BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and the accompanying drawings of which:
FIG. 1A depicts an anterior view of an oral cavity with the mouth open and the teeth exposed illustrating the structures of the oral cavity; FIG. 1B is an illustration of a human body with the anatomical planes of the body identified;
FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a dental device as positioned in the mouth of a patient; FIG. 2A illustrates the dental device as positioned in the mouth of a patient; FIG. 2B is an anterior view of the device as position in the mouth of a patient, zooming in on the device itself; FIG. 2C is depicts the dental device as positioned in the mouth of a patient viewed from an anterior 45 degree angle; FIG. 2D depicts the dental device positioned over a caudad portion of the mouth; FIG. 2E illustrates a sagittal plane side view of the dental device positioned in the mouth of a patient lying in a supine position, as viewed from the patient's right side; FIG. 2F is a cephalad facing view of a patient's mouth with the dental device in position; FIG. 2G is caudad facing view of a patient's mouth with the dental device in position; FIG. 2H is a top view of the dental device; FIG. 2I is an illustration of a cross section of FIG. 2H along the line B-B as shown, as viewed from the midline toward the left side of the device; FIG. 2J is an illustration of the cross section through a sagittal plane of FIG. 2I together with anatomy;
FIG. 3 illustrates a solid barrier dental device; FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the posterior or distal end of the dental device from the top and at a 45 degree angle; FIG. 3B illustrates the dental device from the back or distal portion; FIG. 3C illustrates the dental device from the left; FIG. 3D illustrates the dental device from a top view; FIG. 3E illustrates a cross section of the device shown in FIG. 3D along the line B-B; FIG. 3F illustrates an anterior view of the dental device positioned within the oral cavity of a patient;
FIG. 4 illustrates a structural frame design of a dental device with cutout areas; FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the posterior or distal end of the device viewed from the top and at a 45 degree angle; FIG. 4B illustrates the dental device from the bottom; FIG. 4C illustrates the structural frame design from the distal end; FIG. 4D illustrates the structural frame design from the left side of the device;
FIG. 5 illustrates a dental device having spring frame compliance; FIG. 5A illustrates the spring frame capable of single arch isolation of either the top (upper or caudad section) or bottom (lower or cephalad section) of the oral cavity; FIG. 5B illustrates a spring frame dental device capable of left half or right half, upper and lower arch isolation; FIG. 5C illustrates an upper surface view of top and bottom portions of an unassembled spring frame; FIG. 5D illustrates a top view of a flattened dental device; FIG. 5E illustrates a frontal view at a 45 degree angle of the dental device positioned within the oral cavity of a patient;
FIG. 6 illustrates a flat isolation device with suction and frame; FIG. 6A is a top view of the flattened device with suction tubes and a structural frame; FIG. 6B is a front view of the assembled device with suction tubes and a structural frame; FIG. 6C is a frontal view at a 45 degree angle of the device with suction tubes and structural frame as positioned within the oral cavity of a patient;
FIG. 7 illustrates a frontal view of a dental device positioned within the oral cavity of a patient isolating half of the oral cavity; FIG. 7A illustrates the dental device positioned in the oral cavity of a patient isolating the left or right side of the oral cavity of a patient; FIG. 7B is a frontal view of a dental device positioned in the oral cavity of a patient isolating the top or bottom half of the oral cavity of a patient;
FIG. 8 illustrates an accordion style dental device adapted and configured to achieve greater lip retraction with the device extruding out of the mouth; FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the posterior end of the dental device with a solid state barrier as viewed from the top and at a 45 degree angle; FIG. 8B illustrates a top view of the dental device; FIG. 8C illustrates an the back of an accordion style dental device; FIG. 8D is the right side of a cross section of FIG. 8D along the line A-A; FIG. 8E is a side view of an accordion style device;
FIG. 9 illustrates a dental device with a foam border and a saliva evacuation/suction tube attachment adapted and configured to perform suction through an open cell foam; FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the posterior end of a dental device with a foam border and a suction tube attachment as viewed from the top and at a 45 degree angle; FIG. 9B illustrates a top view of the dental device; FIG. 9C illustrates a back end of the dental device; FIG. 9D illustrates a cross section of FIG. 9C along line A-A; FIG. 9E illustrates the dental device with a foam border and a suction tube attachment;
