Intraoral suction device

Abstract

The present invention provides an intraoral suction device comprising a structure capable of light irradiation suitable for treatment in the vicinity of the distal end of a vacuum tip, said structure being relatively simple. Provided is an intraoral suction device which is a pipe body that can be attached to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, the intraoral suction device including: a vacuum tip that comprises a suction part having a space that connects a suction port at the distal end to an opening at the proximal end, and a light guiding part that guides light from the proximal end to the distal end; and a reflection plate that is provided in the vicinity of the distal end of the light guiding part and reflects a portion of the light passing through the light guiding part to the outside from an outer peripheral surface in the vicinity of the distal end 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 that attach a suction tool to the end of a vacuum hose to suck and remove unwanted materials from the oral cavity. The main suction tools 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. Therefore, inventions related to intraoral suction devices with lighting functions that replace conventional operating lights have been developed (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] An object of the present invention is to provide an intraoral suction device that has a structure that can irradiate light suitable for treatment near the tip of the vacuum tip, and that has a relatively simple structure.

[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 intraoral suction device having a tubular body that can be attached to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, comprising: a vacuum tip including an suction section having a space communicating from a suction port at a distal end to an opening at a proximal end, and a light guide section that guides light from the proximal end to the distal end; and a reflector provided near the distal end of the light guide section that reflects a portion of the light passing through the light guide section to the outside from the outer peripheral surface near the distal end of the vacuum tip. 2) In the above aspect, the suction section and the light guide section overlap from the distal end to the proximal end. 3) In the above aspect, the light guide section is solid, has a recess on the suction section side near the distal end, and is made of a highly transparent resin, and the reflector has a shape that fits into the recess. 4) In the above aspect, the device further includes a light source section including a light source provided inside the tubular body, and the light-emitting surface of the light source section is provided approximately in contact with the light-receiving surface located at the proximal end of the light guide section. 5) In the above aspect, the resin is made of polycarbonate or cycloolefin polymer. 6) In the above aspect, the reflector is made of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or silver, which have high visible light reflectance. 7) In the above aspect, the light guiding section has a grooved streak section, and an air layer made of the grooved streak section is formed between the light guiding section and the intake section when they are joined together. 8) In the above aspect, the tip surface of the light guiding section is approximately perpendicular to the joint surface between the light guiding section and the intake section near the tip. 9) In the above aspect, the light guide comprises a space communicating from the light emission port at the tip to the light receiving opening at the base end, a through hole penetrating from the outer peripheral surface to the space near the tip, a first diffusing lens provided near the light emission port, and a second diffusing lens provided in the through hole, the reflector is provided at a position where it reflects light passing through the light guide to the second diffusing lens and has a hole that passes the light to the first diffusing lens, and at least the inner peripheral surface of the light guide is made of metal with a high visible light reflectance.10) In the above aspect, the distance from the intersection of the central axis of the space within the light-guiding section and the reflector to the first diffusion lens and the distance to the second diffusion lens are approximately the same. 11) In the above aspect, the light source section is further provided with a light source provided inside the tube, and the light-emitting surface of the light source section is provided so as to be positioned within the light-guiding section approximately in contact with or near the light-receiving opening. 12) In the above aspect, the metal with high visible light reflectance is aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or silver, which have high visible light reflectance. 13) In the above aspect, the metal with high visible light reflectance is subjected to a glossy anodized treatment.

