Dental Unit

Abstract

This dental unit provides a solution that improves the efficiency and quality of cleaning when performed manually. [Solution] A dental unit comprising a patient chair, a doctor's unit, and an assistant unit, further comprising an observation system, the observation system comprising a camera, a computing device, and a display, wherein the computing device acquires information from the camera, records the parts touched by the patient and practitioner on the patient chair, doctor's unit, and assistant unit, and performs calculations to display the parts on the display.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dental unit having a patient chair on which a patient sits in dentistry.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to automatic disinfection of a dental treatment chair.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A dental unit has a movable dental chair, a doctor unit arranged around the dental chair, an assistant unit, etc. The range of cleaning, which is one of the maintenance operations, is wide, and there are many objects with complex shapes that need to be cleaned. Although there is a technique for automatic disinfection as in the prior art, not all cleaning can be performed, and the cleaning method may differ depending on the target site. Therefore, ultimately, cleaning by hand is indispensable.

[0005] However, it is not efficient for the cleaner to always perform detailed cleaning on all areas as the cleaning target. Also, the cleaning locations may vary depending on the cleaner, and the finish of the cleaning may lack consistency.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a dental unit that can improve the cleaning efficiency and quality when cleaning by hand.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention discloses a dental unit comprising a patient chair, a doctor's unit, and an assistant unit, further comprising an observation system, the observation system comprising a camera, a computing device, and a display, wherein the computing device acquires information from the camera, records the parts touched by the patient and practitioner on the patient chair, doctor's unit, and assistant unit, and performs calculations to display the parts on the display.

[0008] The camera can also be a thermal imager.

[0009] The display unit may be a projector, and the computing unit may be configured to project the above-mentioned parts onto the corresponding positions of the patient chair, doctor's unit, and assistant unit using the projector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the dental unit described herein, sanitation workers can identify areas that require more thorough cleaning, thereby increasing the efficiency and quality of cleaning. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a front view of dental unit 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the observation system 50. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] This disclosure will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0013] 1. Configuration of a dental unit Figure 1 shows the external appearance of a dental unit 1 in one configuration. Figure 1 is a front view of the dental unit 1. Dental unit 1 includes a patient chair 10, a doctor's unit 20, an assistant unit 30, dental lighting 40, and an observation system 50. Each component is described below.

[0014] 1.1. Patient chair The patient chair is not particularly limited as long as it has a known configuration, but in this embodiment, the patient chair 10 includes a base (not visible in Figure 1 as it is in a blind spot), a seat plate 11, a backrest 12, a headrest 13, a leg rest 14, and armrests 15.

[0015] [Base] The base (which is not visible in Figure 1 as it is in the blind spot of the leg rest 14) is positioned below the patient chair 10 and serves as the base for the patient chair 10. The base has an outer casing formed by a housing, and various control devices are enclosed inside the housing. Examples of the control devices included here include a hydraulic circuit for raising and lowering the patient chair 10, tilting and raising the backrest 12, and a hydraulic control means for controlling the hydraulic circuit. Therefore, a foot switch is provided on the back side of the base where the patient chair 10 is located. The practitioner can operate this foot switch or the operation switch on the control panel of the doctor unit 20 to issue commands to the hydraulic control means, thereby controlling the hydraulic circuit to give instructions for raising and lowering the patient chair 10, and for starting and stopping the tilting and raising.

[0016] [Seat board] The seat plate 11 is mounted above the base so as to be able to move up and down. The seat plate 11 is raised and lowered by a hydraulic circuit housed within the base, as described above. Specifically, the practitioner operates a foot switch or the control panel of the doctor unit 20, and the hydraulic control means that receives the operation command appropriately operates the hydraulic cylinder incorporated into the hydraulic circuit, causing the seat plate 11 to move up and down. The backrest 12, headrest 13, and leg rest 14 move up and down together with the seat plate 11.

[0017] [Backrest] The backrest 12 is a member provided so as to be rotatable about one end side which is a connection part with the seat plate 11, and supports the patient's torso from the back side. The backrest 12 is capable of tilting and rising so that the patient can be in a sitting posture or a supine posture. The tilting and rising of the backrest 12 are performed by a hydraulic circuit connected from within the base. Specifically, when the operator operates the foot switch or the operation panel of the doctor unit 20, the hydraulic control means that has received the operation command appropriately operates the hydraulic cylinder incorporated in the hydraulic circuit, and thus the backrest 12 starts tilting and rising.

[0018] [Headrest] The headrest 13 is a member arranged at an end of the backrest 12 on the side opposite to the side where the seat plate 11 is arranged, and is a member that supports the patient's head. The headrest 13 is formed to be movable and rotatable in order to place the patient's head position in a posture convenient for the treatment. Such an operation of the headrest 13 is performed by a mechanism including a motor incorporated inside the backrest 12. Specifically, when the operator operates a switch (not shown) provided on the back side of the backrest 12 or the headrest 13 or the operation panel of the doctor unit 20, etc., the above mechanism that has received the operation command operates, and thus the headrest 13 moves and rotates.

