Medical or dental device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1) for dispensing a pasty or liquid component intended for medical or dental use, and in particular endodontic use. The device comprises a handle (10), a reservoir (2) for the pasty or liquid component, at least one piston (4) arranged to slide in the reservoir (2), at least one lever (3) arranged to be removably mounted on a mounting portion of the handle (10) and arranged to engage with the piston (4) to cause said piston (4) to slide in the reservoir (2) in order to dispense the pasty or liquid component that it contains when the reservoir (2) and the lever (3) are mounted on the handle (10). The lever (3) is arranged to be connected to the piston (4) such that, when the user presses the lever (3) towards the handle (10), the piston (4) slides in the reservoir (2) along the longitudinal axis thereof and pushes the pasty or liquid component out of said reservoir (2).

Description

[0001] Medical or dental device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component

[0002] The present invention relates to a medical or dental device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component. The present invention relates in particular to an endodontic device for dispensing a pasty or liquid cement or filling material intended to fill a section of a root canal or the pulp chamber or the coronal part of a tooth.

[0003] During endodontic treatment, the user removes infected tissue by shaping, cleaning, and disinfecting the treated root canal using a series of appropriate instruments. The canal is then dried using points (e.g., paper) before being obturated using cones (e.g., gutta-percha) and / or cements or other suitable filling pastes. To place these pasty or liquid filling materials (cement or pastes) into the shaped root canal, the user uses dedicated tools such as a spatula or a syringe-like device. However, the spatula cannot guarantee precise distribution of the filling material deposited in the canal. In addition, depending on the location of the tooth and the area to be treated, the root canal may be difficult to access for a spatula.The same applies to the management of iatrogenic perforation events occurring during endodontic instrumentation.

[0004] For more details, the user can use devices similar to syringes. Generally, these devices have a bend to make it easier to reach the inside of the root canal to be filled. As in a conventional syringe, with these devices, the user actuates a piston which pushes the filling material out of a tube. For example, document EP 0 237 182 describes a device for dispensing a filling fluid comprising a handle, a cannula containing the filling fluid and a piston system. The cannula is fixed to one end of the handle so as to form an angle with it. The piston system is integral with the handle and comprises a lever actuated by the user. The lever causes the translational movement of a piston in the cannula which allows the fluid contained in the cannula to be released.The piston moves in translation along the longitudinal axis of the cannula and to do this, the distribution system and in particular the lever is located at the very end of the handle. This position of the lever is not comfortable for the user and can prevent him from reaching certain areas: in fact, the user's finger which operates the lever must be at the very end of the handle near the cannula, which generates an unergonomic footprint during use. In addition, the piston system includes elements pivoted on the handle which makes the device complex to produce. Finally, with the device of EP 0 237 182, the length of the piston is fixed which makes the device compatible with a reduced number of cannula sizes.Depending on the cannula sizes (and therefore the quantities of sealing fluid required by the user), it will therefore be necessary to provide several different devices, i.e. several handles with a distinct piston system and a determined piston length.

[0005] The problem described above for endodontic treatment also extends to the treatment of the coronal part of the tooth, during treatment to preserve pulp vitality (pulp capping for example). In the following, the term "endo-canal system of a tooth" refers to both the root canal(s) of a tooth and the pulp chamber in the coronal part of the tooth.

[0006] The aim of the present invention is therefore to produce a medical or dental device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component and in particular a pasty or liquid endodontic filling material which overcomes the drawbacks mentioned and which is in particular ergonomic, easy to manufacture, easy to clean, precise in its use and which makes it possible to deliver said pasty or liquid component precisely in terms of quantity and positioning, even in areas which are difficult to access.

[0007] The present invention relates to a medical or dental device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component according to claim 1.

[0008] The attached figures illustrate schematically and by way of example two embodiments of the device according to the invention.

[0009] Figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a medical or dental device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component according to the invention in a first configuration.

[0010] Figure 2 illustrates the medical or dental device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component of the first embodiment in a second configuration.

[0011] Figure 3 illustrates in particular the lever / piston assembly of the device of Figure 2.

[0012] Figure 4 illustrates a second embodiment of a medical or dental device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component according to the invention in a first position.

[0013] Figure 5 illustrates the medical or dental device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component according to the second embodiment in a second position.

[0014] Figures 6a to 6c illustrate the tube and the piston seen from the front and from the side respectively.

[0015] Figures 7 to 9 illustrate variations of the first embodiment, Figure 9 being an enlargement of a portion of Figure 8.

[0016] Figures 10 to 11b illustrate a dental instrument intended for apical retro-obturation or retro-obturation of a root canal. In the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the medical or dental device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component according to the invention is an endodontic device 1 intended to dispense a pasty or liquid endodontic obturation material such as a cement or a paste into the endo-canal system of a tooth during an endodontic treatment for obturation of a canal or treatment of the coronal part of the tooth.

