METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AND/OR REGULATING A COMPRESSED-GAS-OPERABLE MEDICAL DRIVE DEVICE AND SUCH A DRIVE DEVICE

• US 20140120496A1
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: W&H Dentalwerk Burmoos GmbH (PM Privatstiftung)
• Original Assignee: W&H Dentalwerk Burmoos GmbH (PM Privatstiftung)
• Inventors: Rothenwaender, Michael, Eder, Karlheinz, Pruckner, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,668,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1624 Drive mechanisms therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1626 Control means; Display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1628 Motors; Power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00544 pneumatically
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/0023 Foot control
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/003 Control of rotation of instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/0038 Pneumatic systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/0061 Air and water supply systems; Valves specially adapted therefor A61C1/052 takes precedence; rinsing or air-blowing devices A61C17/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/05 with turbine drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/12 Angle hand-pieces

Abstract

Methods for controlling and/or regulating of a compressed-gas-operable medical or dental drive device and a control and/or regulating device for performing such methods are described. In one method according to a first embodiment, a rotor of the drive device is operated at an essentially constant rotational speed (n₁) by adjusting the gas pressure and/or the flow rate of the compressed gas through a valve and the rotational speed is reduced on reaching a pressure value (p₂) of the compressed gas which is lower than the maximum gas pressure (p_max) of the compressed gas. In the case of a method according to a second embodiment, the gas pressure of the compressed gas and the rotational speed of the rotor are altered on reaching a rotational speed limit value (n₂, n₃) of the rotor by adjusting the valve.

Claims

1. A method for controlling and/or regulating a compressed-gas-operable medical or dental drive device comprising a rotor and a tool-holding device connected to the rotor, wherein the drive device can be supplied with compressed gas at a maximum gas pressure from a compressed gas source to induce a rotational movement of the rotor and wherein the drive device comprises a valve for adjusting the gas pressure and/or a flow rate of the compressed gas,

wherein the method comprises operating the rotor at a substantially constant rotational speed at least within a limited load range by adjusting the gas pressure and/or the flow rate of the compressed gas through the valve, and

wherein the rotational speed is reduced on reaching a predetermined pressure value of the compressed gas, which is lower than the maximum gas pressure of the compressed gas.

2. The method for controlling and/or regulating according to claim 1, wherein on reaching the predetermined pressure value of the compressed gas, which is lower than the maximum gas pressure of the compressed gas, the torque of the rotor is substantially constant or increases.

3. The method for controlling and/or regulating according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined pressure value is adjustable by a user.

4. The method controlling and/or regulating according to claim 1, wherein the value of the substantially constant rotational speed is adjustable by a user.

10. The method for controlling and/or regulating according to claim 1, comprising a rotational speed lower limit, below which the method for controlling and/or regulating is not performed, wherein the rotational speed lower limit is >

0 s<sup>−

1</sup>.

5. A method for controlling and/or regulating a compressed-gas-operable medical or dental drive device comprising a rotor and a tool-holding device connected to the rotor, wherein the drive device can be supplied with compressed gas at a maximum gas pressure from a compressed gas source and wherein the drive device comprises a valve for adjusting the gas pressure and/or the flow rate of the compressed gas,

wherein the method comprises, upon reaching a rotational speed limit value of the rotor by adjusting the valve, altering the gas pressure of the compressed gas and the rotational speed of the rotor.

6. The method for controlling and/or regulating according to claim 5, wherein on reaching the rotational speed limit value of the rotor and on reaching a predetermined pressure value of the compressed gas, which is lower than the maximum gas pressure of the compressed gas, the gas pressure of the compressed gas and the rotational speed of the rotor are altered by adjusting the valve.

7. The method for controlling and/or regulating according to claim 5, wherein upon reaching the rotational speed limit value, the rotational speed of the rotor, the gas pressure of the compressed gas and the torque of the rotor increase.

