US 5,295,830 A · Aseptic dental valves and instruments

Abstract

Aseptic dental valves and instruments and accoutrements therefor comprise a handle extension (20--FIG. 2) and a flange guard (22) to be added within the path of a saliva ejector (FIG. 1) for preventing a dental professional's (DP's) hand from touching and contaminating the hose (14) or the hose valve (24), thereby to prevent microorganisms on the hand from contaminating these latter components where they might be picked up by the hand later and cross-contaminate subsequent patients. The handle extension and flange guard are useable on saliva ejectors (FIG. 3), surgical suction tips (FIG. 4), drills (FIGS. 12-12C), and air-water valves (FIGS. 14-15). The surgical tip can be formed of a series of sections of decreasing diameters in a stepped-down formation (FIG. 4A) to enable it to retain its shape when bent (FIG. 4B). The hose valve (FIGS. 5 and 5A) comprises a housing (24B) with a pivotable obturator (24C) which closes off the valve when it is bent to one side, thereby enabling the hose valve to be operated with one hand so as to avoid the need for the DP to touch the hose. The handle extension may have a valve (FIG. 6) with a screen (18E) therein to catch particles to prevent them from being sucked further down the instrument or into the hose. The hose valve may have a foot (24Q--FIG. 8A) to enable it to catch on the instrument holder (24R--FIG. 8) so that the instrument can be pulled off with one hand. The hose valve may have a spring-operated ball obturator (50B--FIGS. 10-10B) which automatically closes the valve or opens it when the handle extension is removed or inserted. The flange guard can have various shapes (FIGS. 16, 16B) and can be replaced by tactile circumferential elements or protrusions (FIGS. 16A, 16C-E). In lieu of a tactile element, an audible warning can be provided by means of electronic contacts (314--FIG. 17) connected to an alarm circuit (320, 322). An automatic hose valve may be implemented by providing a ring of contacts at the end of a vacuum tube so that upon insertion into the mouth, the contacts are bridged electrically by saliva, whereupon a control circuit operates a vacuum valve, whereby the DP does not have to manually touch any valve.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A dental instrument for preventing a user of said instrument from touching a supply line for said instrument, thereby to reduce the transmission of microorganisms via contamination of said supply line:

said dental instrument having distal and proximal ends,
said dental instrument having a working tip at said distal end, said working tip being arranged to perform a predetermined function in the oral cavity of a patient, said proximal end of said dental instrument including line connection means for connecting said instrument to said supply line arranged to convey a fluid to or from said instrument,
said dental instrument having an elongated, hand-graspable handle extension adjacent and proximal to said tip, said handle extension being at least about 100 millimeters long so that said handle extension, and hence said dental instrument, can be held by an adult human hand without having to touch said line connection means,
said elongated, hand-graspable handle extension including aseptic guard means for preventing said user of said instrument from touching said supply line for said instrument,
said aseptic guard means comprising indicating means arranged to provide a palpable indication to said user of said instrument if said user attempts to move his or her hand past said indicating means toward said supply line,
said indicating means being mounted at said proximal end of said elongated hand-graspable handle extension and adjacent said line connection means,
said indicating means comprising a member which protrudes out from said elongated handle extension at least about 10 millimeters,
whereby said indicating means will prevent a user of said instrument from moving his or her hand past said hand-graspable handle extension toward said line connection means, so that said user's hand will not touch or contaminate said supply line or any other difficult-to-sterilize parts connected to said instrument.

5 more elements

A method of using a medical instrument of the type which (a) is connected to a fluid supply line, (b) has proximal and distal ends, said proximal end being connected to said fluid supply line by line connection means and said distal end having a working tip portion, (c) has an elongated handle extension adjacent and proximal to said line connection means, said elongated handle extension being at least about 100 millimeters long so that said handle extension can be held by an adult human hand without touching said fluid supply line, said elongated handle extension having a proximal end adjacent said line connection means, and (c) has palpable means at said proximal end of said elongated handle extension and adjacent said line connection means, said method comprising:

holding said instrument by said elongated handle extension, concurrently using said working tip portion on the body of a patient, and concurrently using said palpable means to (a) prevent a user of said instrument from moving his or her hand past said elongated handle extension toward said line connection means and said supply line, and (b) provide an indication to a user of said medical instrument if said user attempts to move his or her hand past said elongated handle extension toward said line connection means and said supply line, such that said user will be prevented from and warned if said user attempts to move his or her hand past said elongated handle extension toward said fluid supply line,
whereby said user will be able to use said instrument without touching or contaminating said supply line with microorganisms, so that only said instrument and not said supply line need be sterilized or replaced between patients.

A method for preventing a user of a hand-held medical instrument having a proximal end which includes line connection means for connecting said medical instrument to a supply line and a distal end having a working tip for performing a predetermined function in a patient's oral cavity from touching said supply line, thereby to reduce the transmission of microorganisms via contamination of said supply line, comprising:

providing said medical instrument with an elongated, hand-graspable handle extension adjacent to and proximal from said working tip, said handle extension being at least about 100 millimeters long so that said handle extension and hence said medical instrument can be held by an adult human hand of a user without touching said fluid supply line,
providing said medical instrument with indicating means at said proximal end of said elongated handle extension and adjacent to said line connection means, said indicating means being palpable to a user of said medical instrument and being provided so that if said user attempts to move his or her hand past said elongated handle extension toward said line connection means and said supply line, said indicating means will prevent and warn said user from so moving his or her hand, said indicating means comprising a flange guard extending and protruding out from said medical instrument,
whereby said user will be able to use said medical instrument to perform a predetermined function in a patient's oral cavity by extending said hand around and gripping said handle extension with said hand, then, while holding said handle extension with said hand, inserting said working tip in said patient's oral cavity, and manipulating said tip in said patient's oral cavity, and using said indicating means to provide an indication to said user of said medical instrument if said user attempts to move his or her hand past said hand-graspable portion toward said line connection means and said supply line.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Aseptic dental valves and instruments

Life of this patent

Aseptic dental valves and instruments

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33