[0017] The endodontic device 1 comprises a handle 10 intended to be held by the user. As illustrated in this first embodiment, the handle 10 is essentially rectilinear in its entirety. Alternatively, the handle may also have one or more zones whose shape facilitates the ergonomics and grip of the handle 10.

[0018] The handle 10 has an active end 11 and at this end, a clamp 12 intended to receive and retain on the handle 10 at least one tube 2 containing the pasty or liquid filling material. The tube 2 can be filled before its attachment to the handle 10 or can be filled once attached to the handle 10 (for example, in an endodontic application, by compacting the pasty or liquid filling material in the tube by tapping said tube 2 on a mass of pasty or liquid filling material prepared by the user).

[0019] The tube 2 forms a reservoir for the pasty or liquid component to be dispensed while the clamp 12 constitutes means for fixing this reservoir to the handle 10. Preferably, the tube 2 is removably mounted on the handle 10.

[0020] According to the invention, the endodontic device 1 comprises at least one piston 4 shaped to be able to slide in the tube 2 to push the pasty or liquid filling material contained in said tube 2 out of the tube and thus allow the distribution of said material.

[0021] The endodontic device 1 further comprises at least one lever 3 actuable by a user and arranged to be removably attached to a portion of the handle 10 provided for this purpose. The lever 3 is arranged to cooperate with the piston 4 to slide said piston 4 in the tube 2 to allow the distribution of the pasty or liquid filling material contained in said tube.

[0022] According to the invention, the clamp 12 is shaped so that the tube 2 retained in said clamp 12 forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of the portion of the handle 10 which receives the lever 3. In the first embodiment illustrated, as the handle 10 is essentially rectilinear, the tube 2 therefore forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of the handle 10 when said tube 2 is retained in the clamp 12.

[0023] In the first embodiment illustrated, the lever 3 and the piston 4 are integral and made in one piece. The lever 3 comprises a base 30 arranged to be removably mounted on the handle 10 and a lever rod 32 actuable by the user and connecting the base 30 to the piston 4. The lever 3-piston 4 assembly is arranged so that, when the lever 3 and the tube 2 are mounted on the handle 10 and the piston 4 is inserted into the tube 2, pressure on the lever rod 32 in the direction of the base 30 causes the piston 4 to move in the tube 2 to allow the pasty or liquid sealing material to be delivered from the tube 2.

[0024] Preferably, the lever rod 32 is flexible and arranged so that pressure on said lever rod 32 in the direction of the base 30 causes the piston 4 to move in the tube 2 even if the pressure is not in a direction parallel to that of the tube 2. The lever 3 is therefore arranged to move the piston 4 both in translation along the longitudinal axis of the tube 2 and in translation along an axis parallel to the axis of the portion of the handle 10 (therefore of the handle 10 in the first embodiment illustrated) to maintain parallelism between the piston 4 and the tube 2. The lever rod 32 has the shape of a flexible arm which makes it possible to transmit to the piston 4 the pressure exerted by the user while being able to deform since the piston 4 can only move in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube 2 which is generally not the direction in which the lever 3 and the lever rod 32 are in a hurry.Alternatively, the lever 3 could have one or more articulations between the base 30, the lever rod 32 and the piston 44 shaped to ensure the movement of the piston 4 in the tube 2.

[0025] Preferably, to ensure optimal sliding of the piston 4 in the tube 2, the lever 3 further comprises guide means intended to guide the movements of the lever rod 32 when the user presses said lever rod 32 in the direction of the base 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide means comprise a lug 33 secured to the lever rod 32 and arranged to cooperate with a guide surface 34 secured to the base 30 of the lever 3. When the user presses on the lever rod 32 in the direction of the handle 10, the lug 33 slides on the guide surface 34, thus ensuring adequate movement of the lever rod 32 and therefore of the piston 4 in the tube 2. The guide surface 34 can also serve as a stop for the lug 33 and / or the lever rod 32 and thus limit the travel of said lever rod 32.

[0026] Preferably, the base 30 of the lever 3 further comprises zones 35 shaped to facilitate the gripping and / or the assembly / disassembly of the lever 3 on the handle 10 (support zone for the user's fingers, release zone, etc.).

