Method and device for learning and training dental treatment techniques

• US 20060019228A1
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rainer Burgkart, Robert Riener
• Original Assignee: Rainer Burgkart, Robert Riener
• Inventors: Burgkart, Rainer, Riener, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,376,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/263
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/283 for dentistry or oral hygiene G09B23/286 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and device for learning and training dental treatment techniques, according to which a force is applied to a tooth (2) preferably by means of tools (4) in order to examine or treat this tooth. A mandible (1) or the tooth (2) is coupled to a force measuring device (3) in a manner that enables the forces applied to the tooth (2) to be represented in the form of electric measurement signals (5) that are fed to a data processing device (6). Said data processing device has a data memory (7) in which a multitude of reference force/time courses of different force/time-determined tooth treatment steps can be stored in a manner that enables them to be retrieved, whereby the forces applied to the tooth (2) and their temporal course are compared with a reference force/time course.

Claims

1. A method for learning and training dental treatment techniques, according to which forces are applied to a tooth held in an artificial mandible by means of a tool or by hand in order to examine or treat the tooth, in which case the mandible or the tooth is coupled with a force measuring device which converts the forces applied to the tooth into electric measurement signals that are fed to a data processing device which comprises a data memory in which a multitude of reference force/time courses of different treatment steps are stored in a manner that enables them to be retrieved, the method comprising the following steps:

selection of a reference force/time course appropriate to a tooth treatment to be learned or trained,

start of the simulated tooth treatment,

measuring of the forces applied to the tooth by means of a tool or by hand by means of the force measuring device coupled with the mandible or the tooth and determination of the amount and direction thereof in the course of the time, whereby

this actual force/time course is simultaneously with the selected reference force/time course or values derived from it represented on an optic display unit, and

determination as to whether the force/time courses or values derived from them show a predetermined correlation among each other.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the measured force/time course is converted into a movement/time course, visualized and compared with a stored reference movement/time course.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that acoustic signal patterns stored in correlation with the measured force/time course are retrieved and displayed by an acoustic display unit.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the spatial position of the force application point of the tool is determined by means of a navigation system.

5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1-4 characterized in that at least one force sensor is arranged at the tool the measurement signal of which is fed to the measurement signal of the force measuring device at the tooth or at the mandible for the purpose of a measured-value correction.

6. A device for learning and training dental treatment techniques according to which forces are applied to a tooth held in an artificial mandible by means of a tool or by hand in order to examine or treat the tooth characterized in that the tooth or the mandible

is coupled with a force measuring device which converts the forces applied to the tooth into electric measurement signals, which

are fed to a data processing device, which

comprises a data memory, in which

a multitude of reference force/time courses of different tooth treatment steps are stored as value table in a manner that enables them to be retrieved, and

a programme is provided which controls the data processing device in a way that allows the selected reference force/time course and the actual force/time course of the simulated tooth treatment to be represented on an optic display.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 characterized in that an acoustic display unit is provided and a multitude of sound-samples are stored in the data memory, in which case by means of a program subject to the actual force/time course of the simulated tooth treatment a sound-sample belonging to it can be played.

8. A device as claimed in claim 6 characterized in that at least one force measuring device is arranged at the tool and formed to measure the force applied by the tool, and that further a control and correction program is provided which calculates a measured-value correction of the forces measured at the tooth or at the mandible.

9. A device as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8 characterized in that a navigation system for the determination of the position of the tool application point is provided.