Oral screening device

• US 9,125,610 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Remicalm LLC
• Original Assignee: Remicalm LLC
• Inventors: Zuluaga, Andrs Felipe, Smith, Michael Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Brutus, Joel F
• Application Number:
  US13/506,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20120232406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 600/476, 433 29- 30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00142 with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0623 for off-axis illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0646 with illumination filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0088 for oral or dental tissue
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6447 by visual observation

Abstract

An oral cancer screening device 10 used for the detection of pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue has a power supply 100, an illumination source 200, a selector switch 300 that enables the activation of a specific wavelength of light from the illumination source 200, an electrical system 400 in communication with the selector switch 300 and the illumination source 200, a heat sink 500 in thermal communication with the illumination source, a filter or cover 600 to protect the illumination source, and a transparent sheath 700 for providing a sanitary shield for the device when it is brought into contact or close proximity with the patient oral cavity. The sheath may optionally have an angled mirror incorporated at a distal end of the sheath to provide the operator with a reflected image of the illuminated tissue 900. The operator will optionally utilize head mounted lenses 800 to assist the operator'"'"'s visualization of the light from the illuminated oral cavity.

Claims

1. An oral device to screen for precancerous and cancerous tissue comprises:

(a) a power housing containing a power supply positioned at a first end of the oral device;

(b) an electronic housing has a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end forms a second end of the oral device, wherein the electronic housing encloses

(i) a plurality of illumination units, wherein a first illumination unit includes a plurality of light emitters;

(ii) an electrical system in communication with the plurality of illumination units; and

(iii) a heat sink, transversing the electronic housing from its proximal end to its distal end, wherein the electrical system is mounted along a length of a planar surface of the heat sink and each illumination unit is separately mounted proximal a distal end of the heat sink and positioned to prohibit emitted light from the plurality of illumination units from mixing before the emitted light exits the oral device and to ensure that the emitted light from the plurality of illumination units illuminate the same area of the oral cavity during screening when the distal end of the electronic housing is inserted into the oral cavity, and wherein the heat sink is in thermal communication with the plurality of illumination units and the electrical system;

(c) a plurality of emission ports equal to a number of the plurality of illumination units, wherein the plurality of emission ports pierce the electronic housing proximal the distal end of the electronic housing and wherein one emission port is aligned with each illumination unit mounted on the heat sink;

(d) a number of protective shields equal to a number of the plurality of emission ports, wherein one protective shield is mounted over each emission port; and

(e) a selector switch mounted on the proximal end of the electronic housing, the selector switch includes a plurality of positions wherein each switch position is wired to activate a predetermined circuit and at least one switch position simultaneously activates more than one light emitter of the first illumination unit.

2. The oral device of claim 1, wherein the first illumination unit includes one light emitter that emits red light, one light emitter that emits blue light, and one light emitter that emits green light.

3. The oral device of claim 1, wherein a first position of the selector switch activates the first illumination unit to emit white light, a second position of the selector switch activates the first illumination unit to emit amber light, and a third position of the selector switch activates a second illumination unit to emit violet light.

4. The oral device of claim 1, further comprises a selectably attachable transparent sheath that fits over a distal end of the electronic housing, wherein whenever the selectably attachable transparent sheath is attached to the oral device the selectably attachable transparent sheath covers all of the plurality of emission ports and the protective shields.

5. The oral device of claim 1, wherein the electrical system includes a microprocessor.

6. The oral device of claim 5, wherein the heat sink includes a thermostat in communication with the microprocessor, the plurality of illumination units, and the selector switch.

7. The oral device of claim 1, further comprises a head mounted lens that has two sections where each section has a different optical characteristic.

8. The oral device of claim 1, further comprises a head mounted lens that contains a long pass filter that passes light that has a wavelength of 435 nm or more.

9. The oral device of claim 1, wherein the heat sink includes various protrusions in thermal communication with the electronic housing.

10. The oral device of claim 1, wherein the first illumination unit includes one light emitter that emits red light, one light emitter that emits blue light, and one light emitter that emits green light and a second illumination unit that has a single light emitter that emits violet light.

11. The oral device of claim 10 that has a first emission port aligned with the first illumination unit and sealed with a first protective shield that is an optical mixing element and a second emission port aligned with the second illumination unit and sealed with a second protective shield that is an optical filter.

12. An oral device to screen for precancerous and cancerous tissue, the oral device comprises:

(a) a power housing contains a power supply positioned at a first end of the oral device;

(b) an electronic housing has a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end forms a second end of the oral device, wherein the electronic housing encloses

(i) a heat sink traversing a longitudinal axis of the electronic housing;

(ii) a plurality of illumination units, each illumination unit separately mounted proximal a distal end of the heat sink and positioned to prohibit light emitted from the plurality of illumination units from mixing before the emitted light exits the oral device and to ensure that the emitted light from the plurality of illumination units illuminate the same area of the oral cavity during screening when the distal end of the electronic housing is inserted into the oral cavity, wherein a first illumination unit includes a red emitting LED, a green emitting LED and a blue emitting LED and a second illumination unit has a single light emitter;

(iii) an electrical system integrally mounted on a length of a planar surface of the heat sink, the electrical system that has a microprocessor in communication with the plurality of illumination units and the heat sink; and

