METHOD OF DENTAL TISSUE INJECTION USING AN ARRAY OF MICRO-NEEDLES

• US 20090234322A1
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ultradent Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ultradent Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Fischer, Dan E.
• Application Number:
  US12/398,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234322A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/512
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/341 angularly adjustable or angled away from the axis of the injector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/003 having a lumen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0015 by using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3286 Needle tip design, e.g. for improved penetration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/34 Constructions for connecting the needle , e.g. to syringe nozzle or needle hub connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/346 friction fit A61M5/344 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/349 using adhesive bond or glues
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/46 having means for controlling depth of insertion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Methods for injecting a local anesthetic into dental tissues, such as tough, dense ligamentary tissue adjacent to a patient'"'"'s tooth. According to one embodiment, the method involves puncturing a patient'"'"'s gingival tissue adjacent a selected tooth with an array of micro-needles having a length so that the micro-needles penetrate into ligamentary tissue adjacent to the tooth. A local anesthetic is then injected through the micro-needles so as to deliver the local anesthetic to the tissue surrounding the tooth. The micro-needles may be short to limit penetration through tissue and of narrow diameter to minimize pain and discomfort to the patient.

Claims

1. A method of administering a local anesthetic into dental tissue adjacent a person'"'"'s tooth, comprising:

puncturing a patient'"'"'s gingival tissue adjacent the tooth with a plurality of micro-needles so that the micro-needles penetrate into dental tissue adjacent the tooth; and

injecting a local anesthetic through the plurality of micro-needles so as to deliver the local anesthetic into the ligamentary tissue adjacent the tooth.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the micro-needles has a length between about 0.1 mm and about 10 mm.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the micro-needles has a length between about 0.2 mm and about 3 mm.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the micro-needles has a length between about 0.5 mm and about 2 mm.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the micro-needles has an outside diameter in a range of about 30 gauge to about 60 gauge.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the micro-needles has an outside diameter in a range of about 34 gauge to about 45 gauge.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the micro-needles are formed from a ceramic.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the ceramic comprises an organically modified ceramic.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the micro-needles comprise a hardened metal formed in an additive manner.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the local anesthetic comprises at least one of lidocaine, tetracaine, benzocaine, chloroprocaine, cocaine, cyclomethycine, demethocaine, propoxycaine, procaine, proparacaine, articaine, bupivacaine, carticaine, cinchocaine, etidocaine, levobupivacaine, mepivacaine, or piperocaine

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of micro-needles include between about 2 and about 100 micro-needles.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of micro-needles include between about 4 and about 20 micro-needles.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of micro-needles include between about 4 and about 10 micro-needles.

14. A method of administering a local anesthetic into soft tissue, comprising:

providing a syringe having a syringe tip attached thereto, the syringe tip including 2 to about 100 micro-needles, each having a maximum length of about 3 mm and a maximum diameter of about 30 gauge;

puncturing a patient'"'"'s soft tissue with the micro-needles; and

injecting a local anesthetic through the micro-needles so as to deliver the local anesthetic into the soft tissue.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein each micro-needle of the array has a length between about 0.5 mm and about 2 mm.

16. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein each micro-needle of the array comprises an organically modified ceramic.

17. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the array comprises between about 4 and about 20 micro-needles.

20. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein each micro-needle of the array comprises an organically modified ceramic.

21. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the array comprises between about 2 and about 100 micro-needles.

22. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the array comprises between about 4 and about 20 micro-needles.

18. A method of administering a local anesthetic into dental ligamentary tissue adjacent a patient'"'"'s tooth, comprising:

puncturing a patient'"'"'s gingival tissue and ligamentary tissue adjacent the patient'"'"'s tooth with a plurality of micro-needles, each micro-needle having a maximum outside diameter of about 30 gauge and a maximum length of about 3 mm; and

injecting a local anesthetic through the plurality of micro-needles so as to deliver the local anesthetic into the ligamentary tissue adjacent the patient'"'"'s tooth.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein each micro-needle has a length between about 0.5 mm and about 2 mm.