Special receptacle or package – For an optical device or element – Camera
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-14
2001-10-23
Foster, Jim (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For an optical device or element
Camera
C206S363000, C206S497000, C433S029000, C600S122000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305536
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a film-made sheath making use of a shrinkable film.
b) Description of the Related Art
In the dental care field, cameras which are useful ful for taking pictures inside oral cavities (hereinafter called “intraoral cameras”) have been finding utility recently.
FIG. 4
is a perspective view of an intraoral camera
1
. The intraoral camera
1
is provided with a rod-shaped, mouth insert portion
3
, a handle
5
and a cord
7
. The mouth insert portion
3
is provided at a free end portion thereof with light portions
3
a
for illuminating an object to be imaged and also with a light-receiving portion
3
b
for receiving light from the object. The free end portion of the mouth insert portion
3
is inserted into the oral cavity of a patient. A particular part of the oral cavity, an image of which is desired, is illuminated by the light portions
3
a
, and light reflected from the particular part is received through the light-receiving portion
3
b
. The light so received is converted into video signals by CCD sensors or the like, and the video signals are transmitted to an external control box via the cord
7
. At the control box, an image of the particular part is displayed on a monitor or the like for use in checking and/or treatment.
From the viewpoint of dental hygiene (specifically, the prevention of infectious diseases or the like), a film-made sheath formed of a transparent resin or the like is applied over the mouth insert portion
3
. A new film-made sheath is applied whenever the intraoral camera is used for a different patient. For a conventional example, reference may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,381. Whenever such a conventional film-made sheath is used, it is, however, necessary to stretch the film-made sheath in a certain specific direction to avoid formation of wrinkles at a part of the film-made sheath, said part being brought into contact with the light-receiving portion
3
b
, because no good image would otherwise be available.
With the method that features the stretching of a film-made sheath in a certain specific direction as described above, wrinkles cannot be eliminated fully. To fully avoid formation of wrinkles, the film-made sheath has to be stretched in plural directions. This however requires both labor and time for applying the film-made sheath.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the foregoing problem in view, the present invention has as a primary object thereof the provision of a film-made sheath which makes it possible to achieve wrinkle-free covering of an intraoral camera or the like without much labor and time.
To attain the above-described object, the present invention provides a film-made sheath comprising a transparent film and a shrinkable film. The transparent and shrinkable films are in a contiguous relation and adhered or fusion-bonded at edges thereof into sheath-shaped configurations.
Use of such a film-made sheath requires only insertion of an intraoral camera or the like into the sheath and subsequent heating of the shrinkable film. The intraoral camera can be easily covered without wrinkles.
The film-made sheath according to the present invention is usable not only for covering an intraoral camera or the like but also for other applications. For example, it can also be used to cover a mouth insert portion of a laser beam instrument for medical treatment or a free end portion of other mouth insert instrument (for example, a handpiece or the like).
According to the present invention, it is only necessary to apply the film-made sheath over an intraoral camera or the like and then to heat the shrinkable film. The covering of the intraoral camera or the like can be achieved extremely simply. As the shrinkable film undergoes shrinkage and as a result, stretches the transparent film, the transparent remains free of wrinkles. Formation of a finger grip on either the transparent film or the shrinkable film makes it possible to easily peel off the film-made sheath after use.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3650775 (1972-03-01), Simon et al.
patent: 4757381 (1988-07-01), Cooper et al.
patent: 5069337 (1991-12-01), Bala
patent: 5406939 (1995-04-01), Bala
patent: 5480302 (1996-01-01), Fife
patent: 5643175 (1997-07-01), Adair
patent: 5795632 (1998-08-01), Buchalter
Crowell & Moring LLP
Foster Jim
Nix Company Ltd.
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