SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO REDUCE SPATTER AND AEROSOL DURING DENTAL PROCEDURES

Abstract

A method and apparatus to remove spatter and aerosol during dental procedures with may feature a deflector mounted upon a mouthpiece structure that directs emitted aerosols and spatter into a narrower cone for easier collection and evacuation. The mouthpiece may also serve as a cheek retractor and as an oral suction apparatus during a procedure. Increasing collection cup size and providing negative airflow will also improve the control of spatter and aerosol.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims priority as a non-provisional perfection of prior filed U.S. Application No. 63/087,699, filed Oct. 5, 2020, and incorporates the same by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of dentistry and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus to control spatter and aerosols created in dental procedures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the most prevalent tools used in dentistry is the high-speed handpiece “HP”). The HP has become essential to dental practice as it is the base for many tools used in dental procedures. The HP is a high-speed rotary driver that powers many different tools used in dentistry. In use, the practitioner merely changes the head on the handpiece use a different tool of choice. Currently an HP can operate in the range of 200,000 to 1,000,000 revolution per minute (RPM) depending on type of HP, with air turbines reaching speeds of up to 1,000,000 RPM while electric turbines run at about 200,000. Water is frequently used to cool HP's, however the combination of water and the high RPM's generates spatter and aerosol which are expelled at very high speeds from the patient's mouth. The speed of spatter and aerosol can be higher than 10 meters per second. The spatter and aerosol may contain bacterial and viral loads from the patient. Once spatter and aerosol get into space surrounding the patient in the treatment room, it will contaminate practitioners, equipment, any exposed surfaces in that room.

Many methods of controlling spatter and aerosol have been developed, mostly incorporating a strategy of contaminant removal. These include high volume ejectors (HVE), intra oral shields, rubber dams, chair-side extra oral suction devices, in-room air filtration, negative air pressure generation, and others. However, none of them work effectively to remove spatter and aerosol as they exit the mouth before they can contaminate the surrounding area. These strategies and systems focus on moving the contaminants in a general direction away from practitioners and equipment, after which they may be evacuated.

The present invention represents a departure from the prior art in that the system of the present invention allows for evacuation of contaminants at the patient's mouth while not obscuring the practitioner's access to the oral cavity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of evacuation methodologies, an improved apparatus and methods to remove contaminants may provide a method that meets the following objectives: that it is easy to implement, that it may reduce the ejection velocity of spatter and aerosols ejected during an oral procedure, that it may provide a structure that will not only not interfere with the practitioner's access to the oral cavity but also serve as a cheek retractor, that it may also serve as an oral suction device, that it be inexpensive, and that it would be somewhat intuitive in use. As such, a new and improved deflection mouthpiece may comprise a spatter and aerosol control baffling structure to accomplish these objectives. An improved methodology may provide larger collection cups and negative airflow to slow aerosols and better capture spatter.

The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.

Many objects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of a one embodiment of an evacuation method.

FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of a second embodiment of the present invention, utilizing a deflection mouthpiece.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the deflector mouthpiece utilized in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the deflector mouthpiece of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the deflector mouthpiece of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the deflector mouthpiece of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the spatter control system is herein described. It should be noted that the articles “a”, “an”, and “the”, as used in this specification, include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

FIG. 1 depicts a pattern of spatter and aerosol ejected from a human mouth during the treatment where 101 is a human head and 102 is opening of human mouth. The three-dimensional ejection pattern of spatter and aerosol 105 has a cone shape with an emitting angle θ1, relative to human face. The angle θ1 changes around the edge of the mouth, depending on the cutting position of the HP and any intra-oral suction device used during the procedure. Intra-oral suction devices, like a high-volume evacuator (“HVE”) or shields, may change the ejection pattern around the mouth; but they will not be able to totally contain spatter and aerosol since the ejection speed of spatter and aerosol is so high. Regardless, the emitting angle θ1 tends to be low, usually close to 0° and no larger than 10° even with intra-oral devices increasing the angle. The ejection cone 105 has a height hc1 and diameter dc1, which generally increase relative to the exit point of the human mouth 102. A collection cup 107 is connected to a vacuum device 108 above the patient. The cup 107 has height and a width or diameter wcc as the cup can be any shape: circular, square, or rectangular. To collect all the spatter and aerosol within ejection cone 105, the width of collection cup wcc must be larger than the diameter of the ejection cone dc1 at the location of the collection cup above the patient's mouth hc1. Typically, in the prior art, the collection cup is round with a diameter, wcc, only about 3-5 inches (7.6-12.7 cm) at a height hc1 larger than 8 inches (20.3 cm), thus the collection cup is usually not able to collect all emitted aerosol and spatter. In the improvement shown in FIG. 1, the preferred width wcc of collection cup 107 is larger than 12 inches (30.5 cm) and minimum distance of cup from mouth is 8 inches (20.3 cm) to collect all the aerosol and spatter from HP procedures. The suction power connected to collection cup 107 needs to be higher than 150 cm3/s. The cup may be light and visually transparent so that practitioners can see through the cup 107. Further improvement to the collection of spatter and aerosols may be achieved by providing negative airflow A−, against the direction of the spatter, so that the velocity of the spatter is reduced, making it easier to collect.

