Root canal apex locator

Abstract

An apex locator system constructed to enable visualization of an apex location at a vicinity of the mouth of a patient and more specifically on a lip clip, hand file and/or file clip of the apex locator system.

Claims

1. A dental apex locator for determining the location of the apex of a patient's root, comprising: a base having a power source; a lip clip connected to the base and adapted for grounding the patient; a hand file adapted for advancing through the root of the patient; and optionally, a file clip for connecting the hand file to the base; the dental apex locator further including an advancement indicator having transparent part, a light source and a controller configured to receive communication about a location of the hand file in the patient's root in order to control the light source, the light source and the controller are disposed inside the transparent part, the transparent part encircles the controller and the light source and the transparent part is configured to be illuminated by the light source along its elongated length to indicate advancement of said hand file through the patient's root based on a display of a plurality of light colors that correspond to said advancement of the hand file through the patient's root, wherein the advancement indicator is constructed to communicate wirelessly with the base, and wherein said advancement indicator is integrated into a body of one member selected from the group consisting of the lip clip, the hand file and the file clip such that the location of the apex is visualized at a vicinity of a mouth of the patient.

2. The dental apex locator according to claim 1, wherein the hand file is a probe module and is directly connected to the base through a wired connection.

3. The dental apex locator according to claim 1, wherein the light source is an RGB LED.

4. The dental apex locator of claim 1, wherein a communication path between the one or more members and the base is through a cable.

5. The dental apex locator of claim 1, wherein a communication path between the one or more members and the base is through a wireless connection.

6. The dental apex locator of claim 1, wherein a communication path between the file clip and the hand file is through induction.

7. The dental apex locator of claim 1, wherein said advancement indicator is integrated into the body of the hand file.

8. The dental apex locator of claim 1, wherein said advancement indicator is integrated into the body of the lip clip.

9. The dental apex locator of claim 1, wherein said advancement indicator is powered by an internal battery.

10. A dental apex locator for determining the location of the apex of a patient's root, comprising: a base having a power source; a lip dip connected to the base and adapted for grounding the patient; a hand file adapted for advancing through the root of the patient; and optionally, a file clip for connecting the hand file to the base; the dental apex locator further including an advancement indicator having transparent part, a light source and a controller configured to receive communication about a location of the hand file in the patient's root in order to control the light source, the light source and the controller are disposed inside the transparent part, the transparent part encircles the controller and the light source and the transparent part is configured to be illuminated by the light source along its elongated length to indicate advancement of said hand file through the patient's root based on a display of a plurality of light colors that correspond to said advancement of said hand file through the patient's root, wherein the advancement indicator is constructed to communicate wirelessly with the base, and wherein said advancement indicator is removably attached onto a member selected from the group consisting of the lip clip, the hand file, the file clip, or a combination thereof such that the location of the apex is visualized at a vicinity of a mouth of the patient.

11. The dental apex locator of claim 10, wherein said advancement indicator is removably attached onto the hand file.

12. The dental apex locator of claim 10, wherein said advancement indicator is removably attached onto the lip clip.

13. The dental apex locator of claim 10, wherein said advancement indicator is removably attached onto the file clip.

14. A dental apex locator for determining the location of the apex of a patient's root, comprising: a base having a power source; a lip clip connected to the base and adapted for grounding the patient; an optional file clip; and a hand file adapted for advancing through the root of the patient, the hand file including an internal advancement indicator which comprises a transparent part, a light source and a controller configured to receive communication about a location of the hand file in the patient's root in order to control the light source, the light source and the controller are disposed inside the transparent part, which encircles the controller and the light source and which is configured to be illuminated by the light source along its elongated length to indicate advancement of said hand file through the patient's root based on a display of a plurality of light colors that correspond to said advancement of the hand file through the patient's root, and wherein said internal advancement indicator of the hand file is constructed to be removably attached onto a handle of the hand file through a non-cable connection such that the location of the apex is visualized at a vicinity of a mouth of the patient.

15. The dental apex locator of claim 14, wherein said non-cable connection is a screw connection.

16. The dental apex locator of claim 14, wherein said non-cable connection is a crimp connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the overall system of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 5 is a front view of another embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 6 is a front view of another embodiment of the present invention.

(8) FIG. 7 is a front view of another embodiment of the present invention.

(9) FIG. 8 is a front view of the apex locator system in use.

(10) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate a lip clip, a file clamp, an apex locator base and a hand file. The lip clip, file clip and hand file may be in communication with or may be powered by the base. The base may be a table top unit or an instrument such as a handpiece/rotary drill or otherwise. Such communication may be wireless or may be through a cable. The lip clip or file clip or hand file may further be modified to include a root canal advancement indicator 13 which may be integrated as an integrated advancement indicator in the lip clip or file clip or hand file or may be separately attached as a removable advancement indicator 13b (as shown in FIG. 6). The hand file may be indirectly connected to the base through a file clip or may be directly connected to the base through direct wires. The base may comprise an electronic module having a power source, an impedance analyzer circuit and a radio frequency transmitter (not shown) for transmitting radio frequencies to a controller of the advancement indicator 13.

