EP0125784A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ultrasonic endodontic dental apparatus
Assignee: Dentsply Research and Development Corp
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Filing: 1984-04-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-04-10
Abstract
Abstract An ultrasonic endodontic dental handpiece has an elongated housing supporting a coil connected for establishing an alternating magnetic field, the housing having a cooling fluid inlet at one end and being open at the other for receiving and supporting a removable insert. The insert includes an elongated hollow body having one end adapted to be insertably mounted in the open end of the housing in fluid communication with the interior of the handpiece, and an elongated tool support assembly telescopingly received in the body. The tool support assembly includes an elongated shaft member having a vibrator rigidly mounted on one end in position to be vibrated by the electromagnetic field and a seal located between the body and shank outboard of the housing to prevent the flow of cooling liquid through the body past the seal. A cooling fluid outlet is provided in the body between the housing in the seal to permit cooling fluid to flow through the handpiece, and an irrigation fluid passage is provided in the shaft outboard of the housing to permit the flow of irrigation fluid along the shaft to the terminal end of the insert assembly. A mounting head on the end of the shaft supports an endodontic instrument to be vibrated by the vibrator, with the head including a fluid flow passage for discharging irrigation fluid longitudinally of the endodontic instrument. An improved irrigation fluid dispenser is connected to the apparatus for selectively delivering irrigation fluid under pressure to the mounting head.
Inventors
- 👤 George E. Warrin
- 👤 Rene J. Perdreaux
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 04:03
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61C; A61C1/00; A61C1/02; A61C1/05; A61C1/052; A61C1/07
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
324 words
A dispensing insert assembly (40) for an ultrasonic device including a handpiece (10) having an elongate hollow housing (12), and a coil (32) mounted in the housing and adapted to be connected to an external energy source for establishing an alternating electromagnetic field within the housing, the housing having a cooling fluid inlet (18) at one end and being open at its other end, and the other end of the housing being adapted to removably receive the insert assembly, the assembly comprising an elongate hollow body (42) having one end adapted to be removably mounted in said other end of the housing with said one end of the hollow body in fluid communication with the interior of the housing whereby cooling fluid admitted into the housing can flow into the hollow body, a tool support assembly (80) telescopically received within the hollow body, the tool support assembly including an elongate shank (82) having vibratable means (106) rigidly mounted at one end thereof, the vibratable means projecting from said one end of the hollow body into a position in which it can be vibrated by the electromagnetic field when the hollow body is mounted in the housing, sealing means (68, 70) between the hollow body and the shank, a cooling fluid outlet (78) in the hollow body between the sealing means and said one end of the hollow body, the outlet providing a flow path for cooling fluid from the handpiece, the other end of the shank projecting outwardly from the hollow body and terminating in mounting means (90) for supporting an endodontic instrument (96), the shank having a fluid flow passage (86) extending longitudinally therethrough from the mounting means and terminating at a location within the hollow body, and an irrigation fluid inlet (66) for admitting irrigation fluid into the fluid flow passage to be discharged from said mounting means in a direction substantially parallel to an endodontic instrument mounted in the mounting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
324 words
A dispensing insert assembly (40) for an ultrasonic device including a handpiece (10) having an elongate hollow housing (12), and a coil (32) mounted in the housing and adapted to be connected to an external energy source for establishing an alternating electromagnetic field within the housing, the housing having a cooling fluid inlet (18) at one end and being open at its other end, and the other end of the housing being adapted to removably receive the insert assembly, the assembly comprising an elongate hollow body (42) having one end adapted to be removably mounted in said other end of the housing with said one end of the hollow body in fluid communication with the interior of the housing whereby cooling fluid admitted into the housing can flow into the hollow body, a tool support assembly (80) telescopically received within the hollow body, the tool support assembly including an elongate shank (82) having vibratable means (106) rigidly mounted at one end thereof, the vibratable means projecting from said one end of the hollow body into a position in which it can be vibrated by the electromagnetic field when the hollow body is mounted in the housing, sealing means (68, 70) between the hollow body and the shank, a cooling fluid outlet (78) in the hollow body between the sealing means and said one end of the hollow body, the outlet providing a flow path for cooling fluid from the handpiece, the other end of the shank projecting outwardly from the hollow body and terminating in mounting means (90) for supporting an endodontic instrument (96), the shank having a fluid flow passage (86) extending longitudinally therethrough from the mounting means and terminating at a location within the hollow body, and an irrigation fluid inlet (66) for admitting irrigation fluid into the fluid flow passage to be discharged from said mounting means in a direction substantially parallel to an endodontic instrument mounted in the mounting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the irrigation fluid inlet comprises a radially-extending bore (88) in the shank (82), and an inlet opening in the hollow body (42), the sealing means (68, 70) providing a sealed flow path between the inlet opening and the radially-extending bore.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
An assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sealing means comprises a pair of O-ring seals (68, 70) disposed one on each side of the inlet opening in the hollow body (42) and the radially-extending bore (88).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tool support assembly (80) is provided with means (107) engageable with the hollow body (42) to prevent relative rotation therebetween.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
104 words
An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mounting means comprises an enlarged head (90) rigidly mounted on said other end of the shank (82), a first bore (92) extending through the head substantially in alignment with the fluid flow passage (86) in the shank, a second bore (94) extending into the head and intersecting the first bore, the second bore being adapted to receive the shank end of an endodontic instrument (96) and having a diameter larger than that of the endodontic instrument, and a threaded fastener for rigidly clamping the endodontic instrument in the second bore.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
An assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the diameter of each of the first and second bores (92 and 94) in the head (90) is larger than that of the endodontic instrument (96) to be supported, whereby irrigation fluid can flow from the head axially along the endodontic instrument.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a conduit (110) connected to the outlet (78) for conducting cooling water from the handpiece (10).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
89 words
Ultrasonic endodontic dental apparatus comprising a handpiece (10) having an elongate hollow housing (12), a coil (32) mounted in the housing and adapted to be connected to an external energy source for establishing an alternating electromagnetic field within the housing, the housing having a cooling fluid inlet (18) at one end and being open at the other end, and a dispensing insert assembly (40) removably mounted within said other end of the housing, wherein the dispensing insert assembly is as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
74 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising dispensing means (130) including a closed chamber (140 1 ) for containing irrigation fluid, a passage (108) connecting the closed chamber to the irrigation fluid inlet (66), a selectively-operable valve (132) in the passage for controlling the flow therethrough, and means (124) for directing pressurised air into the closed chamber to cause irrigation fluid contained therein to flow through the passage when the valve is open.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the closed chamber (140') is provided with bleed-off means (164) the bleed-off means being operable to control the air pressure in the closed chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
122 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, further comprising a multi-position, foot-activated switch (112) wherein,in a first, fully-raised (or unactuated) position, power to the coil (32) is off, and the flow of cooling fluid to the handpiece (10) and irrigation fluid from the dispensing means (130) are off; in a second, intermediate position, the coil is energised, cooling fluid is circulated through the handpiece, and the dispensing means is not actuated so that no irrigation fluid flows to the apparatus; and, in a third, fully-depressed position, power is supplied to the coil, cooling fluid is supplied to the handpiece, and the dispensing means is actuated to provide a controlled flow of irrigation fluid through the dispensing insert assembly
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
11 words
(40) for discharge along the axis of the endodontic instrument (96).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
(40) for discharge along the axis of the endodontic instrument (96).
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