FIG. 2 depicts a method to contain spatter and aerosol right at patient's mouth by altering the emitted pattern of spatter and aerosol, by attaching a deflector mouthpiece 300 to edge of human mouth 102. Deflector 300 changes the ejection pattern 205 of spatter and aerosol with an emitting angle making the overall emission pattern narrower with emitting angle θ2 greater than the unaltered angle θ1. This results in a narrower ejection cone with a diameter dc2 when the height hc2 is equal to hc1. A suction collection cup 207 is connected to a vacuum device through a suction hose 108. This suction hose 208 can be connected to a standalone chair-side station with filters and UVC light or connected to a suction pump in remote area. As the deflector 300 will change the emitting path of spatter and aerosol 205 into a narrower cone, the width wcc2 of collection cup 207 may be smaller than that of collection cup 107 and the distance of the collection cup from mouth hc2 may be larger than that of the prior art, with a lesser spatter velocity at the point of collection. Alternately, collection cup may have a width wcc2 of 12 inches (30.5 cm) and remain at about 8 inches (20.3 cm) from the mouth 102 and have a narrower emission pattern to collect.

FIGS. 3-6 depict details of the deflection mouthpiece 300 to be positioned in the human mouth. Deflector mouthpiece 300 will not only to change the angle of the ejection cone θ2 during a procedure, but it will also simultaneously serve as a cheek retractor and will provide oral suction during the procedure. Deflector mouthpiece 300 is constructed of two sides, 301, 302, which are almost identical and are joined at an elastic connection structure 303. Each side 301, 302 of the deflection mouthpiece 300 is has a body which is generally half an ellipsoid and each has an exterior circumferential groove 305 to fit inside, and thereby retract, the lips of the patient. Lower handles 304 and upper handles 306 are provided to help fit each side into position. Suction is also provided for oral fluid control through the provision of inlets 307 located on an internal circumference of each side 301, 302 which are in operative communication with a hose 308 further connected to suction unit and a provided collection cup 309. Two deflection baffles 310a, 310b are positioned on an upper edge of each side 301, 302, above the provided external groove 305. Each deflector 310a, 310b is curved to comport with each side, except that one side 310a is slightly wider than the other 310b allowing overlap o of the deflectors 310a, 310b when assembled, thereby providing a solid deflector baffle wall and defining a deflection cup to control the ejection cone. The combined deflector wall has an angle θ2 relative to groove 305 and a height that will work together to narrow the ejection cone. It should be readily understood that varying the deflector height and angle will create not only narrower or wider ejection cones, but also greater or narrower access to the oral cavity. Therefore, this interplay is left to the discretion of the manufacturer, who may create a number of different sized mouthpieces for varying results.

In the practice, the mouthpiece 300 is inserted into right and left side of lips when patient is treated. The deflectors 310a, 310b confine the emitting angle of spatter and aerosol to a narrow pattern to aid the collection by vacuum device. The mouthpiece 300 will also serve to retract the cheeks and preserve the access area to the patient's mouth while also providing suction to control oral secretions during the procedure.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made and still the result will come within the scope of the invention. No limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred.

Claims

1. A dental mouthpiece comprising:

a mouthpiece body divided into two portions, each portion further comprising:

a body having an external cheek retraction groove;

a deflector wall defining an upwards orientation and having an angle of deflection in relation to the body; and

an elastic connector defining a forward side of the mouthpiece and joining the two portions;

wherein, one deflector wall is oriented with an end further towards a rear of the mouthpiece than a second deflector wall such that when positioned together the one deflector wall will overlap the second deflector wall, presenting a unified deflector cup.

2. The dental mouthpiece of claim 1, further comprising suction inlets internal of the mouthpiece body, said suction inlets in operable communication with a suction device through a collection cup.

3. The dental mouthpiece of claim 2, the angle of deflection being greater than 10°.

4. The dental mouthpiece of claim 1, the angle of deflection being greater than 10°.

5. A method of collecting aerosol and spatter created during oral procedures, the method comprising:

a step of positioning a collection cup at least 8 inches above a patient's mouth;

an additional step of providing negative airflow, directed downward towards the patient.

6. The method of collecting aerosol and spatter of claim 5, the collection cup having a diameter of at least 12 inches.

7. The method of collecting aerosol and spatter of claim 5, further comprising a step of providing a dental mouthpiece, said mouthpiece being divided into two portions, each portion further comprising:

a body having an external cheek retraction groove;

a deflector wall defining an upwards orientation and having an angle of deflection in relation to the body; and

an elastic connector defining a forward side of the mouthpiece and joining the two portions;

wherein, one deflector wall is oriented with an end further towards a rear of the mouthpiece than a second deflector wall such that when positioned together the one deflector wall will overlap the second deflector wall, presenting a unified deflector cup.

8. The dental mouthpiece of claim 7, further comprising suction inlets internal of the mouthpiece body, said suction inlets in operable communication with a suction device through a collection cup.

9. The dental mouthpiece of claim 8, the angle of deflection being greater than 10°.

10. The dental mouthpiece of claim 7, the angle of deflection being greater than 10°.