The object of the present invention is a disposable fibre- based evacuator tip for a medical suction device as defined in the preamble of claim 1, and a method as defined in the preamble of claim 14 for manufacturing the evacuator tip.

The disposable fibre-based tip for a medical suction device according to the invention, which is hereinafter referred to as the solution according to the invention, is an envi ronmentally friendly, sustainable solution for a disposable tip for a medical suction pipe, to be easily manufactured from renewable and fully compostable, recyclable and repul- pable materials. The solution according to the invention is suitable for the healthcare industry, especially for use in a high-volume evacuator device. The solution according to the invention can be designed and manufactured to fit to standard high-volume evacuator valves.

A high-volume evacuator is a medical suction device that is fitted to an evacuation system, which is used in dental clinics, health centers and hospitals. A high-volume evacu ator is used to remove, for example, saliva, blood, water debris and bacteria during a dental procedure. A high- volume evacuator tip or hereafter also shorter an evacuator tip is always disposable for hygienic reasons. The struc ture of the disposable evacuator tip for a high-volume evacuator is typically solid and firm. Typically, the dis- posable tips do not have sharp edges to ensure patient safety and comfort. High-volume evacuator devices have been found to be effi cient in reduction of aerosols from the air of dental clin ics, health centers or hospitals. A high-volume evacuator device protects dentists and dental hygienists from air contaminants, for example aerosols and splatter. Oral or nasal inhalation makes dentists and dental hygienists ex posed for serious illnesses, for example, hepatitis B, HIV and tuberculosis, because of contact with respiratory se cretions, saliva and blood splatter.

Waste that contains infectious material is classified as a biohazardous waste, which includes waste generated by healthcare facilities. Biohazardous waste contains bodily fluids like blood or other contaminants and pose a threat to people's health or the environment.

Nowadays, most of the evacuator tips, that are used by den tists and dental hygienists in their daily routines in den tal clinics, health centers or hospitals are made of plas tic. Plastics that are used in medical purposes must be re cycled industrially, because this type of waste is classi fied as a biohazardous waste. Industrial recycling of bio hazardous waste, especially plastic waste, is expensive, slow and requires a lot of energy, which also burdens the environment. Also, evacuator tips made of plastic may cause plastic allergies in some patients.

A few manufacturers are offering disposable, eco-friendly and degradable evacuator tips, that are made from paper. Typically, these kinds of evacuator tips are constructed of three plies of paper, which plies are bonded together with a small amount of water-based adhesive using a core-winding machine that makes spiral paper tubes. However, the manu facturing process of this kind of solution is very slow and expensive. This kind of solution also comprises adhesive layer, for example glue, between the paper layers. This ad hesive layer contains also polymers and thus, this kind of paper made high-volume evacuator tips are not fully plastic free products. Also, the used adhesive may cause allergies for some patients, which is not acceptable. Also, evacuator tips that are constructed of three plies of paper can get soggy or even fall apart in a very short time during the dental procedure. In addition, that kind of paper made tips may leave a strange paper or adhesive taste in the pa tient's mouth, which is not acceptable.

Another disadvantage of all today's high-volume evacuator tips is a very limited printing area. The solution accord ing to the invention, especially when it is used as a high- volume evacuator tip, would be a perfect place for logos and entertaining pictures for children, et cetera. Plastic high-volume evacuator tips are made of extrusion techniques and free printing is not possible. Some limited printings can be made to high-volume evacuator tips that are manufac tured from paper, but because of the winding technology, the printings are mainly colored strips and recurring fig ure-wide printable surface is missing.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks and to provide an inexpensive, simple and environmentally friendly solution for a disposa ble fibre-based evacuator tip for a medical suction device from renewable recyclable fibre material or other effec tively recyclable material or biodegradable material. The object of the present invention is to eliminate draw backs of prior art technology and to introduce a new type of a disposable fibre-based evacuator tip for a medical suction device made of biodegradable material. The base ma terial of a disposable fibre-based evacuator tip is prefer ably glazed board or coated board. The cardboard may also be coated on the other side with thin coating, which enable cardboard fastening to each other by sealing. The material of a disposable fibre-based tip for a medical suction de vice according the invention can be biodegradable, and/or the material can be easily recyclable and repulpable.