[0027] In the illustrated embodiment, the endodontic device 1 for dispensing a pasty or liquid filling material further comprises a second lever assembly 37piston 4'. Figure 1 illustrates the endodontic device 1 according to the first embodiment with a lever assembly 3 / piston 4 arranged to cooperate with a tube 2 of 1mm diameter. Figure 2 illustrates the same device 1 according to the first embodiment but, this time, a second lever assembly 37piston 4' is mounted on the handle 10 and arranged to cooperate with a second tube 2' of 2mm diameter. This second lever 37piston 4' assembly is in all respects similar to what was described above, the only difference being that the piston 4' is shaped to be able to slide in a tube 2' of 2mm diameter while the piston 4 of the first lever 3 / piston 4 assembly is shaped to be able to slide in a tube 2 of 1mm diameter.Thus, in this first embodiment, the endodontic device 1 for dispensing a pasty or liquid filling material comprises a handle 10, at least two tubes 2, 2' characterized by different sizes and at least two corresponding lever / piston assemblies 3, 4, 3', 4'. By using tubes of different diameters, it is possible to vary the applications: thin tube for filling a root canal, thicker tube for treating the coronal part of the tooth. The other dimensions of the tube are preferably chosen to correspond to a predetermined quantity of filling material to be dispensed.

[0028] To use the device according to the first embodiment of the invention, the user selects a tube 2, 2' of the appropriate size (in the illustrated embodiment, a tube with a diameter of 1 or 2 mm). This tube 2, 2' is then fixed in the clamp 12 at the active end 11 of the handle 10 of the device. The user can then select the lever 3, 37-piston 4, 4' assembly whose size corresponds to that of the chosen tube 2, 2' and mount (clip for example) this lever 3, 3' on the portion of the handle 10 provided for this purpose. Alternatively, the handle 10 may have guides indicating to the user where precisely to mount the lever 3, 3'. For example, clipping means may be provided between the handle 10 and the base 30, 30' of the lever 3, 3'.

[0029] As indicated above, the tube 2, 2' may be pre-filled before being mounted on the handle 10 or may be filled (by compacting for example) once mounted on the handle 10.

[0030] Once the lever 3, 3' is mounted on the handle 10, the user can then insert the piston 4, 4', integral with said lever 3, 3', into the tube 2, 2'. This operation is possible and easy thanks to the flexible lever 32, 32' which can be deformed sufficiently to insert the piston 4, 4' into the tube 2, 2', when the lever 3, 3' and the tube 2, 2' are mounted on the handle 10.

[0031] The device is then ready for use: by pressing the lever rod 32, 32' towards the base 30, 30', the piston 4, 4' will slide into the tube 2, 2' and precisely deliver the contents of said tube 2, 2' into the chosen area. Preferably, the piston 4, 4' comprises a stop 41, 4T which limits the stroke of the piston 4, 4' in the tube 2, 2' and guarantees to deliver a precise and pre-established quantity of pasty or liquid sealing material.

[0032] Once the operation is completed, the piston 4, 4' can be removed from the tube 2, 2' and the lever 3, 3' and the tube 2, 2' can each be disassembled from the handle 10. Preferably, the lever / piston assembly is cleaned and reused (sterilized) while the tube 2, 2' is discarded. Alternatively, the tube 2, 2' could also be reused, its cleaning being facilitated by the fact that the piston can be completely removed from said tube.

[0033] In this first embodiment, the lever 3, 37 piston 4, 4' assembly is monobloc or made from a single piece. Even more preferably, this lever 3, 37 piston 4, 4' assembly is monolithic, that is to say that it is molded / cut / engraved / machined in a single piece from the same material. Alternatively, the piston can be attached to the lever, the lever can be attached to the base and these three elements can be made from identical or different materials and assembled to form a single-piece component.

[0034] Figures 7 to 9 illustrate a variant of this first embodiment. In this variant, the lever 300 / piston 400 assembly is made in one piece and made of nickel titanium. The lever 300 has the form of a NiTi wire, one end 301 of which is intended to be inserted into an orifice 13 provided for this purpose on the handle 10. The second end 302 of the lever 300 is integral with the stop 410 of the lever 400. The piston 400 is itself made of a NiTi wire shaped to be able to slide in the tube 2 to push the pasty or liquid sealing material contained in said tube 2 out of the tube and thus allow the distribution of said material.

[0035] The lever 300 and in particular the diameter, the section and the curvature of the NiTi wire are chosen so that said lever 300 is flexible so that pressure in the direction of the handle 10 causes the piston 400 to move in the tube 2, even if the pressure is not in a direction parallel to that of the tube 2. As in the first embodiment described above, the lever 300 is therefore arranged to move the piston 400 both in translation along the longitudinal axis of the tube 2 and in translation along an axis parallel to the handle 10 to maintain parallelism between the piston 400 and the tube 2. The lever 300 has the shape of a flexible NiTi wire which makes it possible to transmit to the piston 400 the pressure exerted by the user while being able to deform since the piston 400 can only move in a direction essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube 2, which is generally not the direction in which lever 300 is pressed.

