Dentistry – Apparatus – Having motor or means to transmit motion from motor to tool
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-04
2004-11-02
Wilson, John J. (Department: 3732)
Dentistry
Apparatus
Having motor or means to transmit motion from motor to tool
Reexamination Certificate
active
06811399
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to ultrasonic inserts of a type used in medical/dental treatments. More particularly, the invention pertains to such inserts with enhanced operating efficiency and user comfort.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Ultrasonic scalers are used in dental offices for de-plaqueing teeth. Unlike manual scalers, these instruments are powered i.e., the tip of the instrument vibrates at an ultrasonic frequency allowing quick and easy debridement. The operator has less hand fatigue as most of the energy for removing the plaque comes from the generator that powers the instrument. The dental practitioner need only lightly touch the tip of the instrument at an angle to the tooth surface to dislodge the plaque.
Known ultrasonic scalers, such as scaler
10
illustrated in
FIG. 1A
, have a handpiece
12
a
coupled at one end
12
a
-
1
to a cable
12
b
which includes a hose, to provide a fluid, and conductors to provide electrical energy. The other end of the cable
12
b
terminates at an electrical generator and fluid source
12
c
. One type of fluid is water.
The other end of the handpiece
12
a
-
2
is hollow and is intended to receive a replaceable insert
14
with a transducer
14
a
(magnetostrictive or piezoelectric) carried on the insert. The transducer
14
a
extends from a proximal end of the insert
14
into the hollow body
12
a
-
2
. An ultrasonically vibrated tip
14
b
extends from a distal end of the insert. One such insert has been disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,901, entitled “Insert For Ultrasonic Scaler”, incorporated herein by reference.
Known magnetostrictive ultrasonic inserts function by exciting a stack of thin nickel plates at a frequency equal to the stack's natural frequency. The excitation is induced through an electrical generator in unit
12
c
, which supplies a current to a coil embedded in the handpiece. When the insert
14
is placed in the handpiece
12
a
and the frequency generator
12
c
is powered on, the operator tunes the generator (manual tuning) until it reaches the resonance frequency i.e., attains the natural frequency of the insert. Alternately, auto-tune units automatically lock on the insert resonance frequency once powered on. At this time, the stack starts vibrating. This vibration of the stack is amplified and transmitted to the tip
12
b
by means of a connecting body or concentrator. The connecting body is made from material that provides good sound transmission efficiency.
While the insert
14
is operational, fluid is pumped through the cable-generator system
12
b, c
and through the handpiece
12
a
to the tip
14
b
of the insert
14
. The vibrating tip
14
b
breaks the fluid stream into a spray. The spray not only keeps the tip cool, but also keeps the surface of the tooth cool and provides protection against tissue damage.
The fluid path through the handpiece
12
a
needs to be sealed such that no leakage occurs until the fluid stream exits from the insert at the very tip through a fluid delivery channel. Typically, ultrasonic inserts do not have any moving parts other than the minuscule displacement of the nickel stack, the connecting body or the tip.
Known magnetostrictive dental scaling ultrasonic inserts used in the U.S.A. are designed to vibrate at 25 kHz or 30 kHz frequencies. Another system, popular in Europe, uses a piezoelectric transducer.
In using an ultrasonic scaler during a cleaning, the dental practitioner will need to repeatedly re-orient the location of the insert tip
14
b
with respect to tooth surface depending on which tooth of the mouth is being cleaned. In making this angular adjustment, as illustrated in
FIG. 1B
, the practitioner will typically take the insert out of the patient's mouth, rotate the insert
14
, and tip
14
b
, inside the handpiece
12
a
locating tip
14
b
at a desired angular position. Both hands are used for this rotation as the frictional forces that produce a tight fit of the insert
14
in handpiece
12
a
must be overcome. During a typical treatment, the process of reorienting the tip must be carried out numerous times. This is not only time consuming but also interrupts the ease and smooth flow of work.
In areas of the mouth where the practitioner chooses not to rotate the insert
14
, the practitioner's wrist must be twisted sufficiently to achieve the same function. This twisting action is opposed by the resistance of the cable
12
b
, the fluid supply hose and power conductors, which is attached to the handpiece
12
a.
There continues to be a need for ultrasonic scalers which are more comfortable and less fatiguing to use than known instruments. Preferably, any improvements will be downwardly compatible with the numerous generators and handpieces that are already present in dental offices.
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Chen Shu
Parker Patricia H.
Rahman Anisur Mithu
Bumgarner Melba
Hu-Friedy Mfg. Co., Inc.
Welsh & Katz Ltd.
Wilson John J.
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