Dental laser device

Abstract

To provide a dental laser device that prevents a decrease in work efficiency even in situations where it is necessary to release a handpiece during treatment.SOLUTION: A dental laser device includes a laser oscillator, a handpiece that emits a laser, and a light guide cable having an optical fiber that guides laser light from the laser oscillator to the handpiece. The device further includes a handpiece holding device that holds the handpiece in a movable manner. A first arm, a second arm, and a third arm are connected in this order such that their end portions are rotatable, and a holding member that holds the handpiece is connected to the third arm. Within the range of postures that the first arm, second arm, and third arm can take, the handpiece is held in an arbitrary posture.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dental laser device that irradiates an affected area in the oral cavity with laser light for treatment. [Background technology]

[0002] There are two main types of laser light guide methods used in dental laser devices: the manipulator method and the fiber method. The fiber method is widely used because it is flexible and easy to use. However, with fiber-based devices, the handpiece, which is the terminal that emits the laser, cannot be held in the air, so if you want to take your hands off the handpiece and work during treatment, you need to place the handpiece on a hanger. When placing the handpiece on the hanger, you must completely take your eyes off the treatment area, which reduces work efficiency.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a holder movement mechanism that makes it easy to grip and hold a handpiece. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-220851 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, even with such conventional techniques, it has been difficult to eliminate the aforementioned decrease in work efficiency.

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present disclosure aims to provide a dental laser device that is less likely to cause a decrease in work efficiency even in situations where it is necessary to remove the handpiece during treatment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention discloses a dental laser device comprising a laser oscillator, a handpiece that emits a laser, and a light-guiding cable having an optical fiber that guides laser light from the laser oscillator to the handpiece, and further comprising a handpiece holding device that movably holds the handpiece, with a first arm, a second arm, and a third arm whose ends are rotatably connected in this order, and a holding member that holds the handpiece further connected to the third arm, so that the dental laser device holds the handpiece in any position within the range of positions that the first arm, second arm, and third arm can take.

[0008] The first arm and the third arm may each be configured to be formed by a parallel link.

[0009] By bringing the first arm and the third arm closer to each other, the device may be foldable into a smaller size than when extended. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, the handpiece can be held close to the practitioner, and the practitioner can place or remove the handpiece from the handpiece holding device without taking their eyes off the treatment site during treatment, thereby improving work efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a dental laser device 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dental laser device 10 in another position. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the dental laser device 10 in another position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present disclosure will be described below based on the embodiments shown in the drawings, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments.

[0013] 1. Dental laser device configuration 1 to 3 are external perspective views of a dental laser device 10 according to one embodiment. Each of FIGS. 1 to 3 shows a different posture of a handpiece holding device 30 provided in the dental laser device 10. In this embodiment, the dental laser device 10 is configured to include a main body 11, a laser irradiation unit 20, and a handpiece holding device 30.

[0014] 1.1.Main body The main body 11 has a box-shaped housing 12, and wheels (not shown) are arranged on the bottom surface of the housing 12 to facilitate movement of the dental laser device 10. The main body 11 also has an input panel 11a for operating the dental laser device 10. Various operations can be performed using this input panel 11a.

[0015] 1.2.Laser irradiation unit The laser irradiation unit 20 is a device that controls the emission and stopping of laser light and the emission conditions. To this end, the laser irradiation unit 20 in this embodiment is configured to include a laser oscillator, a light guide cable 21, a handpiece 22, a foot switch 23, and a cable holding means 26, all of which are not shown.

[0016] The laser oscillator (not shown) is disposed inside the housing 12 and is a device that generates laser light to be irradiated onto the affected area. There are no particular limitations on the type of laser oscillator, and examples include a carbon dioxide laser, an Nd:YAG laser, an Er:YAG laser, a semiconductor laser, and a He-Ne laser. Among these, a carbon dioxide laser is preferred, as its wavelength has an appropriate water absorbency, from the viewpoint of causing thermal denaturation in the affected area.

