Device for Performing X-Ray Examinations of the Teeth

The present invention relates to a device for performing dental X-ray examinations.

It is of great importance that dental X-ray examinations may be performed in a safe and comfortable way for the patient and that all kinds of examinations may be performed rapidly using one single equipment.

It is previously known to use specially designed film holders to securely hold the film during the actual exposure. The requirements upon such film holders may be summarized as follows:

The film holder should be hygienic, i.e. either of the disposable type or possible to sterilize and in all cases it must be able to be disinfected. It must last all the exposures required for one patient during one examination occasion.

It should be possible to use it in most or preferably all existing situations, by exposure of periapical pictures as well as by exposure of bite-wing pictures and it should be possible to use it by up-right as well as resting film location. By exposure of periapical pictures it must be so thick that it permits the edge of the film to be placed above the occlusion plane.

By exposure of bite-wing pictures it must be so thin that the teeth in the upper and lower gums need not be unnecessarily kept apart.

It must be provided with such a long biting plate that a stable biting of the teeth is obtained in such cases where the film is located relatively far away from the teeth, e.g. using a so called parallel technique when examining the teeth of the upper gum or the front of the lower gum.

It must have so short a biting plate that it does not interfere for example by engaging the cheeks when examining the side portions of the lower gum.

It must be easy to handle and uncomplicated to use by dentist or nurse.

It should be comfortable to the patient but should at the same time offer a stable biting that secures the film in a definite position.

It should support the film and prevent it from bending. It must not generate interfering shadows by high absorption of X-rays.

It is a further desire that dental X-ray examinations could be performed rapidly and efficiently so that for example the need for repeating is minimized.

The film holders hitherto developed have only partiallay fulfilled the requirements and wishes disclosed above.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide an device fulfilling the abovementioned requirements and wishes and which furthermore may be produced at a low cost.

To accomplish these and other objects the invention has the characteristics disclosed in the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings an exemplifying embodiment of the invention is shown as well as a modification thereof.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the schematic structure of a device according to the invention:

FIG. 2 is a section through a film holder forming part of the device:

FIG. 3 is a guiding arm forming part of the device:

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the connection between the film holder and the guiding arm:

FIG. 5 shows a somewhat modified connection between the film holder and the guiding arm:

FIG. 6 shows a shielding-off disc connectable to the guiding arm:

FIG. 7 is a section through a film holder extension:

FIG. 8 shows the principle for a so called bite-wing exposure:

FIG. 9 shows the principle for a premolar picture in the lower gum:

FIG. 10 shows the principle for the exposure of the molar region of the upper gum:

FIG. 11 shows the principle for the exposure of the lower gum front:

FIG. 1 shows in principle how a dental X-ray examination according to the invention may be performed.

Reference numeral 1 thereby designates an X-ray machine of conventional type. As is known, such a machine is universally adjustable so that the picture frame thereof may be brought into register with the film positioned in the film holder to be exposed.

Numeral 2 denotes a shielding-off disc connected to a film holder 4 by means of an arm 3. The connection between the disc 2 and the film holder 4 is so designed that an exposure opening 5 in the disc always will be located in register with a film 6 inserted into the film holder and it is easily understood that the adjustment of the X-ray machine is considerably facilitated as the dentist or the nurse only has to center the machine in relation to the disc 2 and by means of the length of the arm 3 said disc will always be located in the immediate vicinity of the cylindrical end portion of the X-ray machine. Consequently, it is the patient herself that secures the guiding means defined by the shielding-off disc 2 into the correct position.

In order to permit such adjustment in upright and resting film positions respectively and by the examinations which will be further discussed below the disc 2 and the arm 3 are designed to be connected to each other in a number of different ways. For this purpose the arm 3 has, as may be seen in FIG. 3, a conically shaped connecting part 7, square in section. Further, according to FIG. 6 the disc 2 has a number, four in the illustrated embodiment, of openings 8, which are square and conically shaped so that the connecting part 7 of the arm 3 by insertion into each opening 8 respectively, may be brought to connect the arm to the disc by means of frictional force. Naturally, this frictional connection may be replaced by a snap device or some other type of rapidly releasable connection means. It is understood that by this arrangement the arm may be fixed in a number of locations in relation to the disc.

In order to permit connection of the arm 3 to the film holder 4 with the latter in two alternative positions, the arm according to FIG. 4 in the end opposite to the connecting part 7 has a second connecting part which in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 has a portion 9 with U-shaped section from the web portion of which projects a portion 10 parallel to the legs of the U-shaped portion 9. Since according to FIG. 2 and 4 the film holder has a design of the sockets 11a, 11b, 12a matching the portions 9, 10, it is understood that the arm 3 may be connected to the film holder 4 by sideways pushing the portions 9, 10 of the arm into said socket means in the film holder. As may be seen in FIG. 2 the film holder 4 has two walls 13, 14 between which an X-ray film may be applicated and two walls 15, 16 perpendicular thereto and an X-ray film may be positioned between these. By selecting the thickness of the wall 16 in such a manner that it substantially corresponds to the distance between the U-shaped legs of the portion 9 it is understood that the arm 3 may also be connected to the thin wall 16 of the film holder 4 in a manner indicated in the lower right hand side of FIG. 4.

For some examinations a longer biting surface is required than the one offered by the walls 13 and 17 and for this purpose an extension part 18 according to FIG. 7 may be used. This extension part has a portion 19 that fits into the socket 11a, 11b, 12 and a portion 20 constituting the actual extension.

In FIGS. 10 and 11 examples of examinations are shown in which an extension part according to FIG. 7 is well suited.

FIG. 8 shows the exposure of a bite-wing picture and as may be seen, the biting in this case is performed engaging the thin part 16 of the film holder. In the examination according to FIG. 9 the biting rather takes place engaging the thicker portion of the film holder and the film is resting. Also by the examination according to FIG. 10 resting film is used and as mentioned, an extension part is used. Finally, in examination according to FIG. 11 an extension part is used and the film is placed in an upright position.

As may be seen from the discussion above, the improved aid according to the invention offers dental X-ray examinations of the most varying types by using a few very simple and easy-to-handle elements at the same time as the adjustment of the X-ray machine is considerably facilitated and hereby the risk for e.g. incorrect adjustment etc. resulting in repeated exposures is drastically reduced.

In the modification of the connecting portion shown in FIG. 5 the film holder has a slot 21 in the thicker portion thereof and the connecting portion of the arm is defined by two projecting walls 22, 23 one of which 22 is longer that than the other. The distance between the walls 22, 23 is so selected that it corresponds to the wall thickness of the thinner wall 16 of the film holder in order that a frictional grip may obtained in the two connection cases.