[0019] [Legrest] The legrest 14 is a member provided so as to be rotatable about an end of the seat plate 11 on the side opposite to the side where the backrest 12 is arranged, and supports the patient's legs. The legrest 14 is rotatable so as to be able to be in a vertical or horizontal posture in accordance with the tilting and rising posture of the backrest 12. Such rotation of the legrest 14 is performed by a link mechanism that operates linked to the tilting and rising of the backrest 12. Specifically, when the operator operates the backrest 12 as described above by operating the foot switch or the operation panel of the doctor unit 20, the backrest 12 tilts and rises, and linked to this, the legrest 14 rotates.

[0020] [Armrest] The armrest 15 is as known. It is a member on which the patient can rest both arms when sitting on the patient chair 10. Therefore, the armrests 15 are arranged on both sides of the seat plate 11 in the left - right direction (the left - right direction on the paper surface from the perspective of FIG. 1).

[0021] 1.2. Doctor unit The doctor unit 20 is provided on the side of the patient chair 10 opposite to the assistant unit 30 among the sides, and is equipped with various devices. In this embodiment, the doctor unit 20 has a workbench 21, a first arm 22, and a second arm 23.

[0022] The workbench 21 is a part equipped with various instruments, switches, etc. required by the operator. Specifically, the workbench 21 has a work surface 21a on its upper surface, and at the rear - end side of the patient chair 10, a group of handpieces (not shown) used by the operator during the treatment and a holder (not shown) for storing them are provided. Examples of the handpieces included in the group of handpieces are an air turbine, a micro - motor, a scaler, a syringe, etc. Almost all handpieces are connected to electric circuits, water circuits, air circuits, etc. via tubes. Also, an operation panel is provided between the work surface 21a and the holder. Various operation switches are provided on the operation panel, and for example, operations for starting and stopping the tilting and standing up of the patient chair 10, starting and stopping the lifting, switching the lighting on and off of the dental lighting 40, etc. are possible. Also, the workbench 21 may be equipped with a monitor.

[0023] The first arm 22 is a hollow rod - shaped so - called arm member. One end of it is arranged at the lower part of the base, and it is rotatable within the horizontal plane. The first arm 22 can rotate within the horizontal plane. The second arm 23 is also a hollow rod - shaped arm member. One end of the second arm 23 is arranged at the other end of the end of the first arm 22, which is opposite to the base. Also, the workbench 21 is arranged at the other end of the second arm 23. The second arm 23 can also rotate within the horizontal plane.

[0024] 1.3. Assistant Unit The assistant unit 30 is located on the side of the patient chair 10, opposite the doctor unit 20, and is also equipped with various devices. In this configuration, the assistant unit 30 includes a main body 31, an assistant hanger (not visible in Figure 1 due to being in a blind spot), a spittoon 34, and a water supply device 35.

[0025] The main body 31 is a component that makes up the main body of the assistant unit 30, and its outer casing is formed by a housing, with various components enclosed inside the housing. The components enclosed in the main body 31 are not particularly limited, but examples include water supply piping to the water supply device 35, drainage piping from the spittoon 34, a mechanism for moving the spittoon 34, and a device for cleaning the inside of the piping, etc.

[0026] The assistant hanger, although not visible in Figure 1 as it is in a blind spot of the main body 31, is the part that mainly houses instruments used by the assistant. Examples of instruments placed on the assistant hanger include handpieces such as vacuums, saliva ejectors, and syringes. In this configuration, the assistant hanger is rotatably connected to the main body 31 by an arm.

[0027] The spittoon 34 is used by patients to rinse their mouths with water supplied from the water supply device 35 during and after treatment to cleanse their oral cavity. Therefore, the spittoon 34 is shaped like a bowl to allow the water in the oral cavity to be spat out after rinsing. The saliva and water discharged into the spittoon 34 are then drained through a drain trap provided in the main body 31.

[0028] In this embodiment, the spittoon 34 is rotatable in the horizontal plane so as to face the front of the patient and away from the front of the patient. This allows the spittoon 34 to be positioned in front of the patient when needed, improving patient convenience. In this embodiment, the spittoon 34 is configured to rotate, but it does not necessarily have to rotate; it may also be configured to move so as to face the front of the patient and away from the front of the patient. The mechanism for rotating and moving the spitton 34 is not particularly limited and can be any known mechanism, and can be arranged in the main body 31.

