ROSANNE M PALERMO
Deep Sedation and General Anesthesia in Erie, PA

2002010, Aug 8, 2002

Feb 5, 2002

10/068380

Rosanne Palermo - Erie PA, US
Albert Straus - Timonium MD, US

A61C003/14

433/159000, 294/099200

An improved dental forceps has a pair of gripping distal tips for placing and removing articles such as metal bands, strips, and soft cotton pellets on and from teeth. A plane of orientation is defined by the longitudinal axes of two elongated legs which are biased apart from each other at one end when the legs are not being squeezed. At the end of each leg is a gripping distal tip, with both distal tips deviating at an angle from the legs' longitudinal axes toward the outside surface of one leg and away from the outside surface of the other leg, while staying approximately within the forceps' plane of orientation. Due to this planar orientation of the distal tips, less twisting of the wrist is necessary while using the forceps, thereby reducing the risk of radio-carpal conditions, especially after long periods of use. The distal tip of each leg has a curved inside surface such that the gripping space is formed between the surfaces when the legs are not being squeezed. Since the direction of forceps gripping is parallel to the forceps' plane of orientation, the major line of the gripping action is approximately contained across this plane. When the practitioner squeezes the forceps, the curled, inside edges of the distal tips exert a gripping action that produces a longitudinal or sliding motion between the distal tips as the practitioner varies the tightness of the squeezing action. The ability to effect this motion tends to increase sensitivity and fine control in gripping.