The disposable fibre-based tip for a medical suction device according to the invention is characterized by what is dis closed in the characterization part of claim 1. Correspond ingly, the method for manufacturing the evacuator tip is characterized by what is disclosed in the characterization part of claim 14. Other embodiments of the invention are characterized by what is disclosed in the other claims.

An aspect of the invention is to achieve a disposable evac uator tip for a medical suction device, which evacuator tip comprises a first end, a second end and a tube-like body with a hollow suction channel between the ends of the body. Further, evacuator tip comprises a fastening zone. Advanta geously, the fastening zone is substantially parallel with the body of the evacuator tip. Another aspect of the invention is to develop a method for manufacturing a disposable evacuator tip for a medical suc tion device, which evacuator tip comprises a first end, a second end and a tube-like body with a hollow suction chan nel between the ends of the body, and which evacuator tip further comprises a fastening zone. Advantageously, the evacuator tip is formed by bending or rolling a substan tially flat blank sheet piece of fibre-based cardboard with longitudinal side edges into a tube-like element or body where the side edges are placed to overlap each other to form two overlapping layers of the blank sheet piece, which layers are then fastened to each other.

An advantage of the invention is that it is an environmen tally friendly, sustainable solution for a disposable evac uator tip for a medical suction pipe, especially for use as a disposable tip for a high-volume evacuator. The material of the disposable fibre-based evacuator tip may also be bi odegradable material and repulpable fibre-based material. The disposable fibre-based evacuator tip according to the invention is environmentally friendly, sustainable tip for a medical suction device, especially for use in a high- volume evacuator device. When the disposable fibre-based evacuator tip is formed by heat-sealing, it comprises no additional components, like adhesives or glues, thus it is made of plain coated cardboard. The solution according to the invention is a chemical free product and does not cause allergies for patients, thus the solution according to the invention is safe to use. Since the disposable evacuator tip according to the invention does not contain any addi tional components it is suitable for use in the healthcare industry.

Another advantage of the invention is that the base materi al of the disposable fibre-based evacuator tip may be ster- ilized by heating it for example at 100-200 degrees Celsi us. In addition, it is possible to use virgin materials in the manufacturing of the disposable fibre-based evacuator tips according to the invention. Use of virgin materials instead of recycled materials is often required in medical applications.

Yet another advantage of the invention is that the solution according to the invention is simple, fast and very inex pensive to produce in comparison with the methods in manu facturing high-volume evacuator tips, that are made from paper or plastic, for example. The solution according to the invention can be manufactured by using commonly known techniques.

Yet another advantage and use of the invention is, that the outlook of the disposable evacuator tip according to the invention can be personalized with printings. The coated cardboard material is feasible for free printing and the surface area of the disposable evacuator tip is large, which may contain various multicolor printings. Printings may be, for example: logos or text, etc.

In the following, the invention will be described in great er detail by the aid of some embodiments and by referring to the attached simplified drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 presents in an oblique top view a disposable fi bre-based evacuator tip according to the inven tion,

Fig. 2 presents in a side view the evacuator tip accord ing to Fig. 1, Fig. 3 presents in a side view an enlarged second end of the evacuator tip shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

Fig. 4 presents in a top view a blank sheet-like piece for constructing a disposable fibre-based evacua tor tip according to the invention,

Fig. 5 presents in a top view another blank sheet-like piece for constructing a disposable fibre-based evacuator tip according to the invention,

Fig. 6 presents in a top view yet another blank sheet like piece for constructing a disposable fibre- based evacuator tip according to the invention,

Fig. 7 presents in an end view the cross-sectioned evac uator tip shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and

Fig. 8 presents in a top view the evacuator tip shown in Figs. 1 and 2 inserted in a standard high-volume evacuator device.

Figure 1 presents in an oblique top view a disposable fi bre-based evacuator tip 1 according to the invention. The tip 1 comprises a first end 2, a second end 3 and a tube- like body 5 with a hollow suction channel 5a between the ends 2 and 3. Further the tip 1 comprises a substantially curvilinear outermost point 4 at its second end 3. Prefera bly the cross-section of the suction channel 5 is circular or substantially circular, but may vary. Figure 2 presents in a side view the evacuator tip 1 ac cording to Fig. 1. The tip 1 may have printings la on its outer surface, which printings la are preferably made onto the blank sheet of the tip material before the tip 1 is bent to its final shape. The straight and flat surface of the blank sheet of the tip material provides a good surface for printings la. On a relatively large printing surface, it is possible to design various printing themes. With printings la, the tips 1 can be personalized. The printings la may contain various multicolor printings. Printings la may be, for example: advertising, logos, text, product in formation, seasonal themes, etc.

