Mechanical support for hand-held dental/medical instrument

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 further comprising: a slave probe coupled to said second end of said articulated assembly, said slave probe having a tip which tracks with movement of the tip of said operating instrument.

Claim 4

A mechanical support for a hand held dental/medical operating instrument to provide three-dimensional contour information comprising: a plurality of movable segments, each of said segments having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axes of said segments being arranged along a single line to provide an articulated assembly having a first end and a second end, said first end adapted to be coupled to a fixed platform, said second end adapted to be connected to an operating instrument, a plurality of joints, a first one of said joints adapted to connect said first end to a platform and each of the rest of said joints connecting successive ones of said segments to each other, each of said joints providing rotation about a predetermined axis, at least two of said joints providing rotation around a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by said joint, the rest of said joints providing for rotation about an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by all positions of the longitudinal axes of the two segments connected by said joints, and a plurality of encoders, each of said encoders being associated with one of said segments to provide an electrical signal indication of the position of each of said segments, whereby the position of the operating instrument can be tracked on a continuous basis.

Claim 5

A mechanical support for a hand held dental/medical operating instrument to provide three-dimensional contour information comprising: a plurality of movable segments, each of said segments having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axes of said segments being arranged along a single line to provide an articulated assembly having a first end and a second end, said first end adapted to be coupled to a fixed platform, said second end adapted to be connected to an operating instrument, a plurality of joints, a first one of said joints adapted to connect said first end to a platform and each of the rest of said joints connecting successive ones of said segments to each other, each of said joints providing rotation about a predetermined axis, at least two of said joints providing rotation around a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by said joint, the rest of said joints providing for rotation about an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by all positions of the longitudinal axes of the two segments connected by said joints, and a plurality of encoders, each of said encoders being associated with one of said segments to provide an electrical signal indication of the position of each of said segments, whereby the position of the operating instrument can be tracked on a continuous basis.

Claim 6

The device of claim 3 further comprising: a slave probe coupled to said second end of said articulated assembly, said slave probe having a tip which tracks with movement of the tip of the operating instrument connected to said second end.

Claim 7

A mechanical support for hand held dental/medical operating instruments to provide three-dimensional contour information comprising: a fixed platform, first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth movable segments, each of said six segments having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axes of said segments being arranged along a single line, said first segment being coupled to said platform, said sixth segment adapted to be connected to an operating instrument, first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth joints, a first one of said joints connecting said first segment to said platform and each of the rest of said joints connecting successive ones of said segments to each other, each of said joints providing rotation about a predetermined axis, at least two of said joints providing rotation around a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by said joint, the rest of said joints providing rotation about an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by all positions of the longitudinal axes of the two segments connected by said joint, whereby the tip of an operating instrument connected to said sixth segment is enabled to move with six degrees of freedom of motion, a plurality of encoders associated with each of said movable segments to provide an electrical signal indication of the position of each of said movable segments, whereby the position of the operating instrument can be tracked on a continuous basis.

Claim 8

A mechanical support for hand held dental/medical operating instruments to provide three-dimensional contour information comprising: a fixed platform, first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth movable segments, each of said six segments having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axes of said segments being arranged along a single line, said first segment being coupled to said platform, said sixth segment adapted to be connected to an operating instrument, first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth joints, a first one of said joints connecting said first segment to said platform and each of the rest of said joints connecting successive ones of said segments to each other, each of said joints providing rotation about a predetermined axis, at least two of said joints providing rotation around a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by said joint, the rest of said joints providing rotation about an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by all positions of the longitudinal axes of the two segments connected by said joint, whereby the tip of an operating instrument connected to said sixth segment is enabled to move with six degrees of freedom of motion, a plurality of encoders associated with each of said movable segments to provide an electrical signal indication of the position of each of said movable segments, whereby the position of the operating instrument can be tracked on a continuous basis.

Claim 9

The support of claim 5 further comprising: a slave probe mounted on said fifth segment and coupled to said sixth segment, said slave probe having a tip which tracks with movement of the tip of any operating instrument connected to said sixth segment.

Claim 10

The support of claim 5 wherein: at least said second sixth joints are ones providing rotation about a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by the joint involved.

Claim 11

The support of claim 6 wherein: at least said second sixth joints are ones providing rotation about a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by the joint involved.

Claim 12

A mechanical support for hand held dental/medical operating instruments to provide three-dimensional contour information comprising: first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth movable segments, each of said six segments having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axes of said segments being arranged along a single line, said first segment adapted to be coupled to a platform, said sixth segment adapted to be connected to an operating instrument, first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth joints, a first one of said joints connecting said first segment to said platform and each of the rest of said joints connecting successive ones of said segments to each other, each of said joints providing rotation about a predetermined axis, at least two of said joints providing rotation around a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by said joint, the rest of said joints providing rotation about an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by all positions of the longitudinal axes of the two segments connected by said joint, whereby the tip of an operating instrument is connected to said sixth segment is enabled to move with six degrees of freedom of motion, and a slave probe mounted on said fifth segment and coupled to said sixth segment, said slave probe having a tip which tracks with movement of the tip of any operating instrument connected to said sixth segment.

Claim 13

A mechanical support for hand held dental/medical operating instruments to provide three-dimensional contour information comprising: first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth movable segments, each of said six segments having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axes of said segments being arranged along a single line, said first segment adapted to be coupled to a platform, said sixth segment adapted to be connected to an operating instrument, first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth joints, a first one of said joints connecting said first segment to said platform and each of the rest of said joints connecting successive ones of said segments to each other, each of said joints providing rotation about a predetermined axis, at least two of said joints providing rotation around a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by said joint, the rest of said joints providing rotation about an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by all positions of the longitudinal axes of the two segments connected by said joint, whereby the tip of an operating instrument is connected to said sixth segment is enabled to move with six degrees of freedom of motion, and a slave probe mounted on said fifth segment and coupled to said sixth segment, said slave probe having a tip which tracks with movement of the tip of any operating instrument connected to said sixth segment.

Claim 14

The support of claim 9 wherein: at least said second and sixth joints are ones providing rotation about a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by the joint involved.