US 5,211,559 A · Dental treatment tray for holding medicament gel

Abstract

A gel tray for holding a medicament to be applied to the teeth and gums of a patient includes a handle and an opposing buckle. In one embodiment, the buckle includes a tongue portion and a retainer strip surrounding the tongue portion so as to define a narrow space between the tongue portion and the retainer strip, the narrow strip having a width less than the thickness of the handle. The handle has a tongue reception groove extending transverse to its length at a position such that the tongue reception groove is engaged by the tongue when the tray is folded. In another embodiment, slotted tabs are interfitted when the tray is folded. The tray may therefore be securely maintained in the folded state. The tray can be combined with or preloaded with a treatment agent such as a gel comprising a pharmaceutically effective amount of at least one agent for treating teeth or gums dispersed in a gel medium consisting essentially of water and an amount of a water dispersible gelling agent sufficient to form a gel. Preferably, the treatment gel comprises an agent such as from 0.05 to 5 wt. % of a soluble fluoride, either in an acidic gel or a neutral. Acidic gels can contain pharmaceutically acceptable, treatment effective amounts of phosphoric acid and hydrofluoric acid, for example. Neutral gels can have pH modifying agents such as sodium hydroxide.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A tray for holding medicament to be applied to the teeth and gums of a patient, said tray being unitarily formed of a flexible material and comprising:

a first generally C-shaped cup portion defining a first concave medicament receiving surface;
a second generally C-shaped cup portion defining a second concave medicament receiving surface;
straps flexibly uniting said first and second cup portions such that said first and second cup portions normally lie substantially in a plane with ends of said first generally C-shaped cup portion facing respective ends of said second generally C-shaped cup portion, and such that said first and second concave surfaces open in the same direction;
a handle extending from one of said cup portions in a direction away from the other of said cup portions;
and
a buckle extending from said other of said cup portions, said buckle comprising a tongue portion extending from said other of said cup portions and a retainer strip extending from said other of said cup portions so as to define a narrow space between tongue portion and said retainer strip, said narrow space having a width less than the thickness of said handle,
whereby said tray may be folded about said straps such that said cup portions overlie one another with said medicament receiving surfaces facing away from one another and such that said handle may be fitted into said narrow space, and whereby the buckle resiliently holds said handle so as to securely maintain said tray in the folded state.

4 more elements

A gel tray for holding a gel medicament to be applied to the teeth and gums of a patient, said tray being unitarily formed of a laminate of relatively stiff closed cell polyethylene and absorbent open cell polyurethane, said tray comprising:

a first generally C-shaped cup portion defining a first concave medicament receiving surface;
a second generally C-shaped cup portion defining a second concave medicament receiving surface;
straps flexibly uniting said first and second cup portions such that said first and second cup portions normally lie substantially in a plane with ends of said first generally C-shaped cup portion facing respective ends of said second generally C-shaped cup portion, and such that said first and second concave surfaces are open in the same direction;
an elongate handle extending from one of said cup portions in a direction away from the other of said cup portions, said elongate handle having a tongue reception groove extending transverse to the length of the handle;
a buckle extending from the other of said cup portions, said buckle comprising a rectangular tongue portion extending from said other of said cup portions and a retainer strip extending from said other of said cup portions so as to surround said tongue portion and to define a narrow space between the tongue portion and said retainer strip, said narrow space having a width less than the thickness of the handle but sufficient to accommodate said tongue reception groove,
whereby said tray may be folded about said straps such that said cup portions overlie one another with said medicament receiving surfaces facing away from one another and such that said handle may be fitted into said narrow space with said tongue engaged in said tongue reception groove, and
whereby the buckle resiliently holds said handle so as to securely maintain said tray in the folded state.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dental treatment tray for holding medicament gel

Life of this patent

Dental treatment tray for holding medicament gel

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31