(iv) a thermostat in communication with the heat sink, the plurality of illumination units, and the microprocessor;

(c) a plurality of emission ports equal to a number of the plurality of illumination units, wherein the plurality of emission ports pierce the electronic housing proximal the distal end of the electronic housing and wherein one emission port is aligned with each illumination unit mounted on the heat sink;

(d) a number of protective shields equal to a number of the plurality of emission ports, wherein one protective shield is mounted over each emission port and wherein a first protective shield mounted over a first emission port aligned with the first illumination unit has optical mixing or beam shaping;

(e) a selector switch mounted on the proximal end of the electronic housing, the selector switch includes a plurality of positions wherein each switch position is wired to activate a predetermined circuit and at least one switch position simultaneously activates the red emitting LED, the green emitting LED and the blue emitting LED, of the first illumination unit, and wherein the selector switch is in communication with the microprocessor, the heat sink, and the thermostat.

13. The oral device of claim 12 further comprises a selectably attachable optically transparent sheath that covers the distal end of the electronic housing and all of emission ports when the selectably attachable optically transparent sheath is attached to the oral device.

14. The oral device of claim 13, wherein a first position of the selector switch activates the first illumination unit to emit white light, a second position of the selector switch activates the first illumination unit to emit amber light, and a third position of the selector switch activates the second illumination unit to emit violet light.

15. The oral device of claim 12, further comprises an operator head mounted lens.

16. The oral device of claim 15, wherein the operator head mounted lens contains a long pass filter that passes light having a wavelength of 435 nm or more.

17. The oral device of claim 15, wherein the operator head mounted lens include two sections with each section having a different optical characteristic.

18. The oral device of claim 12 having a second emission port aligned with the second illumination unit and sealed with a second protective shield that is an optical filter.

19. The oral device of claim 18, wherein first illumination unit and second illumination unit are mounted on the heat sink at an incline in relation to the longitudinal axis of the electronic housing.

20. The oral device of claim 19, wherein an intermediate shoulder separates a mounted first illumination unit and a mounted second illumination unit and the first emission port and the second emission port to prohibit the light emitted from the first illumination unit from passing through the second protective shield.

21. The oral device of claim 12, wherein the power housing is mounted on a proximal end of the selector switch and is thermally isolated from the heat sink.

22. The oral device of claim 12, wherein the heat sink includes various protrusions in thermal communication with the electronic housing to dissipate heat through the electronic housing.

23. An oral device to screen an oral cavity for precancerous and cancerous tissue, the oral device comprises:

(a) an electronic housing positioned at a second end of the oral device, the electronic housing has a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end of the electronic housing is inserted into the oral cavity during screening;

(b) a heat sink enclosed by and traversing the electronic housing from the proximal end to the distal end along a longitudinal axis of the electronic housing, wherein the heat sink includes various protrusions in thermal communication with the electronic housing to dissipate heat from a plurality of illumination units through the electric housing;

(c) a first illumination unit includes a plurality of light emitters and a second illumination unit has a single light emitter, wherein the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit are separately mounted approximately parallel to each other on the heat sink proximal the distal end of the electronic housing and are inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the heat sink, and wherein the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit are positioned to prohibit light emitted from the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit from mixing before the light exits the oral device and to ensure that the light from the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit illuminate the same area of the oral cavity during screening when the distal end of the electronic housing is inserted into the oral cavity;

(d) an electrical system integrally mounted along a length of a planar surface of the heat sink, wherein the electrical system includes a microprocessor in communication with the plurality of illumination units and the heat sink;

(e) a thermostat mounted on the heat sink, wherein the thermostat is in communication with the heat sink, the microprocessor, and the plurality of illumination units;

(f) a first emission port pierces the electronic housing in alignment with the first illumination unit, wherein the first emission port is sealed with a first protective cover, and a second emission port pierces the electronic housing in alignment with the second illumination unit, wherein the second emission port is sealed with a second protective cover;

(g) a selector switch mounted on the proximal end of the electronic housing and in communication with a power supply, the microprocessor and the heat sink, wherein the selector switch includes a plurality of positions with each switch position wired to activate a predetermined circuit to produce a selected wavelength band of light and at least one switch position is wired to simultaneously activate more than one light emitter on the first illumination unit; and

(h) a handle, wherein the handle is mounted on a proximal end of the selector switch and is thermally isolated from the heat sink.

24. The oral device of claim 23, wherein the first illumination unit includes light emitters that emit white light, amber light, red light, blue light, and green light.

25. The oral device of claim 23, wherein a first position of the selector switch activates the first illumination unit to emit white light, a second position of the selector switch activates the first illumination unit to emit amber light, and a third position of the selector switch activates the second illumination unit to emit violet light.

26. The oral device of claim 23, further comprises a viewing lens having a long pass filter that passes light that has a wavelength of 435 nm or more.

27. The oral device of claim 23, wherein the viewing lens has two sections where each section has a different optical characteristic.

28. The oral device of claim 23, wherein the plurality of light emitters of the first illumination unit are LED emitters.

29. The oral device of claim 23, wherein at least one illumination unit includes a laser diode.

30. The oral device of claim 23, wherein the first protective cover has optical mixing qualities.

31. The oral device of claim 23, wherein the first protective cover has beam shaping qualities.

32. The oral device of claim 23, wherein the second protective cover is a short pass filter.