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AssigneeNone recorded
InventorJohn Martin Heasley
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A general field isolation rubber dam with particular applicability in the field of dentistry. An operative insert, in the form of a wire, stamping, or the like, is embedded in or applied to a sheet of elastomeric material such as is used in conventional rubber dams. The operative insert may be elastic, malleable, resilient and deformable or rigid. The operative insert is usually in the form of a closed loop and an opening or openings for defining an operative field is created in the rubber dam material interiorly of the closed loop. The operative insert assists in isolating tensile forces in the rubber dam membrane outside of the insert from distorting the general field isolation dam adjacent the operative field.
A rubber dam comprising a sheet of elastomeric material and an operative insert engaged to the sheet of elastomeric material.
A rubber dam comprising a sheet of elastomeric material in which is embedded a sheet of malleable material which is hand-adjustable to a plurality of retained three-dimensional shapes.
A rubber dam, comprising a sheet of elastomeric material and an operative insert engaged to the sheet of elastomeric material which resists the transmission of tensile forces in the elastomeric material on a first side of the operative insert from being transmitted to the elastomeric material on an opposite side of the operative insert.
A rubber dam for use in isolating the field of a dental procedure, comprising:
A rubber dam assembled at the time of use, comprising a sheet of elastomeric material, a separate operative insert, and means for securing the operative insert to the sheet of elastomeric material.
A rubber dam for isolating the field of a dental procedure in the mouth of a patient having an upper dental arch and a lower dental arch, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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The invention relates generally general field isolation rubber dams and more particularly to rubber dams used for the purpose of isolating portions of the oral cavity in order to retract tissues, control moisture, and maintain a dry field during dental treatment.
Dr. Sanford C. Barnum, of New York, invented the original rubber dam in 1864. It was instantly recognized and accepted as the first really effective isolation modality, which fulfilled the dentists' need to work in a dry operating field. The use of the rubber dam in dentistry has been continuous since that time, and its use has become accepted as the ‘gold standard’ of isolation of the oral cavity for dental treatment purposes throughout the world dental community. The techniques of dental rubber dam application are taught universally in dental schools both in the United States and abroad as the highest modality of operational site isolation in dentistry. Although the use of the rubber dam in dentistry is highly efficacious, some limitations in the design of the rubber dam membrane, and difficulties in the practical application of the rubber dam in clinical practice, limit the range of dental procedures, which may be accomplished with its use, and have caused an attrition rate in clinical practice, which is considerable. It is estimated that although all dentists are trained in the use of the rubber dam in dental school, in private practice only about 10% of practicing dentists regularly use the device. The principal reasons cited for this high attrition rate are difficulty of application and discomfort to the patient.
The rubber dam devices described in this patent disclosure are the direct descendants of the prior art of operational site isolation with the rubber dam. They are not barrier drapes. These general field isolation rubber dam devices are meant to extend the range of the conventional rubber dam, and operate side-by-side with this effective modality of operational site isolation technique. They are also meant to make the rubber dam easier to use and more comfortable to the patient, and therefore encourage the majority of practicing dentists to begin or return to their use of the rubber dam as a universally practiced adjunct to dental clinical practice.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a general field isolation rubber dam of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along the line 2-2.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional of a general field isolation rubber dam wherein an opening has been formed in the membrane.
The general field isolation dams of the present invention may take a variety of forms or embodiments.
One embodiment of a general field isolation dam of the present invention is illustrated generally in FIG. 1 at 10. The dam 10 is formed of a sheet or membrane 12 of an elastomeric material, such as latex, neoprene, silicone, polyurethane or other polymeric material. A closed loop insert 14 is embedded within the membrane 12 and defines an interior area 16 of the membrane 12. While the closed loop insert 14 is illustrated to be a pair of spaced apart arcs with closed ends, the insert 14 can take a wide variety of shapes depending on the material used for the insert 14 and the particular field of application of the rubber dam 10. A cross-section of the dam 10, illustrated in FIG. 2, shows the insert 14 wholly embedded in the membrane 12.
The dam 10 may either be manufactured as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein the interior area 16 of the membrane is un-perforated, or it may be manufactured with a pre-formed opening 18, as illustrated in FIG. 3. In either case, a clinician using the dam 10 may use a punch, scissors, or other tool to create an opening of any desired shape. Upon formation of an opening 18, it will be appreciated that a flange 20 of the membrane 12 will extend inwardly around the interior periphery of the insert 14. This embodiment of the dam 10 may be used alone, that is, without any manually applied barrier material, or it may be used in conjunction with manually applied barrier materials or with an adhesive to assist in proper positioning and retention of the rubber dam 10, as will be described in more detail below.