Figure 3 presents in a side view an enlarged second end 3 of the evacuator tip 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Preferably, the second end 3 of the evacuator tip 1 is oblique. In or der to achieve a good functionality, the angle between the beveled second end 3 and the longest side of the tip 1 is substantially between 30 to 60 degrees, suitably between 40-50 degrees and preferably between 42-47 degrees.

This means that when the evacuator tip 1 has the straight first end 2 that is perpendicular to the longitudinal di rection of the tip 1 the difference S between the shortest side dimension and the longest side dimension of the tip 1 is about equal or larger than the height H of the suction channel 5 of the tip 1. In case of round or circular tips the height H is equal to the diameter of the tip 1.

Figures 4-6 present in a top view different blank sheet pieces 6 cut from shapeable substantially sheet-like pieces of base material for constructing a disposable fibre-based evacuator tip 1 according to the invention. Preferably, the side edges 6a and 6b are substantially straight and paral lel to each other. The shape of the edges of the ends 2 and 3 may vary. Depending on the shape of ends 2 and 3 the obliquity of the ends 2 and 3 may vary in its angle and shape. When seen directly in a side view the contour of the ends 2 and/or 3 may be, for example convex, concave, straight or undulated

Advantageously, the tip 1 according to the invention is made of substantially sheet-like cardboard material which is cut to blank sheet pieces 6 preferably from a coated continuous cardboard web that is rolled out from a material roll. Preferably the out-rolled web is as broad as the fi nal blank sheet pieces 6. It is also possible to cut the blank sheet pieces 6 from a larger sheet of cardboard. In that case, several blank sheet pieces 6 are cut from the same sheet of cardboard.

The coated fibre-based cardboard used for the evacuator tip 1 according to the invention is sustainable environment- friendly cardboard utilized also e.g. in paper cups. In the most preferable embodiment, the cardboard coating is made online with cardboard manufacturing process using disper sion techniques. The coating layer is very thin comprising much less plastic than e.g. conventional PE/PLA coated cardboards. This material is easy to recycle with other pa per-products and the material is repulpable. This coated cardboard is also biodegradable and degrades in marine en vironments easily. This coated cardboard is also heat- sealable providing the tip manufacturing without additional components, such as adhesives or glues.

Figure 4 presents in a top view a basic shape of a final blank sheet piece 6 before bending or rolling it to round tube-like evacuator tip 1. The basic shape of the blank sheet piece 6 is substantially symmetrical in relation to its longitudinal central axis. Side edges 6a and 6b are parallel to each other and the edge 8 of the first end 2 is straight and perpendicular to the side edges 6a, 6b. The curvilinear contour 9 of the second end 3 extends from the second ends of the side edges 6a, 6b outwards a dis tance S so that the longest longitudinal length of the blank sheet piece 6 is at the longitudinal central axis of the piece 6. Correspondingly, the shortest longitudinal length of the blank sheet piece 6 is substantially at its side edges 6a, 6b. The difference of the longest longitudi nal length and the shortest longitudinal length is prefera bly the distance S shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The curvilinear contour 9 may be circular, parabola or some other suitable shape.

Preferably, the perpendicular distance between the side edges 6a, 6b is greater than the perpendicular distance or width of the curvilinear contour 9. In Figs. 4 and 6 where the shape of the piece 6 is symmetrical in relation to its longitudinal central axis the side edges 6a, 6b extend sym metrically sideways outwards from the ends of the curvilin ear contour 9. The sideways extensions form fastening areas 10 and 11 on each side of the blank sheet piece 6. The fas tening areas 10, 11 are shaded in Figs. 5 and 6 but not in Fig. 4 for clarity's sake. Preferably, both of the fas tening areas 10, 11 are on the same side of the blank sheet piece 6.

In Fig. 5 the shape of the blank sheet piece 6 is narrower than in Figs. 4 and 6. In this case the blank sheet piece 6 has only one sideways extension, the sideways extension for the first fastening area 10. The second fastening area 11 extends inwards from the second side edge 6b.

