BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates to a disposable dental filter device for use during a dental procedure and more particularly to a disposable dental waste filter device for capturing debris and other matter from a mouth of a patient during a dental procedure.

During a dental procedure it is important to be able to remove saliva, blood, water, tooth fragments, metals, and other debris or fluids from the mouth of a patient. Removal of this matter allows a dentist to be able to perform a procedure in an unobstructed manner. Various systems or devices have been developed to remove liquid and solid materials from a mouth during a dental procedure. One device that is capable of removing saliva is known as a saliva ejector or a low volume ejector. A saliva ejector typically comprises a plastic flexible tube or straw for placement in the mouth of a patient. The saliva ejector tube is connected to a valve which in turn is connected via suction tubing to a source of vacuum. In this manner, saliva is passed through the ejector tube, the valve, and the tubing to be disposed of in a sanitary manner. Once the procedure is completed, the ejector should be discarded and the valve should be sterilized by autoclave to be used again. Although it is suggested to autoclave the valve after each use, it is known that the autoclave procedure is hardly ever done. Another device that is capable of removing solid materials is a high volume evacuator system. A high volume evacuator system generally consists of a rigid tube or straw that may be inserted into a mouth of a patient with the tube connected to a valve which is connected via a tubing to a source of vacuum. Again, in this manner, debris may be removed from the mouth of the patient. After the dental procedure, the tube is disposed of and the valve should be sterilized for reuse. However, although it is suggested to sterilize the valve after use, it is known that this suggested procedure is hardly ever followed.

As can be appreciated, the saliva ejector and the high volume evacuator are used to remove liquids and debris from a mouth of a patient to prevent a patient from swallowing or aspirating liquids and debris produced during a dental procedure. One such dental procedure is when dental fillings are removed or replaced. Dental fillings are used to fill cavities in teeth caused by tooth decay. The fillings may consist of a mixture of materials or metals that may include silver, mercury, copper, zinc, tin, or palladium. The fillings typically consist of half mercury and the other half some other metal or metals that form an amalgam. As is known, mercury is a poison that should be prevented from contaminating the environment. When drilling out the amalgam from a tooth, the amalgam should be captured or collected to prevent the mercury and other metals from entering into the environment such as waste water. Also, some of the metals, such as silver, are valuable and can be captured to be recycled for money.

In view of this, various separator systems and devices have been developed to capture the amalgam before it is introduced into waste water. One system is a vacuum system that has a collecting tank for collecting amalgam. The amalgam is suctioned from a mouth of a patient through a line into the collecting tank by a vacuum pump. Various problems exist with this type of system. In particular, such a system is expensive to purchase, to operate, and to maintain, takes up space in a dental office due to its size, and has a number of mechanical parts that can fail. Further, after collecting the amalgam, the amalgam must still be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner. The dental office typically sends the amalgam to a recycle center which is a time consuming proposition. Also, collection tank need to be cleaned by hand. Cleaning requires an individual to manually clean the tank and any other ancillary equipment which is an unpleasant experience and exposes the individual to hazardous material.

Another device that has been developed to capture or separate the amalgam is a disposable hand held amalgam separator device that is used to capture amalgam at the mouth of the patient. The disposable hand held amalgam separator device has a unitary body having an internal filter that is used to separate amalgam from other materials, such as saliva, water, tissue, or blood. After the dental procedure is completed and the device is filled with amalgam, the device is sent to a recycle center to retrieve any valuable or recyclable metals captured within the device. Although such a device is useful, when attempting to retrieve the recyclable metal from the interior of the device, the device must be cut open. Cutting the device open may result in the hazardous material being dispersed into the atmosphere and unto the individual cutting open the device. This may require that the room in which the device was opened to be cleaned resulting in added expense. This also may require the individual to wear a suit to prevent from coming into contact with the hazardous waste.

Therefore, it would be desirable to have a disposable dental waste filter device that captures any metal or other debris produced during a dental procedure for being able to properly dispose of the metal or other debris. It would also be desirable to have a disposable dental waste filter device that is easy to install on or remove from a dental valve attached to suction tubing connected to a source of vacuum. Further, it would be advantageous to have a disposable dental waste filter device that is easy to open to retrieve any valuable or recyclable material captured within the device.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one form of the present disclosure, a disposable dental waste filter device comprises a body having a receiving end, and a separable cap having a tip end, the body for receiving and capturing therein amalgam that enters into the body through the tip end and the separable cap.

In another form of the present disclosure, a disposable dental waste filter device comprises a body having a receiving end, a central lumen for receiving and capturing amalgam, and a circular leg portion having an exterior channel, and a separable cap having a tip end, a circular outer rim having a circular end ridge portion with the ridge portion adapted to be inserted into the exterior channel of the body for a snap fit engagement between the cap and the body, the body for receiving and capturing therein amalgam that enters into the body through the tip end and the separable cap.

In yet another form of the present disclosure, a disposable dental waste filter device comprises a body having a receiving end, a central lumen for receiving and capturing amalgam, a filter, and a circular leg portion having an exterior channel, a separable cap having a tip end, a circular outer rim having a circular end ridge portion with the ridge portion adapted to be inserted into the exterior channel of the body for a snap fit engagement between the cap and the body, the body for receiving and capturing therein amalgam that enters into the body through the tip end and the separable cap, and a dental valve having a rotatable valve sealing body.

The present disclosure provides a disposable dental waste filter device for use during a dental procedure that is suitable for one time use and may be properly recycled after a single use.

The present disclosure is related to a disposable dental waste filter device that is easy to open to retrieve any valuable or recyclable material captured within the device.

The present disclosure provides a disposable dental waste filter device that is easy to install on a dental valve connected to suction tubing which is in turn connected to a source of vacuum.

The present disclosure provides a disposable dental waste filter device that is small, lightweight, easy to handle, easy to install, and easy to operate.

The present disclosure also provides a disposable dental waste filter device which is of simple construction and design and which can be easily employed with reliable results.

The present disclosure is related to a disposable dental waste filter device that does not require sterilization and captures metal that can be properly recycled.

The present disclosure provides a disposable dental waste filter device that may have an antimicrobial agent or chemical incorporated into the device to prevent any bacterial growth on the device. The antimicrobial agent or chemical may also be a coating applied to the disposable dental waste filter device.

The present disclosure is related to a disposable dental waste filter that may be constructed of plastic that is recyclable or biodegradable to reduce the cost of the device and to allow the device to be disposable and discarded after a single use.

The present disclosure provides a disposable dental waste filter device that is used to capture any metal produced during a dental procedure for recycling the metal.

The present disclosure is related to a disposable dental waste filter device that automatically suctions or captures any metal, debris, or other material produced during a dental procedure.

The present disclosure provides a disposable dental waste filter device that may be used with a high volume evacuator valve and does not require that the valve be retrofitted.

The present disclosure further provides a disposable dental waste filter device that does not require the device to be welded or glued during manufacturing of the device.

These and other advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent after considering the following detailed specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