[0008] According to the present invention, an intraoral suction device can be realized that has a relatively simple structure and is capable of appropriately irradiating the vicinity of the treatment target near the tip of the vacuum tip.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the oral suction device and vacuum hose according to the present invention in a separated state. (a) is a schematic side view thereof, and (b) is a schematic longitudinal sectional view thereof. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the oral suction device shown in FIG. 1 in use with the components connected, where (a) is a side view corresponding to FIG. 1(a) and (b) is a schematic longitudinal sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1(b). FIG. 3(a) is a schematic exploded view of the vacuum tip according to this embodiment. FIG. 3(b) is a schematic front view of the vacuum tip shown in FIG. 3(a) as viewed from the direction of arrow A in the same figure. FIG. 4(a) is a schematic bottom view of the light guiding section of the vacuum tip, and FIG. 4(b) is a schematic oblique view of the bottom of the light guiding section as viewed obliquely. FIG. 4(c) is a schematic sectional view showing the light guiding section taken along the CC' line in FIG. 3(a). FIG. 4(d) is a schematic plan view of the reflector as viewed from the direction of arrow D in FIG. 3(a). Fig. 4(e) is a schematic rear view of the reflector as viewed from the direction of arrow E in Fig. 4(d). Fig. 5(a) is a schematic diagram showing the progression of light at the base end shown in Fig. 1(b), and Fig. 5(b) is a schematic diagram showing the progression of light at the tip end shown in Fig. 1(b). Fig. 6(a) is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the vacuum tip. Fig. 6(b) is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the modified example. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the intraoral suction device and vacuum hose in another embodiment in a separated state. (a) is a schematic side view thereof, and (b) is a schematic longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the respective components of the intraoral suction device shown in Fig. 7 in use, connected together, where (a) is a side view corresponding to Fig. 1(a), and (b) is a schematic longitudinal sectional view corresponding to Fig. 1(b). Fig. 9(a) is a schematic rear view of the base end surface of the vacuum tip viewed from the viewpoint of G-G' in Fig. 1(a), and Fig. 9(b) is a schematic front view showing a reflector that can be used in a vacuum tip having that base end surface. Fig. 9(c) is a schematic rear view of the base end surface of a vacuum tip in a modified example, and Fig. 9(d) is a schematic front view showing a reflector that can be used in a vacuum tip having that base end surface. Fig. 10(a) is a schematic diagram showing the progression of light at the base end shown in Fig. 7(b), and Fig. 10(b) is a schematic diagram showing the progression of light at the tip end shown in Fig. 7(b).Figure 11(a) is a schematic diagram of a light source unit that can be used in the oral suction device shown in Figures 1 and 7, when viewed from the left from the perspective of Figures 1 and 7, and Figure 11(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the light source unit at the FF' cross section of Figure 11(a).

[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 another embodiment may be omitted.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the tubular oral suction device according to this embodiment and the vacuum hose 3 to which it is attached, in a separated state. Fig. 1(a) shows a schematic side view thereof, and Fig. 1(b) shows a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof. This cross-section is a longitudinal cross-section that appears when the hollow tubular oral suction device and vacuum hose 3 are cut approximately in half along their longitudinal direction.

[0012] The base end of the vacuum hose 3 is connected to a suction source (not shown) such as an exhaust pump. The vacuum hose 3 is preferably flexible. For example, it may be made of a material such as soft polyvinyl chloride, silicone rubber, or polyurethane resin, and may be any of the materials currently used in dental treatment.

[0013] 1(a) and 1(b), the oral suction device has a tubular vacuum tip 1 and a tubular attachment 2. 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 by the attachment 2, which will be described later, is realized as a function of the oral suction device.

[0014] In the following description, the left end of each of the vacuum tip 1, the attachment 2, and the vacuum hose 3 in the perspective of FIG. 1A is referred to as the distal end, and the right end is referred to as the proximal end.

[0015] The oral suction device in this embodiment is used by connecting the base end of the vacuum tip 1 to the tip end of the attachment 2 by inserting the base end of the vacuum tip 1 into the tip end of the attachment 2, and then connecting the two by inserting the base end of the attachment 2 into the tip end of the vacuum hose 3.

[0016] 2(a) and 2(b) are a schematic side view and a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the oral suction device in a connected state, respectively, corresponding to Fig. 1(a) and (b). In this connected state, liquids and solids in the oral cavity are sucked into the vacuum hose 3 through the suction port 11 located at the tip of the vacuum tip 1.

