Illuminated dental examination instrument

• US 20060057536A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integra York PA, Inc. (Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Lia, Raymond A., McMahon, Michael T., Wojnowicz, Catherine R., Tamburrino, Richard A., Leseberg, Roger W., Perkins, Jeffrey J., Yang, Dongmin, Connelly, Jack L., Schwager, Bruce H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,371,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0669 at proximal end of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/247 with means for viewing areas outside the direct line of sight, e.g. dentists' mirrors

Abstract

An intraoral dental instrument includes an elongate handle or body and a mirror that is releasably attachable to a distal end thereof. An LED housing disposed in the handle proximate a light entrance surface of the mirror includes a housing body sized to retain at least one LED and a reflector attached to a distal end of the housing body. The reflector has an inwardly tapered cavity covering a LED lens envelope for focusing illumination from the at least one LED onto a portion of the light entrance surface of the mirror.

Claims

1. An illumination housing for an intraoral dental examination instrument, said illumination housing comprising:

a housing body adapted to retain at least one LED; and

a protective reflector attached to the distal end of said housing body, said reflector having an opening sized to cover a lens envelope of said at least one LED so as to focus light from said LED onto an attached transmissive mirror.

2. An illumination housing as recited in claim 1, wherein said opening tapers inwardly.

3. An illumination housing as recited in claim 1, including a heat sink disposed in said housing body.

4. An illumination housing as recited in claim 2, wherein said inwardly tapered opening permits light rays from said at least one retained LED to be substantially focused onto a light guide.

5. An illumination housing as recited in claim 1, wherein said housing is adapted for electrically coupling said at least one retained LED with a power supply of said instrument.

6. An illumination housing as recited in claim 5, wherein said power supply comprises at least one battery contained within said instrument.

7. An illumination housing as recited in claim 5, including at least one circuit board disposed in relation to said at least one retained LED.

8. An intraoral dental examination instrument comprising:

an elongated handle;

a mirror disposed in relation to a distal end of said handle; and

an illumination housing disposed in said handle proximate a light entrance surface of said mirror, said housing including a housing body sized to retain at least one LED and a reflector attached to a distal end of said housing body, said reflector having a cavity sized for covering a LED lens envelope and for focusing illumination from said at least one LED onto said light entrance surface of said mirror.

9. An instrument as recited in claim 8, wherein the opening of said reflector is inwardly tapered for substantially focusing light rays from said at least one LED onto said light entrance surface of said mirror.

10. An instrument as recited in claim 8, wherein said cartridge further includes a heat sink disposed in said housing body.

11. An instrument as recited in claim 8, including a self-contained power supply and means for electrically coupling said power supply to said at least one retained LED.

12. An instrument as recited in claim 11, wherein said power supply includes at least one battery disposed within said handle.

13. An instrument as recited in claim 8, wherein said illumination cartridge is releasably removable from said instrument handle.

14. An instrument as recited in claim 8, wherein said instrument is autoclavable.

15. An instrument as recited in claim 12, wherein said illumination cartridge includes at least one circuit board interconnected to said at least one retained LED.

16. An instrument as recited in claim 15, wherein said electrically coupling means includes a switch assembly for selectively energizing said at least one LED.

17. An instrument as recited in claim 16, wherein said switch assembly includes a retractable plunger movable between a first and a second position for selectively creating electrical contact between the at least one contained battery and said at least one retained LED.

18. An instrument as recited in claim 16, wherein said switch assembly is enabled by rotation of a front end cap of said instrument relative to said handle.

19. An instrument as recited in claim 18, including a detent mechanism for detecting by a user when said switch assembly has been enabled to one of an OFF position and an ON position.

20. An instrument as recited in claim 17, including means for biasing said retractable plunger in each of said first and second positions.

21. An instrument as recited in claim 11, wherein said mirror is releasably attachable to said handle.

22. A cordless intraoral dental examination instrument comprising:

an elongated handle;

at least one battery for powering said instrument contained in said handle;

a mirror disposed in relation to a distal end of said handle; and

an illumination cartridge disposed in said handle proximate a light entrance surface of said mirror, said illumination cartridge including a housing body sized to retain at least one LED, a circuit board connected to said at least one LED, and means for selectively interconnecting said at least LED and said circuit board for selectively energizing said at least one LED.

23. An instrument as recited in claim 22, wherein said selective interconnecting means includes an internal tube member retaining said at least one battery, said internal tube member including a conductive strip member having one end in contact with said illumination cartridge and an opposite end disposed in relation to said at least one battery.

24. An instrument as recited in claim 23, wherein said selective interconnecting means includes a switch assembly, said switch assembly including a movable component that permits engagement of said conductive strip member with said batter for energizing said at least one LED.

25. An instrument as recited in claim 24, wherein said switch assembly includes a retractable plunger movable between a first position and a second position.

26. An instrument as recited in claim 25, wherein said retractable plunger is disposed at a proximal end of said handle.

27. An instrument as recited in claim 24, wherein said movable component is a front end cap that is rotatably connected to said handle.

28. An instrument as recited in claim 27, including a detent mechanism for indicating to a user when said LED is in one of a OFF position and an ON position.

29. An instrument as recited in claim 22, wherein said illumination cartridge is releasably removable from said handle.

30. An instrument as recited in claim 22, wherein said illumination cartridge includes a reflector having a cavity sized for covering a lens envelope of said at least one LED.

31. An instrument as recited in claim 30, wherein said cavity of said reflector includes a tapered surface.

32. An instrument as recited in claim 31, wherein said cavity surface is inwardly tapered so as to substantially focus the rays from said at least one LED onto a light entrance surface of said mirror.