[0036] Preferably, a cover 303 is provided on the lever 300 to facilitate its handling. This cover 303 may in particular be made of plastic and bear an indication of the diameter of the piston 400 (color or other marking).

[0037] Also preferably, the lever 300 and / or the piston 400 has at least one portion whose section varies (in diameter, shape and / or size for example), in particular whose size and / or diameter decreases, to obtain the deformation and flexibility of the lever and / or the piston necessary for the proper functioning of the device.

[0038] In a preferred variant illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, the lever 300 has at its end 302 secured to the stop 410 of the piston 400 a first helical portion 304. This helical portion 304 is curved and the evolving section of the turns of the helicoid is parameterized according to the deformation expected for the lever 300. Similarly, the piston 400 preferably also comprises a second helical portion 401 immediately adjacent to the stop 410. This second helical portion is essentially rectilinear and the evolving section of the turns of the helicoid is parameterized according to the flexibility expected for the piston 400. These two helical portions 304 and 401 make it possible to ensure the necessary flexibility for the lever 300 / piston 400 assembly to operate optimally and push the material out of the tube 2. pasty or liquid sealant when the lever 300 is pressed towards the handle 10.

[0039] The operation of the variant illustrated in Figures 7 to 9 is in all respects similar to what was described above with reference to the first embodiment. The mounting of the lever 300 / piston 400 assembly on the handle is very simple: it is sufficient to insert the first end 301 of the lever 300 into the orifice 13 of the handle 10, to place the tube 2 in the clamp 12 of the handle 10, and to insert the piston 400 into the tube 2. As in the first embodiment, this operation is possible thanks to the flexibility of the lever 300 and / or the piston 400.

[0040] This variant offers all the advantages already mentioned regarding the first embodiment. In addition, the mechanical properties of NiTi allow for the creation of a high-performance lever 300 / piston 400 assembly which provides the practitioner with highly precise haptic feedback when dispensing the contents of tube 2.

[0041] Figures 4 to 6c illustrate a second embodiment of a device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component according to the invention.

[0042] In this second embodiment, the medical or dental device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component according to the invention is an endodontic device 100 intended to dispense a pasty or liquid endodontic filling material such as a cement or a paste into the endocanal system (root canal or pulp chamber) of a tooth during an endodontic treatment for filling a root canal or during a treatment of the coronal part of the tooth.

[0043] Elements identical or almost identical to those described in the first embodiment bear the same references.

[0044] As in the first embodiment, the endodontic device 100 according to the second embodiment comprises a handle 10 intended to be held by a user. The handle 10 has an active end 11 and at this end, a hole 120 intended to receive and retain on the handle 10 a tube 2 containing the liquid or pasty filling material. In this embodiment, the tube 2 is therefore forced into the hole 120 to be mounted on the handle 10. Alternatively, the hole 120 and the tube 2 could each comprise snap-fastening means allowing the tube 2 to be snapped into the hole 120.

[0045] The tube 2 may be filled before its attachment to the handle 10 or may be filled once attached to the handle 10 (for example, in an endodontic application, by compacting the liquid or pasty filling material in the tube by tapping said tube 2 on a mass of filling material prepared by the user). In this second embodiment, the means for attaching the tube 2 to the handle 10 are therefore formed by the hole 120 and the tube 2 is driven or inserted by friction onto said handle.

[0046] According to the invention, the endodontic device 100 comprises at least one piston 6 shaped to be able to slide in the tube 2 to push the pasty or liquid filling material contained in said tube 2 out of the tube and thus allow the distribution of said material.

[0047] The endodontic device 100 further comprises at least one lever 5 operable by a user and arranged to be removably attached to a portion of the handle 10 provided for this purpose. The lever 5 is arranged to cooperate with the piston 6 to slide said piston 6 in the tube 2 to allow the distribution of the pasty or liquid filling material contained in said tube.

[0048] According to the invention, the means for fixing the tube to the handle, and therefore the hole 120, are shaped so that the tube 2 once driven into said hole 120 forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of the portion of the handle 10 which receives the lever 5.

[0049] Unlike the first embodiment, in the second embodiment, the lever 5 and the piston 6 did not come in one piece.

[0050] The lever 5 comprises a base 50 arranged to be removably mounted on the handle 10. The base 50 can for example be clipped onto the handle 10. The lever 5 further comprises a first flexible arm 51 extending from the base 50 and comprising at its free end 511 a connection member 512, here having the shape of a beak 512, intended to cooperate with one end of the piston 6. The lever 5 further comprises a second flexible arm 52 also extending from the base 50 and constituting the lever rod actuable by the user.