[0017] The connection points between the components are, for example, of a pipe diameter that allows the connection points to fit tightly and is made of a material that does not easily come loose due to friction, etc. The configuration of the connection points is not limited to this, but it is required that the suction function of the suction device be maintained when the components are connected and in use. The insertion length when connecting the components is, for example, about 1 to 2 cm.

[0018] The attachment 2 functions to connect the vacuum tip 1 and the vacuum hose 3. Attachments 2 not used intraoral can be made of a material that is harder than the vacuum tip 1 and more suitable for gripping by the operator. As shown in FIG. 1( b), the tube interior includes a light source unit 5 equipped with a light source and a light source support unit 6 supporting the light source unit 5. The tube exterior may also include a battery 43 for supplying power to the light source unit 5, a switch 41 for turning the power supply on and off, a switch unit 42 including a control circuit for the battery 43, and other components. The battery 43 and switch unit 42 may be covered with a box 44 to protect the operator from droplets adhering to the battery 43 during suction and from temperature increases in the battery 43. The box 44 may include, for example, a USB connector 45 for charging (see FIG. 1( a)), allowing charging via a USB cable from a power source PS.

[0019] When the attachment 2 is held with the thumb to turn the switch 41 on and off, the box 44 is positioned on the opposite side of the outer periphery of the attachment 2, allowing for stable weight balance during work.

[0020] As a modified example, when a rechargeable or non-rechargeable lithium battery (e.g., a CR2 battery or a CR123A battery) is used to supply power to the light source unit 5, the battery may be provided outside the oral suction device in consideration of its weight. This weight reduction makes the oral suction device easier to handle.

[0021] In all embodiments, the vacuum tip 1 includes a light guide and a suction section. The light guide serves to guide light from the light source to the tip of the vacuum tip 1, and its structure differs depending on the embodiment. In all embodiments, the vacuum tip 1 includes a reflector that reflects a portion of the light passing through the light guide from the outer peripheral surface near the tip of the vacuum tip 1 to the outside. The suction section serves as a passage for sucked oral liquids and solids, and is a tubular body with a space that communicates from a suction port 11 at the tip to an opening 12 at the base end (see FIG. 1(b)), and has a generally common structure in all embodiments. It is preferable that the suction section and the light guide overlap from the tip to the base end to form the vacuum tip 1.

[0022] In the example shown in FIG. 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 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubular body may be, for example, circular, and may change from circular to rectangular as it moves from the base end to the tip. The inner diameter of the suction portion 13 is, for example, approximately 8 mm to 20 mm.

[0023] The suction port 11 at the tip of the vacuum tip 1 has a shape in which the tip of the tube is cut out obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction. The vacuum tip 1 is usually used by bringing the suction port 11 close to the object to be sucked in the direction of arrow Y in Figure 2(a).

[0024] The light guide 60 of the vacuum tip 1 in this embodiment will be described below using FIGS. 3 and 4 . FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded view of the vacuum tip shown in FIG. 1 , disassembled into the light guide 60 and the suction portion 13. The light guide 60 receives light from a light source through its proximal light-receiving surface 63 and guides the light toward the distal end. In this embodiment, the light guide 60 is solid and does not have an internal space. For this light guide, the light guide 60 is made of a highly transparent resin, such as polycarbonate or cycloolefin polymer. To prevent the aspirated material, such as blood, flowing through the vacuum tip 1 from being visible, the suction portion 13 of the vacuum tip 1 is preferably made of an opaque or low-transparency material, such as polycarbonate or cycloolefin polymer. Regardless of the material, it is desirable that the material be resistant to the use of a high-pressure steam sterilizer (e.g., at 120°C and 2 atmospheres) to sterilize the vacuum tip 1.