In Fig. 6 the shape of contour 8 of the first end 2 of the blank sheet piece 6 is also curvilinear. This causes an oblique first end 2 when the blank sheet piece 6 has formed as a tube-like evacuator tip 1.

Figure 7 presents the blank sheet piece 6 bent to form of a substantially round evacuator tip 1, as viewed in a cross- section. The blank sheet piece 6 is bent so, the opposite side edges 6a and 6b with opposite fastening areas 10 and 11 are overlapped and meets each other and are joined to gether.

The round evacuator tip 1 is formed of one blank sheet piece 6 and it comprises one fastening zone 7 and a tube liquid channel 5a in it. The fastening zone 7 is alongside or adjacent and essentially parallel with the liquid chan nel 5a. The fastening zone 7 is also essentially straight. The blank sheet piece 6 is bent so that the opposite side edges 6a and 6b are overlapped. In the overlapped fastening areas 10 and 11 the same side of the surfaces of the blank sheet piece 6 are facing each other. The overlapped fas tening areas 10, 11 are fastened tightly together forming the fastening zone 7. When the fastening zone 7 is formed, also the liquid channel 5a is formed alongside and essen tially parallel to the fastening zone 7. Comparing to prior art evacuator tip structures, extrusion-based evacuator tips (plastic, bioplastic and composite) do not have fas tening zone at all and the fastening zone in the paper based evacuator tips is not parallel or straight with the liquid channel, since the fastening zone traverses spirally around the evacuator tip.

Figure 8 presents in a top view the evacuator tip 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 inserted in a standard high-volume evacua tor device. The evacuator tip 1 according to the invention can be partly pushed inside the adapter 12 of a standard high-volume evacuator device.

The main phases of the manufacturing process of the evacua tor tip 1 according to the invention are: a form cutting phase of the blank sheet pieces 6 with a form cutting means, a bending phase the blank sheet pieces 6 with a bending means and a fastening phase of the fastening areas 10, 11 adjacent to side edges 6a and 6b, with a fastening means.

When at least other side of the blank sheet pieces 6 is coated and the blank sheet pieces 6 are bent or folded with the fastening areas 10, 11 comprising thin coating layers of heat or cold sealable material facing each other, the fastening of the fastening zone 7 of the fibre-based evacu ator tip 1 can be made by heat or cold sealing.

When there is no sealable coating on the material of the blank sheet pieces 6, the fastening of the fastening zone 7 can made by food-contact approved adhesives. The heat sealing fastening method provides the evacuator tips 1 for medical suction devices without additional components, like adhesives or glues.

To avoid the waterlogging of the edges 6a, 6b, 8 and 9 of the fibre-based evacuator tip 1 the raw edges or cut edges of the material may be treated with hydrophobic coating or a corresponding coating. The waterlogging can also be re duced by cutting the material edges in a skewed angle and / or by pressing the material edges flat in manufacturing phase. In the embodiments presented above, it is advantageous to form the round or ellipse disposable fibre-based evacuator tip 1 for a medical suction device, with the second end 3 comprising at least a substantially curvilinear outermost point 4 to enable comfortable use of the suction device.

In another embodiment of the evacuator tip (1) manufactur ing, the evacuator tip (1) is made of out-rolled fibre- based cardboard web instead of a sheet-like piece. But then a formed and a fastened tube needs to be cut in right length and in a beveled angle in a manufacturing phase.

The fibre-based material is safe for medical use and it is environmentally friendly and easy to recycle or biodegrada ble. The diameter of the evacuator tip 1 is preferably be tween 8mm and 15mm, for example, and the length of the sub stantially straight evacuator tip 1 may vary between 50- 120mm, for example.

It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that differ ent embodiments of the invention are not limited to the ex amples described above, but that they may be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. What is essential is that the evacuator tip according to the invention is an environmentally friendly and easily recyclable or biode gradable tip and is preferably made of heat sealable mate rial.

Thus, for example, the shapes and dimensions of the evacua tor tips may be different from what is described in the em bodiments. For example, the shape of the cross-section of the evacuator tip according to the invention may be round, ellipse or polygon. Also, the evacuator tip may include a vent.

It is also obvious to the person skilled in the art that the solution according to the invention may also be made from another sustainable material than mentioned in the em bodiments.