The Angle-Ease Adjustable HVE Tip was born from a suggestion by a local dental hygienist to "make an HVE tip that is bendable" in order to improve suction efficiency and operator comfort. Many attempts were made at a corrugated tube design, similar to a bendable drinking straw, in both plastic and steel. However, a corrugated plastic design would not hold a bend well enough to retract the cheek. A steel design, besides requiring constant sterilization, contained narrow crevices inside that trapped debris over time.
Finally, Brad Griffin, Practicon's VP of Product Development, came across an idea for a rotating tubing connection while building Brio toys with his children. Two snap-together components could form a straight line or a right angle depending on how they were turned. The bendable yet rigid tubing problem was solved. Adding an indexing feature to the final product prevented the tubes from turning freely under pressure, helping to improve retraction and control.
Better visibility became another favorite benefit of the offset design. Thousands of Angle-Ease HVE Tips have been sold with positive feedback from dental professionals who are able to work more easily thanks to its patented design.
Case Study 2
WireGuard™ | The X-ray Sensor Cable Protector
Along with the enormous advantages of digital radiography come new areas of concern, one of which is the proper care of delicate digital X-ray sensors. One of the parts of the sensor most susceptible to damage is the cable that connects the sensor to the computer. A cable that is long enough to reach the patient from an operatory computer is continually subjected to the possibility of severe damage from kinks, knots, rolling chairs, or other external compression forces.
The WireGuard X-ray Sensor Cable Protector was invented and proven in the busy practice of Dr. Dorothy Kassab of Canastota, NY. Searching for a simple way to extend the life of her expensive X-ray sensors, Dr. Kassab conceived of an outer flexible cover that would wrap around sensor cables to add durability. Finalized and produced in partnership with Practicon, WireGuard is a transparent silicone cover that prevents coiling, kinking, knotting, and tangling of delicate sensor wires. A single slit down the entire length of WireGuard makes it easy to install. WireGuard is sold in 5-foot and 8-foot-length kits and is easy to clean with any available surface disinfectant.
Case Study 3
BFC3™ | The Powered Impression Gun
The BFC3 Powered Impression Gun is the solution to a problem that was too common and too challenging to ignore. Conceived as a true customer need nearly five years before its introduction, Practicon began searching worldwide for an alternative to hard-to-squeeze manual impression guns. While one or two automatic guns existed, they were prohibitively expensive, cumbersome, and required users to purchase specific VPS material brands or cartridge sizes. Practicon was determined to produce an affordable powered gun that brought better faster comfort, control, and compatibility (i.e. BFC3) to the impression taking process.
Despite being our most complex development project ever, the BFC3 is the essence of simplicity. In cooperation with an engineering firm in Connecticut, the approach was to keep the familiar loading technique and sliding plunger of a handheld manual gun while adding rechargeable power. The result is intuitive functionality that fits normal practice workflows. While being able to load a full arch impression tray with heavy body material in under 10 seconds, it is also perfect for filling a batch of our BFC unit dose impression syringes with light body material, or easily transferring the contents of several leftover material cartridges into one cartridge with our Lock-n-Reload™ Couplers. To maintain full quality control, we assemble the BFC3 Powered Impression Gun here under our own roof from US and imported parts.