8. The method for controlling and/or regulating according to claim 5, wherein upon reaching the rotational speed limit value, the rotational speed of the rotor decreases, and the gas pressure of the compressed gas and the torque of the rotor increase.

9. The method for controlling and/or regulating according to claim 5, wherein the rotational speed limit value and/or the predetermined pressure value is/are adjustable by a user.

11. The method for controlling and/or regulating according to claim 5, comprising a rotational speed lower limit, below which the method for controlling and/or regulating is not performed, wherein the rotational speed lower limit is >

0 s<sup>−

1</sup>.

12. A method for controlling and/or regulating a compressed-gas-operable medical or dental drive device comprising a rotor and a tool-holding device connected to the rotor, wherein the drive device can be supplied with compressed gas at a maximum gas pressure from a compressed gas source and wherein the drive device has a valve for adjusting the gas pressure and/or a flow rate of the compressed gas,

wherein the method comprises, when the drive device is not supplied with compressed gas, the user selecting at least one of the following parameters at least within a predefined range:

a rotational speed limit value of the rotor, which is lower than a maximum rotational speed determined by the maximum gas pressure, a setpoint rotational speed of the rotor, a gas pressure limit value of the compressed gas, which is lower than the maximum gas pressure, and/or a torque value.

13. A controlling and/or regulating device for a compressed-gas-operable medical or dental drive device having a rotor and a tool-holding device, the drive device being suppliable with compressed gas from a compressed gas source and having a valve for adjusting a gas pressure and/or a flow rate of the compressed gas,

wherein the controlling and/or regulating device is configured to drive the rotor according to at least one control mode,

wherein in a first control mode, the controlling and/or regulating device is configured to drive the rotor at a substantially constant rotational speed at least within a limited load range by adjusting the gas pressure and/or the flow rate of the compressed gas through the valve, and to reduce the rotational speed of the rotor upon reaching a predetermined pressure value of the compressed gas lower than a maximum gas pressure of the compressed gas,

wherein in a second control mode, the controlling and/or regulating device is configured to drive the rotor and, upon reaching a rotational speed limit, to adjust the valve to alter the gas pressure of the compressed gas and the rotational speed of the rotor, and

wherein in a third control mode, when the drive device is not supplied with compressed gas, the controlling and/or regulating device is configured to drive the rotor, at least within a predefined range, according to a user selected parameter comprising at least one of a rotational speed limit value of the rotor lower than a maximum rotational speed determined by the maximum gas pressure, a setpoint rotational speed of the rotor a gas pressure limit value of the compressed gas lower than the maximum gas pressure and/or a torque value.

14. A medical or dental drive device, comprising a controlling and/or regulating device according to claim 13.

15. A medical or dental drive device according to claim 14, further comprising a rotational-speed-measuring device for measuring the rotational speed of the rotor and/or of the tool-holding device, wherein the control and/or regulating device is operatively connected to rotational-speed-measuring device and to the valve, so that the measured data on the rotational speed can be transmitted to the control and/or regulating device, and the valve can be operated on the basis of transmitted measured data on the rotational speed by the control and/or regulating device for adjusting the gas pressure and/or the flow rate of the compressed gas.

16. A medical or dental, drive device according to claim 15, further comprising a device for determining a gas pressure of the compressed gas, wherein the control and/or regulating device is operatively connected to the device for determining the gas pressure, so that measured data on the gas pressure can be transmitted to the control and/or regulating device, and the valve can be operated on the basis of the transmitted measured data on the gas pressure by the control and/or regulating device for adjusting the gas pressure and/or the flow rate of the compressed gas.

17. The medical or dental drive device according to claim 14, further comprising at least one actuator element operable by a user for setting at least one of the following parameters:

a rotational speed limit value of the rotor which is lower than a maximum rotational speed determined by a maximum gas pressure, a setpoint rotational speed of the rotor, a gas pressure limit value of the compressed gas which is lower than the maximum gas pressure, or a torque value.