The present invention relates to a cheek and lip retractor.
In dentistry, a cheek and lip retractor is used, comprising: a couple of retracting elements, the couple of retracting elements being apt to be at least partially inserted in the mouth of a patient; a supporting element for the retracting elements; and an illuminating device for the patient's mouth.
Generally, the illuminating device comprises at least a remote light source disposed at a given distance from both the supporting element and the retracting elements, and a fibre optic device for the transmission of the light emitted from the light source to the mouth.
Known cheek and lip retractors of the above described type show some drawbacks mainly due to the fact that said fibre optics are relatively heavy and cumbersome, therefore making the use of said retractors uncomfortable and awkward.
As fibre optics come into contact with patient's mouth and, therefore, must be sterilised, known cheek and lip retractors of the above type present, moreover, the further drawback that sterilisation damages rapidly fibre optics and requires frequent substitutions of the fibre optics themselves.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cheek and lip retractor free of the above mentioned drawbacks and of simple and economic construction.
According to present invention, there is provided a cheek and lip retractor as claimed in claim 1.
A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Number 1 in
Member 4 comprises two supporting elements 5, which extend from opposite sides of a housing 6, are substantially arched in shape, are elastically deformable, and are realised, for instance, with at least a metallic wire (not illustrated), coated with a polymeric material.
With reference to
End 7 houses in its interior, in a position substantially coaxial to axis 8, a light source defined by a LED 11 (in the case in point a high efficiency white LED) electrically connected to a supply and control device 12 housed in the housing 6 through an electric conductor defined by said metallic wire (not illustrated) contained in element 5.
With reference to
Element 2 comprises, moreover, a first elongated portion 15, which is connected at an intermediate point to hub 13, extends in a plane substantially orthogonal to axis 8, presents a substantially semi-toroidal shape and has a transverse section of substantial semi-cylindrical shape so that it can engage, while in use, the patient's lips. Element 2 comprises, finally, a second elongated portion 16, which extends from the opposite side of hub 13 from an intermediate point of portion 15, and is apt to engage, while in use, patient's cheeks.
Each element 2 is made, in the case in point, in a polymeric transparent material, and is shaped so that it defines an optical device 17 for the transmission of the light emitted by relative LED 11 inside mouth 3.
Supply and control device 12, optical devices 17, LEDs 11, and said electrical conductors (not illustrated) inserted in the interior of supporting elements 5 define, therefore, a device 18 for the illumination of mouth 3.
Each device 17 is apt to supply the light emitted from relative LED 11 for total internal reflection, and extends along a defined path P comprising a first tract 19 substantially cylindrical, which is placed internally to relative hub 13 facing relative LED 11, and extends coaxially to relative axis 8.
Tract 19 is apt to transmit the light emitted by relative LED 11 parallely to relative axis 8 and is axially limited, at its first end, by a convex surface 20 placed with its convexity facing relative LED 11, and, at its second end, by a prismatic surface 21 placed so that it can deviate light of substantially 90° with respect to relative axis 8 itself.
Path P comprises, moreover, a second tract 22, which extends in part perpendicularly to axis 8 and in part around portion 15, and is limited externally by a substantially smooth surface 23 apt to ensure light transmission for total internal reflection.
According to a non illustrated embodiment, tract 22 extends both around portion 15 (as illustrated in
Path P comprises, finally, a third tract 24, which comes after tract 22, extends along portion 16, and is limited externally by a surface 25 having protrusions 26 distributed along surface 25 itself to deviate light and to light up, therefore, mouth 3.
With reference to
From all said above, it follows that cheek and lip retractor 1 is comparatively compact, easy to handle, and economic. Moreover, since elements 2 are releasably coupled to supporting element 4, it is possible:
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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BO2004A0443 | Jul 2004 | IT | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2005/053422 | 7/15/2005 | WO | 00 | 7/25/2007 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2006/008278 | 1/26/2006 | WO | A |
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4592344 | Scheer | Jun 1986 | A |
4889490 | Jenkinson | Dec 1989 | A |
6228025 | Hipps et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
20030143512 | Hirsch et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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WO 0207632 | Jan 2002 | WO |
WO 03082123 | Oct 2003 | WO |
WO 03082123 | Oct 2003 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20080096165 A1 | Apr 2008 | US |