[0051] The piston 6 has an end 61 shaped to cooperate with the beak 512. The beak 512 of the lever 5 and the end 61 of the piston 6 are shaped so that the end 61 can be inserted into the beak 512 to reach a service position in which the piston 6 is integral with the first flexible arm 51 of the lever 5, that is to say in which a movement of the beak 512 of the first flexible arm 51 causes the piston 6 to move. In particular, the end 61 of the piston 6 and the beak 512 of the first flexible arm 51 of the lever 5 are arranged so that, once the end 61 of the piston 6 is inserted into the beak 512 of the lever 5 in its service position, any bending of the first flexible arm 51 causing the beak 512 to move also causes the piston 6 to move. Preferably, the beak 512 and the piston 6 are further arranged so that the piston 6 can be removed from the spout 512 from its service position in order to separate said piston 6 from the lever 5.

[0052] To use the device 100 according to the second embodiment, the user provides himself with a tube 2 of the desired size, pre-filled with the sealing material or not. This tube 2 is then driven by friction on the handle 10 into the hole 120. The piston 6 corresponding to the size of the tube 2 is then partially inserted into the tube 2. If the tube is pre-filled, the piston 6 is inserted into the tube without force, that is to say without pressure which could push the contents of the tube 2 out of it. The piston 6 is then connected to the lever 5 by means of the connection member 512 of the first flexible arm 51 of said lever. To do this, the end 61 of the piston 6 is inserted into the spout 512 into its service position. In this second embodiment, the beak 512 has essentially the shape of a fork with a first longitudinal slot and a second slot perpendicular to the first while the end 61 of the piston 6 has the shape of a T.The spout 512 and the end 61 are shaped to allow easy assembly as follows:.

[0053] • The user places the piston 6 in a position essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first flexible arm 51 of the lever 5;

[0054] • The user then inserts the end 61 of the piston 6 into the spout 512 of the first flexible arm 51 of the lever 5, more particularly into the first slot of the spout 512;

[0055] • Finally, the user pivots the piston 6 relative to the first flexible arm 51 of the lever 5 to bring the piston 6 into its service position, in which the main rod of the piston 6 is located in the second slot.

[0056] Once the piston 6 is in its service position in the lever 5, said lever can be mounted (clipped) onto the portion provided for this purpose of the handle 10 of the device. The device 100 is then in the configuration illustrated in Figure 4, ready for use.

[0057] The user presses on the second flexible arm 52 of the lever 5 towards the base 50 and the handle 10. The active end 522 of said second flexible arm 52 then comes into contact with the first flexible arm 51 of the lever 5 and causes the first flexible arm 51 to move. In doing so, the active end 522 of the second flexible arm 52 slides along the first flexible arm 51 towards the spout 512. The first flexible arm 51 drives the piston 6 which slides in the tube 2 to push the contents of said tube 2 out of it and dispense the sealing material.

[0058] To enable the piston 6 to slide in the tube 2, the nose 512 and the active end 61 of the piston 6 are further arranged such that, in the service position of the piston 6 on the first flexible arm 51 of the lever 5, there is clearance between the active end 61 and the nose 512 both in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piston 6 and in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first flexible arm 51. In other words, the active end 61 can move slightly in the nose 512 in the service position of the piston 6, in order to ensure that the piston 6 slides optimally in the tube 2 when the lever 5 and its first flexible arm 51 are pressed towards the handle 10. In the second embodiment illustrated, this clearance is visible in FIG. 5 and is enabled by the shape of the first and second slots of the nose 512.

[0059] The active end 522 of the second flexible arm 52 can be arranged to snap into a groove provided for this purpose in the first flexible arm 51 when the second flexible arm 52 is pressed towards the handle 10. Thus, from a certain pressure the second flexible arm 52 becomes integral with the first flexible arm 51. This makes it possible in particular to guarantee precise operation of the device and to avoid a deviation of the second flexible arm 52 which would prevent good contact between the active end 522 of the second flexible arm 52 and the first flexible arm 51. Preferably, the active end 522 of the second flexible arm 52 and the groove of the first flexible arm 51 with which it cooperates are arranged so that said active end 522 can be detached from the groove in order to return the lever 5 to a rest position as illustrated in FIG. 4 or 6a.

[0060] Preferably, the piston 6 comprises a stop 62 which limits the stroke of the piston 6 in the tube 2 and guarantees to deliver a precise and pre-established quantity of pasty or liquid sealing material.