[0029] 1.4. Dental Lighting The dental light 40 is a device that illuminates the inside of the patient's mouth during treatment. The dental light 40 is mounted via an arm 41 that can move and rotate with a high degree of freedom using a universal joint or the like, so that it can accurately illuminate the inside of the patient's mouth when performing treatment.

[0030] 1.5. Observation System The observation system 50 observes and records the areas touched by the patient and the practitioner from the time the patient sits down until they leave, and displays these touched areas to the cleaning staff. In this configuration, the observation system 50 is equipped with a camera 51, a computing device 52, and a display 53. Figure 2 shows a diagram illustrating the configuration of the observation system 50.

[0031] [camera] Camera 51 captures images of various parts of the dental unit 10, the practitioner, and the patient, and transmits the image information to the computing device 52. Camera 51 is not particularly limited as long as it is positioned in a location that can capture these areas. In this embodiment, it is positioned on the arm 41 as shown in Figure 1. There may be one camera 51 or multiple cameras. Furthermore, the type of camera 51 may be a camera that acquires normal images, a thermographic camera, or a combination of both.

[0032] [Arithmetic device] The computing unit 52 acquires video from the camera 51, performs calculations based on a stored program to determine the areas touched by the practitioner and the patient (sometimes referred to as "contact areas"), and issues commands for recording and displaying this information. The specific configuration of the computing unit 52 is not particularly limited, but for example, Figure 2 conceptually represents its configuration. As can be seen from Figure 2, the arithmetic unit 52 in this embodiment includes an operator 52a, RAM 52b, storage device 52c, receiving device 52d, and output device 52e. Operator 52a is composed of a so-called CPU (Central Operator) and is electrically connected to the camera 51 and the display unit 53, and is a means of controlling them. Operator 52a also performs calculations as a means of executing various programs stored in the memory device 52c, which functions as a storage medium, and generating and selecting various data based on these programs. RAM 52b is a component that functions as a working area for operator 52a and a means for storing temporary data. RAM 52b can be made of SRAM, DRAM, flash memory, etc., and is similar to known RAM. The storage device 52c is a component that functions as a storage medium for storing programs and data that form the basis of various calculations. The storage device 52c may also store various intermediate and final results obtained from the execution of the program. In this embodiment, one of the programs stored in the memory device 52c is a program that acquires a signal from the camera 51 and calculates information about the contact area based on that signal. The receiving device 52d functions as an input port for inputting a signal to operator 52a, and camera 51 is connected to it. The output device 52e functions as an output port for outputting a signal from operator 52a, and display 53 is connected to it. A computer can typically be used as such a computing device 52.

[0033] [Display] The display unit 53 displays the contact area based on the calculation results of the calculation unit 52. The type of display unit is not particularly limited, but it may be a monitor placed on the workbench of the doctor unit 20, or it may be a projector that projects the contact area onto the corresponding part of the dental unit 1, as shown in the display unit 53 in Figure 1.

[0034] 2. Effect etc. In addition to the basic functions of a normal dental unit 1, the dental unit 1 described above also functions as follows: When the observation system 50 detects that a patient is seated via camera 51, the observation system 50 detects and records the areas of contact made by the patient and the practitioner. This contact detection can be performed by analyzing the acquired video with the computing device 52 and performing image processing calculations. For example, a database of many image data representing the contact state can be stored in the computing device 52, and by comparing these, it can be determined that contact has occurred. When a thermal camera is provided as camera 51, it is possible to know that contact has occurred from the temperature change even when the person has moved away from the area, thereby improving the accuracy of contact detection. In this case, the number of contacts may be calculated cumulatively to record the contact frequency and degree of contact.

[0035] Immediately before cleaning, the cleaner operates the observation system 50 to output and display the acquired contact area information. Based on this display, the cleaner can focus on cleaning the contact areas, thereby cleaning more efficiently. The cleaner can identify areas that need more thorough cleaning, increasing both the efficiency and quality of the cleaning. When the display unit 53 is used as a projector, the contact area is projected directly onto the corresponding part of the dental unit 1, making it easy for the cleaner to identify the contact area without having to look at a monitor or take other steps. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 1…Dental unit, 10…Patient chair, 20…Doctor's unit, 30…Assistant unit, 40…Dental lighting, 50…Observation system

Claims

1. A dental unit comprising a patient chair, a doctor's unit, and an assistant unit, Furthermore, it is equipped with an observation system. The observation system includes a camera, a computing device, and a display. The computing device acquires information from the camera, records the parts of the patient's chair, the doctor's unit, and the assistant's unit that the patient and the practitioner touch, and performs calculations to display the touched parts on a display. Dental unit.

2. The dental unit according to claim 1, wherein the camera is a thermograph.

3. The dental unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display is a projector, and the computing device projects the part onto the corresponding positions of the patient chair, the doctor unit, and the assistant unit using the projector.

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