US3373492A - Liquid ejector device - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1968 M. BATCH LIQUID EJECTOR DEVICE Filed Oct. 31, 1966 IN VENTOR.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,373,492 LIQUID EJECTOR DEVICE Marvin L. Batch, 2817 Canterbury St., Midland, Mich. 48640 Filed Oct. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 590,973 3 Claims. (Cl. 32-33) ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an apparatus for use in the surgical professions, and more particularly concerns a new and novel fluid ejector device for use in the dental, medical and related professions, such as, for example, a saliva ejector, for use in dental surgery.

A primary object of the'present invention is to provide a new liquid ejector device for use in expelling liquids from-body cavities.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unique device for ejecting liquids from body cavities with a minimum of tissue irritation and discomfort to the patient. I i

' A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved liquid ejector for use in thedental, medical and veterinary arts whereby accumulations of liquids in body cavities during operations may be rapidly and efii ciently prevented without becoming clogged or plugged by tissuefbone, or' enamel particles and the like while said liquids are being expelled.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a saliva ejector mouthpiece device for expelling salivary secretions from the oral cavity without clogging, the tip of the device or mouthpiece being characterized by a high liquid intake capacity and a facility for comfortably positioning itself in the body cavity in which it may be used, whether of adults or youths.

A still further'object of the invention is to provide a novel liquid ejector eductor tube and tip combination which is economical, can be readily sterilized and cleaned, or discarded.

The present inventive device will be readily understood from the following general and detailed description of the invention especially when read in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts in side elevation the oral cavity of a patient containing an accumulation of saliva liquid wherein there is inserted a liquid ejector device for the purpose of expelling said liquid from said cavity, said device being one embodiment of an ejector device in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the novel device of the invention having a different shape of tip.

FIG. 3 shows still another embodiment of the novel ejector device of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged detail view of a tip of a saliva ejector in accordance with the present invention pivotally depending from one end of an eductor tube, there being also shown in dotted lines another position capable of being assumed by said tip.

FIG. 5 is a plan or top view of the tip element of FIG.

4 taken along line 55.

3,373,492 Patented Mar. 19, 1968 In gener al, the novel liquid ejector device of the present invention comprises (a) an eductor tube suitably curved or curvable to accommodate itself to the body cavity wherein used, and movably coupled to one end thereof, (b) a liquid intake tip consisting essentially of a coil restricted at one end remote from the tube end by a diminishing of said coil, the other end of the coil as aforesaid being coupled to the end of the eductor tube intended to enter the body cavity. Coupling of the eductor tube and said intake tip may be by any suitable means provided the tip may swivel freely thereon, and preferably be detachable therefrom. For example, an annular recess may be provided at or near the end of the eductor tube into which the final winding of one'end of the coil tip may be adapted as by tapering of the final coil so as to be easily forced into said recess thereby to retain the coil tip on the end of the eductor tube as shown, for example, in FIG. 5, the very end of the eductor tube being enlarged or of greater diameter than the recess.

The eductor tube while normally of a noncorroding and sterilizable metal such as stainless steel or nickel may also be of a rigid or flexible thermoplastic or thermoset plastic. In addition it may be permanently or removably coupled to the tip element. For example, in the case where both the tip and eductor tube are of metal, the two elements will probably be permanently coupled as both may be sterilized. Where the eductor tube is of plastic and to be discarded the tip may be removably coupled thereto. Notwithstanding the means and manner of coupling, the tip must be freely movable on the tube as to be able to swivel or pivot.

The curvature of the eductor tube may beformed or preformed by the user to comfortably fit or depend from the particular body cavity wherein used. For instance, referring to FIG. 1 when the eductor tube 10 is a portion of a saliva ejector mouthpiece 12 it may be curved as shown to be supported by the teeth 14 or lower lip 16 of the patient, or both, during performance of a dental prophylaxis or other dental operations. I

The end of the eductor tube, remote from the end adapted to be coupled with the tip element, is normally adapted to communicate with conventional aspirator pump means 18 by a hose 20, such as shown in FIG. 1. The eductor tube and hose, for example, may be coupled as by a friction fit.

The coil tip element 22 of the liquid ejector device 12 of the invention is uniquely designed in that the coils are spaced apart slightly to permit'intake of liquids, such as, e.g., saliva 24, at any point about the tip while in effect filtering out enamel, bone chips, accumulations of pumice and the like to prevent clogging of the device. Moreover, the coil tip 22 is movably coupled to the eductor tube and of a cross-sectional design such as to be non-irritating to the patient since the tip positionally accommodates itself to the body cavity wherein employed. This is shown in FIG. 4 where the tip, in solid lines,- is dependently shown as it may be inserted into an oral cavity, and in dotted lines to show another position thereby illustrating the swivel or movable nature of the tip element of the device of the present invention.