[0025] The light guide 60 includes a recess 66 on the side of the intake unit 13 near the tip. In the side view of FIG. 3( a), the recess 66 is not visible because it is located inside the light guide 60. The recess 66 can be seen in the schematic bottom view of FIG. 4( a), which shows the light guide 60 viewed from below as seen in FIG. 3( a). In the example of FIG. 4( a), the inner surface of the recess 66 is composed of a flat surface 71 extending into the page, a slope 73 pointing downward in the same figure, and a curved surface 72 that forms the bottom surface. The flat surface 71 can be seen in FIG. 4( b), which is a perspective view of the underside of the light guide 60 viewed obliquely. FIG. 4( c) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the CC′ cross section of the light guide 60 in FIG. 3( a), and it can be seen that the bottom surface of the recess 66 is the curved surface 72.

[0026] The shaded area in Figure 4 (c) is the cross section of the light guide 60, which is the outer surface of the light guide portion 60 and is formed between the outer surface of the vacuum tip 1 and the recess 66, and as described below, light traveling toward the tip passes through this cross section.

[0027] The oral suction device in this embodiment has a reflector 65 that fits into this recess 66 and reflects a portion of the light passing through the light guiding unit 60 to the outside of the vacuum tip 1. Therefore, this reflector 65 has approximately the same shape as the recess 66 described above.

[0028] Fig. 4(d) is a schematic plan view of the reflector 65 as viewed from the direction of arrow D in Fig. 3(a), and Fig. 4(e) is a schematic rear view of the reflector 65 as viewed from the direction of arrow E in Fig. 4(d). In each figure, it can be seen that the flat surface 81, curved surface 82, and inclined surface 83 of the reflector 65 come into contact with the flat surface 71, curved surface 72, and inclined surface 73 of the recess when the reflector 65 is fitted into the recess 66, respectively.

[0029] The reflector 65, which reflects a portion of the light incident on the light-receiving surface 63 and travels toward the tip of the light-guiding unit 60, is preferably made of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or silver, which has a high visible light reflectance, for example, a visible light reflectance of 95 to 98%. At least the inclined surface 83 is made of the same material. This aluminum or aluminum alloy may be subjected to a glossy anodizing treatment. High-purity aluminum is subjected to an anodizing treatment to enhance the metallic luster, i.e., the light reflectance. The shapes of the recess 66 and the reflector 65 described with reference to FIG. 4 are not limited thereto. For example, the inclined surface 83 may be configured to have a concave depression with a substantially elliptical edge, and the inclined surface 83 of the recess 66 may have a corresponding convex protrusion that fits into the depression.

[0030] The following describes how light emitted by the light source travels through the light guide 60. An example of the light source unit 5 (see FIG. 1(b)) provided in the attachment 2 is shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 11(a) is a schematic diagram of the light source unit 5 as viewed from the left side of FIG. 1, and FIG. 11(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line F-F' in FIG. 11(a).

[0031] The light source unit 5 is surrounded by a case 53 and includes an LED (light emitting diode) serving as a light source 50 therein, and an electrode 55 that receives power from the battery 43 protrudes from the case 53. The light source unit 5 may include a plurality of light sources 50.

[0032] Furthermore, the light source unit 5 may be provided with a heat sink 52 made of, for example, aluminum to dissipate heat from the light source 50 or the substrate 51 (FIG. 11(b)). In addition, to prevent attracted objects from adhering to the light source 50, it is preferable to cover the substrate 51 inside the case 53 with resin 56. In this case, a resin 56 with high optical transparency is used to minimize loss of light intensity from the light source 50. The left side as viewed in FIG. 11(b) is the light-emitting surface 31 of the light source unit 5.

[0033] The LED used as the light source 50 is preferably one with a long irradiation distance, and an intensity that can ensure the necessary amount of light for work inside the oral cavity is selected. Either a bullet-shaped LED with a hemispherical top or a flat LED can be used. However, a flat LED, which is relatively smaller than a bullet-shaped LED, is advantageous when aiming for miniaturization. Compared to a bullet-shaped LED, the flat LED has a relatively wide radiation angle, but by making the case 53 out of a metal material that allows for light concentration, light can be effectively incident on the vacuum tip 1 side. It is even more preferable that the case 53 be made of a material that easily dissipates heat.