[0017] The light guide cable 21 is a means for connecting the handpiece 22 and the laser oscillator and guiding light between them. In this embodiment, the light guide cable 21 is composed of an optical fiber and a covering tube that covers and protects the optical fiber. Known optical fibers can be used, including hollow fibers, plastic fibers, quartz fibers, polycrystalline fibers, and the like. The covering tube is a tubular, flexible member arranged to cover the optical fiber. The covering tube is made of a flexible material, as it is preferable that the covering tube flexibly move in accordance with the movement of the handpiece 22. The specific material is not particularly limited, but examples include a stainless steel flexible hose, fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), and carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP).

[0018] The foot switch 23 functions as a switch for operating the laser oscillator to switch between emitting and stopping the laser light. In this embodiment, the foot switch 23 includes an operation switch 24 and a wiring 25. The operation switch 23 is a switch that can be operated by the practitioner with his / her foot, and as is well known, is configured so that the operation of the operation switch 23 can control the emission and stopping of laser light. The wiring 25 is well known and is string-like, electrically connecting the laser oscillator and the operation switch 24, with one end connected to the laser oscillator and the other end connected to the operation switch 24. The wiring 25 is made of a conductor covered with an insulating member.

[0019] The cable holding means 26 is a means for holding the light guide cable 21 and keeping the light guide cable 21 in the air, and is provided so as to stand upright from the housing 12. In this embodiment, the cable holding means 26 is configured to have a connecting member 27, a holding rod 28, and a holding piece 29.

[0020] The connecting member 27 is a member that connects the holding rod 28 to the housing 12, and functions to properly hold the holding rod 28 in the housing 12 without causing problems such as breakage or cutting even when force is applied to the holding rod 28. The connecting member 27 is not particularly limited, but a metal pipe or the like can be used from the viewpoint of ensuring its strength.

[0021] The holding rod 28 is a rod-shaped member with one end (lower end) attached to the connecting member 27 and arranged to stand upright. In this embodiment, the holding rod 28 extends vertically upward from the connecting member 27, and is formed so that its end is bent and extends further diagonally upward. However, this form is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a circle, a polygon, a solid, a hollow, etc. The holding rod 28 is a member that holds the light guide cable 21 in the air, and therefore needs to have strength and stiffness sufficient to hold the light guide cable 21. There are no particular limitations on the material of the holding rod 28 as long as it can hold the light guide cable 21 in the air. Examples of the material include fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), and carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP).

[0022] The holding piece 29 is a means for fixing the light guide cable 21 to the holding rod 28. The specific means for fixing is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the holding piece 29 is formed by a bundling member for bundling the holding rod 28 and the light guide cable 21 together.

[0023] The handpiece 22 is a device that is held and operated by the practitioner and that emits laser light. The handpiece 22 is a dental laser irradiation handpiece, as is well known. The handpiece 22 is provided with a laser light emission port, to which one end of the optical fiber of the light guide cable 21 is connected. As a result, the laser light that has passed through the optical fiber (light guide cable 21) is emitted from the laser light emission port. The handpiece 22 may also be provided with a switch for switching on and off the emission of laser light, which can be operated at hand.

[0024] 1.3.Handpiece holding device The handpiece holding device 30 is a so-called holder that holds the handpiece 22. When the practitioner uses the handpiece 22, he or she takes the handpiece 22 out of the handpiece holding device 30, and when the practitioner does not use the handpiece 22, he or she returns the handpiece to the handpiece holding device 30. In this embodiment, the handpiece holding device 30 has a base 31, a rotating member 32, a first arm 33, a second arm , a third arm 35, and a holding member .

[0025] The base 31 is a member that fixes the handpiece holding device 30 to the housing 12 of the main body 11. In this embodiment, the base 31 includes a fixing portion 31a that is fixed to the housing 12 and an attachment portion 31b that has a horizontal surface.

[0026] The rotation member 32 is a member that is disposed on the horizontal surface of the mounting portion 31b of the base 31, and is attached to the base 31 so as to be rotatable within the horizontal plane.

[0027] The first arm 33 is a rod-shaped member, one end of which is connected to the rotary member 32 by a connecting portion 33a so as to be rotatable within a vertical plane.