Depending on the body cavity configuration, it may be desirable to employ different shaped coil tips in accordance with the invention. FIG. 2, e.g., shows another embodiment of the coil tip as somewhat of a so-called tear drop shape. FIG. 3 on the other hand shows a coil tip of a more fiat and thicker cross section, and FIG. 4, enlarged, shows a coil tip similar to that of FIG. 1 wherein the coupling arrangement is shown in detail. Referring further to FIG. 4, an annular recess 26 in the side wall of the eductor tube 10 is shown of sufficient length to permit the coil tip to move longitudinally preferably within and on said recess a distance corresponding ap- 3 I proximately to one third the longitudinal length of the coil tip. This permits the tip to swivel freely on the eductor tube where coupled to assume any number of positions which may be comfortable to the patient.

In general, the spacing or interstices between the coils must be small enough to filter out solid particles in order of size which may clog the eductor tube. Smaller particles which are readily carried along by the liquids being ejected through the tip and eductor tube pass through the coil spaces. An operable interstices distance between coils may be, for example, from about .005 to about .030 inch, while a distance, for example, of from about .0- to about .025 inch may be preferred. In actuality the coil spacing will depend on the amount of liquid to be ejected, the body cavity in which the invention is to be employed, and the overall size of the ejector device. Coil spacing, for example, of the tip of the ejector device shown in FIG. 4 is about .020 inch, whereas the length of the tip is approximately A; inch, the width being about inch. The diameter of the eductor tube is about inch while the recess diameter is about Ms inch. In any event the size of the tip element and eductor tube of the device of the present invention may be predetermined and varied according to the situation consistent with its purpose as hereinbefore described. Coupling means other than that shown in FIG. 4 may, of course, be employed, provided the coil tip is thereby permitted to move or pivot freely on the eductor tube.

For operation, the liquid ejector device of the present invention must be adapted with conventional suction generating means to supply the necessary evacuative force to withdraw liquids from body cavities. Exemplary of such means is a suitable pump for creating a suction, said pump being in communication with the present ejector device by way of a flexible tube, there being also included receptacle means to collect the ejected liquids and fine solids so that they may properly be discarded.

In employing the novel ejector device of the invention in, for example, the oral cavity, suction is applied through the eductor tube from suitable suction generating means. The device is placed in the patients mouth, supported by the lower jaw, and positioned therein to withdraw accumulations of saliva as generated. The liquid is withdrawn through the interstices of the ejector tip while filtering out large solid particles, whereupon, the liquid or saliva is carried through the eductor tube, through the extension tube and pump, into the pump receptacle. The swivel manner in which the tip element of the present invention is coupled to the eductor tube, as hereinbefore described, allows the device to be comfortably positioned in the body cavity against the body tissue without irritation as is demonstrated in the example which follows hereinafter. The present ejector device may be easily employed with conventional aspirator means widely and commonly used in, for example, dental surgery.

The device of the present invention is efficient, durable, economical, simple in construction, and comfortable to the patient, causing minimum, if any, irritation to body tissues. The device, moreover, may be of metal or plastic partially or entirely, and may be sterilized for reuse or discarded.

Cir

The following example serves to illustrate the novel device of the invention but is not to be construed as limiting the invention thereto.

Example A saliva ejector device in accordance with the present invention and constructed similarly to the device in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawing was prepared and delivered to a practicing, licensed, doctor of dental surgery (D.D.S.) in applicants community. Upon request, said dentist experimentally used the saliva ejector so-prepared in his daily routine profession of dentistry for a period of about 10 Working days to extract accumulations of saliva from the oral cavities of various patients. At the completion of said period it was reported to applicant that the device so-used did not in any case irritate any oral cavity tissue, plug, or cause any discomfont to any patient upon which it was used, and that the device was apparently generally satisfactory for the purpose for which it was specifically made.

The present invention may be modified and changed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, such as, for example, employing liquid ejector devices of varying design but in accordance with the invention as described in body cavities other than the oral cavity, and it is understood that the invention is only limited as defined in the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. A liquid ejector device consisting essentially of an eductor tube element and a coiled liquid intake element pivotally coupled to one end of said eductor tube, the coil having interstices of a minimum distance to at least admit liquids upon applying evacuative force through the device and of a maximum distance limitation to filter out large size particles capable of clogging said eductor tube, said coil being partially closed by a diminishing of its cross section remote from the eductor tube, the end of the eductor tube remote from the coil being adapted to internally communicate with suction generating means, said pivotal connection allowing the coil to be diverted from the longitudinal axis of the eductor tube without varying essentially the intersticial distance between said coils.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the interstice distance is from about .005 to about .030 inch.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the interstice distance is from about .015 to about .025 inch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Otis 32-33 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

RONALD L. FRINKS, Assistant Examiner.

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