Hygienic saliva compensation device with improved handheld and intra-oral collection device

• US 6,652,481 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Innovative Human Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovative Human Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Adams, Richard, Brown, Carrie, Frische, Eric, Trent, Lorton, Allaire, Janet H., Atkinson, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, LINH T
• Application Number:
  US09/565,169
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 604/327, 604/315, 604/541, 604/268, 604/317, 604/35, 600/573, 600/532, 600/366, 600/582, 422/101, 128/204.21, 128/203.27
• US Class Current: 604/35
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0051 for taking saliva or sputum samples devices for receiving spittle A61J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 19/00 Devices for receiving spittle, e.g. spittoons for dentists A61C17/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/743 by changing the cross-section of the line, e.g. flow regulating valves A61M1/7413 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/75 Intermittent or pulsating suction A61M1/63, A61M1/772 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0466 Saliva

Abstract

A portable saliva compensation device is provided with a portable carrying case holding a vacuum pump, and a portable power supply for providing power to vacuum pump. A programmable electrical control circuit is connected to the portable power supply and the pump. A saliva collection device is provided having a portion thereof positionable inside user'"'"'s mouth for collecting excess saliva and conveying it to a hollow tube connecting between the saliva collection device and the vacuum pump. An activation operably coupled to the electrical control circuit to activate the vacuum pump when saliva is to be collected from the user'"'"'s mouth. This draws the saliva from the collection device through said hollow tube and into a collection reservoir.

Claims

1. A portable saliva compensation device comprising:

a) a carrying case;

b) a vacuum pump in said carrying case;

c) a container in said carrying case;

d) a portable power supply in said carrying case operatively connected to provide power to said vacuum pump;

e) an electrical control circuit operatively connected to said portable power supply and to said pump;

f) a saliva collection device having a portion thereof adapted to be positioned in a user'"'"'s mouth for collecting excess saliva from the user'"'"'s mouth;

g) a hollow tube connecting between said saliva collection device and said container; and

h) an activation device operatively coupled to said electrical control circuit to activate said vacuum pump to collect excess saliva from the user'"'"'s mouth, thereby drawing said saliva from said mouth into said collection device through said hollow tube and into said container, wherein said activation device comprises;

(i) a programable integrated circuit (PIC) in said electrical control circuit for controlling activation of said vacuum pump; and

(ii) a communication port connected to said PIC for programing said PIC from a personal computer.

2. A portable saliva compensation device as in claim 1 wherein said communications port comprises a serial port.

3. A portable saliva compensation device as in claim 1 wherein said communications port comprises a parallel port.

4. A portable saliva compensation device as in claim 1 wherein said communications port comprises an infrared port.

5. A portable saliva compensation device comprising:

a) a carrying case;

b) a vacuum pump in said carrying case;

c) a container in said carrying case, wherein said container further comprises a reservoir measuring device for determining the presence of one or more predetermined volumes of collected saliva;

d) a portable power supply in said carrying case operatively connected to provide power to said vacuum pump;

e) an electrical control circuit operatively connected to said portable power supply and to said pump;

f) a saliva collection device having a portion thereof adapted to be positioned in a user'"'"'s mouth for collecting excess saliva from the user'"'"'s mouth;

g) a hollow tube connecting between said saliva collection device and said container; and

h) an activation device operatively coupled to said electrical control circuit to activate said vacuum pump to collect excess saliva from the user'"'"'s mouth, thereby drawing said saliva from said mouth into said collection device through said hollow tube and into said container.

6. A portable saliva compensation device as in claim 5 wherein said reservoir measuring device comprises a scale formed on said container.

7. A portable saliva compensation device as in claim 5 wherein said reservoir measuring device further comprises an electronic liquid detection device attached in said container for determining one or more predetermined quantities of saliva in said container.

8. A portable saliva compensation device as in claim 7 wherein said predetermined levels detected comprise a minimum detectable level indicating the presence of saliva in said container and a maximum detectable level indicating that the container is full.

