# US 9,039,412 B2 · Illumination system for dentistry applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,412 B2 - Document ID: US9039412B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/086,316 - Filed: 2013-11-21 - Published: 2014-07-03 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2004-07-02 - Assignees: Discus Dental, LLC - Applicants: Discus Dental, LLC - Inventors: Eric P. Rose; Robert Hayman; Stuart Karten; Dennis Schroeder; Steve Piorek; Douglas H. Grambush; Marc Orloff; Nancy N. Quan; Younes Shabany; William Dorfman; Kenneth Rosenblood; Dac Vu; Curt Kenneth Deckert; Brian Kennedy; Christopher N. Quan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039412B2 ## CPC - A61C 1/088: {Illuminating devices or attachments (for examination of the mouth A61B1/24 and A61B1/06)} - A61B 1/0669: {at proximal end of an endoscope} - A61C 1/0007: {Control devices or systems (fluid temperature control in air and water supply systems of dental machines or apparatus A61C1/0069)} - A61C 1/0015: {Electrical systems} - A61C 5/90: Oral protectors for use during treatment, e.g. lip or mouth protectors (A61C5/82 takes precedence) - A61C 19/003: {Apparatus for curing resins by radiation} - A61C 19/004: {Hand-held apparatus, e.g. guns} - A61C 19/066: {Bleaching devices; Whitening agent applicators for teeth, e.g. trays or strips} - A61N 5/0603: {for treatment of body cavities} - H05B 47/20: Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection - A61B 1/24: for the mouth, i.e. stomatoscopes, e.g. with tongue depressors; Instruments for opening or keeping open the mouth - A61N 5/062: {Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent} - A61N 2005/0606: {Mouth} - A61N 2005/0633: {Arrangements for lifting or hinging the frame which supports the light sources} - A61N 2005/0661: {ultraviolet} - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A dental illumination apparatus includes a lamp system mounted on a support structure. The lamp system includes a light source. A control system is provided for controlling the activation of the lamp system. A light guide shields soft tissues local to teeth of a subject from effects of ultraviolet radiation. The light guide includes a lamp attachment formation coupled to the lamp system, and a recording device in communication with the control system, the recording device including memory which stores the amount of time that the light source has been on since the beginning of a treatment procedure. A lip retractor, coupled to the light guide, is adapted to receive the lips of a patient. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dental illumination apparatus comprising: a lamp system mounted on a support structure, the lamp system including a lamp head housing and a light source disposed within the housing; a control system for controlling the activation of the lamp system; a light guide which shields soft tissues local to teeth of a subject from effects of ultraviolet radiation, the light guide comprising; a lamp attachment formation coupled to the lamp head housing of the lamp system such that a surface region of the lamp head housing is disposed adjacent to and supported by an internal surface of the light guide, and a recording device in communication with the control system, the recording device including memory which stores the amount of time that the light source has been on since the beginning of a treatment procedure; and a lip retractor adapted to receive the lips of a patient, coupled to the light guide. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dental illumination apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a lip retractor attachment formation coupled to the lip retractor, the formation comprising U-shaped channels and an elastic or elastomeric biasing member coupled to the channels and adapted to urge the channels outwardly towards lips of the subject. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The dental illumination apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a signal generating device in communication with the recording device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The dental illumination apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control system comprises receipt by the recording device of a signal from the signal generating device and recording of a record corresponding to the received signal to produce a substantially permanent signal record. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The dental illumination apparatus of claim 3, wherein the signal generating device and the recording device are located within the lamp system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The dental illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises a control device external to the light guide, the control device allowing or inhibiting activation of the lamp system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The dental illumination apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electrical control device, in electronic communication with the lamp system, for controlling the duration of use of the light guide to a predetermined amount of time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The dental illumination apparatus of claim 7, wherein the electrical control device inhibits the activation of the lamp system when the predetermined amount of time has expired. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The dental illumination apparatus of claim 7, wherein the electrical control device comprises a microprocessor and a switch. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The dental illumination apparatus of claim 9, wherein the electrical control device controls receipt by the recording device of a signal from a signal generating. device, and recording of a record corresponding to the received signal to produce a substantially permanent signal record. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The dental illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lamp system control system is configured to determine whether the light guide has reached a stored light guide use limit by comparing the light source on time stored on the recording device with the stored light guide use limit before allowing the lamp system to operate. ### Claim 12 A method for operating a dental illumination apparatus, the dental illumination apparatus comprising a lamp system mounted on a support structure, the lamp system including a lamp head housing and a light source disposed within the housing, a control system for controlling the activation of the lamp system, a light guide which shields soft tissues local to teeth of a subject from effects of ultraviolet radiation, the light guide comprising a lamp attachment formation coupled to the lamp head housing of the lamp system such that a surface region of the lamp head housing is disposed adjacent to and supported by an internal surface of the light guide, and a recording device in communication with the control system, the recording device including memory which stores the amount of time that the light source has been on since the beginning of a treatment procedure, and a lip retractor adapted to receive the lips of a patient, coupled to the light guide, the method comprising: receiving a start signal from the lamp control system; determining whether the light guide has reached a light guide use limit by comparing the light source on time stored-on the recording device with the light guide use limit; and if the light guide use limit has been exceeded, disregarding the start signal and not allowing the lamp system to operate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein if the light guide use limit has not been exceeded, the method includes starting the lamp system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: monitoring the time the light source is on; checking whether the light source has been used longer than a light source use limit; and if the light source use limit has been exceeded, disregarding the start signal and not allowing the lamp system to operate. ### Claim 15 An apparatus for positioning a dental illumination system comprising: a retracting device adapted for retracting at least one portion of a subject's lips; a lamp system including a lamp head housing and a light source disposed within the housing, the lamp system comprising at least one formation adapted for engaging the retracting device for positioning the lamp system at a predetermined distance from the retracting device; a light guide comprising a lamp attachment formation coupled to the lamp head housing of the lamp system such that a surface region of the lamp head housing is disposed adjacent to and supported by an internal surface of the light guide; and a control mechanism for inhibiting the use of the light guide on more than one patient, the control mechanism comprising a recording medium in the light guide, a signal generating device elsewhere in the illumination system, and program memory logic storing lamp usage limits, which include a light source usage limit, a light guide usage limit and a procedure time limit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the control mechanism controls the inhibition during attachment of the light guide to the illumination system. ### Claim 17 The apparatus of claim of 15, wherein the control mechanism comprises receipt by the recording medium of a signal from the signal generating device, and recording of a record off-the molding medium corresponding to the received signal to produce a substantially permanent signal record.