Finger-worn oral procedure apparatus and method
A device and methods for making and using an oral procedure apparatus include a tubular member and a flange. The tubular member forms a lumen extending from a first end of the tubular member to a second end of the tubular member, the lumen having a lumen cross-section sized to admit a human finger extending through the lumen, the tubular member having a tubular cross-section sized to be admitted into a mouth of a patient, the tubular member formed from a material substantially resilient against a bite from the mouth of the patient. The flange is coupled to the first end of the tubular member, the flange having a flange cross-section sized larger than the mouth of the patient.
1 . An oral procedure apparatus configured to be placed over a finger of a wearer and partially admitted into a mouth of a patient, comprising:
a tubular member forming a lumen having a lumen cross-section sized to admit the finger of the wearer extending through the lumen, the tubular member having a circular cross-section configured to be admitted into the mouth of a patient and configured to be seated between a metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint and up to a proximal inter-phalangeal (PIP) joint of the finger of the wearer, the tubular member having a hardness between Shore durometer A 70 and Shore durometer D 80; and
a flange having an inner surface and an outer surface configured to be adjacent to a knuckle of the wearer, the flange having a first flange end and a second flange end, the first flange end positioned to a first end of the tubular member and having a first width, the second flange end having a second width larger than the first width, wherein a flange cross-section is configured to be larger than the mouth of the patient.
2 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tubular member has an inner surface facing the lumen and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, wherein the tubular member forms a channel on the outer surface, the channel orthogonal to a primary axis of the lumen.
3 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the channel is circumferential around the tubular member is configured to seat a tooth of the patient anywhere around the channel.
4 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the channel is formed between a radially extending ridge proximate a second end of the tubular member and the flange proximate the first end and wherein the flange is configured to be positioned proximate the knuckle of the wearer.
5 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the radially extending ridge has a width of between six and twelve millimeters.
6 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the radially extending ridge has a depth of between one and five millimeters.
7 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tubular member has a tubular length from a first end to a second end of the tubular member configured to be less than a phalange length of a proximal phalange of the finger of the wearer.
8 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tubular member is cylindrical.
9 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the tubular member is a complete cylinder extending from a first end to a second end of the tubular member.
10 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tubular member and the flange are formed from a single piece of material.
11 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flange forms a notch, the notch defining an arc around a portion of a circumference of the flange, and wherein placing the oral procedure apparatus on the finger of the wearer includes admitting webbing of a hand of the wearer adjacent to the finger of the wearer into the notch.
12 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:
the outer surface of the flange is parabolic;
the inner surface of the flange is parabolic; and
placing the oral procedure apparatus on the finger of the wearer includes placing the inner surface of the flange around the knuckle of the wearer.
13 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the outer surface of the flange is a straight outer surface.
14 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the outer surface of the flange is conical and the inner surface of the flange is conical.
15 . The oral procedure apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the flange is concave and wherein the inner surface of the flange is convex.
16 . A method of using an oral procedure apparatus comprising a tubular member extending from a first end to a second end, the method comprising:
placing the oral procedure apparatus over a finger of a wearer so that the first end is positioned proximate a metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint of the wearer;
inserting the second end of the tubular member and the finger into a mouth of a patient;
seating at least one tooth of the patient onto the tubular member so that a flange of the oral procedure apparatus prevents the oral procedure apparatus from embolizing into the mouth of the patient; and
bending the finger at a proximal inter-phalangeal (PIP) joint of the wearer proximate the second end.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein seating at least one tooth of the patient onto the tubular member comprises seating the at least one tooth in a channel of the tubular member, the channel orthogonal to a primary axis of the tubular member.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising selecting the oral procedure apparatus from a plurality of oral procedure apparatuses, each having a channel of different dimensions, such that the channel securely admits the at least one tooth of the wearer.