9. A portable saliva compensation device comprising:

a) a carrying case;

b) a vacuum pump in said carrying case;

c) a container in said carrying case;

d) a portable power supply in said carrying case operatively connected to provide power to said vacuum pump;

e) an electrical control circuit operatively connected to said portable power supply and to said pump;

f) a saliva collection device having a portion thereof adapted to be positioned in a user'"'"'s mouth for collecting excess saliva from the user'"'"'s mouth;

g) a hollow tube connecting between said saliva collection device and said container;

h) an activation device operatively coupled to said electrical control circuit to activate said vacuum pump to collect excess saliva from the user'"'"'s mouth, thereby drawing said saliva from said mouth into said collection device through said hollow tube and into said container; and

i) wherein said carrying case comprises a fanny pack having a belt for strapping said carrying case to a user for “

hands-free”

carrying.

10. A portable saliva compensation device comprising:

a) a carrying case;

b) a vacuum pump in said carrying case;

c) a container in said carrying case;

d) a portable power supply in said carrying case operatively connected to provide power to said vacuum pump;

e) an electrical control circuit operatively connected to said portable power supply and to said pump;

f) a handheld saliva collector unit having a portion thereof adapted to be positioned in a user'"'"'s mouth for collecting excess saliva from the user'"'"'s mouth;

g) a hollow tube connecting between said saliva collector unit and said container;

h) an activation device operatively coupled to said electrical control circuit to activate said vacuum pump to collect excess saliva from the user'"'"'s mouth, thereby drawing said saliva from said mouth into said saliva collector unit through said hollow tube and into said container; and

i) wherein said handheld saliva collector unit further comprises a squeeze bulb from which said mouth insertion tube projects and wherein said activation device comprises a pressure switch sealingly coupled to said squeeze bulb to activate the pump upon squeezing said bulb.

11. A portable saliva compensation device comprising:

a) a carrying case;

b) a vacuum pump in said carrying case;

c) a container in said carrying case;

d) a portable power supply in said carrying case operatively connected to provide power to said vacuum pump;

e) an electrical control circuit operatively connected to said portable power supply and to said pump;

f) a saliva collection device having a portion thereof adapted to be positioned in a user'"'"'s mouth for collecting excess saliva from the user'"'"'s mouth;

g) a hollow tube connecting between said saliva collection device and said container;

h) an activation device operatively coupled to said electrical control circuit to activate said vacuum pump to collect excess saliva from the user'"'"'s mouth, thereby drawing said saliva from said mouth into said collection device through said hollow tube and into said container; and

i) a data recordation circuit connected to said control circuit.

12. A portable saliva compensation device as in claim 11 further comprising a data transfer device by which recorded data may be transferred to a remote device such as a PC.

13. A portable saliva compensation device comprising:

a) a carrying case;

b) a vacuum pump in said carrying case;

c) a container in said carrying case;

d) a portable power supply in said carrying case operatively connected to provide power to said vacuum pump;

e) an electrical control circuit operatively connected to said portable power supply and to said pump, wherein said electronic control is programmable to detect one or more predetermined activities or conditions of the user, of the pump, the container, and of the saliva collection activation switch;

f) a saliva collection device having a portion thereof adapted to be positioned in a user'"'"'s mouth for collecting excess saliva from the user'"'"'s mouth;

g) a hollow tube connecting between said saliva collection device and said container; and

h) an activation device operatively coupled to said electrical control circuit to activate said vacuum pump to collect excess saliva from the user'"'"'s mouth, thereby drawing said saliva from said mouth into said collection device through said hollow tube and into said container.

14. A portable saliva compensation device as in claim 13 wherein said one or more predetermined activities are selected from a group of activities comprising head tilting, head positioning, swallowing and swallow frequency.

15. An intra-oral saliva collector unit for use with a portable pump and saliva collection container, said intra-oral collector unit comprising;

a) a thin, curved collection tube having orifices formed therein for placement in a user'"'"'s mouth, curved along and adjacent to the user'"'"'s lower gum;

b) a thin connection tube extending from said curved collection tube upward and outward from between the user'"'"'s lips;

c) a hollow tubing adapted to be coupled between said thin connection tubing and said portable saliva collection container and pump to provide fluid communication therebetween;

d) an activation switch connectable to said pump for selectively activating or deactivating the pump to suction saliva from said user'"'"'s mouth; and

e) an automatic control circuit for activating said pump upon detection of a predetermined amount of saliva and for timing the continued activation for a predetermined time after said detection of saliva.