Color safeguarded dental-implant surgical kit with drilling-depth limiter

Abstract

An apparatus is an implant-dentist more readily identifiable visual segregation amongst their oral-surgery arbor-tools used conjunction with a conventional hand-held power / rotary-tool. The arbor-tools generally has at least a tri-echeloned set, wherein are included progressions of drill-bit lengths and companion thread-taps appearing in three different diameters. Additionally, the drill-bit shanks are optionally provided with a radial-flange serving as an automatic depth-stop device and these radial-flanges may include a distinctive annular-marker device serving to readily indicate the length of the selected drill-bit, thereby obviating usual procedure of stopping to confirm via the obscure conventional alpha-numeric indicia.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present disclosure relates to dental-implant arbor-tool organization, enabling faster and more accurate visual selection; and more specifically, it relates to discrete color-segregation of the arbor-tools and dental-implants according to the different diameters, which procedurally operate in conjunction with the dentists existing conventional hand-held power-driver. Additionally, this disclosure relates to an allied drilling-depth limiting device which also safeguards the oral-preparation procedure while providing demarcation means by which to readily distinguish progressions of drill-bit lengths from amongst a given diametrical family of arbor-tools.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Heretofore, the implant-dentist has been confronted with an overwhelming array of oral-surgery arbor-tools, which fit into the rotary-chuck of their hand-held pneumatic / power-driver. These arbor-tools generally constitute a three-echeloned set, wherein are included progres...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0003]In view of the foregoing discussion about the earlier invention art, it is important to make it pellucid to others interested in the art, that the basic object of this invention is to provide color-coded coordinated components within a dental-implant surgical-kit which function to safeguard against inadvertent procedural errors. Moreover, while thus safeguarding against making mistakes, my invention hereof also greatly improves vital time-&-motion procedures, as shall become apparent.

[0010]However, the novel I-Dent™ System of color distinguished unidiameter-group segregation so clearly provides a systematic arrangement, that even the uninitiated dental-staffmember can deduce proper reassembly of the colorized arbor-tools upon the face of the uniquely color-coordinated surgical-kit delivery-tray, without the formerly tedious and laborious need for close visual inspection of each arbor-tool's shank ID-indicia, merely by following the simple logic of its organizational segregation into the generally three (two or more) different unidiameter color-matched groupings facilitated by the graphic color-groupings displayed upon the specially configured delivery-tray, This reassembly method is thus preferably conducted prior to moving the I-Dent™ delivery-tray into the autoclave-unit for final thermal-sterilization; whereupon the surgical-kit is resealed via a conventional detachable snap-on lid-closure member, and is thus ready for the implant-dentist's subsequent color-safeguarded patient osteotomy-site preparation usage.

[0011]Another object of this invention disclosure is to set forth an implant-dentist's surgical delivery-kit article according to preceding aspects, wherein is also provided a further option of color-coordinating both the factory-sealed vial-cap portion of the packaging-vial bearing the actual dental-implant; thereby enabling faster selection of the proper implant diameter from amongst the implant-dentist's drawer or cabinet stowed inventory (note that while a transparent vial is the preferred factory-packaging embodiment, other forms of factory-packaging should be regarded as within the purview of this reading). The dental-assistant now having to merely direct their attention to the preceding unidiameter-group coloration, thus also color-coded matched to the packaging-vial containing the same diameter of dental-implant for installation into the already screw-threaded endosseous pilot-hole of a patient's oral-cavity.

