Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6113392?dq=6150774
Timestamp: 2017-06-26 23:42:07
Document Index: 166545569

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n2', 'art.\n7', 'art.\n8', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1']

Patent US6113392 - Dental instrument - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsA dental instrument with an instrument part (I) and a handle part (1, 1', 1") as well as a number of countable elements (2, 2', 4) which can be individually attached to or removed from the handle part (1, 1', 1"). With each use of the instrument, the dentist is able to remove or attach one element from/to...http://www.google.com/patents/US6113392?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6113392 - Dental instrumentAdvanced Patent SearchTry the new Google Patents, with machine-classified Google Scholar results, and Japanese and South Korean patents.Publication numberUS6113392 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/288,568Publication dateSep 5, 2000Filing dateApr 9, 1999Priority dateFeb 3, 1999Fee statusPaidAlso published asDE19904289C1Publication number09288568, 288568, US 6113392 A, US 6113392A, US-A-6113392, US6113392 A, US6113392AInventorsGunter BraunOriginal AssigneeVdw GmbhExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (4), Referenced by (5), Classifications (7), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetDental instrument
US 6113392 AAbstract
A dental instrument with an instrument part (I) and a handle part (1, 1', 1") as well as a number of countable elements (2, 2', 4) which can be individually attached to or removed from the handle part (1, 1', 1"). With each use of the instrument, the dentist is able to remove or attach one element from/to the handle part (1, 1', 1"). The number of countable elements (2, 2', 4) on the handle (1, 1', 1") provides the dentist with an indication of the number of completed uses made with the instrument, so that it can be disposed of before it is subject to stress failure during use.
1. Dental instrument with an instrument part and a handle part, characterized by countable means for determining when the useful life of the instrument has been reached, said countable means comprising a set of countable elements equal to a predetermined number of uses for the instrument, the number of countable elements attached to the handle part being changeable by hand; wherein the countable elements are detachably attached to the handle part in a manner enabling the countable elements to be individually detached from the handle part after each use of the instrument; and wherein the handle part is made of a plastic material and the individually detachable, countable elements are molded on to the handle part.
2. Dental instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individually detachable, countable elements are made in the form of plastic ribs, fins or plates.
3. Dental instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein the countable elements are connected to the handle part by scored sites.
4. Dental instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein an axial groove is provided in the handle part parallel to a longitudinal axis thereof; and wherein the individually detachable, countable elements are mounted within said axial groove.
5. Dental instrument as claimed in claim 4, wherein the countable elements are connected to the handle part by scored sites.
6. Dental instrument as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plastic fins are inclined in the longitudinal direction of the handle part.
7. Dental instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plastic fins are located at an end of the handle part.
8. Dental instrument as claimed in claim 7, wherein the countable elements are connected to the handle part by scored sites.
9. Dental instrument with an instrument part and a handle part, characterized by countable means for determining when the useful life of the instrument has been reached, said countable means comprising a set of countable elements equal to a predetermined number of uses for the instrument, the number of countable elements attached to the handle part being changeable by hand; wherein the handle part is provided with a respective receiver for each of the countable elements, so that a countable element is insertable into the respective receiver in the handle part after each use of the instrument; wherein an axial groove is provided in the handle part parallel to a longitudinal axis thereof; wherein each receiver is formed of slots provided in walls bounding the axial groove; and wherein the countable elements are in the form of small plates.
The invention relates to a dental instrument with an instrument part and a handle part.
Dental instruments, especially root canal preparation instruments, arc subjected during use by the dentist to compressive, tensile, torsional and bending stresses with changing cycles, changing directions of rotation and with simultaneous movement up and down, i.e. when moved in the axial direction. Moreover, dental instruments are exposed to stresses of a chemical type from disinfectants and thermal stresses during hot sterilization. These stresses to which dental instruments are exposed leave traces on the used instruments, for example, deformation, twists by over-turning, and so forth.
As result of the effects of such stresses, these instruments must be disposed of after being used only three to five times, since there is the danger that they will break if they continue to be used. To do this, it is advantageous if the dentist is able to recognize on the dental instrument how many times it has already been used and sterilized.
For a root canal preparation instrument, it is disclosed in published German Patent Application DE 4 413 804 A1 to provide a movable element on the handle part which can be moved into several discrete positions. The dentist can move the movable element after each use by one of the discrete positions and read the number of times it has been used from the respective position.
This known approach is admittedly well suited for the indicated purpose, but has the defect that it cannot be precluded that the movable element will be unintentionally moved when the instrument is being used or sterilized, so that the number of times it has been used which can be read on the respective position of the movable element is incorrect.
The primary object of the present invention is, therefore, to devise a dental instrument of the initially mentioned type on which the number of times it has been used can be recognized without error.
