Oral transluminating device
First Claim
1. A hand held portable transluminating wand to backlight the maxillary sinuses of a patient, comprising:
- a generally rectilinear main body having a proximal end and a distal end, the main body tapering inwardly at the distal end and the main body sized and shaped to be a hand grip that is grasped easily in one hand;
an illumination source within the main body which emits light from the distal end of the main body;
a means in releasable engagement with the distal end of the main body for delivering light from the illumination source to the soft tissues comprising the roof of the patient'"'"'s mouth, the delivery means sized and contoured to permit insertion into the patient'"'"'s mouth and placement in close proximity to the roof of the patient'"'"'s mouth, and also to permit closing of the patient'"'"'s lips about the delivery means to prevent light from spilling from the patient'"'"'s mouth, said delivery means further constructed to deliver light of only a desired bandwidth inside the patient'"'"'s mouth; and
a power source fully contained in the wand which provides electrical power current to the illumination source so that the illumination source can produce light and which permits the wand to be portable,whereby light from the wand can be directed against the roof of the patient'"'"'s mouth while the patient'"'"'s lips are closed about the delivery means to backlight the maxillary sinuses of a patient with light of a desired bandwidth permitting a physician to make an inference of the health and general state of the patient'"'"'s maxillary sinuses from the light and dark areas discernable on the patient'"'"'s face by the backlighting, the physician'"'"'s ability to so discern enhanced by the bandwidth of the light used for the backlighting and the absence of light spilling from the patient'"'"'s mouth.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable hand-held transluminating wand is disclosed which includes a hand grip portion containing the power source and an illumination source at a narrow terminating end. The illumination source is enclosed by a slide-on transparent cover which is shaped to permit insertion into a patient'"'"'s mouth and placement against the roof of the mouth without discomfort. The translucent cover is tinted red to selectively provide light of a desired bandwidth beneficial to translumination of human tissue. The cover is clear in the region to be placed in contact with the roof of the mouth so that the light emitted in this region is not diffused but remains directed toward the roof of the mouth to facilitate translumination and frosted elsewhere to inhibit light leakage from the patient'"'"'s mouth when closed about the device. The wand is constructed with a multi-position switch which permits the illumination source to be turned off and on through levels of illumination.
32 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A hand held portable transluminating wand to backlight the maxillary sinuses of a patient, comprising:
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a generally rectilinear main body having a proximal end and a distal end, the main body tapering inwardly at the distal end and the main body sized and shaped to be a hand grip that is grasped easily in one hand; an illumination source within the main body which emits light from the distal end of the main body; a means in releasable engagement with the distal end of the main body for delivering light from the illumination source to the soft tissues comprising the roof of the patient'"'"'s mouth, the delivery means sized and contoured to permit insertion into the patient'"'"'s mouth and placement in close proximity to the roof of the patient'"'"'s mouth, and also to permit closing of the patient'"'"'s lips about the delivery means to prevent light from spilling from the patient'"'"'s mouth, said delivery means further constructed to deliver light of only a desired bandwidth inside the patient'"'"'s mouth; and a power source fully contained in the wand which provides electrical power current to the illumination source so that the illumination source can produce light and which permits the wand to be portable, whereby light from the wand can be directed against the roof of the patient'"'"'s mouth while the patient'"'"'s lips are closed about the delivery means to backlight the maxillary sinuses of a patient with light of a desired bandwidth permitting a physician to make an inference of the health and general state of the patient'"'"'s maxillary sinuses from the light and dark areas discernable on the patient'"'"'s face by the backlighting, the physician'"'"'s ability to so discern enhanced by the bandwidth of the light used for the backlighting and the absence of light spilling from the patient'"'"'s mouth. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A transluminating wand for backlighting the maxillary sinuses of a patient, comprising:
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a main body having a generally rectilinear main body portion shaped and dimensioned to be grasped easily in one hand with rounded edges and corners at the proximal end and continuing in such configuration toward a distal end portion which tapers inwardly while continuing to have rounded edges; an illumination source contained in the distal end portion; at the interface of the main body portion and the distal end portion, a main body ledge defined by the distal end portion being circumferentially inset from the the main body portion; a lamp cover, dimensioned to comfortably fit fully inside the patient'"'"'s closed mouth, which tapers from an open end toward a closed end thereof and has an inner surface and an outer surface, the convergence of the inner surface and the outer surface of the lamp cover defining a lip at the open end, the lamp cover being dimensioned to translate slidably about the distal end portion of the wand main body until the lamp cover lip seats against the main body ledge, and causes a slight interference fit between the lamp cover and the main body such that the lamp cover and main body are in releasable pressing engagement, while the lamp cover closed end remains distanced from the illumination source, whereby, the wand is portable, the illumination source can be placed comfortably and safely inside the patient'"'"'s mouth, and the lamp cover is easily removed and replaced. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A transluminating wand for backlighting the maxillary sinuses of a patient by directing light against the roof of the patient'"'"'s mouth, comprising:
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an illumination source; a disposable transparent lamp cover releasably attached to the main body, the lamp cover being the only portion of the wand which contacts the patient'"'"'s lips and mouth and which directs light from the illumination source against the roof of the patient'"'"'s mouth, said lamp cover tinted red such that only a desired bandwidth of light passes beyond the lamp cover against the roof of the patient'"'"'s mouth and dimensioned and shaped to be comfortable when placed fully inside the patient'"'"'s closed mouth; and means for increasing the illumination produced by the illumination source from no illumination to at least one level of illumination.
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Specification