Abstract:
A foot control for a dental instrument includes a control signal generator and a foot-operated actuator to manually provide control information to the control signal generator. The control signal generator is responsive to the control information to generate and transmit an electromagnetic signal corresponding to the control information to a receiver associated with the dental instrument so as to control operation of the dental instrument. The control signal generator, the foot-operated actuator, and a power source are secured to a base adapted to rest on a floor of a dentist&#39;s office.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     None.  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not Applicable.  
       APPENDIX  
       [0003]     Not Applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0005]     This invention relates generally to a foot control for controlling the operation of dental instruments and, more particularly, to such a foot control that sends control signals electromagnetically.  
         [0006]     2. Related Art  
         [0007]     Various foot-operated controllers (foot controls) are known for controlling operating parameters of dental instruments, such as drills, scalers and the like. Typical foot controls include a single lever that controls the speed of an air-powered or electrically-powered handpiece. Single-lever foot controls suffer from the disadvantage that they may be actuated from essentially a single position, so that as the dental professional moves around the patient it may be necessary to move the foot control. In addition, dual-lever foot controls are available, but they suffer from essentially the same problem. Various attempts have been made to address this problem by, for example, providing an actuator for the foot control that may essentially be actuated from any position around the foot control. Currently there are available foot controls with a disk actuator (a low angle cone, disposed over the base of the foot control) that provides increased accessibility for the dental professional. Prior patents illustrating these concepts include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,471,928; 4,041,609; 4,354,838; and 6,079,687, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Although these devices work well, they could be improved.  
         [0008]     It has been found that the cord connecting these prior art foot controls (often called “rheostats” in the art) to the dental instrument and its point of connection to the foot control itself pose problems for the dental professional operator. The cord, for example, usually runs from a cabinet behind the patient to the rheostat/foot control, and, therefore, lies between the dentist and the dental assistant on the floor. This space is often crowded and limited, due to casters, feet, and other cords. The operator (often the dentist) is constantly moving the rheostat as he or she changes positions. In addition, the design of many available foot controls dictates that the point of connection of the cord to the foot control (rheostat) is not usable by the operator&#39;s foot. This forces the operator to shift the foot control to a different position when the cord and its connection are “in the way.” 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     Among the various features and advantages of the present invention may be noted the provision of an improved foot control that reduces clutter on the floor between the dental professional(s) and the patient.  
         [0010]     Another feature is the provision of such a foot control that may be actuated from any position.  
         [0011]     A third feature is the provision of such a foot control that operates in substantially the same manner as existing foot controls so that no additional training of the dental professional is required to operate the device.  
         [0012]     A fourth feature is the provision of such a foot control that eliminates all cords, tubes, and cables from the foot control during operation.  
         [0013]     In a first aspect of the present invention, a foot control for a dental instrument includes a control signal generator and a foot-operated actuator to manually provide control information to the control signal generator. The control signal generator is responsive to the control information to generate and transmit an electromagnetic signal corresponding to the control information to a receiver associated with the dental instrument so as to control operation of the dental instrument. A power source is provided for the control signal generator, and the control signal generator, foot-operated actuator, and power source are secured to a base adapted to rest on a floor of a dentist&#39;s office.  
         [0014]     In a second aspect of the present invention, a cordless foot control for a dental instrument includes a base adapted to rest on a floor of a dentist&#39;s office, a foot-operated actuator (secured to the base such that the actuator is operable from any position around the actuator when the base is disposed on the floor) for providing control information, a power source, and a control signal generator connected to the power source and responsive to control information from the foot-operated actuator to generate and transmit an electromagnetic signal corresponding to the control information to a receiver associated with the dental instrument so as to control operation of the dental instrument.  