[0012]Another object of this invention disclosure according to the forgoing apparatus of the preceding aspects, is to set forth a further improvement defined as an optional albeit vital depth stop device, which is integrally formed proximally upon the medial (mid)-length region of all the implant-dentist's arbor-tool drill-bits. This radial-flange depth-stop device further streamlines procedures, as it eliminates need of an ungainly auxiliary depth-gauge (and another item needing to be kept track of), thus serving to passively safeguard the implant-dentist from inadvertently exceeding their pre-determined critical drilling-depth limitation requirement for the dental-implant prosthetic device the implant-dentist has ascertained to be appropriate for the patient. This vital albeit herein considered optional radial-flange depth-stop device, preferably also employs a convenient demarcation device in the form of an annular-detent provision, whereby the implant-dentist can eliminate the mental-distraction of referring to the obscure ID-indicia inscribed upon the arbor-tool shanks, and yet more readily confirming the particular length of a selected drill-bit by visually referencing the perimeter of the radial-flange. Since this efficient safeguarding strategy further liberates the implant-dentist from procedurally disruptive heretofore requirement of tediously examining the minute indicia each time they wish to move to a progressively longer drill-bit, the implant-dentist significantly improves their time-and-motion work-efficiency factor. For instance as a conjectural example only (noting that because particular colors and their order of arrangement can be adapted variously, specific colors are herein regarded as a factory / marketing engineering-design choice, thus actual specifying of particular colors remains outside the purview of this disclosure}, thus if the implant-dentist were to be using a green-tinted drill-bit they would thereby know via the novel I-Dent™ System coloration, that it is from amongst their small-sized unidiameter-group of arbor-tools. While if so equipped, further examination of the optional radial-flange perimeter surface will instantly inform them the particular length of the drill-bit; that is to say, a drill-bit's radial-flange bearing a single / annular-grove thus designates that it is the first (i.e.: shortest) drill-bit, and dual / annular-groves then designates that it is the second (i.e.: medium length) drill-bit, while a triad-annular-grove formation designates it is the third (i.e.: longest) drill-bit available from that unidiameter family of arbor-tools. Moreover, this same radial-flange drill-bit length identifier feature applies to all three of the preferred I-Dent™ System unidiameter-groups; although the radial-flanges themselves preferably vary in diameter proportionately to the variance in drill-bit diameters (i.e.: —a larger drill-bit having a larger radial-flange). Note also, that some applications of this annular demarcation technique may vary according to factory design-choice whereby for example the radial-flange of the shortest drill-bit may bear only a plain perimeter surface, thereby indicating it is of the shortest available, while the next longest drill-bit's radial-flange perimeter surface may bear a single / annular-groove indicates it is an intermediate length drill-bit, while a perimeter surface having a dual / annular-groove conveys to the implant-dentist that it is the longest drill-bit, hence, it is to be understood that specific annular-groove demarcation designations can vary according to factory engineering-design choice.

[0013]As an implant-dentist surgical-kit delivery-tray system, the disclosure hereof serves to clearly identify critical size differences among dental-implant oral-preparative components, eliminating reliance upon difficult to read minute ID-indicia, so as to thereby facilitate a simpler, faster and more accurate dental-osteotomy procedure. The system comprises an improved dental-implant delivery-tray reconfigured to present two or more unidiameter-groups which are visually segregated via discrete color discrimination. The system provides an arrangement of discretely color-coded arbor-tools which distinguish each unidiameter-group from the others, whereby the implant-dentist may simply progress in drilling depth steps only within a single unidiameter-group, or, they may progress via both drilling depth and diametrical steps, by translating to a larger unidiameter-group of a different color as the patient's osteotomy-site preparation advances toward desired final critical depth and diameter.

[0014]As an implant-dentist surgical-kit delivery-tray method, the disclosure hereof serves to set forth an easier, more accurate arbor-tool selection procedure, by essentially providing an improved delivery-tray configuration employing a cooperative set of two or more unidiameter-groups of arbor-tools which are each visually segregated via discrete color discrimination, by employing a small (diameter) unidiameter-group with a 1st-color exclusively, and employing a medium{diameter) unidiameter-group with a different 2nd-color exclusively and employing a large (diameter) unidiameter-group with a different 3rd-color exclusively. Also, including graphic representation upon face of the delivery-tray via a band or field of matching color substantially surrounding each given discretely color-coded unidiameter-group, or alternately via a matching color circle (preferably in the form of a colored grommet) discretely surrounding individual arbor-tools of a given unidiameter-group. Thus, the safeguarded method supplies each unidiameter-group with a plurality of arbor-tools, including drill-bit length progressions of a common diameter, leading preferably forward toward the implant-dentist to a threading-tap of assured matching diameter (because the color is necessarily the same), whereby the implant-dentist may simply progress in drilling-depth steps only within a single unidiameter-group echelon, or they may orderly progress via bot drilling depth and diametrical steps by translating preferably laterally left-to-right to a larger diameter hence clearly differently colored-coded unidiameter-group as the patient's osteotomy-site preparation advances to desired final critical depth and diameter. The methodology also facilitates the option of the depth-limiting radial-flange device described above.

Problems solved by technology

Without the present invention improvement, the implant-dentist can inadvertently misread or otherwise become momentarily mentally-distracted, thus it is all too easy to execute a serious error, which even though the implant-dentist may be highly skilled, can possibly even become a dreadful medical-malpractice issue.

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