[0028] The second arm 34 is a rod-shaped member (in this embodiment, it is an arm that is shorter than the first arm 33, but is not limited to this), and one end thereof is connected at a connection part 34a to the other end of the first arm 33 (the end opposite to the connection part 33a). The first arm 33 and the second arm 34 are connected at the connection part 34a so as to be rotatable relative to each other in a vertical plane.

[0029] Third arm 35 is a rod-shaped member, one end of which is connected at connection part 35a to the other end (the end opposite connection part 34a) of second arm 34. Second arm 34 and third arm 35 are connected at connection part 35a so as to be rotatable relative to each other within a vertical plane.

[0030] The holding member 36 is a member that holds the handpiece 22, and has a holding portion 36b at one end that holds the handpiece by embracing it. The other end of the holding member 36 (the end opposite the end where the holding portion 36b is provided) is connected to the other end of the third arm 35 (the end opposite the connecting portion 35a) by a connecting portion 36a. The third arm 35 and the holding member 36 are rotatable relative to each other within a vertical plane at the connecting portion 36a.

[0031] With this handpiece holding device 30, by rotating the rotating member 32, the connecting portions 33a, 34a, 35a, and 36a, the holding member 36 can be held in midair in a folded position as shown in Fig. 1, a position (extended position) in which it is separated significantly from the main body 11 as shown in Fig. 3, and any position (extended position) within the movable range of each member as shown in Fig. 2. In other words, the handpiece 22 held by the holding member 36 can be held in that position. In this case, the means for holding the handpiece holding device 30 in each position is not particularly limited, and a holding mechanism using a spring or a damper may be used. However, in this embodiment, the posture can be maintained by adjusting the frictional force (so-called resistance) between the rotating shaft and the hole into which the rotating shaft is inserted at each connection part. This allows for a simple configuration without using springs, dampers, etc. Furthermore, since a certain level of resistance is required to maintain the posture, it will not move with a light force, so it can be configured to not move even if it unexpectedly hits the arm. The load on the handpiece holding device 30 is not particularly limited, but it can be configured to be able to hold the weight of the handpiece holding device 30 itself plus the weight of the handpiece 22 in any position (400 to 500 g).

[0032] In the above embodiment, the rotating member 32 is configured to be rotatable in a horizontal plane and rotatable in a vertical plane at the connection portions 33a, 34a, 35a, and 36a, but this is not limiting. At least one of the connection portions 33a, 34a, 35a, and 36a may be configured to be further rotatable in a horizontal plane. For example, by connecting the connection portions 34a and 35a so that they can further rotate in a horizontal plane, a parallel link can be applied to the first arm 33 and the third arm 35, which can deform while maintaining their parallelism. This allows the orientation of the holding member 36 to be constant.

[0033] 2. Effects etc. With the dental laser device 10 described above, the practitioner can pull the holding member 36 and handpiece 22 close to themselves just before starting treatment, and after starting treatment and removing the handpiece 22 from the holding member 36, even in situations where it is necessary to remove the handpiece during treatment, the practitioner can return the handpiece 22 to the holding member 36 without taking his eyes off the affected area, making it less likely that a decrease in work efficiency will occur. When the dental laser device 10 is not in use, the handpiece holding device 30 can be folded up as shown in FIG. 1 for compact storage. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10... Dental laser device, 11... Main body, 12... Housing, 20... Laser irradiation unit, 21... Light guide cable, 22... Handpiece, 30... Handpiece holding device

Claims

1. A dental laser device comprising: a laser oscillator; a handpiece that emits a laser; and a light guide cable having an optical fiber that guides laser light from the laser oscillator to the handpiece, a handpiece holding device that movably holds the handpiece; a first arm, a second arm, and a third arm are connected in this order at their ends so as to be rotatable with each other, and a holding member for holding the handpiece is further connected to the third arm; holding the handpiece in an arbitrary position within a range of positions that the first arm, the second arm, and the third arm can take; Dental laser device.

2. 2. The dental laser device according to claim 1, wherein the first arm and the third arm are each formed by a parallel link.

3. 3. The dental laser device according to claim 1, wherein the dental laser device can be folded smaller than when extended by bringing the first arm and the third arm closer to each other.

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