[0034] The light receiving surface 63, which is the base end surface 63 of the light guide unit 60, and the light emitting surface 31 of the light source unit 5 (see FIG. 1(b)) are in approximate contact with each other when the components are connected as shown in FIG. 2(b). In order to reduce loss of light quantity, it is preferable that these surfaces are in contact with each other.

[0035] Figure 5 shows how light emitted from the light source unit 5 travels through the light guide unit 60. Figure 5(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of an enlarged view of the base end portion 101 in Figure 1(b), and Figure 5(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of an enlarged view of the tip portion 100 in Figure 1(b). Light 35 emitted from the light source unit 5 travels through the light guide unit 60 while being totally reflected by the circumferential surface thereof (Figure 5(a)).

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5B, near the tip of the vacuum tip 1, a portion of the light 35 traveling through the light guide 60 toward the tip is reflected by the inclined surface 83 of the reflector 65 and becomes light 35B, which exits outside the vacuum tip 1. Light 35 that continues toward the tip without hitting the reflector 65 passes through the tip of the light guide 60 and becomes light 35A, which exits outside the vacuum tip 1. Assuming that light exits from the tip toward the upper side of the view point in FIG. 5B near the tip of the light guide 60, the light exit toward the tip is designated as the first light exit surface 61, and the light exit toward the upper side is designated as the second light exit surface 62. The light that exits these light exit surfaces 61 and 62 uniformly illuminates the illumination range L indicated by the imaginary line in the figure. The light intensity is, for example, 15 lux at a distance of 30 cm.

[0037] In order for light 35 to effectively reflect off light guiding section 60 and travel, an air layer can be formed between light guiding section 60 and intake section 13 when they are joined together. As a modified example for forming this air layer, light guiding section 60 can be provided with a groove portion 69 extending from the base end to the tip end at the center below in the view of Figure 3(a).

[0038] 3(b) is a schematic front view of the vacuum tip 1 shown in FIG. 3(a) as viewed from the direction of arrow A in the same figure. From the perspective of the same figure, a groove portion 69 can be seen in the lower center of the light guide 60. In this case, the joining surfaces 68 for joining the light guide portion 60 and the suction portion 13 are on both sides of the groove portion 69 from the perspective of the same figure. By welding (e.g., solvent welding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding) or adhering these joining surfaces, the light guide portion 60 and the suction portion 13, which are fabricated separately, can be joined.

[0039] The groove 69 does not need to penetrate from the tip to the base of the vacuum tip 1 when the light guide 60 and the suction unit 13 are joined together, and may be closed at the tip and base. This prevents the suctioned material and droplets from entering the groove 69.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the vacuum tip 1. FIG. 6( a) is a schematic side view thereof, and FIG. 6( b) is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof. The difference between this modified example and the vacuum tip 1 shown in FIG. 1 is the inclination angle of the first emission surface 61, which is the tip surface of the light guiding unit 60. In this modified example, as shown in FIG. 6( a), the first emission surface 61 is formed near the tip of the vacuum tip 1 so that the first emission surface 61 is approximately perpendicular to the joint surface between the light guiding unit 60 and the suction unit 13. This reduces further reflection at the first emission surface when the light 35 travels to the tip of the light guiding unit 60, making it easier for the light to escape to the outside from the first emission surface.

[0041] 1(b), this modified example does not include a groove 69 that forms an air layer between the light guide 60 and the intake unit 13 when they are joined together (see FIGS. 1(b) and 6(b)). If the method of joining the light guide 60 and the intake unit 13 or the materials used therefor allow most of the light entering from the light receiving surface 63 to travel to the tip without providing the groove 69, then the groove 69 may not be provided. In this case, from the perspective of FIG. 6, the light guide 60 and the intake unit 13 are overlapped with no gaps at their joining surfaces by, for example, welding.

[0042] An oral suction device having a vacuum tip 1 with a light guide portion of another embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 10. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the tubular oral suction device and the vacuum hose 3 to which it is attached in a separated state, similar to Figure 1.

