Abstract
The disclosure relates to a dental treatment system for locating the apex of a tooth of a patient, including: a lip clip having a first electrode attachable to the lip of the patient; a motorized handheld dental device having a housing which includes: a rotating hub; a second electrode connected to the rotating hub; and an illuminating means which is adapted to emit visible light and mounted into the housing; an electrical measurement unit which is connectable to both the lip clip and the motorized handheld dental device, and adapted to locate the apex of the tooth based on a measurement of the electrical impedance between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an optical output unit adapted to output a signal indicative of the located apex. The signal changes the illumination state of illuminating means in accordance with the distance of the endodontic file to the apex.
Claims
1. A dental treatment system for locating the apex of a tooth of a patient, the system comprising: a lip clip comprising a first electrode attachable to the lip of the patient; a motorized handheld dental device comprising a housing which comprises: a rotating hub for receiving configured to receive an endodontic file to be inserted in the root canal of the tooth of the patient; a second electrode connected to the rotating hub; and an illuminating means which is configured to emit visible light and mounted into the housing at a location such that it illuminates the distal end of the endodontic file; an electrical measurement unit which is connectable to both the lip clip and the motorized handheld dental device, and further configured to locate the apex of the tooth based on a measurement of the electrical impedance between the first electrode and the second electrode; and an optical output unit configured to output a signal indicative of the located apex, wherein the signal changes the illumination state of the illuminating means in accordance with the distance of the endodontic file to the apex.
2. The dental treatment system according to claim 1 wherein the illumination state includes at least one of an on/off state of the illuminating means, an intensity of the visible light emitted by the illuminating means, and a color of the visible light emitted by the illuminating means.
3. The dental treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a grip portion; a head portion which includes the rotating hub; and a neck portion between the grip portion and the head portion, wherein the illuminating means is mounted into the neck portion.
4. The dental treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating means comprises one or more LEDs.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] In the subsequent description, the present invention will be described in more detail by using exemplary embodiments and by referring to the drawings, wherein
[0019] FIG. 1is a perspective view of a system having a tabletop apex locator for locating the apex of a tooth according to the prior art;
[0020] FIG. 2is a schematic view of the system for locating the apex of a patient's tooth according to the prior art;
[0021] FIG. 3is a perspective view of a dental treatment system for locating the apex of a tooth of a patient according to the prior art;
[0022] FIG. 4is a perspective view of a dental treatment system for locating the apex of a tooth of a patient according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 5is a partial perspective enlarged view of the dentist's tray of the dental treatment system of FIG. 4;
[0024] FIG. 6is a partial perspective exploded view of a motorized handheld dental device of the dental treatment system of FIG. 4;
[0025] FIG. 7is another partial perspective enlarged view of the motorized handheld dental device having an endodontic file of the dental treatment system of FIG. 4;
[0026] FIG. 8is a first endodontic treatment dialog on the graphical user interface of the dental treatment system of FIG. 4;
[0027] FIG. 9is a second endodontic treatment dialog on the graphical user interface of dental treatment system of FIG. 4;
[0028] FIG. 10shows an endodontic treatment of a patient by using the dental treatment system of FIG. 4 in the first endodontic treatment mode.
[0029] The reference numbers shown in the drawings denote the elements as listed below and will be referred to in the subsequent description of the exemplary embodiments. [0030] 1. Apex locator [0031] 2. Lip clip [0032] 3. First electrode [0033] 4. Endodontic file [0034] 5. Endodontic file clip [0035] 6. 61. Second electrode [0036] 7. Cable [0037] 8. Electrical measurement unit [0038] 9. Acoustical output unit [0039] 10. Optical output unit [0040] 11. Loudspeaker [0041] 12. Display (LEDs) [0042] 13. Dental treatment system [0043] 14. Connector means [0044] 15. Dentist's tray [0045] 16. User interface [0046] 17. Chair [0047] 18. Assistant tray [0048] 19. Foot switch [0049] 20 Water unit [0050] 21 Motorized handheld dental device (instrument) [0051] 22 Housing [0052] 23 Rotating hub [0053] 24 Illuminating means (LED) [0054] 25 Visible light [0055] 26 Taskbar [0056] 27 Grip portion [0057] 28 Head portion [0058] 29 Neck portion
[0059] FIG. 4 shows a dental treatment system (13) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The dental treatment system (13) comprises: a chair (17) for seating a patient; a dentist's tray (15) with a plurality of claws for respectively holding various instruments to be used by the dentist during the dental treatment; an assistant's tray (18) with a plurality of claws for holding various instruments to be used by the assistant during the dental treatment; and a water unit (20) for cleaning the instruments and discharging the wastewater. A control unit (not shown) such as a PC is preferably provided inside the base of the chair (17) for controlling the overall operation of the dental treatment system (13). The dentist's tray (15) has a graphical user interface (16) with a touch-sensitive display (12) for enabling the dentist to selectively operate the various functionalities of the dental treatment system (13). The dental treatment system (13) also has a footswitch (19) for allowing the dentist to operate the various functionalities of the dental treatment system (13). Herein, in order to avoid prolongation of the description, the technical feature of the dental treatment system (13) other than those essential for understating the endodontic treatment will be omitted as these are commonly known to those skilled in the art.
