TOOL TIP, TOOL FOR DENTAL TREATMENT HAVING SUCH A TOOL TIP AND METHOD FOR OPERATING SUCH A TOOL

Abstract

A tool tip (10) for a tool being intended for a dental treatment, in particular for a piezoelectric scaler, comprising—a first section (11) extending in a first direction (D1) and—a second section (12) extending in a second direction (D2), the second direction (D2) being inclined relative to the first direction (D1), wherein the first section (11) has at least partially a flat basic body (5).

Claims

1. A tool tip for a tool being intended for a dental treatment, in particular for a piezoelectric scaler, comprising: a first section extending in a first direction and a second section extending in a second direction the second direction being inclined relative to the first direction, wherein the first section has at least partially a flat basic body.

2. The tool tip according to claim 1, wherein the first section and the second section form an integral body.

3. The tool tip according to claim 1, wherein a horn is included in the tool tip.

4. The tool tip according to claim 1, wherein a cross section of the flat basic body of the first section, in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, has a first extension and a second extension perpendicular to the first extension, wherein a ratio between the first extension to the second extension is smaller than 0.2.

5. The tool tip according to claim 4, wherein the second extension and the second direction of the second section are located in the same plane.

6. The tool tip according to claim 1, wherein the tool tip is made from titanium or stainless steel.

7. The tool tip according to claim 1, wherein the first extension is essentially constant along the first direction, in particular in the first subsection and/or the second subsection.

8. The tool tip according to claim 1, wherein an angle between the first direction and the second direction has a value between 100° and 160°.

9. A tool for dental treatment, in particular a piezoelectric scaler, comprising a handpiece having a vibration source, preferably having a first piezo element and a second piezo element, and a tool tip, in particular the tool according to claim 1, wherein the tool tip is actuated by the vibration source in an operation status of the tool and comprises a first section extending in a first direction and a second section extending in a second direction, the second direction being inclined relative to the first direction, wherein the first section is partially integrated in the vibration source, preferably between the first piezo element and the second piezo element, and has at least partially a flat basic body.

10. The tool according to claim 9, wherein the vibration source comprises a first plate forming the first piezo element and a second plate forming the second piezo element for forming a longitudinal resonator, which actuates the tool tip in the operation status, the first section being at least partially sandwiched between the first plate and the second plate.

11. The tool according to one of the claim 9, wherein the first plate and the second plate are configured to actuate a d.sub.31 transverse mode in the longitudinal resonator.

12. The tool according to claim 9, wherein a length of the tool in a direction parallel to the first direction is smaller than 25 cm.

13. The tool according to claim 9, wherein the first section has a first subsection, being located inside the longitudinal resonator in the operation status, and a second subsection, being located outside of the longitudinal resonator, wherein a first second extension of the first subsection is larger than a second second extension of the first subsection.

14. The tool according to claim 9, wherein the tool comprises a control unit, the control unit being configured for controlling the vibrational source, in particular for a closed loop control.

15. Method for operating a tool according to claim 9, wherein the tool tip is actuated to a vibration motion having a frequency between 18 kHz and 60 kHz.

Description

IN THE DRAWINGS IS

[0041] FIG. 1 a tool for a dental treatment according to the state of the art and a vibration source for such a tool in an exploded view,

[0042] FIG. 2 a tool according to a preferred embodiment for a tool according to the present invention

[0043] FIG. 3 a transducer for a tool according to the present invention.

[0044] In FIG. 1, a tool 51 for a dental treatment according to the state of the art (upper half) and a vibration source for such a tool 51 in an exploded view (lower half) are illustrated. In particular, the tool 51 for dental treatment is a piezoelectric scaler, being used for removing calculus and/or biofilms from a tooth during the dental treatment. The tool 51 comprises a tool tip 52, in particular a scaler tip, and a vibration source 20 for causing a vibrational movement of the tool tip 52. The vibrational movement is intended to create an oscillation at a distal end of the pointed tool tip 52. By locating the distal end of the tool tip 52 at the tooth it is possible during dental treatment to remove the biofilm and/or calculus due to the oscillating movement of the distal end of the tool tip 52. Typically, the tool tip 52 is connected to a vibration source 20, being part of a handpiece, via a horn 53. The horn 53 transfers the vibrational movement from the vibration source 20 to the tool tip 52. In particular, the vibrational source 20 is surrounded by a housing 54 of the handpiece 6.

[0045] The vibration source 20, being used in such a tools, typically includes ring-shaped piezo elements 55, the piezo elements 55 being stacked above each other in a direction being parallel to the direction of the vibrational movement, being caused by the vibrational source. In other words, the vibrational source includes a stack 56 of ring-shaped piezo elements 55, being stacked above each other in a direction parallel to the direction of vibrational movement. Typically, the horn 53 is connected to a distal front side of the stack 46, formed by the ring-shaped piezo element 55.

[0046] Such tools 51 of the prior art have the disadvantage of being comparably large and, therefore, hard to handle. Furthermore, due to the specific shape of the tool tip 51, namely its bended orientation, in particular its inclined orientation of the distal end relative to the direction being parallel to the vibrational movement, the tool tip 52 is prone for parasitic oscillations, which reduce the efficiency of transferring the vibrational movement from the vibrational source to the distal end of the tool tip 52. Furthermore, the tool 51 for dental treatments as illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises several interfaces, such as the interface between the horn 53 and the tool tip 52. Such interfaces typically cause that reflection further reduce the efficiency of transferring or transforming the vibrational movement from the vibration source 20 to the oscillation movement of the distal end of the tool tip 52.