[0043] The intraoral suction device of this embodiment has a tubular vacuum tip 1 and a tubular attachment 2, similar to that shown in Fig. 1. The structures of the attachment 2 and the vacuum hose 3 are basically the same as those of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, and therefore their explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, the light source unit 5, the light source support unit 6 that supports it, the switch 41, the switch unit 42, the battery 43, etc., which are provided in the attachment 2, are also the same, and therefore their explanations will be omitted.

[0044] 7(b), the vacuum tip 1 of this embodiment has a light guide section 20 above the suction section 13, which has a space that communicates from the light emission port 14 that opens at the tip end to the light receiving opening 15 that opens at the base end. Light emitted from the light source section 5 travels within the space provided by the light guide section 20. When the base end surface of the vacuum tip 1 is viewed from the viewpoint of G-G' in FIG. 7(a), two openings, opening 12 and light receiving opening 15, can be confirmed, for example, as shown in FIG.

[0045] At least the inner circumferential surface 19 (FIG. 7B) of the light guide 20, which serves as the light path, is made of a metal with high visible light reflectance. For example, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or silver, which has a visible light reflectance of 95 to 98%, is suitable.

[0046] Not only the inner circumferential surface 19 of the light guiding section 20 but the entire light guiding section 20 may be made of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or silver. Also, the suction section 13 may be made of resin separately from the light guiding section 20, but it may also be made of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or silver, including the suction section 13. In this case, the entire vacuum tip 1 is made of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or silver.

[0047] Furthermore, it is preferable that a glossy anodized aluminum treatment be applied to the aluminum or aluminum alloy of at least the inner circumferential surface 19 of the light guide portion 20. The anodized aluminum treatment is applied to high-purity aluminum in order to enhance metallic luster, i.e., to increase the light reflectance.

[0048] 9( a), the light guide section 20 is fabricated as a separate member from the suction section 13, and the entire vacuum tip 1 is constructed by overlaying the light guide section 20 on the suction section 13 from the perspective of the figure. Therefore, the boundary between the light guide section 20 and the suction section 13 can be seen in the figure. The light guide section 20 and the suction section 13 may be made of the same material or different materials, and the suction section 13 and the light guide section 20 may be joined by welding (e.g., solvent welding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding), for example.

[0049] 9(b), which shows another modified example, is a schematic diagram of the vacuum tip 1 viewed from its base end side when the light guide section 20 and the suction section 13 are integrally manufactured. In this case, there is no boundary between the light guide section 20 and the suction section 13. The cross section of the space of the light guide section 20 may be circular as shown in the figure. There are no particular limitations on the shape as long as it is within the scope of optical design possible regarding the propagation of light.

[0050] In this embodiment, when the vacuum tip 1 and the attachment 2 are connected, the tip of the light source unit 5 is positioned inside the light guide 20 from the light receiving opening 15, i.e., the light emitting surface 31 is positioned inside the light guide 20 near the light receiving opening 15 ( FIG. 8( b) ). The light emitting surface 31 of the light source unit 5 may be positioned so as to be approximately in contact with the light receiving opening 15 without entering the light guide 20. It is desirable that the light emitted from the light source unit 5 enters the light guide 20 without leaking.

[0051] The vacuum tip 1, particularly the light guiding section 20, has a through-hole 18 (FIG. 7(b)) near its tip, on the upper side as viewed in FIG. 7(b), which penetrates from an inner peripheral surface 19 of the light guiding section 20 to the outer peripheral surface of the light guiding section 20, which is the outer peripheral surface of the vacuum tip 1. The through-hole 18 is provided within a range of approximately 2 cm from the tip surface of the vacuum tip 1.

[0052] The light emitted from the light source unit 5 travels to the tip while being totally reflected by the inner peripheral surface of the light guide unit 20, and the light exit that is the opening at the tip and the through hole 18 become the light exits, which are respectively referred to as the first light exit 27 and the second light exit 28. Each of these light exits is provided with a diffusion lens made of a resin such as polycarbonate or cycloolefin polymer in order to illuminate the light over a wide area.