THE ENDODONTIC TREATMENT
[0060] The dental treatment system (13) of FIG. 4 can be used for the endodontic treatment, in particular for locating the apex of a patient's tooth. In the subsequent description, the dental treatment system (13) will be explained in more detail with respect to different endodontic treatment modes that are available to the dentist, and respective dialogs that appear on the graphical user interface (16).
THE FIRST ENDODONTIC TREATMENT MODE AND A FIRST DIALOG
[0061] FIG. 10 shows a patient undergoing an endodontic treatment according to the first endodontic treatment mode. Herein the dentist uses a lip clip (2) and a motorized handheld dental device (21) (hereinafter also referred to as instrument) having an endodontic file (4).
[0062] As shown in more detail in FIG. 5, the lip clip (2) of the dental treatment system (13) comprises a first electrode (3) attachable to the lip of the patient. The lip clip (2) can be electrically connected to a connector means (14) on the dentist's tray (15). As shown in more detail in FIG. 5, the motorized handheld dental device (21) used in the first endodontic treatment mode can be removed from the dentist's tray (15) to activate the first dialog shown in FIG. 8. The dentist's tray (15) comprises sensors for detecting the removal of the instruments. The first dialog will be explained later in more detail. As shown in more detail in FIG. 7, the motorized handheld dental device (21) has a housing (22) which includes a rotating hub (23) for receiving/rotating the endodontic file (4) to be inserted in the root canal of the tooth of the patient. The hub (23) is also adapted for use with other dental tools for drilling, screwing, excavation, polishing and the like. As shown in FIG. 6, the housing (22) also includes a second electrode (6) electrically in connection with the rotating hub (23). As shown in more detail in FIG. 7, the housing (22) further includes an illuminating means (24) in the proximity of the rotating hub (23) and adapted to emit visible light (25). The illuminating means (24) is located such that it projects light onto the working area in the oral cavity which is faced by the rotating hub (23). Thereby, the root canal of the tooth can be illuminated. The illuminating means (24) is mounted into the housing (22) at a location such that it illuminates the endodontic file (4), in particular the distal end of the endodontic file (4). The illuminating means (24) has one more LEDs (24). Each LED may be a white-color LED, a single-color LED, or a multi-color LED that can emit white light or different colored lights in accordance with the driving signal.
[0063] As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 10, the housing (22) has a grip portion (27) which can be held by the practitioner; a head portion (28) which includes the rotating hub (23); and a neck portion (29) disposed between the grip portion (27) and the head portion (28). The grip portion (27) can be preferably detached from the neck portion (28) and provided in form of a coupling device. Alternatively, the grip portion (29) can be integrally provided with the neck portion (28).
[0064] As shown in FIG. 7. the illuminating means (24) is mounted into the neck portion (29) on a side facing the working area. Alternatively, in an embodiment which is not shown the illuminating means (24) can be mounted into the head portion 28 on a side facing the working area.
[0065] In an embodiment which is not shown, the LED may be further additionally optically coupled with a fiber optical element (not shown) to diffuse at least of part of the light emitted by the LED towards the practitioner/user. The fiber optical element may have an arch shape or a ring-like shape. The fiber optical element can be arranged around the neck portion. Alternatively, or additionally the fiber optical element can be arranged around head portion. The fiber optical element may be arranged such that it at least partially illuminates the endodontic file (4).
