An apparatus and method for removing amalgam and waste particles from dental office suction effluent. The apparatus includes an upper chamber and a solids collection canister removably secured thereto. Dental office suction effluent drawn through a dental suction wand enters the upper chamber along a lateral flow path above a substantially cylindrical internal wall portion. A gas component of dental office suction effluent changes direction by more than 60 before it exits the upper chamber through an exit port. A riser conveys a liquid and solids component of dental office suction effluent through a drain into the solids collection canister. A flow restrictor allows liquids and gases to exit the solids collection canister interior volume but prohibits solids from exiting the solids collection canister interior volume.

The present invention includes an apparatus and method for a hands-free foot pedal to attenuate and interrupt suction that attaches externally around suction tubing, in the context of any system where the flow of suction is through tubing.

A disposable dental valve device is disclosed having a valve body having an interior, a tip receiving end for receiving a tip, a socket hose receiving end for receiving a tube having a beaded end, a lumen formed between the tip receiving end and the socket hose receiving end, and a partial opening formed in the valve body, a rotatable valve sealing body adapted to be inserted into the partial opening, and the rotatable valve sealing body having a bore for alignment with the lumen formed between the tip receiving end and the socket hose receiving end.

A portable, self-contained vacuum tongue cleaning device uses a removable cleaning head so that different heads can be used with different users. The device includes a debris and saliva separator that removes the debris and saliva from the vacuum flow. This separator is carried by the cleaning head in order to minimize required cleaning of the base of the device. The base carries a vacuum pump, a power supply, a switch, and an inlet that allows the power supply to be recharged. The device is configured for emergency use in an oral surgeon's office wherein vacuum flow is required during surgeries.

An oral suction device provides an oral suction screen over the oral cavity of a patient by providing upper and lower suction wings attached to a manifold. The wings are inserted between the upper and lower lips and arches of a patient, respectively, and serve to capture aerosols which would otherwise be ejected from the oral cavity. A tongue/cheek retractor, also in pneumatic communication with the manifold, serves to extract saliva and other products from the oral cavity while also preventing the tongue and cheeks from ingress of the workspace for the dental procedure.

A composition for reducing/eliminating aerosolization during dental/surgical irrigation procedures comprising at least one liquid or solid carrier and at least one polymer, wherein the at least one polymer comprises at least hydroxyalkyl cellulose polymer, at least one poly(ethylene oxide) polymer or a mixture thereof and wherein the at least one polymer is not soluble in the liquid carrier.

A composition for reducing/eliminating aerosolization during dental/surgical irrigation procedures comprising at least one liquid or solid carrier and at least one polymer, wherein the at least one polymer comprises at least hydroxyalkyl cellulose polymer, at least one poly(ethylene oxide) polymer or a mixture thereof and wherein the at least one polymer is not soluble in the liquid carrier.

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for holding a medical device within reach of a dentist during a dental procedure, the dental device comprising a clamp portion configured to attach a medical device, the clamp portion having a proximal end and a distal end; and a hook portion coupled to the distal end of the clamp portion, the hook portion configured to engage with a supporting structure. In one implementation, the medical device is a suction hose, and the supporting structure is a dental dam.

A suction member for a high-volume evacuator (HVE) suction tool used in dental procedures. The suction member has a connection portion at a proximal end, a tubular portion connected to the connection portion, and a suction tip connected to the tubular portion at a distal end. The suction tip includes a plurality of distally protruding lobes and open-ended peripheral vent openings alternating about its circumference. The distal ends of the lobes are generally aligned in an oblique distal tangent plane inclined relative to a longitudinal axis of the tubular portion. The vent openings are spaced closer together towards a front side of the suction member, and the lobes include a widest rear lobe that is useful for soft tissue retraction.

An oral cavity suction device comprising a vacuum hose and a vacuum tip including a tube body having a base end and a distal end that is a suction opening. The oral cavity suction device includes a hose-side light-outputting end face in the vacuum hose arranged to face the distal end side of the vacuum hose to output light input from a light source. The oral cavity suction device includes a light guiding element in the vacuum tip, with a tip-side light-receiving end face arranged to face the base end side of the vacuum tip to guide light input from the tip-side light-receiving end face and project the light. The hose-side light-outputting end face and the tip-side light-receiving end face allow light to be transmitted in a state in which the vacuum tip is completely connected to the vacuum hose.