(12) FIG. 1 illustrates an apex locator system comprising a base 16 with a lip clip 17 and a file clip 18 in communication with the base 16. The system may also include a hand file 19. The hand file may have an advancement indicator 13 in the form of a transparent plastic part 3 with an embedded lighting device/light source which may be an RGB LED 4 as shown in FIG. 4. A communication path between the base 16 and a hand file or probe may be realized by direct wires 22, which could preclude the need for a file clip 18. The communication path between the hand file 19 and the base 16 may also be realized by a multi contact file clip 18 or a combination of direct wires 22 and a multi contact file clip 18. Additionally, the hand file may be powered by an internal battery such that communication between the hand file 19 and the base 16 may be achieved by a wireless connection to the base 16. The file clip 18 may also be inductively coupled to the hand file 19.

(13) FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the disclosure showing a lip clip 17 comprising an advancement indicator 13, a tip 5 and a connector 2. A cable 1 from the apex locator base 16 connects an RGB LED 4 of the advancement indicator 13 and a tip of the lip clip 5 to the base 16. The RGB LED 4 illuminates a transparent plastic part 3 to indicate the position of the hand file in the root canal. The transparent plastic part may be attached with a crimp connection, by screwing or by similar techniques. In use, the tip 5 of the lip may physically engage a patient's lip (not shown) to electrically ground the patient.

(14) FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of disclosure showing a lip clip 17 with an advancement indicator 13 wherein the lip clip 17 comprises a wireless chip with an LED controller 7 to receive data wirelessly, for example, over radio frequencies to control the LED 4 according to the position of the hand file in the root canal. A battery 6, which may be rechargeable or replaceable may be used as a power source. Further a cable 1, from the apex locator base, may be used in conjunction with the tip 5 to electrically ground the patient.

(15) FIG. 4 shows a hand file comprising an advancement indicator 13, a cable 8 and a tip 10 wherein the advancement indicator 13 indicates the position of the tip 10 in the root canal. A connector 9 may electrically connect the metal tip 10 of the hand file with the base 16 of the apex locator system. The connector may also connect the RGB LED 4 with the base 16 through the cable 8. A transparent handle 3 of the hand file may be illuminated by the RGB LED 4 to indicate the advancement of the tip 10 through the root canal. The tip 10 may be made of electrically conductive material. The file may be hollow or substantially solid, and may be formed of plastic with metallic portions electrically connected between the tip 10 and the connector 9 or the file may be formed completely of metallic material/s.

(16) FIG. 5 illustrates a hand file 19 with an advancement indicator 13 wherein the hand file operates wirelessly. A battery 11 may be housed in the hand file 19 wherein a wireless chip and LED Controller 12 receive data over radio frequencies to control the LED 4 according to the position of the tip 10 in the root canal of a patient. A transparent handle 3 of the hand file 19 may be illuminated by the RGB LED 4 to indicate advancement of the tip 10 through the root canal of a patient.

(17) FIG. 6 shows a hand file 19 with a removable advancement indicator 13b wherein the removable advancement indicator 13b is a separate attachment which may be removably connected to the hand file 19. Said separate attachment may comprise a cable 14 from the base 16 of the apex locator system, an LED controller 15 to control the color of the RGB LED 4 based on the position of the tip 10 in the root canal, an RGB LED 4. The separate attachment may be attached by crimp connection, screwing or the like. The separate attachment may also further comprise a transparent handle 3 or a section of a transparent handle which may be illuminated by the RGB LED 4 to indicate advancement of the tip 10 through the root canal.

(18) FIG. 7 illustrates a hand file 19 with a removable advancement indicator 13b wherein the removable advancement indicator 13b is a separate attachment without a cable, said separate attachment capable of being removably connected with the handle of the hand file. The attachment may also be connected with a crimp connection or by screwing. It may further comprise a battery 11 which may be rechargeable, for example, during sterilization. The battery 11 may also be replaceable. The attachment 13 may also comprise a wireless chip with an LED Controller 12 as well as an RGB LED 4. The wireless chip with an LED Controller 12 may receive data over radio frequencies to control the color of the LED 4.

(19) FIG. 8 illustrates the operation of the apex locator system. A hand file or probe 19 comprising an advancement indicator 13 may be used. After preparing the root canal, the tip 10 of the hand file may be inserted into the root canal and the position of the tip may be measured and indicated using various colors of the LED 4. The colors may for example show the canal range to be the color of the LED. At the start of the apex measurement the LED may be off. When the tip reaches the coronal area, the LED may be blue. At the apical constriction, the LED may blink green. In between the apical constriction and the apical foramen, the LED may be orange. At the apical foramen, the LED may become RED. For over-instrumentation, the LED may be red.

(20) FIG. 9 illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention wherein the file clip 18 may have an advancement indicator 13. Herein, the file clip 18 may have a light source such as an RGB LED 4 and may be connected by a connection means such as a cable 1 to the apex locator base 16. The file clip 18 and may be engagably connected to the hand file 19 for root canal measurement. The light source of the file clip 18 may be configured with a plurality of light colors to illuminate a preferably transparent plastic part 3 of the file clip 18. Said preferably transparent part 3 may be cover or be overmolded around a metallic part 23 through which an electrical connection to the hand file 19 and the base 16 may be established. The progression of the hand file 19 through the root canal may be indicated by the changing colors of the light source, said changing colors corresponding to a depth of the root canal reached such that quick and efficient measurement may be achieved in the vicinity of the mouth of the patient.

(21) What has been described and illustrated herein is a preferred embodiment of the invention along with some of its variations. The terms, descriptions and figures used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention in which all terms are meant in their broadest, reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. Any headings utilized within the description are for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.