1, characterized in that a part of the tubular wall of the vacuum tip is provided near the base end, which is the other end of the vacuum tip opposite the tip end, with at least one protruding portion extending toward the base end, and the protruding portion is a light guide.

9. The oral suction device according to claim 8, further comprising one or more light sources arranged on its outer peripheral surface, the light emitting surface of the light source being positioned opposite the tip surface of the protrusion.

10. An oral suction device having a tubular body that can be attached to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, comprising: a tubular vacuum tip with a suction port at its tip; a single light source; a fixture that supports the light source at the center of the vacuum tip inside the tubular body; and a roughly conical cap that covers the light emitting surface of the light source with a bottom surface that has roughly the same shape as the light emitting surface, wherein the vacuum tip has an uneven surface on its inner surface at least near its tip.

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 tip is coated with an optical thin film.

12. The oral suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the vacuum tip is provided with a diffusion member for diffusing light guided to the tip thereof.

13. An oral suction device that can be attached to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, comprising: a tubular vacuum tip having a suction port at its tip, a portion of the tubular wall near the tip having an extension extending from the outer circumferential surface in the direction toward the tip, and a space extending within the tubular wall from an insertion opening located on the outer circumferential surface or base end face near the base end, which is the other end relative to the tip, to near the tip of the extension; and a wiring member that is inserted from the insertion opening into the space, has a length such that the tip reaches the extension, and has a light source at least at its tip.

14. The oral suction device according to claim 13, characterized in that the tubular wall of the vacuum tip has a two-layer structure consisting of a tubular wall without the space and a tubular wall with the space laminated on part of its outer surface.

Images