[0053] The diffusing lens provided near the first light outlet 27 of the light guide section 20 shown in Figure 7 (b) is referred to as the first diffusing lens 21, and the diffusing lens provided in the through hole 18, which is the second light outlet 28, is referred to as the second diffusing lens 22.

[0054] In Figure 7(b), a single plano-concave lens is shown as an example of a diffusing lens, but in reality, there are lenses made up of multiple layers, lenses with minute particles mixed into the material, and diffusing lenses that utilize diffraction, and so on. As long as they satisfy the light characteristics suitable for treatment, such as uniformity, they can be used as the diffusing lens of the present invention.

[0055] A reflector 25 is provided to direct a certain amount of light that has traveled through the light guide 20 toward the second diffusion lens 22. The reflector 25 has a hole 26, and the light that passes through the hole 26 travels toward the first diffusion lens. In this embodiment, the distance from the hole 26 in the reflector 25 to the first diffusion lens is approximately the same as the distance to the second diffusion lens. This facilitates a design that provides uniform, even illumination over the illumination range L exemplarily shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 1( b ).

[0056] The reflector 25 can be made of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or silver, which has a high visible light reflectance, similar to the inner peripheral surface 19 of the light-guiding section 20. The aluminum or aluminum alloy is preferably subjected to a glossy anodizing treatment.

[0057] The reflector 25 of this embodiment is shown in Figure 9(b). As shown in Figure 7(b), the reflector 25 is installed at an angle with respect to a cross section perpendicular to the center line of the space of the light-guiding unit 20. Therefore, the shape of the light-receiving opening 15 that can be seen from the viewpoint of Figure 9(a) is not the shape of the reflector 25 itself, but the reflector 25 has a shape such that the outer periphery of the reflector 25 contacts the entire inner periphery of the light-guiding unit 20. However, the outer periphery of the reflector 25 does not have to contact the entire inner periphery of the light-guiding unit 20. Also, although the hole 26 in Figure 9(a) is opened in only one place in the center, it may be opened in multiple places.

[0058] FIG. 9D shows an example of a reflector 25 when the base end surface of the vacuum tip 1 has the shape shown in FIG. 9C.

[0059] Figure 10 shows how light emitted from the light source unit 5 in this embodiment travels. Figure 10(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of an enlarged view of the base end portion 101 in Figure 7(b), and Figure 10(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of an enlarged view of the tip portion 100 in Figure 7(b). Light 35 emitted from the light source unit 5 travels while being totally reflected by the inner circumferential surface 19 of the light-guiding unit 20 (Figure 10(a)).

[0060] 10(b), near the tip of the vacuum tip 1, there is light 35C that passes through the hole 26 of the reflector 25, enters the first diffusing lens 21, and is emitted in a direction that causes it to be diffused. There is also light 35D that is reflected by the reflector 25, travels toward the second diffusing lens 22, passes through it, and exits to the outside from the outer peripheral surface near the tip of the vacuum tip 1. There is also light 35E that enters the second diffusing lens 22 without being reflected by the reflector 25.

[0061] In Figure 10(b), the illumination range L is shown by an imaginary line as an example. The intraoral suction device can be designed by taking into consideration the degree of curvature of the tubular body of the vacuum tip 1, the angle of the reflector 25, the position and number of the holes 26, the type and curvature of the diffusing lenses, etc., so that the light emitted from the two diffusing lenses 21, 22 uniformly illuminates this illumination range L. For example, the light intensity is 15 lux at a distance of 30 cm. By making the distances from the intersection of the central axis of the space within the light guide unit 20 and the reflector 25 to the two diffusing lenses 21, 22 approximately the same, it becomes easier to design a device that illuminates the illumination range L evenly and uniformly. It is also possible to clearly distinguish between light and dark without illuminating areas outside this illumination range L. Bright illumination of only the area near the object to be suctioned makes it easier for the practitioner to visually inspect the object to be suctioned.