[0061] Once the sealing material contained in the tube 2 has been dispensed, it is possible to dismantle the lever 5 from the handle 10, to separate the piston 6 from the lever 5, to remove the piston 6 from the tube 2, and to dismantle the tube 2 from the handle 10. It is possible to recover, clean and reuse each of these parts. However, preferably, the tube 2 and the piston 6 are for single use while the lever 5 is designed to be able to be reused, that is to say cleaned and sterilized. As in the first embodiment, the device 100 may comprise several tubes of different diameters. A corresponding piston is associated with each tube. Preferably, a single lever is arranged to be able to cooperate with each of the pistons, that is to say that each piston has an essentially identical active end arranged to cooperate with the connecting member of the first flexible arm of the lever.Alternatively, the device could comprise several levers arranged to each cooperate with a piston of a determined size.

[0062] The above two embodiments have been described for example purposes only and other variations are possible.

[0063] Tube 2 can be flexible to allow it to follow the shape of the root canal as closely as possible and to reach difficult-to-access areas.

[0064] As previously indicated, the tube or reservoir may be mounted on the handle empty or pre-filled. In the case where it is pre-filled, the reservoir may be delivered in the form of a ready-to-use, single-use single-dose, packaged in individual sterile pouches or closed by lids. In the latter case, the lever / piston assembly according to the invention may be arranged to allow the piston to pierce each of the lids closing the reservoir during assembly of the device according to the invention and during its use.

[0065] Preferably, and in particular for endodontic use, the handle 10 of the device is made of metal such as NiTi or stainless steel. However, any other suitable material could be used, such as resins, composite materials or thermoplastics. The same applies to the tube 2 containing the pasty or liquid component. Preferably, the lever and / or the piston of the device according to the invention is made of plastic or NiTi, whether the lever and piston come in a single piece or are manufactured separately.

[0066] In the above embodiments, the tube or reservoir is mounted on the handle clipped into clamps or driven by friction into a hole. Alternatively, any suitable fixing means could be used to allow the tube (or reservoir) of liquid or pasty component to be mounted, preferably removably, on the handle of the device according to the invention.

[0067] Furthermore, in the case where said means for fixing the tube to the handle are arranged to allow said tube to be mounted in a removable manner, it is possible to supplement or transform the device according to the invention for other applications. Figure 10 illustrates in particular the possibility of mounting on the device 1, 100 as described in the preceding embodiments, a spatula arranged to allow the distribution of a suitable pasty component (cement known as putty for example) in the case of an apical retro-obturation or retro-obturation of a root canal. An apical retro-obturation takes place after the excision of a cyst at the apex of a tooth when a conventional treatment via the crown of the tooth is not possible. Opposite the infection, the gum is incised and moved aside in order to reveal the infectious focus and the end of the root.This end in contact with the infection is sectioned and the entire cavity is cleaned. The root canal orifice is then enlarged and then filled with a suitable material (retro-obturation). To perform this particular filling, the practitioner usually uses a spatula or a plugger. The orifice to be filled must be as small as possible and access to it is often complicated: instruments with a thin, angled end are therefore preferable.

[0068] Considering the handle 10 of the devices 1, 100 described above, it is possible to mount on said handle in the clamp 12 or the hole 120 a tip 7. This tip 7 comprises a fixing end 71 intended to cooperate with the means for fixing the tube on the handle 10, like the clamp 11 in figure 10, and an active portion 72 having the function of a spatula or a rammer. Preferably, the active portion 72 can be used on both sides. Preferably, the active portion 7 has a width of less than 5mm, preferably 4mm or 2mm. The active portion 72 can be flat but preferably and as illustrated in figure 11a has a spoon shape on at least one but preferably two sides. Preferably, the tip 7 is made of plastic or stainless steel. Any other suitable material can be used.

[0069] By combining the handle 10 with a tip 7, a dental instrument is thus produced for apical retro-obturation or retro-obturation of a root canal, making it possible to distribute and compact a suitable obturation material by retrograde means. In particular, the angulation of the means for fixing the tube 2 to the handle 10, which also receive the tip 7, makes it possible to produce an instrument whose spatula is angled for better access to the apical area to be treated. In addition, by separating the tip from the handle, it is easy and economical to provide several tips 7 of different sizes for a single handle, the practitioner then being able to choose the one that best corresponds to a particular case. The tip 7 could have any shape suitable for the distribution and / or compaction of an obturation material in the case of apical retro-obturation.In particular, the tip could comprise a first portion extending along a first axis, the flat active portion forming an angle with this first axis. This new angulation of the spatula in addition to the angulation between the handle and the tip can be useful depending on the position of the tooth to be treated.

[0070] This produces a device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component that is particularly versatile since a single handle can be arranged to receive several sizes of tubes (or reservoirs) and the pistons and / or levers associated with each size and / or other tips intended for dispensing and / or compacting. The handling of the device, both in its use and in the interchangeability of the tubes (or reservoirs) and pistons, is easy, with a rapid learning curve (good mastery of the device does not require great experience or long use but is acquired very quickly).

