Apparatus, methods, and compositions for endodontic treatments
First Claim
1. An apparatus for treating a tooth, the apparatus comprising:
- a fluid retainer configured to be applied to the tooth to substantially retain fluid in a tooth chamber in the tooth, the fluid retainer comprising an internal chamber;
an inlet opening to supply fluid to the internal chamber;
a suction port on the fluid retainer to remove fluid from the tooth chamber, the suction port comprising an opening in the internal chamber;
an outlet passage extending from the opening to convey the removed fluid from the opening; and
a vent disposed along the outlet passage and in fluid communication with the suction port with the opening of the suction port being disposed between the internal chamber and the vent, the vent configured to be open to ambient air during a treatment procedure,the vent being configured to permit the ambient air to be entrained into flow of fluid removed from the tooth chamber via the suction port without the ambient air entering the tooth chamber, andthe vent further being configured to inhibit flow of the ambient air into the chamber in the tooth.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Examples of apparatus, methods, and compositions for endodontic treatments are described. The apparatus can include a fluid platform configured to substantially retain fluid in a tooth chamber during treatment. The fluid platform can help maintain fluid circulation in the tooth chamber as fluid flows into and out of the tooth chamber. The apparatus can also include a pressure wave generator configured to generate acoustic waves that can be used for cleaning root canals and tooth surfaces in the tooth chamber. Examples of pressure wave generators include a liquid jet, an electromagnetic energy delivery device, and an ultrasonic device. The fluid can include antiseptic or antibacterial solutions to assist in tooth cleaning. The fluid may be degassed to have a reduced dissolved gas content (compared to non-degassed fluids used in endodontic treatments), which may improve the effectiveness of the pressure wave generation or the cleaning.
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Citations
71 Claims
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1. An apparatus for treating a tooth, the apparatus comprising:
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a fluid retainer configured to be applied to the tooth to substantially retain fluid in a tooth chamber in the tooth, the fluid retainer comprising an internal chamber; an inlet opening to supply fluid to the internal chamber; a suction port on the fluid retainer to remove fluid from the tooth chamber, the suction port comprising an opening in the internal chamber; an outlet passage extending from the opening to convey the removed fluid from the opening; and a vent disposed along the outlet passage and in fluid communication with the suction port with the opening of the suction port being disposed between the internal chamber and the vent, the vent configured to be open to ambient air during a treatment procedure, the vent being configured to permit the ambient air to be entrained into flow of fluid removed from the tooth chamber via the suction port without the ambient air entering the tooth chamber, and the vent further being configured to inhibit flow of the ambient air into the chamber in the tooth. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for treating a tooth, the apparatus comprising:
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a fluid retainer configured to be positioned against a surface of the tooth to substantially retain fluid in a chamber formed between the fluid retainer and the surface of the tooth; an inlet opening to supply fluid to the chamber; a suction port on the fluid retainer to remove fluid from the chamber, the suction port comprising an opening in the chamber; an outlet passage extending from the opening to convey the removed fluid from the opening; and an ambient air vent disposed along the outlet passage and in fluid communication with the suction port with the opening of the suction port being disposed between the chamber and the vent, the vent configured to be open to ambient air during a treatment procedure, the vent being configured to permit the ambient air to be entrained into a flow of fluid removed from the chamber via the suction port without the ambient air entering the chamber, and the vent further being configured to inhibit flow of the ambient air into the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An apparatus for treating a tooth, the apparatus comprising:
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a fluid retainer configured to be positioned against a surface of the tooth to substantially retain fluid in a chamber formed between the fluid retainer and the surface of the tooth; an inlet opening to supply fluid to the chamber; a suction port on the fluid retainer to remove fluid from the chamber; and a vent in fluid communication with the suction port, the vent configured to be open to ambient air during a treatment procedure, the vent being configured to permit the ambient air to be entrained into a flow of fluid removed from the chamber via the suction port without the ambient air entering the chamber, and the vent further being configured to inhibit flow of the ambient air into the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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Specification