This object is achieved, in accordance with the invention, by countable means which can be attached to or removed or from the handle part by hand.
In the following, especially preferred embodiments of the invention are explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view a handle part of a first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handle part according to second embodiment; and
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the handle part of a third embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 1 shows a handle part 1 of a dental instrument, for example, a root canal preparation instrument in which the actual instrument part of the instrument sits. Since the type of dental instrument involved is not material to the invention, only a generic portion of the shaft of an instrument part I is represented in phantom outline in FIG. 1.
The handle part 1 shown in FIG. 1 is preferably an injection molded part made of a plastic material. In the handle part 1, in the manner shown in FIG. 1, there is a groove 6 that is axially parallel to the lengthwise direction of the handle and instrument, and in which counting elements in the form of thin plastic fins or plates 2 plates 2, that are inclined in the longitudinal direction of the handle part, are injected. These plastic elements 2 have scored sites 3 on the side edges where they meet the walls of the groove 6 of the handle part 1.
The number of plastic elements 2 corresponds to no more than the maximum number of allowable uses of the dental instrument. After one use of the instrument by the dentist or after sterilization, for example, using tweezers, one of the plastic counting elements 2 can be broken off. Thus, by counting the remaining counting elements 2 and finding the difference from the original number of fins 2 the number of times that the instrument has been used can be determined, and maximum remaining number of uses can be seen at a glance.
FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a handle part 1' for a dental instrument in which the counting elements 2' which would enable the dentist to recognize how often the instrument has already been used are made in the form of small thin element 2 which are injected or cast onto one of the axial ends of the handle part 1', in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, onto the upper end of the handle part 1'.
In the second embodiment, the counting elements 2' have scored sites 3' located on the side and on the end of their base. Preferably, the fin-shaped counting elements 2' run parallel to the axial direction of the handle part 1.
After using the instrument, a fin is removed, i.e. broken off, so that it becomes recognizable via the remaining number of fins how often the instrument has already been used/can still be used.
The third embodiment, which is shown in FIG. 3, differs from the first two embodiments of FIGS. 1 & 2 in that the counting elements which indicate how often the instrument has already been used does not comprise elements which are separated from the handle part. Instead, the counting elements are parts which are attached to the handle part after each use.
As is shown in FIG. 3, to do this, the handle part 1" has an axial groove 6 similar to that of the first embodiment. However, in this groove 6 there are small guide channels 5 into which, for example, small plastic or metal plates 4 can be inserted. When the dentist inserts a small plastic or metal plate 4 into one of the guide channel 5 after each use, by counting the small plastic or metal plates 4 located on the handle part it can be recognized how often the instrument has already been used. In this regard, while only a single pair of guide channels 5 is shown, a number of them would be similarly positioned to the locations of the elements 2 in the FIG. 1 embodiment.
The design in accordance with the invention has the advantage that the number of uses of the instrument is not read using the position of an individual movable element which can become inadvertently repositioned, but instead the number of uses of the instrument is determined by counting the number of individual elements located in the handle part. Unintentional movement is thus precluded.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS5498158 *Feb 14, 1994Mar 12, 1996Wong; Nelson J.Color-coded endodontic cutting instruments and color-code system and methodUS5519197 *Feb 21, 1995May 21, 1996Unisurge, Inc.Medical surgical device with counter for recording usageUS5533897 *May 13, 1994Jul 9, 1996Vereinigte Dentalwerke Antaeos Beutelrock Zipperer Zdarsky EhrlerInstrument for preparing the root-canalDE4413804A1 *Apr 20, 1994Oct 26, 1995Ver Dentalwerke AntaeosZahnwurzelkanalaufbereitungsinstrument* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7967605Mar 16, 2005Jun 28, 2011Guidance Endodontics, LlcEndodontic files and obturator devices and methods of manufacturing sameUS8961520Nov 28, 2012Feb 24, 2015Christopher G. SidebothamMedical cutting tool quality control systems and methodsUS20060286506 *May 31, 2006Dec 21, 2006Birnholtz Mark DDental bur with use history recording rings and method of recording the number of uses of a dental burWO2003001993A2 *May 29, 2002Jan 9, 2003Thermometrics, LpReusable fluid pressure transducer monitoring apparatusWO2003001993A3 *May 29, 2002Aug 21, 2003Thermometrics LpReusable fluid pressure transducer monitoring apparatus* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification433/141International ClassificationA61C5/02, A61C3/00Cooperative ClassificationA61C3/00, A61C5/42European ClassificationA61C3/00, A61C5/02B1Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionApr 9, 1999ASAssignmentOwner name: VDW GMBH, GERMANYFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:BRAUN, GUNTER;REEL/FRAME:009894/0318Effective date: 19990406Feb 24, 2004FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Feb 22, 2008FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8Mar 5, 2012FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 12RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services