[0071] The device according to the invention is also precise and efficient: it makes it possible to easily deliver a precise quantity of the component contained in the tube or reservoir, even in areas that are difficult to access (quantity determined by the size of the tube and the stroke of the piston). In addition, by always guaranteeing the same stroke of the piston in the reservoir regardless of the force applied to the lever, the result and in particular the quantity of material delivered from the tube is predictable and precise, which is an advantage for the user, particularly in the dental and endodontic fields.

[0072] The device is also easy to manufacture since each element - handle, reservoir, lever and / or piston - can be machined separately as a "simple" element before being assembled to form a complex device. Each element of the device can be manufactured relatively easily by known and proven manufacturing techniques and in materials appropriate for that particular element.

[0073] The device according to the invention also facilitates cleaning and sterilization here too because each component handle, lever, piston and reservoir can be treated separately and is easier to clean than in known devices.

[0074] The device is also ergonomic since the portion of the lever that can be operated by the user can be arranged and positioned on the handle to ensure a good grip by the user while being away from the active end of the handle and the reservoir, thus preventing the lever or the user's hand from hindering access to the area to be treated when using the device.

[0075] The above embodiments have been described by way of example. Generally, the device for dispensing a pasty or liquid component according to the invention is intended for medical or dental use and comprises

[0076] • a handle,

[0077] • a reservoir for the pasty or liquid component, said reservoir being pre-filled or not (tube),

[0078] • at least one piston arranged to slide in the reservoir, • at least one lever arranged to be removably mounted on a mounting portion of the handle and arranged to cooperate with the piston to slide said piston in the reservoir for dispensing the pasty or liquid component it contains when the reservoir and the lever are mounted on the handle;

[0079] • means for fixing said reservoir on an active end of said handle arranged to allow the fixing of the reservoir, preferably in a removable manner, on said active end of said handle so that when the reservoir is fixed on the handle, said reservoir forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of the mounting portion of the handle.

[0080] The lever is arranged to be connected to the piston so that when the user presses the lever towards the handle, the piston slides in the reservoir along the longitudinal axis thereof and pushes the pasty or liquid component out of said reservoir.

[0081] Alternatively, the lever and the piston are made in one piece. The lever may then comprise a base and at least one flexible portion connecting the base to the piston. The flexible portion is arranged to allow the piston to be inserted into the reservoir once the reservoir is mounted on the handle and the base of the lever is mounted on the handle and to allow the piston to slide in the reservoir along the longitudinal axis of said reservoir when the lever and said at least one flexible portion are pressed towards the handle in a direction which is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the reservoir.

[0082] In this first variant, the lever may comprise guide means arranged to guide the movement of the lever and the deformation of its flexible portion to ensure optimal sliding of the piston in the reservoir.

[0083] The lever and the piston may also be made from a single piece of nickel titanium. Preferably, at least the piston or lever comprises a portion of variable section characterized by sections whose size and / or diameter are smaller than the size and / or diameter of a section of the rest of the lever or piston so as to obtain the deformation and flexibility of the lever and / or the piston necessary so that when the user presses on the lever in the direction of the handle, the piston slides in the reservoir along the longitudinal axis thereof and pushes the pasty or liquid component out of said reservoir. Preferably, the portion(s) of variable section are portions of helical section.

[0084] In another variant, the lever comprises a first flexible arm terminated by a connection member intended to cooperate with the piston so that the piston can be inserted into the connection member to reach a service position. The connection between the connection member and the piston is such that, in the service position, when the lever and the reservoir are mounted on the handle, a movement of the first flexible arm causes the piston to slide in the reservoir along the longitudinal axis of said reservoir. The lever preferably further comprises a second flexible arm arranged to cooperate with the first flexible arm so that, by pressing on the second flexible arm in the direction of the handle, said second flexible arm comes into contact with the first flexible arm and moves the latter to slide the piston in the reservoir and thus dispense the component contained in said reservoir.

[0085] In this second variant, there is preferably a clearance between the connection member and the piston when the latter is in its service position, so that the piston can slide in the reservoir along the longitudinal axis of the latter even if the pressure exerted on the lever is in a direction which is not parallel to said longitudinal axis of the reservoir.

[0086] Preferably, the piston comprises a stop intended to cooperate with the reservoir to limit the stroke of the piston in said reservoir.