         [0015]     In a third aspect of the present invention, a control system for a dental instrument includes a control signal generator, a foot-operated actuator to manually provide control information to the control signal generator, and a power source for the control signal generator. The control signal generator is responsive to the control information to generate and transmit an electromagnetic signal corresponding to the control information. The control signal generator, foot-operated actuator, and power source are secured to a base adapted to rest on a floor of a dentist&#39;s office. A receiver is provided for receiving the electromagnetic signal corresponding to the control information, said receiver being adapted to be operatively connected to said dental instrument, said receiver in response to receipt of said electromagnetic signal providing control information to the dental instrument.  
         [0016]     In a fourth aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling a dental instrument includes the steps of manually actuating a cordless foot control disposed on a floor in the vicinity of the dental instrument to originate a control signal, electromagnetically transmitting the control signal to a receiver associated with the dental instrument, and controlling at least one operating parameter of dental instrument in response to the control signal created by the cordless foot control.  
         [0017]     Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the present invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:  
         [0019]      FIGS. 1-3  illustrate a prior art foot control for a dental instrument;  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  illustrates an improved foot control of the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  illustrates a receiver used with the improved foot control of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  illustrates a top view of the foot control of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 7  illustrates a bottom view of the foot control of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 8  illustrates a view of the foot control of  FIG. 4  with parts broken away for clarity;  
         [0025]      FIG. 9  illustrates a front view of the receiver of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 10  illustrates a rear view of the receiver of  FIG. 5  used with an air-powered dental instrument;  
         [0027]      FIG. 11  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the receiver of  FIG. 10 ;  
         [0028]      FIG. 12  illustrates a rear view of the receiver of  FIG. 5  used with an electrically-powered dental instrument; and  
         [0029]      FIG. 13  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the receiver of  FIG. 12 . 
     
    
       [0030]     Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0031]     Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate like elements,  FIG. 1  illustrates a prior art foot control (rheostat)  11  connected to a dental instrument (not shown) by a cable or tube  13  (depending upon whether the dental instrument is air-powered or electrically powered). As seen in  FIGS. 1-3 , the cable/tube stretches across the floor  15  of the dentist&#39;s office, potentially interfering with a control lever  17  of the patient&#39;s chair  19 , with free movement of the dentist&#39;s chair  21 , or with free movement of the dental hygienist&#39;s chair  23 .  FIG. 2  illustrates, for example, the cable/tube interfering with the placement of the dentist&#39;s left foot  25  while the right foot  27  is operating the prior art foot control.  
         [0032]     In  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a replacement foot control (rheostat)  31  for prior art foot control  11  is shown. Foot control  31  is cordless—the cable/tube  13  of the prior art device is eliminated. As is explained in detail below, foot control  31  of the present invention is responsive to actuation by the dental professional&#39;s foot to electromagnetically send a control signal to a receiver  35  ( FIG. 5 ). Receiver  35  may be powered by a suitable power cord  37 , since the receiver may be located in an out-of-the-way location. Receiver  35  in response to the electromagnetic control signal controls operation of the dental instrument (again as described in detail below). This combination of a foot control  31  that generates an electromagnetic control signal and a receiver  35  disposed in a location that does not interfere with the dental procedure being performed overcomes the various problems identified above with respect to the prior art devices.  
         [0033]     Turning to  FIGS. 6-8 , the foot control  31  of the present invention is seen to include a base  41  having a substantially flat bottom surface  42  (see  FIG. 8 ) suitable for resting flat on the floor of a dentist&#39;s office. A foot-operated actuator  43  is disposed above the base in a position to be actuated in any direction by the dental professional. Note that foot control  31 , since it has no exposed cables/tubes, truly provides 360° operation. As can be seen most clearly in  FIG. 7 , base  41  includes a door  47  which covers a number of batteries  49  ( FIG. 8 ) that power the electronics of the foot control  31 . If desired, a retractable plug  48  may optionally be included in the foot control. Plug  48  may be used with an optional charger circuit  50  (shown in block form in  FIG. 8 ) to charge batteries  49  when the unit is not in use. Also shown in  FIG. 7  are a plurality of screws or other appropriate fasteners that may be used to secure base  41  to the remainder of foot control  31 .  