[0062] The present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings showing embodiments of the present invention. However, a configuration in which one or more configurations described in one embodiment are combined with one or more configurations described in another embodiment is also included as an 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 as embodiments of the present invention. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the light emitting surface can be provided with a diffusing lens as in the embodiment shown in Figure 7.

[0063] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vacuum tip 2 Attachment 3 Vacuum hose 5 Light source unit 6 Light source support unit 11 Suction port 12 Opening 13 Suction unit 15 Light receiving opening 17 Outer surface 18 Through hole 19 Inner surface 20 Light guide unit 21 First diffusion lens 22 Second diffusion lens 25 Reflector 26 Hole 27 First light outlet 28 Second light outlet 31 Light emitting surface 35 Light 35A Light 35B Light 35C Light 35D Light 35E Light 41 Switch 42 Switch unit 43 Battery 44 Box 45 Connector 50 Light source 51 Substrate 52 Heat sink 53 Case 54 Resistor 55 Electrode 56 Resin 60 Light guide unit 61 First light emitting surface 62 Second light emitting surface 63 Light receiving surface 65 Reflector 66 Recess 68 Joint surface 69 Concave ridge 71 Flat surface 72 Curved surface 73 Inclined surface 81 Flat surface 82 Curved surface 83 Inclined surface 100 Tip 101 Base end PS Power supply L Irradiation range Y Arrow

Claims

1. An oral suction device having a tubular body that can be attached to a vacuum hose connected to a suction source, the oral suction device comprising: a vacuum tip having an inhalation section with a space that communicates from the suction port at the tip to the opening at the base end, and a light guiding section that guides light from the base end to the tip; and a reflector that is provided near the tip of the light guiding section and that reflects a portion of the light that passes through the light guiding section outward from the outer peripheral surface near the tip of the vacuum tip.

2. The oral suction device according to claim 1, wherein the suction section and the light guide section overlap from the tip to the base end.

3. An oral suction device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the light guide section is solid, has a recess on the suction section side near the tip, and is made of highly transparent resin, and the reflector has a shape that fits into the recess.

4. An oral suction device as described in claim 3, further comprising a light source unit equipped with a light source provided inside the tubular body, wherein the light emitting surface of the light source unit is provided approximately in contact with the light receiving surface located at the base end of the light guiding unit.

5. The oral suction device according to claim 3, wherein the resin is made of polycarbonate or cycloolefin polymer.

6. The oral suction device according to claim 3, wherein the reflector is made of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or silver, which has a high visible light reflectance.

7. An oral suction device as described in claim 3, characterized in that the light guiding section has a grooved rib section, and when the light guiding section and the suction section are joined together, an air layer consisting of the grooved rib section is formed between them.

8. The intraoral suction device according to claim 3, wherein the tip surface of the light guide portion is approximately perpendicular to the joint surface between the light guide portion and the suction portion near the tip.

9. An oral suction device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the light-guiding unit comprises a space communicating from the light-emitting opening at the tip to the light-receiving opening at the base end, a through-hole penetrating from the outer surface to said space near the tip, a first diffusing lens provided near the light-emitting opening, and a second diffusing lens provided in said through-hole, the reflector is provided in a position where it reflects light passing through the light-guiding unit to the second diffusing lens and has a hole that allows the light to pass to the first diffusing lens, and at least the inner surface of the light-guiding unit is made of a metal with a high visible light reflectance.

10. An oral suction device as described in claim 8, characterized in that the distance from the intersection of the central axis of the space within the light-guiding section and the reflector to the first diffusion lens and the distance to the second diffusion lens are approximately the same length.

11. An oral suction device as described in claim 8, further comprising a light source unit having a light source provided inside the tubular body, wherein the light emitting surface of the light source unit is positioned within the light guiding unit approximately in contact with or in the vicinity of the light receiving opening.

12. The oral suction device according to claim 8, wherein the metal having a high visible light reflectance is aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or silver, which has a high visible light reflectance.

13. The intraoral suction device according to claim 11, characterized in that the metal having high visible light reflectance is subjected to a glossy anodized aluminum treatment.

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