Dental instruments with stress relief

• US 20060063130A1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Discus Dental LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Discus Dental Incorporated (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Hayman, Robert, Rosenblood, Ken
• Application Number:
  US11/230,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20060063130A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/141
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/07 with vibratory drive, e.g. ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/20 using ultrasonics
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 3/00 Dental tools or instruments implanting tools A61C8/00; tools for fastening artificial teeth A61C13/12; visual inspection devices, e.g. dental mirrors, A61B1/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 3/02 Tooth drilling or cutting instruments; Instruments acting like a sandblast machine
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 3/03 Instruments operated by vibration
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 3/06 Tooth grinding or polishing discs; Holders therefor prophylactic cups A61C17/005
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/42 Files for root canals; Handgrips or guiding means therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a unique solution for relieving repetitive stress to dental professionals during the course of a day and is directed to sets of identical instruments, having handles made with varying diameters for grasping, designed to be used interchangeably throughout the day, thus cutting down on the repetitive grasping action through the change of grasp. Therefore, even if a dental professional uses the same type of instrument throughout the day, the hands, wrists and elbows can experience varying rather than repetitive action because the positioning of the hands, wrists and elbows are interchanging throughout the day. The dental instrument may also be ergonomically designed. Additionally, the instrument may also have a vibratory module. Further, a rotator may also be implemented.

Claims

1. A set of identical dental instruments comprising handles with varying diameters for grasping, said instruments are designed for used interchangeably throughout the day by a dental professional to decrease the repetitive grasping action through the change of grasp.

2. The dental instruments of claim 1 wherein said handle is formed as a portion of an elongated housing having an interior that is solid, hollow or partially solid, with a distal end and a proximal end, and at least one dental tip extends therefrom, and connects to one end of the housing.

3. The dental instruments of claim 2 wherein said at least one dental tip is removably connected to one end of the housing.

4. The dental instruments of claim 3 wherein said dental tip is selected from the group consisting of a dental scalar tip, an endodontic file, a dental file, a reamer, and a dental bur.

5. The dental instruments of claim 1 wherein said handle is of an ergonomic design.

6. The dental instruments of claim 5 wherein at least the portion of the handle for grasping has a triangular cross-section.

7. The dental instrument of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said handle comprises bumps, striations, a hand grip or combinations thereof.

8. The dental instrument of claim 2 wherein said at least a portion of said housing not designed for grasping by the user has a smaller diameter than the portions used for grasping.

9. The dental instruments of claim 2 wherein said housing is tapered towards at least one end.

10. The dental instruments of claim 9 wherein said tapered end comprises a structure selected from the group consisting of a cone-shaped portion, a collar and combinations thereof.

11. The dental instruments of claim 10 wherein said structure is integrally formed as part of the housing.

12. The dental instruments of claim 10 wherein said structure is attached to the housing.

13. The dental instruments of claim 12 wherein said attachment is permanent or removable.

14. The dental instruments of claim 10 wherein said structure comprises a rotation mechanism.

15. The dental instrument of claim 2 further comprising a vibratory module positioned and supported inside the housing.

16. The dental instrument of claim 15 wherein said vibratory module comprising a small motor for rotating an eccentric weight to cause a vibration in the instrument.

17. The dental instrument of claim 16 wherein said vibratory module is powered by a power supply selected from the group consisting of a battery, a fuel cell, a solar cell and combinations thereof.

18. The dental instrument of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said instrument comprises a coating comprising a diamond-like carbon coating comprising at least about 5 atomic percent of hydrogen.

19. Sets of dental instruments comprising handles having varying diameters, each of said handles is formed as part of an elongated housing comprising a distal end, a proximal end, and at least a partially hollow interior, wherein at least a portion of the handle for grasping has a triangular cross-section.

20. The instruments of claim 19 comprising at least one tapered end.

21. The instruments of claim 20 wherein said tapered end comprises a structure selected from the group consisting of a cone-shaped portion, a collar and combinations thereof.

22. The instruments of claim 21 wherein said structure comprises a rotation mechanism.

23. The dental instruments of claim 22 wherein when the mechanism rotates the structure it also rotates the tip.

24. The dental instruments of claim 19 further comprising a vibratory module positioned and supported inside the housing.

25. The dental instrument of claim 24 wherein said vibratory module comprising a small motor for rotating an eccentric weight to cause a vibration in the instrument.

26. The dental instrument of claim 24 wherein said vibratory module is powered by a power supply selected from the group consisting of a battery, a fuel cell, a solar cell and combinations thereof.

27. A set of identical dental instruments comprising:

handles of with varying diameters for grasping, said handle is formed as a portion of an elongated housing having an interior that is solid, hollow or partially solid, with a distal end and a proximal end;

at least one dental tip extends therefrom, and removably connects to one end of the housing;

at least one vibratory module positioned and supported inside the housing; and

at least one internal power source positioned and supported inside the housing to provide electrical power to said vibrator module.

28. The dental instrument of claim 27 wherein said vibratory module comprises a small motor for rotating an eccentric weight to cause a vibration in the instrument.

29. The dental instrument of claim 27 further comprising an anti-rotation means for preventing said vibrator module from rotating relative to said housing when said vibratory tool is in used.

30. The dental instrument of claim 27 wherein at least a portion of said instrument comprises a coating comprising a diamond-like carbon coating comprising at least about 5 atomic percent of hydrogen.