IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0209574
(2002-07-31)
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등록번호 |
US-7813787
(2010-11-01)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- de Josselin de Jong, Elbert
- Waller, Elbert
- van der Veen, Monique
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Inspektor Research Systems BV
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대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
8 인용 특허 :
8 |
초록
▼
Described are dental implements useful for inspecting tooth surfaces for abnormalities such as caries or plaque. Preferred implements of the invention include light emitting diodes mounted on an implement body having a mirror for insertion into a user's mouth. Such implements also have on-board batt
Described are dental implements useful for inspecting tooth surfaces for abnormalities such as caries or plaque. Preferred implements of the invention include light emitting diodes mounted on an implement body having a mirror for insertion into a user's mouth. Such implements also have on-board batteries mounted in chambers in the implement handle, and a switch for energizing and de-energizing the LED with the battery. Also described are methods for examining tooth surfaces for abnormal conditions indicative of plaque involving illuminating surfaces with radiation at a wavelength in the range of 390-450 nm wherein the radiation is effective to cause detectable fluorescence emissions from bacterial metabolites known to be associated with plaque-containing surfaces, and detecting the emissions.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A hand-held dental implement for use in detecting abnormal tooth surface conditions, comprising: an implement body having a proximal handle connected to a distal end; a mirror mounted on said distal end, said mirror adapted for insertion into a mouth; a light emitting diode m
What is claimed is: 1. A hand-held dental implement for use in detecting abnormal tooth surface conditions, comprising: an implement body having a proximal handle connected to a distal end; a mirror mounted on said distal end, said mirror adapted for insertion into a mouth; a light emitting diode mounted on said implement, said light emitting diode effectively positioned on said implement to illuminate tooth surfaces when said mirror is positioned in the mouth, and said light emitting diode effective to emit radiation that causes visually detectable differential fluorescence emissions from normal tooth surfaces and abnormal tooth surfaces; a means for energizing the light emitting diode; and a filter for filtering the fluorescence emissions to facilitate detection of the differential fluorescence emissions, the filter being external to the implement so as to allow direct visualization of the fluorescence emissions by a user. 2. The hand-held dental implement of claim 1, wherein: said light emitting diode is adapted to emit light with a peak wavelength of about 405 nm. 3. The hand-held dental implement of claim 1, wherein: said light emitting diode is adapted to emit light with a peak intensity in the wavelength range of about 390 nm to about 450 nm. 4. The hand-held dental implement of claim 1, also comprising: a shield adjacent said light emitting diode and configured to shield light emitted by said diode from direct visualization by a user. 5. The hand-held dental implement of claim 1, wherein said light source is positioned on said implement body. 6. The hand-held dental implement of claim 1, wherein said mirror is within a mirror housing, and wherein said light source is positioned within said mirror housing. 7. The hand-held dental implement of claim 1, and also comprising a white light source mounted on said implement. 8. The implement of claim 1, further comprising a switch on said implement, the switch having a first condition wherein said light emitting diode is energized, and a second condition wherein the light emitting diode is not energized. 9. The implement of claim 8, further comprising: a battery chamber in the proximal handle; and a positive electrical contact in the battery chamber, and a negative electrical contact in the battery chamber, for electrical contact with respective positive and negative terminals of a battery received in the battery chamber; said light emitting diode having positive and negative leads electrically connected to said positive electrical connection and said negative electrical connection, respectively, the light emitting diode being energizable by a battery received in said battery chamber. 10. A hand-held dental implement for detecting abnormal tooth surface conditions, comprising: a handle having a proximal end and distal end; a battery chamber in said handle, for receiving a battery; a light source mounted on said device, said light source electrically connected to said battery chamber, said light source energizable by a battery received in said battery chamber; said light source insertable into a mouth and effective to illuminate tooth surfaces sufficiently to cause visually detectable differential fluorescence emissions from normal tooth surfaces and abnormal tooth surfaces; and a filter external of said handle and positioned to filter said fluorescence emissions for direct visualization by a user. 11. The hand-held dental implement of claim 10, wherein said light source is a light emitting diode. 12. The hand-held dental implement of claim 10, wherein said light emitting diode is adapted to emit light with a peak wavelength of about 405 nm. 13. The hand-held dental implement of claim 10, wherein said light source is adapted to emit light with a peak intensity in the wavelength range of about 390 nm to about 450 nm. 14. The hand-held dental implement of claim 10, also including a mirror adapted for insertion into the mouth. 15. The hand-held dental implement of claim 10, also including a white light source mounted on said implement. 16. A method for examining tooth surfaces for abnormal surface conditions, comprising: illuminating the tooth surface with light in the wavelength range of about 390 nm to about 500 nm, said illuminating effective to cause visually detectable differential fluorescence emissions from normal tooth surfaces and abnormal tooth surfaces, said light emitted from a light emitting diode; filtering fluorescence emissions from the normal and abnormal tooth surfaces; and directly visually detecting said differential fluorescence emissions. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said abnormal tooth surface conditions include caries conditions. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein said abnormal tooth surface conditions include plaque conditions. 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the illuminating is done with light having a peak wavelength at about 405 nm. 20. An apparatus for examining tooth surfaces for abnormal surface conditions, comprising: a light emitting diode adapted when energized to emit light in a wavelength ranges from 390 to 500 nm, said light effective to cause detectable differential fluorescence emissions from normal tooth surfaces and abnormal tooth surfaces; means for energizing said light emitting diode; and at least one filter for filtering said fluorescence emissions to facilitate direct visual detection by a user of said differential fluorescence emissions. 21. The apparatus of claim 20, also comprising: a hand-held dental implement body; wherein said light emitting diode is attached to said body; and wherein said means for energizing includes a battery mounted on said body. 22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said at least one filter is mounted on said body. 23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said at least one filter is separate from said body. 24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the light emitting diode has a peak wavelength at about 405 nm. 25. An apparatus for examining tooth surfaces for abnormal surface conditions, comprising: a light emitting diode adopted when energized to emit light in a wavelength ranges from 390 to 500 nm, said light effective to cause detectable differential fluorescence emissions from normal tooth surfaces and abnormal tooth surfaces; means for energizing said light emitting diode; and at least one filter for filtering said fluorescence emissions to facilitate direct visual detection by a user of said differential fluorescence emissions; wherein said at least one filter is adapted to be worn over the eyes of the user. 26. A method for detecting plaque-containing surfaces in an oral cavity, comprising: illuminating surfaces within the oral cavity with radiation at a wavelength in the range of 390 to 450 nm, said radiation effective to cause detectable fluorescence emissions from plaque-containing surfaces, the florescence emissions being observably different from fluorescence emissions from healthy surfaces; and detecting said fluorescence emissions by visual observation through a filter, wherein the filter improves the visual distinguishability between fluorescence emissions from healthy and plaque-containing surfaces. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein: said radiation is emitted from a light emitting diode. 28. The method of claim 26, wherein: said detecting includes detecting fluorescence emissions from plaque-containing surfaces in the wavelength range of about 590 nm to about 700 nm through a filter that has a cutoff of about 520 nm. 29. The method of claim 26, wherein the illuminating radiation has a peak wavelength at about 405 nm.
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