Mechanical support for hand-held dental/medical instrument

• US 5,017,139 A
• Filed: 07/05/1990
• Issued: 05/21/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David R. Mushabac
• Original Assignee: David R. Mushabac
• Inventors: Mushabac, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHERICHETTI, CINDY
• Application Number:
  US07/548,687
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• Field of Search: 433/72, 433/75, 433/76, 433/107, 433/108, 433/109, 433/103, 408/46, 408/241
• US Class Current: 433/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 15/16 Storage, holding or carrying means for dental handpieces or the like

Abstract

A mechanical support for holding a dental medical instrument includes multiple segments which are mounted to one another to provide six degrees of freedom of motion for an instrument supported at one end of the support arm. At each juncture or joint between segments, a positioning encoder provides an electrical signal which indicates the motion of one of the segments relative to the adjacent segment. The combined encoder outputs provides information concerning all six degrees of freedom of motion and thus provides a signal which tracks with the motion of the operating instrument. A slave probe coupled to the operating end of the instrument provides a technique of either commanding the positioning of the instrument or, alternatively, tracking with the position of the instrument. The slave probe thus executes a three dimensional contour that is the same as the three dimensional surface traced by the instrument.

Claims

1. A device for use with a dental/medical operating instrument to obtain three-dimensional contour information, comprising:

a plurality of arm segments pivotally connected in sequence to one another to form an articulated assembly of said arm segments, said assembly having a first end and a second end,

first mounting means for mounting a first end of said articulated assembly to a stationary platform,

second mounting means for attaching an operating instrument to the second end of said articulated assembly,

a plurality of encoders, each of said encoders being associated with one of said segments to provide an electrical signal indication of the position of each of said segments,

wherein the position of the operating instrument can be tracked on a continuous basis.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a slave probe coupled to said second end of said articulated assembly,

said slave probe having a tip which tracks with movement of the tip of said operating instrument.

3. A mechanical support for a hand held dental/medical operating instrument to provide three-dimensional contour information comprising:

a plurality of movable segments, each of said segments having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axes of said segments being arranged along a single line to provide an articulated assembly having a first end and a second end,

said first end adapted to be coupled to a fixed platform, said second end adapted to be connected to an operating instrument,

a plurality of joints, a first one of said joints adapted to connect said first end to a platform and each of the rest of said joints connecting successive ones of said segments to each other, each of said joints providing rotation about a predetermined axis,

at least two of said joints providing rotation around a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by said joint,

the rest of said joints providing for rotation about an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by all positions of the longitudinal axes of the two segments connected by said joints, and

a plurality of encoders, each of said encoders being associated with one of said segments to provide an electrical signal indication of the position of each of said segments,

whereby the position of the operating instrument can be tracked on a continuous basis.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprising:

a slave probe coupled to said second end of said articulated assembly,

said slave probe having a tip which tracks with movement of the tip of the operating instrument connected to said second end.

5. A mechanical support for hand held dental/medical operating instruments to provide three-dimensional contour information comprising:

a fixed platform,

first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth movable segments, each of said six segments having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axes of said segments being arranged along a single line,

said first segment being coupled to said platform, said sixth segment adapted to be connected to an operating instrument,

first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth joints, a first one of said joints connecting said first segment to said platform and each of the rest of said joints connecting successive ones of said segments to each other,

each of said joints providing rotation about a predetermined axis,

at least two of said joints providing rotation around a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by said joint,

the rest of said joints providing rotation about an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by all positions of the longitudinal axes of the two segments connected by said joint,

whereby the tip of an operating instrument connected to said sixth segment is enabled to move with six degrees of freedom of motion,

a plurality of encoders associated with each of said movable segments to provide an electrical signal indication of the position of each of said movable segments,

whereby the position of the operating instrument can be tracked on a continuous basis.

6. The support of claim 5 further comprising:

a slave probe mounted on said fifth segment and coupled to said sixth segment, said slave probe having a tip which tracks with movement of the tip of any operating instrument connected to said sixth segment.

7. The support of claim 5 wherein:

at least said second sixth joints are ones providing rotation about a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by the joint involved.

8. The support of claim 6 wherein:

at least said second sixth joints are ones providing rotation about a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by the joint involved.

9. A mechanical support for hand held dental/medical operating instruments to provide three-dimensional contour information comprising:

first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth movable segments, each of said six segments having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axes of said segments being arranged along a single line,

said first segment adapted to be coupled to a platform, said sixth segment adapted to be connected to an operating instrument,

first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth joints, a first one of said joints connecting said first segment to said platform and each of the rest of said joints connecting successive ones of said segments to each other,

each of said joints providing rotation about a predetermined axis,

at least two of said joints providing rotation around a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by said joint,

the rest of said joints providing rotation about an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by all positions of the longitudinal axes of the two segments connected by said joint,

whereby the tip of an operating instrument is connected to said sixth segment is enabled to move with six degrees of freedom of motion, and

a slave probe mounted on said fifth segment and coupled to said sixth segment, said slave probe having a tip which tracks with movement of the tip of any operating instrument connected to said sixth segment.

10. The support of claim 9 wherein:

at least said second and sixth joints are ones providing rotation about a longitudinal axis shared by the two of said segments connected by the joint involved.