[0066] As shown in FIG. 4 (see dashed lines), the dental treatment system (13) has an integrated apex locator (1) which includes an electrical measurement unit (8) connectable to the lip clip (2) via the connector means (14), and to the motorized handheld dental device (21) via the second electrode (6). The electrical measurement unit (8) is adapted to locate the apex of the tooth based on the measurement of the electrical impedance between the first electrode (3) and the said second electrode (6). The integrated apex locator (1) further includes an optical output unit (10) adapted to output a signal indicative of the located apex. The signal is communicated to the illuminating means (24) through the wiring in the hose of the instrument (21). The signal drives the one or more LEDs of the illuminating means (24). The wiring also conducts signals for driving the motor of the instrument (21). The signal changes the illumination state of illuminating means (24) of the instrument (21) in accordance with the distance of the endodontic file (4) to the apex. As shown in FIG. 10, the dentist can easily monitor the illumination state during the endodontic treatment while looking at the root canal. The apex locator (1), in particular the electrical measurement unit (8) and the optical output unit (10) are arranged in the dentist's tray (15).
[0067] Alternatively, these can be arranged into the base of the chair (17) or any other parts of dental treatment system (13).
[0068] In the subsequent description the first dialog appearing on the graphical user interface (16) as shown in FIG. 8 during the first endodontic treatment mode will be explained in more detail according to an embodiment. The dentist can activate the endodontic treatment modes by touching the endodontic file icon on the taskbar (26). The first dialog appears on the graphical user interface (16) when the dentist removes the motorized handheld dental device (21) from the dentist's tray (15). As shown in the first dialog, the dentist may perform various settings through using the fields F1 to F8. Some of these setting will be explained in the subsequent description. By means of F1, the proximity level (L) of the apex location can be adjusted. For the adjustment, the icon shown with L is set so as to point to the last illuminating box or any other one of the preceding illuminating boxes in order to safely prevent that the endodontic file (4) being advanced beyond the apex. By means of F2 the dentist can activate the use of the illumination means (24) and/or the loudspeaker (11). By means of F3, the dentist can adjust the torque of the instrument motor, and consequently the maximum torque of the endodontic file (4). By means of F4, the dentist can adjust whether the instrument motor stops rotating, or continues rotating or reverses rotation direction when the proximity level (L) is reached. F5 allows to switch over into the second endodontic treatment mode which will be described later. F6 shows intensity settings of the illuminating means (24). By means of F7, the rotation direction of the instrument motor can be set, and the rotational states such as reversed rotation or stopping of the instrument motor can be adjusted when the set torque in F3 is reached. By means of F8, the rotational speed of the instrument motor, and consequently the rotational speed of the endodontic file (4) can be set.
THE SECOND ENDODONTIC TREATMENT MODE AND A SECOND DIALOG
[0069] FIG. 9 shows a second dialog on the graphical user interface (16) during the second endodontic treatment mode according to an embodiment. The dentist can activate the endodontic treatment modes by touching the endodontic file icon on the taskbar (26). The second dialog appears on the on the graphical user interface (16) when the dentist doesn't remove the motorized handheld dental device (21) from the dentist's tray (15) or touches F4. In the second endodontic treatment mode the endodontic file (4) is directly hold by the dentist without using the motorized handheld dental device (21). In the second endodontic treatment mode, the lip clip (2) is connected to the dental treatment system (13) via the connector means (14). And the dentist also uses an endodontic file clip (5) that is attachable to endodontic file (4). In this embodiment, the dental treatment system (13) has an acoustical output unit (9) with a loudspeaker (11) as shown in FIG. 5. The loudspeaker (11) or the display (12) on the graphical user interface (16) of the dentist's tray (15) can be selectively used to monitor the location of the apex in lieu of the illuminating means (24) of the instrument (21) as in the first endodontic treatment mode. The endodontic file clip (5) has a second electrode (61). The electrical measurement unit (8) is adapted to locate the apex of the tooth based on the measurement of the electrical impedance between the first electrode (3) and the said second electrode (61) as shown in FIG. 6. As shown in the second dialog, the dentist may perform various settings. During the second endodontic treatment mode, the illuminating boxes are gradually highlighted from top to bottom in the display (12) as the endodontic file (4) is advanced in the root canal. Thus, the display (12) serves not only to indicate the apex location during the second endodontic treatment but can also be used to set the proximity level (L) allowed to reach the apex.
[0070] In alternative embodiments (not shown), the illumination means (24) may have various different configurations. It can be provided at least partly or entirely around the hub (23) or on the front, back, or lateral sides of the tapering part the housing (22).
