SONIC DENTAL TOOL FOR MASSAGING GUMS

• US 3,563,233 A
• Filed: 03/17/1969
• Issued: 02/16/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Albert G. Bodine
• Original Assignee: Albert G. Bodine
• Inventors: Bodine, Albert G.
• Application Number:
  US04/807,866
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• US Class Current: 601/72
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 13/00 Gum massage
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0153 hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1685 interchangeable
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0254 with rotary motor

Abstract

A hollow elastic wand member forms a housing for an orbiting mass oscillator which comprises an eccentric rotor which is coupled by a flexible shaft to a drive motor. The rotor member is rotatably driven at a frequency such as to cause resonant elastic vibration of the wand in a gyratory vibration mode. This resonant frequency is chosen so that it is one at which energy can be efficiently coupled to gum tissue. Removably attached to one end of the wand member is an applicator member of soft resilient material which is utilized to couple the sonic energy to the gum tissue.

Claims

1. A dental tool for massaging and cleaning gum tissue comprising:

a hollow wand member fabricated of elastic material;

an applicator member removably attached to one end of said wand member, said applicator member being fabricated of a soft resilient material;

a handle member attached to the other end of said wand member;

an eccentric rotor member rotatably supported in said wand member; and

motor means for driving said rotor member at a speed such as to cause resonant elastic gyratory vibration of the vibration system including said wand member, said applicator member and said gum tissue.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein said handle member is hollow, said motor means including an electric motor mounted in said handle member.

3. The tool of claim 1 wherein said resonant vibration is at a frequency of the order of 20 cycles per second.

4. The tool of claim 1 wherein said rotor member comprises a cylinder having a substantially smaller outside diameter than the inside diameter of said wand member, said cylinder rolling around against the inner wall of said wand member to provide a vibration of said wand member at a frequency substantially lower than the rotation frequency at which said rotor is driven.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said applicator member is fabricated of a porous material capable of holding cleaning solution.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said rotor member comprises a cylinder having substantially the same outside diameter as the inside of said wand member, said cylinder having an eccentric hollowed out portion formed therein.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said applicator member is cylindrical in form and has a plurality of pointed applicator units formed therearound.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said applicator member is cylindrical in form and has a plurality of concentric circular ridge portions formed thereon.