Inventors:
Ronald N. Yeaple - Middlesex NY
Assignee:
Yeaple Corporation - Middlesex NY
International Classification:
A61B 510
Abstract:
The object of the invention is to provide a pressure responsive probe and method of use for manually applying a predetermined probing force to an object such as the floor of a periodontal pocket, for example. The probe has a magnetizable member 28, and a movable lever 14 having a probe tip 18 at one end. The lever 14 and member 28 have cooperating surfaces 24, 30 respectively. The member 28 is magnetized for holding lever 14 in a normally "engaged" position in which the surfaces 24, 30 are held engaged with a preset magnetic force. When a predetermined probing force manually applied to the floor of a periodontal pocket through probe tip 18 overcomes the preset magnetic force, the lever 14 is moved to a "disengaged" position in which the surfaces 24, 30 are disengaged. The depth of the pocket can be observed on a scale on the probe tip at the predetermined probing force.