Dentistry – Apparatus – Having intra-oral dispensing means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-24
2002-12-17
Lewis, Ralph A. (Department: 3732)
Dentistry
Apparatus
Having intra-oral dispensing means
C433S119000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06494714
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a transducer activated tool for contacting tooth surfaces and directing a fluid adjacent to the tooth. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved strength ultrasonically activated tool. The tip includes a passageway for directing a fluid onto the dental or tip surfaces. The tip is made by bending the tip at the location for the opening of the passageway, before drilling the passageway. Preferably the end of the tip is adapted for subgingival insertion, and has an outer diameter of less than 0.03 inch within 0.03 inch of the end of the tip. During subgingival insertion the subgingival end of the tip extends between the patient's gum and the subgingival tooth surface, and delivers a focused spray of fluid onto the subgingival tooth surface.
The method of the invention includes bending a tip at least twice. This allows a passageway to be placed in different pre-selected locations. The passageway in a prior art subgingival tip is drilled in the straight tip at a slight angle producing a long exit hole. The passageway in a prior art subgingival tip opens into a hole which crosses high stress areas. The invention allows the hole to be positioned more easily and allows control of the length of the hole independent of the hole location on the tip. The first step is to bend a straight tip which does not have a passageway therethrough. The second step is to drill a passageway through the tip from the fluid inlet end of the tip generally along the straight portion of the tip to the bend. The location of the bend controls the location of the passageway opening (or exit hole) and the bend angle (and bend radius) controls the length of the exit hole. Finally the tip is bent in the opposite direction. The tip may be angled before the final bend is made. Preferably the passageway is concentric relative to the straight tip, the hole could be off center and/or on a slight angle to the tip central line to produce a long exit hole. In addition a short bend with an offset bend gives a very long groove. Alternatively, multiple bends are made in the tip before drilling the passageway to produce various exit hole shapes (or multiple exit holes). Preferably the exit hole is positioned near to the end of the tip. Preferably the exit hole edge is kept away from the high stress area located near the end of the tip and the exit hole is kept short enough to avoid the high stress area near the base of the tip.
Many useful dental instruments employ substantial vibratory motion at a tool tip of the instrument for cleaning, scaling and like operations. The tool tips are designed to produce flexural and longitudinal vibrations with flexural motions of from about 0.02 to 0.2 mm. The tip is typically attached to an electro-mechanical part or section that can be induced to vibrate at high frequency. The instrument is driven by an electronic generator at relatively high frequencies, typically on the order of above 20 kHz, to obtain adequate motion and to minimize objectionable noise since the human hearing threshold is about 18 kHz. The energy generator and related electro-mechanical section may be any one of several types such as electro-dynamic, piezo electric, or magnetostrictive. Design of the tip and its related electro-mechanical components involves combining a number of parameters to produce mechanical resonances (harmonic vibrations) at the driving frequency to produce amplified mechanical motion, particularly at the distal tip end.
Dao et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,727 disclose transducer activated subgingival tool tip, and the disclosure thereof is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In use the vibrating tip is guided over and about tooth surfaces by the operator. The tip must be capable of penetrating between teeth and under or below the gingival or gum line. Generally, the tip must be small in cross-section, ideally having a pointed tip with a tapered cross-section extending about 2.5 to 5 mm back from the distal tip end to allow adequate access between teeth and gingival. More preferably the tapered cross-section extends about 10 mm from the distal tip end.
The prior art does not provide a method of making an insert for an ultrasonically activated subgingival tooth cleaning tool, comprising: bending a solid metal tip to form a bend at a location for an opening of a passageway, then drilling the passageway through the solid metal tip to form a tip having a passageway having an opening at the bend, as is provided by the present invention.
The prior art does not provide a method of making a transducer activated tool tip, comprising, providing a substantially linear tip body having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end, wherein the tip body is bent in a first direction so that a centerline through the fluid outlet end intersects a centerline through the fluid inlet end at an angle greater than 5 degrees and then in the tip body is formed a fluid passageway internal to the tip, having an inlet end and a subgingival outlet end, then the tip body is bent in a second direction so that a centerline through the fluid outlet end intersects a centerline through the fluid inlet end at an angle of substantially 0 degrees, and the tip body is bent further in the second direction so that the centerline through the fluid outlet end intersects the centerline through the fluid inlet end at an angle greater than 5 degrees, as is provided by the present invention.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a method of making an insert for an ultrasonically activated subgingival tooth cleaning tool, comprising: bending a solid metal tip to form a bend at a location for an opening of a passageway, then drilling the passageway through the solid metal tip to form a tip having a passageway having an opening at the bend.
It is an object of the invention to provide a transducer activated tool for contacting subgingival tooth surfaces and directing a fluid adjacent to the subgingival surfaces, comprising an activated tip has a fluid inlet end, a subgingival outlet end, and a fluid passageway wall internal to the tip. The fluid passageway wall has an average passageway diameter. The fluid passageway wall ends at an edge providing a fluid discharge orifice formed in a discharge side of the subgingival outlet end of the tip. The subgingival outlet end has an opposite side positioned opposite to the discharge side. The discharge side has a discharge side outer surface whereby a first line tangential to the discharge side outer surface of the fluid inlet end, and a second line tangential to the discharge side outer surface of the subgingival outlet end intersect to form an angle of less than 180 degrees facing outwardly from the discharge side outer surface.
It is an object of the invention to provide a transducer activated tool for contacting tooth surfaces and directing a fluid adjacent to the surfaces, comprising an activated tip has a fluid inlet end, a outlet end, and a fluid passageway wall internal to the tip, the activated tip has a tip centerline, the fluid passageway wall ends at an edge providing a fluid discharge orifice formed in a discharge side of the outlet end of the tip, the outlet end has an opposite side positioned opposite to the discharge side. The discharge side has a discharge side outer surface whereby a line uniformly offset from the tip centerline on the discharge side outer surface forms an angle of less than 180 degrees outwardly from the discharge side outer surface. The transducer activated tool is formed from a preformed body of the tool wherein the opposite side has an opposite side outer surface whereby a line uniformly offset from the tip centerline on the opposite side outer surface forms an angle of less than 180 degrees outwardly from the opposite side outer surface.
It is an object of the invention to provide a transducer activated subgingival tool for contacting subgingival tooth surfaces and directing a fluid adjacent to the surfaces, comprising an activated tip has a fluid inlet end, a subgingival outlet end,
Bieber James B.
Dentsply Research & Development Corp.
Lewis Ralph A.
Lovercheck Dale R.
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