         [0034]     Foot-operated actuator  43  may have any shape, including the conventional disk-like shape shown in  FIGS. 6 and 8 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , actuator  43  is connected by a spring-loaded plunger  51  to a control signal generator  53 . As the plunger is depressed, the control signal generator generates an electromagnetic signal. In the case of a variable speed dental instrument, the amount the plunger  51  is depressed is reflected correspondingly in the signal generated by control signal generator  53 .  
         [0035]     The particular manner in which the control information from the foot-operated actuator  43  is encoded into the electromagnetic signal from the control signal generator is not a limitation on the present invention—all such manners of encoding are intended to be included within the scope of the present inventions. By way of illustration, amplitude modulated signals, frequency modulated signals, and digital signals are all intended to be included. Similarly, the actual manner in which such signals are generated is not considered to be a significant portion of the present invention, since the generation of electromagnetic signals (throughout the frequency range of such signals) to convey desired information is well-known.  
         [0036]     As is also shown in  FIG. 8 , a frame  61  is attached by suitable fasteners to base  41  and holds the batteries  49 , the control signal generator  53  and the actuator  43  in place. Significantly, foot control  31  is self-contained. Unlike the prior art it has no external wires or tubes to interfere with the equipment or with the dental professionals during a dental procedure.  
         [0037]     It should be understood that foot control  31  may be used (without modification) for either air-powered or electrical-powered dental instruments. Receiver  35 , however, must be modified, depending upon the type of power. In the description that follows it should be realized that the particular placement of the various components of receiver  35  is a matter of choice and does not limit the present invention in any way. In the particular configuration illustrated, the front of receiver  35  is the same for both air-powered and electrically-powered dental instruments. Each receiver includes a housing  65 , and an on/off switch  67 , and an antenna  69 . (Of course, depending upon the frequencies involved, the antenna may be shaped differently, may be disposed differently, etc. In some configurations, it is believed that the antenna as a separate part may be omitted entirely).  
         [0038]     For air-powered dental instruments, a possible configuration of receiver  35  is illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . In this case, receiver  35  includes inlet and outlet air line connectors  71 ,  73  connected to a valve control box  75  ( FIG. 11 ). Controls for pneumatic systems are, of course, well-known, and it is contemplated that the present invention may use any desired pneumatic control system for valve control box  75 . Receiver  35  also includes a power supply  77  connected to switch  67 , valve control box  75  and an electromagnetic signal receiver circuit  81 . (Although a radio receiver circuit is shown, any electromagnetic signal receiver may be used.) The electromagnetic signal from foot control  31  is received (via antenna  69 ) by receiver circuit  81 , which supplies control information based upon the received signal to conventional circuitry in valve control box  75  to control the air supplied to the dental instrument in amounts corresponding to the control signal.  
         [0039]     For an electrically-powered dental instrument (illustrated in  FIGS. 12 and 13 ), the valve control box and air-line connectors are replaced by a signal converter box  85  and an electrical control wire  87 . In addition, if the output of the signal converter box  85  is not compatible with the dental instrument, an adapter  91  may be included. It is preferred that the adapter not be needed, and the requisite electrical requirements be satisfied by the signal converter box itself. The electromagnetic control signal in this situation is received by receiver circuitry  81  and signal converter box  85  converts the control information into the form required by the dental instrument.  
         [0040]     Numerous variations of the apparatus described above may fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, when several foot controls of the present invention are used in a single office, systems similar to those used for garage door openers may be implemented to keep the foot controls from interfering with each other. (Of course, the frequencies used should be selected as well so as not to interfere with other electrical equipment within range.) It should also be appreciated that the present invention is particularly well-suited for use in retrofitting existing dental instrument control systems. For example, in the case of air-powered systems, the air lines currently attached to the prior art foot controls can simply be shortened and connected directly to the rear of the receiver unit.  
         [0041]     In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the several advantages of the invention are achieved and attained. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.  
         [0042]     As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.