Medical bite block and method

Abstract

A bite block for use in a mouth of a patient to hold the mouth in a spaced-apart position that includes a condensed fiber block having a predetermined length suitable for being inserted into the mouth of the patient and positioned between upper and lower molars and a wrapper yarn repeatedly wrapped around the block along its length. An adhesive strand in the wrapper yarn is positioned on an outer surface of the fiber to maintain the block in its condensed state.

Claims

1. A bite block for use in a mouth of a patient to hold the mouth in a spaced-apart position, comprising: (a) a condensed fiber block having a predetermined length suitable for being inserted into the mouth of the patient and positioned between upper and lower molars; (b) a wrapper yarn repeatedly wrapped around the block along its length; (c) an adhesive positioned on an outer surface of the fiber to maintain the block in its condensed state; and (d) wherein the block has a density of 0.23 g/cm.sup.3 and a resistance to compression sufficient to maintain a thickness of at least 7 mm under an applied pressure of 7 kg/cm.sup.2.

2. A bite block according to claim 1, wherein the wrapper yarn has at least two plies and one of the two plies comprises the adhesive.

3. A bite block according to claim 1, wherein the wrapper yarn has at least two plies and one of the plies comprises the adhesive, wherein the adhesive is a strand adapted to be dissolved onto an outer surface of the block.

4. A bite block according to claim 3, wherein the adhesive strand comprises cellulose acetate.

5. A bite block according to claim 1, wherein the fiber block comprises cotton sliver.

6. A bite block for use in a mouth of a patient to hold the mouth in a spaced-apart position, comprising: (a) a condensed cylindrical cotton sliver block having a predetermined length suitable for being inserted into the mouth of the patient between upper and lower molars; (b) a yarn repeatedly wrapped around the block along its length; and (c) an adhesive positioned on an outer surface of the block and adapted to be dissolved onto an outer surface of the block to maintain the block in its condensed state, wherein the wrapper yarn comprises two yarn plies and one of the two plies of the yarn comprises the adhesive.

7. A bite block according to claim 6, wherein the adhesive comprises cellulose acetate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

(1) The present invention is best understood when the following detailed description of the invention is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is an environmental view showing a bite block according to an embodiment of the invention positioned between upper and lower molars of a patient before insertion of an airway;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bite block according to an embodiment of the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the bite block of FIGS. 1 and 2 with a section of wrapper yarn removed to show a covering layer of adhesive overlying the sliver block; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a preferred process for manufacturing the bite block according to the disclosure of this application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(6) Referring now to the drawings, a bite block according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown at reference numeral 10. The bite block 10 is formed of a tightly condensed bundle of fibers forming a fiber block 12 that is wrapped in the tightly condensed state with a wrapper yarn 14 applied, for example, by a braiding machine. A preferred sliver block 12 comprises staple cotton processed under medical grade cleanliness standards applicable to other medical products containing cotton. Other staple fibers can also be used, but staple cotton fiber has been found to be a preferred, suitable material. The wrapper yarn 14 preferably comprises a two-ply yarn wherein one ply is a synthetic filament yarn such as nylon, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene or other suitable material, with nylon being the preferred filament yarn. The second ply is preferably a cellulose acetate yarn.

(7) As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wrapper yarn 14 is wrapped on the braiding machine in a crisscross pattern around the cylindrical sliver block 12 and prevents the condensed sliver block 12 from blooming, as described in further detail below.

(8) Referring to FIG. 3, the cellulose acetate yarn ply is dissolved during the manufacturing process described below and diffuses onto the surface of the sliver block 12. The diffused cellulose acetate acts as an adhesive 16 that further prevents blooming of the sliver block 12 and thus maintains the required compression of the bite block 10. A preferred nominal diameter for the bite block 10 as manufactured is about 20 mm.

(9) FIG. 4 illustrates a preferred manufacturing process for the bite block 10. Fiber, such as cotton staple fiber, is opened and then carded by conventional textile processing equipment. The output of the cards is a slivera rope of parallel fibers with sufficient twist applied to hold the sliver block 12 together during subsequent processing. As shown, several slivers, for example, three slivers are formed into a single, tightly condensed sliver block 12 by simultaneously passing the slivers through a trumpet, i.e., a funnel-shaped device with a downstream-narrowing orifice. Thus, for example, three 333-gram slivers are condensed into a single 1000-gram sliver block 12. Immediately at the downstream opening of the trumpet, the joined, condensed slivers are wrapped with the wrapper yarn 14 in a braiding machine, which may be any one of several types of braiding machines, such as a maypole braider.

(10) In the preferred embodiment disclosed, the wrapped sliver block 12 is then conveyed to and through a bath of acetone in which the cellulose acetate yarn ply is dissolved into a thin film that coats the surface of the sliver block 12 and provides further resistance to the natural tendency of a compressed cotton fiber to bloom. The acetone has a very low vapor pressure and rapidly evaporates, leaving the sliver block 12 with both a wrapper yarn 14 of the remaining nylon component and an extremely thin adhesive coating 16.

(11) Upon exiting the acetone bath, the continuous length of sliver block 12 is cut to an intermediate length, for example, 10 cm. These individual cut lengths of sliver blocks 12 may be packaged individually or bundled into groups of, for example, ten and packaged in a tube sufficiently large enough to accommodate the group and wrapped in a tubular paper package. The intermediate length sliver blocks 12 are then cut to a final length, for example, 100 mm and are then ready for consolidation into cartons for shipping.

(12) The resulting bite block 10, according to one preferred embodiment, has a density of 0.23 g/cm.sup.3 and a resistance to compression sufficient to maintain a thickness of at least 7 mm under an applied pressure of 7 kg/cm.sup.2. The 7 mm minimum thickness under this degree of applied pressure is required because 7 mm is a standard diameter of an adult airway tube, and the force applied by a patient biting the bite block 10 should not restrict the airway.

(13) A bite block according to the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments and examples. Various details of the invention maybe changed without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention and best mode for practicing the invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation, the invention being defined by the claims.