A shaft for a dental screwdriver configured to be inserted into a bore cavity of a dental prosthetic. The shaft has a drive tip for driving a dental screw used to fix the dental prosthetic to the dental implant when the shaft is inserted into the bore cavity of the dental prosthetic. The drive tip is made of a shape memory smart alloy. The shaft also has an axial shaft portion made of a shape memory smart alloy with different material characteristics than the shape memory smart alloy of the drive tip. The axial shaft portion is configured to elastically bend from an original shape to a bent shape along the axial shaft portion without imparting a bending action and torqueing forces along the drive tip when the dental screwdriver is inserted into the bore cavity of the dental prosthetic.

A shaft for a dental screwdriver configured to be inserted into a bore cavity of a dental prosthetic. The shaft has a drive tip for driving a dental screw used to fix the dental prosthetic to the dental implant when the shaft is inserted into the bore cavity of the dental prosthetic. The drive tip is made of a shape memory smart alloy. The shaft also has an axial shaft portion made of a shape memory smart alloy with different material characteristics than the shape memory smart alloy of the drive tip. The axial shaft portion is configured to elastically bend from an original shape to a bent shape along the axial shaft portion without imparting a bending action and torqueing forces along the drive tip when the dental screwdriver is inserted into the bore cavity of the dental prosthetic.

A lubrication information management device includes: a lubrication detector provided to a lubrication unit; an instrument wireless tag provided to an instrument; and a read-write unit which is either an antenna or a reader-writer. Moreover, the read-write unit communicates lubrication information to the instrument wireless tag when the lubrication detector detects any of lubrication of the instrument and an operation for lubrication. This makes it possible to reliably manage the lubrication of a dental instrument.

A handle system for supporting a tool defining a tool axis during the performance of dental procedures comprises a handle defining a handle axis, a rotation sleeve, a head assembly and a gear set comprising first and second gear portions. The rotation sleeve supports the first gear portion. The head assembly supports the second gear portion. The handle supports the rotation sleeve for rotation relative to the handle. The handle supports the head assembly such that the first gear portion engages the second gear portion. With the head assembly supported by the handle, the head assembly engages the tool to support the tool such that the tool axis extends at a first angle relative to the handle axis and rotation of the rotation sleeve relative to the handle causes axial rotation of the tool about the tool axis.

A motor-driven dental device has a motor control that is responsive to a load placed upon the motor. More specifically, the invention relates to a dental device having motor that drives a tool, wherein the tool is activated or otherwise controlled in response to a load placed upon the motor through the tool, such as by touching the tool to a surface. The tool may also be controlled by the sustenance, over a predetermined time period, of an increase or decrease in motor current beyond a predetermined hysteresis current threshold. The motor may be an electric motor, a rotary electric motor, and air driven motor, an ultrasonic device or the like.

A handpiece maintenance system and method identifies a dental handpiece and operates in a diagnostic cycle to power the handpiece and determine predictive maintenance condition thereof. The handpiece maintenance system includes a temperature sensor and/or an acceleration sensor to measure the conditions of the handpiece during the diagnostic cycle. The predictive maintenance condition of the handpiece is based on data from the diagnostic cycle and other stored data for the identified handpiece. A system is also configured to determine a predictive maintenance condition of the handpiece based on sensor data read from a handpiece and historical usage data thereof.

A motor-driven dental device has a motor control that is responsive to a load placed upon the motor. More specifically, the invention relates to a dental device having motor that drives a tool, wherein the tool is activated or otherwise controlled in response to a load placed upon the motor through the tool, such as by touching the tool to a surface. The tool may also be controlled by the sustenance, over a predetermined time period, of an increase or decrease in motor current beyond a predetermined hysteresis current threshold. The motor may be an electric motor, a rotary electric motor, and air driven motor, an ultrasonic device or the like.

A dental drill system with electrical-impedance sensing indicates when a bit of the drill system approaches cortical-cancellous bone, or bone-soft tissue interfaces. The drill system has a dental drill handset having a cannula bearing electrically coupled to a drilling bit, the drilling bit having an electrically insulated portion and an exposed portion. The cannula bearing is coupled to an electrical impedance spectroscopy sensing device configured to measure impedance between the cannula bearing of the dental drill handset and a ground plate, and a processing system uses EIS measurements to distinguish when the bit of the drill system approaches cortical- or cancellous bone, or bone-soft tissue interfaces.

A drivetrain assembly (100) for a personal care device (10), the drivetrain assembly including a primary resonator (110); a secondary resonator (140) configured to reduce vibrations transmitted from the motor to a body (12) of the personal care device; a fixed point (130) positioned between the primary resonator and the secondary resonator; a first spring member (120) connected at a first end to the primary resonator and at a second end to the fixed point; a second spring member (150) connected at a first end to the secondary resonator and at a second end to the fixed point; a coupling spring (160) connected at a first end to the primary resonator and at a second end to the secondary resonator; and an actuator (170) configured to exert force on at least one of the primary resonator and the secondary resonator.

A drivetrain assembly (100) for a personal care device (10), the drivetrain assembly including a primary resonator (110); a secondary resonator (140) configured to reduce vibrations transmitted from the motor to a body (12) of the personal care device; a fixed point (130) positioned between the primary resonator and the secondary resonator; a first spring member (120) connected at a first end to the primary resonator and at a second end to the fixed point; a second spring member (150) connected at a first end to the secondary resonator and at a second end to the fixed point; a coupling spring (160) connected at a first end to the primary resonator and at a second end to the secondary resonator; and an actuator (170) configured to exert force on at least one of the primary resonator and the secondary resonator.