WO1988010102A1

WO1988010102A1 - Saliva sucking spout for dentist apparatus free from bacterium and virus infection risk

Info

Publication number: WO1988010102A1
Application number: PCT/IT1988/000047
Authority: WO
Inventors: Silvio Iannuzzi
Original assignee: Silvio Iannuzzi
Priority date: 1987-06-22
Filing date: 1988-06-22
Publication date: 1988-12-29
Also published as: IT8748093A0; IT1206295B

Abstract

Saliva sucking spout (10) for dentist apparatus free from the bacterium and virus infection risk provided with a racking container (11, 113) and a one-way valve (12, 134) which cooperate to prevent every bacterium flora, normally formed in the hose connecting the spout to the sucking device from going back up to the sucking spout put in the patient's mouth. Preferably, the spout is of the disposable type.

Description

SALIVA SUCKING SPOUT FOR DENTIST APPARATUS FREE

FROM BACTERIUM AND VIRUS INFECTION RISK

The subject matter of the invention is a sa¬

liva sucking spout for dentist apparatus free from

bacterium and virus infection risk.

How it is known, during the dentist opera-

tions, the saliva which collects in the sublingual

part of the patient's mouth is sucked by a spout

or a cannula shaped like the handle of an umbrel¬

la, of the disposable type.

One end of the spout is open and the other

one is joined to the hose which connects the same to a filter and an aspirator.

Such an arrangement is unhygienic, since the

sucking spout, though of the disposable type, can

be contaminated right from the moment of his inser-

tion on the hose, by the bacterium flora, which

exists in the bore of the hose connected directly

to the spout.

When the spout is put into the patient's mouth,

and the sucking action has not yet started or has

been interrupted, this arrangement allows air, li¬

quids or other substances to pass in the opposite

direction from the hose to the spout. The object of the invention is to eliminate

this inconvenience providing a spout of new concep¬

tion, which is connected to a small racking con¬

tainer. A one-way valve is located at the inlet of

the container, which valve is normally dosed and

opens under the sucking action of the sucking de¬

vice. This valve closes again at the interruption

or decrease of the sucking action.

The valve is preferably of the membrane type,

as it is formed by a plate disc of a suitable ma¬

terial, which bends under the sucking action.

The intrinsic resilience of the valve, which

can be controlled by a return spring, allows the

opening and closing action to take place.

Moreover, the cavity of the spout or cannula

can be conically shaped in order to eliminate any

possible occlusions .

Finally the spout unit is of the disposable

or single-use type.

The invention will be disclosed in further

details, referring to the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 shows the bent spout which is con¬

nected to the sucking hose;

Figure 2 is an axial section of the spout unit and

Figure 3 is a similar section showing an at

^'present preferred embodiment of the invention.

As shown, the invention consists of a spout

10 made of a flexible material which maintains the

given shape; a container 11 connected to the end

of spout 10 and a valve 12 put in container 11 in

order to control the inlet 13 which connects bore

14 of spout 10 to bore 15 of container 11.

A side tube 16 provided with perforation 18

passes through lower panel 20 and protrudes inside

container 11. On the end of tube 16, outside contai¬ ner 11 a sucking hose 21 is inserted which normally

contains a filter.

As clearly shown, valve 12 that controls in-

let 13 is of the membrane type and comprises a pla¬

te disc of a flexible material located against the

top wall of container 11, wherein inlet 13 is for¬

med. Valve 12 is normally in the closed position

shown by full line in figure 2.

When the sucking action starts, a depression

is created in container 11 that causes valve 12 to

open.

The spout of the invention offers the further advantage of keeping any particle content, blood

or the like sucked from the patient's mouth, owing

to the especially designed spout construction ac¬

cording to which the container outlet consists of

small perforations 18 at the top of tube 16, on the

lower end of^" which sucking hose 21 is fitted.

A further important feature of the invention

is the conical shape of inner bore 14 of spout 10

that prevents any residue from obstructing the sa- me.

Figure 3, shows a preferred embodiment of the

invention, the parts of which identical or similar

to those illustrated in figures 1 and 2 are indica¬

ted by the same reference numbers added by 100.

In this embodiment container spout 10, con¬

tainer 113 and hose 121 are substantially identical

with the correspondig parts of figures 1 and 2.

Spout sucking end 123 in provided with small

perforation 124 circumferentially arranged thereon and leads to container 111 through opening 113 whi¬

ch is devoid of the one-way valve.

Inside container 111 a cylindrical filter 126

is contained having the rim 127 its upper circular

opening 128 sealed against the inner surface of the container wall.

The cylindrical wall of filter 126 is provi¬

ded with perforations 129 except that in portion 130

adjacent to bottom 131 thereof that is closed and

spaced from the inner surface of the container wall.

Tube 116, passing through sase 132 of contai¬

ner 111 and protruding there from both inside and

outside container III puts in communication, through

holes 118, space 133 existing between bottom 131 of

filter 126 and base 132 of container III with hase

121.

The upper end of which is fitted on outer end

of tube 116.

Finally the remote end of hose 121 is provi-

ded with a spring biessed one-way valve 134 that

prevents any passage of material or saliva residue

towards hose 121 from the sucking device (not shown) .

This construction is very safe since it pre¬

vents any material from passing through the sucking

beak from the patients month to the sucking device.

As a matter of fact in this construction many "traps"

are made up to avoid any passage of material from

the patent's month to the sucking device, as, for

instance filter 126 lower part 130 thereof and spa- ce 133 .

Furthermore one-way valve 134 is a barrier in

the opposite direction as it prevents any passage

from the sucking device, wherein the outer part of

valve 134 is inserted, toward hose 121 and sucking

spout 110.

As it will be apparent to the persons skilled

in the art the invention overcomes the inconvenien¬

ces of the prior art spouts.

It will be also apparent that modifications

and changements can be made in the construction as

disclosed and illustrated without departing from the

scope thereof.

Fon instance one-way valve is shown in Figu-

res 1 and 2 can be of different construction and/or

nature.

Essentially the main features of the inven¬

tion, providing a disposable or single-'use sucking

spout, are:

1) To prevent any passage of particle material from

the patient's mouth or incision to the sucking

device.

2) To prevent any passage, in the opposite direction;

of saliva or saliva residue accumulated in the sucking device from the latter to the patient's

mouth.

Claims

1. A saliva sucking spout (10,110) to be connec¬

ted through a hose (21, 121) to a sucking device

for dentist apparatus or drainage in surgical ope¬

rations, free from the. bacterium and virus infec¬

tion risk, characterised in that the spout is provi¬

ded with a racking container (11, 111) and a one¬

way valve (12,134) which cooperate to prevent eve¬

ry bacterium flora, normally formed in the hose (21,

121) connecting said spout (10,110) to the sucking

device from going back up to the sucking spout (10,

110) put in the patient's mouth or incision.

2. The saliva sucking spout of claim 1, wherein

the whole unit is of the disposable type and is

made of a suitable plastic material.

3. The saliva sucking spout of calim 1 wherein a

filter (126) is located in said container (111) be¬

tween the inlet (113) connected to said spout (110)

and the outlet (116,118) thereof connected to said

hose (110) .

4. The saliva sucking spout of claim 1, wherein

said a racking container (11) is fixed at the bot¬

tom of said cannula (10) and said one-way valve (12)

is located inside said container (11), at said inlet (13) in order to control said inlet (13) which con¬

nects bore (14) of said spout ( 10) to the cavity

(15) of said racking container (11) .

5. The saliva sucking spout of claim 1 wherein said

one-way valve (134) is located at the free end of

said hose (121) and is inserted in said sucking de¬

vice