US 12,004,763 B2 · Tongue elevator device

Abstract

A tongue elevator device having a handle portion, an elongated neck portion and a manipulator end portion. The handle preferably has an oblong main body having a relatively thin flat portion and a relatively thick transversely-extending end portion for secure and comfortable gripping between the fingers and thumb of the user. The elongated neck portion extends distally from the flat portion of the handle portion, and may be provided with measuring indicia to visually illustrate distances from the manipulator end portion of the device. The manipulator end portion has a concave distal edge, which may be formed angularly or arcuately, and a central recess or slot is provided in the concave distal edge to receive the frenulum tissue. A concave thumb recess may be disposed on the handle portion.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A tongue elevator device comprising a handle portion having edges and corners, a neck portion and a manipulating end portion, said neck portion connecting said handle portion to said manipulating end portion;

said handle portion being oblong, non-rectangular and widest in a transverse direction, said handle portion having rounded edges and corners, and said handle portion being wider than said neck portion and said manipulating end portion;
and
said manipulating end portion comprising a distal concave edge and a frenulum recess centrally disposed on said distal concave edge, wherein said distal concave edge comprises two laterally opposing ends, wherein a lateral width of said manipulating end portion is widest at said two laterally opposing ends.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

17/344,427Filed 10 Jun 2021 · continuation in part

Priority

26 Sep 2018

Published

US 2021/0298776 A130 Sep 2021

Granted

11 Jun 2024

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

A61B 17/24
Surgical instruments, devices or methods: for use in the oral cavity, larynx, bronchial passages or nose ; Tongue scrapers
A61B 1/24
Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g.…:…
A61B 5/4552
Evaluating the mouth, e.g. the jaw: evaluating soft tissue within the mouth, e.g. gums or tongue
A61B 13/00
Instruments for depressing the tongue

Family

Application62/736,594Us provisional application · filed 26 Sep 2018

Application16/583,842Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 26 Sep 2019

US 2021/0298776 A1Pre-grant publication · published 30 Sep 2021

US 11,033,258 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2020/0093471 A1Published application

US 12,004,763 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Tongue elevator device

Life of this patent

Tongue elevator device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20