Full-scanner barrier for an intra-oral device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11759277-B2
Application number	US-202016942616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2020
Priority date	Jul 29, 2019
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

Removable barrier devices (e.g., sleeves) for covering medical scanning devices to reduce the chance of cross-contamination between patients and/or to protect the scanning devices from physical damage. The barrier device can include a cover that has an integrated window for passing optical signals between the scanning device and an external environment. The cover can include a sleeve that covers a handle portion of the scanning device to prevent contamination of the handle from a user's hand or glove. The cover and sleeve may both be formed of the same flexible material, or the cover may be rigid to maintain the window in a fixed position and the sleeve may be flexible to allow a user to activate a button or touchpad on the handle. An interface region between the cover and sleeve may provide a hermetic seal. The window may include a nanostructured antireflective material to limit internal reflections.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A removable barrier device for covering a handheld intraoral scanner, the barrier device comprising:
a cover adapted to fit over a scanning portion of the intraoral scanner at a distal end of the intraoral scanner, the cover including a window for allowing transmission of an optical signal between the intraoral scanner and an external environment;
wherein the cover has walls that are sufficiently rigid to maintain the window in a fixed position relative to an optical window of the intraoral scanner, wherein the walls include one or more protrusions, one or more recesses, or one or more protrusions and recesses that is configured to removably secure the cover to the scanning portion of the intraoral scanner; and
a flexible sleeve extending proximally from the cover and adapted to cover a handle of the intraoral scanner, wherein the flexible sleeve is more flexible than the cover.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible sleeve is coupled to the cover at an interface region that is configured to prevent fluid from passing through the barrier device between the cover and the sleeve.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the interface region comprises an adhesive tape.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the interface region comprises a gasket.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the gasket comprises an O-ring.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the gasket is integral to the cover.

7. The device of claim 4 , wherein the gasket is integral to the flexible sleeve.

8. The device of claim 4 , wherein the gasket is disposed over the cover and the flexible sleeve to provide a compression fit.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible sleeve and the cover are continuous and formed of the same material.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cover is configured to releasably couple to a retention clip that is coupled to the sleeve, wherein the retention clip includes an engagement feature that is configured to engage with the cover.

11. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a gasket to seal the cover and sleeve together.

12. The device of claim 2 , wherein the interface region comprises a weld region that integrally couples the cover and the sleeve.

13. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a nanostructured antireflective material on at least one side of the window and configured to reduce internal reflections from the window.

14. The device of claim 1 , further wherein the flexible sleeve is held in a folded or compressed pre-deployed configuration within a packaging.

15. The device of claim 1 , further wherein the sleeve is adapted to cover one or more actuators of the handle, the sleeve being sufficiently thin and flexible for a user to actuate the one or more actuators from an outer surface of the sleeve.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein a length of the barrier device from a distal end of the barrier device to a proximal end of the barrier device ranges from about 6 to 20 inches.

17. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an air flow director configured to direct air flow to and from the intraoral scanner, wherein the sleeve is configured to cover at least a portion of the air flow director.

18. A removable barrier device for covering a handheld intraoral scanner, the barrier device comprising:
a cover adapted to fit over a scanning portion of the intraoral scanner at a distal end of the intraoral scanner, the cover including a window for allowing transmission of an optical signal between the intraoral scanner and an external environment, wherein walls of the cover include one or more protrusions, one or more recesses, or one or more protrusions and recesses that is configured to removably secure the cover to the scanning portion of the intraoral scanner; and
a flexible sleeve adapted to cover a handle of the intraoral scanner, the flexible sleeve coupled to the cover at an interface region configured to prevent fluid from passing through the barrier device between the cover and the sleeve, wherein the flexible sleeve is more flexible than the cover.

19. A removable barrier device for covering a handheld intraoral scanner, the barrier device comprising:
a cover portion adapted to fit over a distal end of the intraoral scanner, the cover portion including at least one rigid window for allowing transmission of an optical signal between the intraoral scanner and an external environment;
an engagement region within the cover portion that is configured to removably engage with the distal end of the intraoral scanner and to secure the at least one rigid window in fixed relation to the intraoral scanner, wherein the engagement region includes one or more protrusions, one or more recesses, or one or more protrusions and recesses; and
a flexible sleeve portion extending proximally from the cover portion and adapted to cover a handle and cord of the intraoral scanner,
wherein the flexible sleeve portion and the cover are configured to prevent fluid from passing to the intraoral scanner, further wherein the flexible sleeve portion is more flexible than the cover portion.

20. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible sleeve is adapted to provide a fluid barrier between at least a distal portion of the handle and the external environment, and wherein the flexible sleeve includes a proximal opening configured to allow air to flow between one or more vents at a proximal portion of the handle and the external environment.

21. The device of claim 1 , wherein a coupling member is adhered to the window and the cover to seal the window to the cover, wherein the coupling member includes an opening to allow transmission of the optical signal therethrough.

22. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a coupling member including a foam spacer between the window of the cover and the walls of the cover.

23. The device of claim 18 , further comprising a coupling member including a foam spacer between the window and the walls of the cover.

Assignees

• Align Technology Inc

Inventors

• Shalev Ariel
• Green Eran
• Ginzburg Zakhar
• Durban Matthew
• Gorfinkel Roee
• Saphier Ofer
• Verker Tal
• Makmel Nir
• Ishay Eran
• Levy Raphael

Classifications

• A61B46/40 Primary

  Drape material, e.g. laminates; Manufacture thereof · CPC title

• A61B46/17 Primary

  closed at the distal end · CPC title

• A61B5/0088 Primary

  for oral or dental tissue · CPC title

• A61B46/10

  specially adapted for instruments{, e.g. microscopes} · CPC title

• A61B1/247

  with means for viewing areas outside the direct line of sight, e.g. dentists' mirrors · CPC title