[0047] In FIG. 2, a tool 1 for dental treatment according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The tool 1 comprises a tool tip 10, having a first section 11 and a second section 12. The first section 11 extends in a first direction D1, being parallel to the direction of the vibrational movement caused by the vibration source 20. In particular, it is provided that the first section 11 is at least partially integrated in the vibration source 20. In particular, the first section 11 is a part of the vibration source 20. Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the first section 11 is at least partially formed by a basic body 5. It turned out by using such a tool tip 10, it is in an advantageous manner possible to decrease a total length L of the handpiece 6, measured in a direction parallel to the first direction D1, which is smaller compared to those total lengths L of tools for dental treatment known from the prior art. Actually, it is possible to realise a tool 1 having a length L in a direction parallel to the first direction D1 which is smaller than 25 cm, preferably smaller than 20 cm and more preferably smaller than 15 cm

[0048] Such small dimensioned tools 1 simplify handling, in particular, compared to the handpieces 6 known from the prior art. Furthermore, FIG. 2 shows that the handpiece 6 comprises a proximal housing part 21 and a distal housing part 22, which are part of the handpiece 6 and surround the tool tip 10 at least partially. In particular, the distal part of the tool tip 10 reaches through a hole or opening at the front side of the distal housing part 22. Furthermore, a supply line 13 is provided to provide energy, in particular, electric energy to the handpiece, in particular to the vibration source as well as cooling water. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the distal housing part 22 includes a light source for illuminating the tooth being treated during the dental treatment.

[0049] In FIG. 3, a transducer 30, as part of the vibration source 20, of the tool 1 of FIG. 2 is shown in a detailed and exploded view. In particular, it is provided that the transducer 30 includes a first plate 31 and a second plate 32, being orientated to each other in a parallel manner. The tool tip 10, in particular the first subsection 111 being formed as flat basic body 5, is sandwiched between the first plate 31 and the second plate 32 in a direction being perpendicular to a main extension plane of the first plate 31 and the second plate 32. As a consequence, it is possible to activate a d.sub.31 transvers mode for causing a vibration movement of the first section 11 along the first direction D1. As a consequence, the tool tip 10 is integrated into the transducer 30, since the tool tip 10 forms a part of the transducer 30, which transforms the electrical energy to a vibrational movement.

[0050] Furthermore, it is provided that the tool tip 10 has a first section 11, extending along the first direction D1 and a second section 12, extending along a second direction D2, the second direction D2 being inclined to the first direction D1, preferably, by forming an angle between 100° and 160°, preferably 105° and 140° and more preferably between 110° and 130°. In particular, it is provided that the tool tip is formed by an integral body, the first section 11 merges into the second section 12, wherein the second section 12 is bended relatively to the first direction D1 of the first section 11.

[0051] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, at least a first section 11 is formed as a flat basic body 5. For forming such a flat basic body 5, it is provided that a cross section of the first section 11, in a plane perpendicular to the first direction D1, has a first extension E1 and a second extension E2 being perpendicular to the first extension E1, wherein a ratio between the first extension E1 to the second extension E2 is smaller than 0.2, preferably smaller than 0.1 and more preferably smaller than 0.05.

[0052] Furthermore, it is provided that the first section has a first subsection 111 and a second subsection 112, the first subsection 111 having a second extension E2, being larger than the second extension E2 of the second subsection 112. Thus, a transition section is formed by the part of the first section 11, being preferably located between the first subsection 111 and the second section 12. Preferably, the second extension E2 of the tool tip 10 in the second subsection 112 tapers from a proximal end of the tool tip 10 to a distal end of the tool tip 10.

[0053] Furthermore, the tool tip 10 has at least one protrusion 7, which is located between the first subsection 111 and the second subsection 112. The protrusion 7 extends in a direction being parallel to the second extension E2 and increase the second extension E2 of the tool tip 1 in the area of the protrusion 7.

[0054] Furthermore, the first subsection 111 has a first length L1 and the second subsection 112 has a second length L2, wherein a ratio between the second length L2 to the first length L1 has a value between 0.75 and 1.25, preferably between 0.9 and 1.1 and more preferably between 0.95 and 1.05. The first length depends on the frequency and has for example a value between 15 mm and 80 mm. For example, the first length is 70 mm for 18 kHz and 20 mm for 60 kHz.

[0055] Moreover, the second section 12 of the tool tip 10 has a third length L3, being smaller than the first length L1 and/or the second length L2. It is also provided that the second section 12 is orientated such that the second direction D2 and the second extension E2 of the tool tip 10 extend in a common plane. In particular, the transducer 30, being illustrated in FIG. 3, shows that it is intended to use such a flat transducer 30 of FIG. 3 instead of the transducer illustrated in FIG. 1, namely a Langevin transducer. It turned out that by using such a flat transducer 30, it is possible to reduce the total length L of the tool 1 for dental treatment and to increase the efficiency for transferring or transforming the vibrational movement of the vibration source to the oscillation movement at the distal end of the tool tip 10.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0056] 1, 51 tool [0057] 5 basic body [0058] 6 handpiece [0059] 7 protrusion [0060] 10, 52 tool tip [0061] 11 first section [0062] 12 second section [0063] 13 supply line [0064] 20 vibration source [0065] 21 proximal housing part [0066] 22 distal housing part [0067] 30 transducer [0068] 31 first plate [0069] 32 second plate [0070] 53 horn [0071] 54 housing [0072] 55 ring-shaped piezo element [0073] 56 stack [0074] 111 first subsection [0075] 112 second subsection [0076] D1 first direction [0077] D2 second direction [0078] L1 first length [0079] L2 second length [0080] L3 third length [0081] L total length [0082] E1 first extension [0083] E2 second extension [0084] E11 first second extension [0085] E12 second second extension