FIG. 10 illustrates a dental device with a sub-lingual and low buccal saliva ejection/suction; FIG. 10A is a perspective view of the dental device with sub-lingual and buccal suction as viewed from the top and at a 45 degree angle; FIG. 10B is a top view of a dental device; FIG. 10C is a back end view of the dental device; FIG. 10D is a cross section view of FIG. 10C along line A-A; FIG. 10E is the dental device from the right side;
FIG. 11 illustrates a dental device with suction tube for saliva evacuation positioned at the back end of the device; FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the dental device; FIG. 11B is a top view of the dental device; FIG. 11C is view of the dental device from the back end having a compliant flexible area between an upper component and a lower component; FIG. 11D is a cross-sectional illustration of the device of FIG. 11C along line A-A; FIG. 11E is a view of the dental device from the right side;
FIG. 12 illustrates a dental device integrating a light source; FIG. 12A is a perspective view of the dental device viewed from the top and at a 45 degree angle; FIG. 12B is a bottom view of the dental device; FIG. 12C is a back end view of the dental device; FIG. 12D is a cross sectional view of the device of FIG. 12C along the line A-A through a sagittal plane from a midline toward a patient's left; 12D is a left side of a dental device integrating a light source;
FIG. 13 illustrates a full seal suction tube component for a dental device; FIG. 13A is a perspective view of the back end of a full seal suction tube component for the dental device as viewed from the top and at a 45 degree angle from the left; FIG. 13B is a top view of a full seal suction tube component of the dental device; FIG. 13C is a perspective view of the back end of a full seal suction tube component of the dental device from the top and at a 45 degree angle from the right; FIG. 13D is the dental device viewed from the back; FIG. 13E is a cross sectional view of the device of FIG. 13D along line A-A; FIG. 13F is an illustration of the left side of a full seal suction tube component of a dental device;
FIG. 14 illustrates a dental device with no center aperture or tongue deflector; FIG. 14A is a perspective view of a dental device as viewed from the top and at a 45 degree angle; FIG. 14B is an illustration of a back end of the dental device of FIG. 12A; FIG. 12c is a side view of the dental device;
FIG. 15 illustrates a dental device having a flexible frame with a seal; FIG. 15A is a perspective view of a dental device as viewed from the top and at a 45 degree angle; FIG. 15B is an illustration of a back end of the dental device of FIG. 15A; FIG. 15C is a side view of the dental device; FIG. 15D is a top view of the dental device;
FIG. 16 illustrates a dental device positioned in the oral cavity of a patient showing the interface between the device and the oral cavity; FIG. 16A is a top down view of a dental device as positioned over the lower half of an oral cavity. FIG. 16B is an enlarged view of a seal configuration for use in the dental devices of the invention; FIGS. 16C-16H are illustrations of various embodiments of a various seal configurations suitable for use with the dental devices of the invention; FIG. 16c illustrates a wiper-blade type seal; FIG. 16d illustrates a cylindrical seal formed of a suitable material such as foam, elastic, putty, or hydrophillic material; FIG. 16e illustrates a solid thin seal adapted and configured to isolate one or more teeth only; FIG. 16f illustrates a wiper-type seal with a suction component incorporated therein; FIG. 16g illustrates an apparatus adapted and configured to provide a suction feature internally positioned relative to the seal; FIG. 16h illustrates a device using a slow recovery foam seal border;
FIG. 17 illustrates an insertion process for positioning a dental device within the oral cavity of a patient; FIG. 17A is an illustration of one embodiment of a dental device as ready to be inserted; FIG. 17B shows a first step for positioning the dental device consisting of reducing the profile of the device; FIG. 17C shows a second step for positioning the dental device in which the device is beginning to be inserted into the oral cavity; FIG. 17D shows a example of a third step in positioning the dental device along the alveolar processes; FIG. 17E shows a example of the device as positioned in the oral cavity of a patient completed within 10 seconds;
FIG. 18 is an example of a system or kit according to the invention; and
FIG. 19 is an example of the manufacturing steps for preparing a device according to the invention.
Patent Application
20070231773
