Rubber dam punches used to prepare rubber dam membranes for general field isolation in dentistry
First Claim
1. A rubber dam punch for perforating a rubber dam membrane used in general field isolation of an operative site, the rubber dam punch comprising:
- a. an upper arm member and a lower arm member, the upper and lowers arms connected by a pivoting connector;
b. the upper arm member and lower arm members having gripping handles on one end of the arms;
c. the arms further comprising an upper and lower operative end extension, the extensions being opposite the ends of the arms having the gripping handles; and
d. the upper operative end extension having a male die and the lower operative end extension having a female die, the female and male dies brought together by pressure applied to the gripping handles, in order to make a perforation in a rubber dam membrane.
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Abstract
The invention describes rubber dam punches that punch the entire slit or central opening in a rubber dam membrane in order to prepare the conventional rubber dam for the slit-dam technique. The invention further describes rubber dam punches capable of lengthening the central opening in a rubber dam that is specifically designed for general field isolation. The rubber dam punches of the invention include a series of embodiments having upper and lower arm members, each arm member further having a gripping handle at one end of the arm member and an operative end extension at the opposite end of the arm member. The arm members are pivotally connected and have male and female slits dies attached to the operative end extensions which are used punch slits and/or holes of varying widths in dental rubber dam membranes in order to create or lengthen existing central openings in general field isolation rubber dams.
13 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A rubber dam punch for perforating a rubber dam membrane used in general field isolation of an operative site, the rubber dam punch comprising:
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a. an upper arm member and a lower arm member, the upper and lowers arms connected by a pivoting connector;
b. the upper arm member and lower arm members having gripping handles on one end of the arms;
c. the arms further comprising an upper and lower operative end extension, the extensions being opposite the ends of the arms having the gripping handles; and
d. the upper operative end extension having a male die and the lower operative end extension having a female die, the female and male dies brought together by pressure applied to the gripping handles, in order to make a perforation in a rubber dam membrane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15)
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8. A rubber dam punch used for creating perforations in a rubber dam membrane in dentistry or other medical specialty areas, comprising:
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a. an upper arm member joined to a lower arm member by means of a pivoting connector at a location near its center, the upper arm having a gripping handle at one end of the upper arm member and an operable end extension at the opposite end of the upper arm member, the lower arm member having a gripping handle at one end of the lower arm member and an operable end extension at the opposite end of the lower arm;
b. the pivoting connector connecting the upper and lower arm members together in a manner in which allow the arms to pivot with respect to one another;
c. a pivoting cylindrical drum having multiple variable width male slit dies radially located on the cylindrical drum, the cylindrical drum attached to the operable end extension of the upper arm member;
d. a pivoting cylindrical drum having multiple variable width female slit dies radially located on the cylindrical drum, the cylindrical drum attached to the operable end extension of the lower arm member;
e. a means for pivotally aligning the male slit die with the corresponding female slit die by rotating the upper and lower cylindrical drums until alignment of the male and female dies is achieved;
f. a locating mechanism ensuring the alignment of the male and female slit dies of the cylindrical drums; and
g. a means for applying leveraged pressure to the upper and lower arm members for the to bring the male and female slit dies together with pressure in order to punch a perforation in the rubber dam membrane.
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- 13. A method of preparing a rubber dam for use in general field isolation, comprising the step of punching a single perforation in the rubber dam to create an opening through which the entire field is exposed.
Specification