Tongue depressor
AssigneeThroat Scope Pty Ltd
InventorJennifer Louise Holland
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tongue depressor for illuminating an oral cavity, the tongue depressor including a handle which includes a light source and a switch for connecting a power supply to the light source. The tongue depressor also includes a blade for depressing the tongue, the blade being removably coupled to the handle, and wherein coupling the blade to the handle actuates the switch so that light emitted from the light source is transmitted by the blade into the oral cavity.
Claims55
A tongue depressor for illuminating an oral cavity, the tongue depressor including:
- a) a handle which includes:
- i) a light source;
- and,
- ii) a switch for connecting a power supply to the light source;
- and,
- b) a blade for depressing the tongue, the blade being removably coupled to the handle, and wherein coupling the blade to the handle actuates the switch so that light emitted from the light source is transmitted by the blade into the oral cavity.
A tongue depressor for illuminating an oral cavity, the tongue depressor including:
- a) a handle which includes a plurality of light sources;
- and
- b) a blade for depressing the tongue, wherein light from the light sources is transmitted by the blade into the oral cavity.
A tongue depressor for illuminating an oral cavity, the tongue depressor including:
- a) a handle which includes a light source;
- and
- b) a blade for depressing the tongue, the blade being removably coupled to the handle so that when the blade is coupled to the handle light from the light source is transmitted by the blade into the oral cavity, and wherein the blade includes at least one depression or projection adjacent the handle to assist an operator in decoupling the blade from the handle.
A tongue depressor for illuminating an oral cavity, the tongue depressor including:
- a) a handle which includes:
- i) a plurality of light sources;
- and,
- ii) a switch to connect a power supply to the light sources;
- and
- b) a blade for depressing the tongue, the blade being removably coupled to the handle, and wherein coupling the blade to the handle actuates the switch so that light emitted from the light sources is transmitted by the blade into the oral cavity, and wherein the blade includes at least one depression or projection adjacent the handle, to assist an operator in decoupling the blade from the handle.
A tongue depressor for illuminating a selected region within the oral cavity, the tongue depressor including:
- a) a handle;
- b) a light source;
- and
- c) a blade attached to the handle for depressing the tongue, the blade including one or more apertures for emitting light from the light source to illuminate a selected region within the oral cavity.
A blade for depressing the tongue, wherein the blade is configured to removably couple to a handle, the blade including at least one depression or projection positioned to assist an operator in decoupling the blade from the handle, and wherein the blade is adapted to act as an optical waveguide for light emitted from a light source in the handle.
A blade for depressing the tongue, wherein the blade is configured to removably couple to a handle, the blade including:
- a) a cavity for accommodating a portion of the handle;
- and
- b) a projection within the cavity for actuating a switch in the handle, wherein the blade is adapted to act as an optical waveguide for light emitted from a light source in the handle.
A handle of a tongue depressor, the handle including:
- a) a light source;
- and
- b) a switch to connect a power supply to the light source, wherein the handle is configured to removably couple to a blade for depressing the tongue, and wherein coupling the blade to the handle actuates the switch so that light emitted from the light source is transmitted by the blade into the oral cavity.
A handle of a tongue depressor, the handle including a plurality of light sources, wherein the handle is configured to removably couple to a blade for depressing the tongue, and wherein the light sources are positioned so that light emitted from the light sources is transmitted by the blade into the oral cavity.
A method of illuminating the oral cavity of a subject, including
- a) providing a tongue depressor including:
- i) a handle which includes:
- (1) a light source;
- and
- (2) a switch to connect a power supply to the light source;
- and
- ii) a blade for depressing the tongue, wherein the blade is removably coupled to the handle and wherein coupling the blade to the handle actuates the switch so that light emitted from the light source is transmitted by the blade into the oral cavity;
- b) coupling the blade to the handle to actuate the switch;
- and
- c) depressing the tongue with the tongue depressor to illuminate the oral cavity.
A method of illuminating the oral cavity of a subject, including
- a) depressing the tongue with a tongue depressor including:
- i) a handle which includes a plurality of light sources;
- and
- ii) a blade for depressing the tongue, wherein light emitted from the light sources is transmitted by the blade into the oral cavity;
- and,
- b) illuminating the oral cavity.
A method of illuminating the oral cavity of a subject, including
- a) depressing the tongue with a tongue depressor including:
- i) a handle which includes a light source;
- and
- ii) a blade for depressing the tongue, wherein the blade is removably coupled to the handle, and wherein the blade includes at least one depression or projection adjacent the handle, to assist an operator in decoupling the blade from the handle and wherein light emitted from the light source is transmitted by the blade into the oral cavity;
- b) illuminating the oral cavity.
A method of illuminating the oral cavity of a subject, including
- a) providing a tongue depressor including:
- i) a handle which includes:
- (1) a plurality of light sources;
- and
- (2) a switch to connect a power supply to the light sources;
- and
- ii) a blade for depressing the tongue, wherein the blade is removably coupled to the handle, and wherein the blade includes at least one depression or projection adjacent the handle, to assist an operator in decoupling the blade from the handle and wherein coupling the blade to the handle actuates the switch so that light emitted from the light sources is transmitted by the blade into the oral cavity;
- b) coupling the blade to the handle to actuate the switch;
- and
- c) depressing the tongue with the tongue depressor to illuminate the oral cavity.
A method of illuminating the oral cavity of a subject, including
- a) depressing the tongue with a tongue depressor including:
- i) a handle;
- ii) a light source;
- and
- iii) a blade attached to the handle for depressing the tongue, the blade including one or more apertures for emitting light from the light source to illuminate a selected region within the oral cavity;
- and
- b) illuminating a selected region of the oral cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.