Claims

Claims Device (1; 100) for dispensing a paste or liquid component intended for medical or dental use comprising: • a handle (10), • a reservoir (2, 2') for the pasty or liquid component, said reservoir (2, 2') being pre-filled or not, • at least one piston (4, 4', 400; 6) arranged to slide in the reservoir (2, 2'), • at least one lever (3, 3', 300; 5) arranged to be removably mounted on a mounting portion of the handle (10) and arranged to cooperate with the piston (4, 4', 400; 6) to slide said piston (4, 4', 400; 6) in the reservoir (2, 2') for the distribution of the pasty or liquid component it contains when the reservoir (2, 2') and the lever (3, 3', 300; 5) are mounted on the handle (10); • means for fixing (12; 120) said reservoir (2, 2') on an active end (11) of said handle (10) arranged to allow the reservoir (2, 2') to be fixed, preferably in a removable manner, on said active end (11) of said handle (10) so that when the reservoir (2, 2') is fixed on the handle (10), said reservoir (2, 2') forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of the mounting portion of the handle (10); in which the lever (3, 3', 300; 5) is arranged to be connected to the piston (4, 4', 400; 6) so that when the user presses the lever (3, 3', 300; 5) in the direction of the handle (10), the piston (4, 4', 400; 6) slides in the reservoir (2, 2') along its longitudinal axis and pushes the pasty or liquid component out of said reservoir (2, 2').

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, in which the lever (3; 300) and the piston (4, 400) came from a single piece.

3. Device (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the lever (3) comprises a base (30) and at least one flexible portion (32) connecting the base (30) to the piston (4), the flexible portion (32) being arranged to permit the insertion of the piston (4) into the reservoir (2) once the reservoir (2) is mounted on the handle (10) and the base (30) of the lever (3) is mounted on the handle (10) and to permit the sliding of the piston (4) in the reservoir (2) along the longitudinal axis of said reservoir (2) when the lever (3) and said at least one flexible portion (32) are pressed towards the handle (10) in a direction that is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the reservoir (2).

4. Device (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the lever (3) includes guiding means (33, 34) arranged to guide the movement of the lever (3) and the deformation of its flexible portion (32) to ensure optimal sliding of the piston (4) in the reservoir (2).

5. Device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the lever (5) comprises a first flexible arm (51) terminated by a connecting member (512) intended to cooperate with the piston (6) so that the piston (6) can be inserted into the connecting member (512) to reach a service position in which the piston (6) is integral with the lever (5) 6. Device (100) according to claim 5, wherein there is play between the connecting member (512) and the piston (6) when the latter is in its operating position, such that the piston (6) can slide in the reservoir (2) along its longitudinal axis even if the pressure exerted on the lever (5) and its first flexible arm (51) is in a direction which is not parallel to said longitudinal axis of the tank (2).

7. Device (100) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the lever (5) further comprises a second flexible arm (52) arranged to cooperate with the first flexible arm (51) so that, by pressing on the second flexible arm (52) in the direction of the handle (10), said second flexible arm (52) comes into contact with the first flexible arm (51) and moves the latter to slide the piston (6) in the reservoir (2) and thus distribute the component contained in said reservoir (2).

8. Device according to any one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the lever (300) and the piston (400) are made of nickel titanium.

9. Device according to claim 8, wherein at least the lever (300) or the piston (400) comprises a portion of variable cross-section (304; 401) characterized by sections whose size and / or diameter are smaller than the size and / or diameter of a section of the remainder of the lever (300) or piston (400) so as to obtain the deformation and flexibility of the lever (300) and / or the piston (400) necessary so that when the user presses on the lever (300) in the direction of the handle (10), the piston (400) slides in the reservoir (2) along the longitudinal axis thereof and pushes the pasty or liquid component out of said reservoir (2).

10. Device according to claim 9, wherein the variable section portion(s) (304; 401) is a helical section portion.

11. Device (1; 100) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the piston (4; 400; 6) includes a stop (41; 410; 62) intended to cooperate with the reservoir (2) to limit the stroke of the piston (4; 400; 6) in said reservoir (2). Device (1; 100) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising at least two reservoirs (2, 2') of different dimensions and at least two pistons (4, 4'; 6) corresponding to said reservoirs (2, 2'). Device (1; 100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device is an endodontic device and wherein the liquid or paste material is a cement or a filling paste for the endodontic system. Device for dispensing a paste or liquid component intended for apical retrograde filling or retrograde filling of a root canal, comprising: • A handle (10); • A tip (7), comprising at least one flat active portion (72); • Means of fixing (12; 120) said tip (7) on an active end (11) of said handle (10) arranged to allow the tip (7) to be fixed removably on said active end (11) of said handle (10), characterized in that when the tip (7) is fixed on the handle (10), the longitudinal axis of the active portion (72) of the tip (7) forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of the handle (10).

15. Device according to claim 14, characterized in that the active portion (72) of the tip (7) has the shape of a spatula or a sledgehammer.

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