DENTAL PULP TESTER

• US 3,782,366 A
• Filed: 03/16/1972
• Issued: 01/01/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ronald W. Brown
• Original Assignee: Ronald W. Brown
• Inventors: Brown, Ronald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US05/235,391
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2R,303.1,399,400,303.13,2.1R,173R,172.1,362,401,403-406,407,410-411 62/293 219/229,240-242
• US Class Current: 433/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0534 for testing vitality of teeth

Abstract

A hand-held dental pulp tester comprising in one integral unit means for selectively applying heat, cold, electrical shock and mechanical impact to the tip of the tester which is in contact with a patient'"'"''"'"'s tooth.

Claims

1. A hand-held dental pulp tester comprising:

a. a housing;

b. a rigid tube mounted in said housing for movement along the longitudinal axis of said tube and extending therefrom and terminating in a tip;

c. a nozzle mounted in said tip;

d. a pressurized container of vaporizable coolant mounted in said housing;

e. a conduit coupled between said container and said nozzle;

f. a normally closed pressure release valve means coupled between said conduit and said container;

g. cold actuator means mounted on said housing for opening said valve means to permit cold coolant vapor to be discharged through said conduit to said tip;

h. electric heating means mounted in said tip;

i. means for mounting a battery in said housing;

j. terminal means in said housing for making electrical contact with a battery mounted in said housing;

k. normally open switch means connected between said terminal means and said electric heating means;

l. heat actuator means mounted on said housing for closing said switch means to energize said heating means and heat said tip;

m. high voltage generating means connected between said terminals and said heating means;

n. a normally open high voltage switch connected between said terminal and said high voltage generating means; and

o. a high voltage actuator mounted on said housing for closing said high voltage switch to apply high voltage to said tip.

2. A hand-held dental pulp tester as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a. hammer means mounted in said housing and operable to impart sudden motion to said tube along said longitudinal axis thereof and relative to said housing; and

b. trigger means mounted on said housing for operating said hammer means.

3. A hand-held dental pulp tester as defined in claim 1 wherein said coolant is liquid butane and further comprising a wick having one end submersed in said butane and the other end coupled to said valve means.

4. A hand-held dental pulp tester as defined in claim 2 further comprising:

a. a potentiometer connected between said high voltage generating means and said tip; and

b. manually operable voltage adjusting means mounted on said housing and mechanically connected to said potentiometer for adjusting the voltage applied to said tip.

5. A hand-held dental pulp tester as defined in claim 4 further comprising a high voltage indicating lamp connected to said high voltage generating means for indicating the application of voltage to said tip.