Placement And Comfort

Objective

Sometimes, capturing the desired anatomy can depend on patient comfort.  And, of course, a more comfortable patient experience is important on its own, and saves auxiliaries’ time.

So:

• Are the sensor corners rounded?
• Do the corners minimize pressure on soft tissues?
• Is the sensor thin enough for difficult situations?
• Is the cord-attachment button small enough to keep the sensor’s overall size down?

Design

Comfort.  As the patient closes on a sensor, force is applied where contact is made with the patient’s soft tissues.  The smaller that contact, the greater pressure the patient will feel.  If the sensor’s corners are rounded, the force is spread.  And if the sensor’s corners are both rounded and beveled, the pressure is spread over an even larger surface area, further easing pressure.  Using various prototypes in XDR’s labs, experiments with Pressure Indicating Paste yielded a sensor design which minimized such pressure on sensitive tissues.

Placement.  When the sensor is thin enough, it is easier to insert into the mouth, easier to place near tori, and less likely to cause gagging when placed along the midline.  When the cord-attachment button is smaller and lower, the overall size of the sensor/holder combination is smaller too.  All this makes it easier to insert into the mouth, and to properly position to get the shot.

Results

Ergonomic Features

Conclusion

Many sensors provide some of these features. Only the XDR Anatomic Sensor provides all of them.