Dental Unit

Abstract

To provide a dental unit that can suppress noise emitted when air is supplied while preventing an air curtain from contaminating water in a cup that is placed on a water supply device with aerosols.SOLUTION: A dental unit includes an air jetting part for jetting air toward a part on which a cup is placed. The air jetting part includes a plurality of jetting ports for jetting air and jets air from the jetting ports.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dental unit including a water supply device that supplies water for a patient to use during treatment or the like.

Background Art

[0002] A dental unit equipped with various facilities used during dental treatment includes a device (water supply device) that automatically supplies water to a cup for a patient to rinse or the like. In recent dental treatments, due to the influence of the novel coronavirus, aerosols generated during cutting with a turbine or scaling treatment during dental treatment have been regarded as a problem. As countermeasures, measures such as improving the suction force of the vacuum itself and using an extraoral vacuum to suck more aerosols have been taken. However, depending on how the handpiece is applied, the scattering angle may widen, and there are still aerosols that cannot be completely removed. If such inescapable aerosols get into the water in the cup placed in the water supply device, there is a risk of infection.

[0003] Also, from the perspective of infection prevention, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose techniques for forming an air curtain between the operator and the patient.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In conventional devices for forming an air curtain, there was a problem that the sound was loud during air supply, which might cause uneasiness and stress to the patient.

[0006] The objective of this disclosure is to provide a dental unit that can suppress the mixing of aerosols into the water in a cup placed in a water supply device using an air curtain, while also suppressing the noise level during air supply. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention discloses a dental unit having a water supply device, wherein the water supply device includes an air outlet that emits air toward a part on which a cup is placed, and the air outlet has a plurality of outlets from which air is emitted, and the dental unit emits air from the plurality of outlets.

[0008] Multiple outlets are arranged at intervals along an imaginary line whose center of gravity forms a ring, and when a circle with the same area as the area enclosed by the ring is considered, the diameter of the circle is 50 mm or more, and the system may be equipped with a control means to control the air discharge flow rate at the air discharge section to be between 3 L / min and 20 L / min.

[0009] The control means may be configured to emit air from the air outlet when a cup is placed on the cup-holding area, and to stop the emission of air from the air outlet at all other times. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to suppress infection by forming an air curtain to prevent aerosols from mixing with the water in the cup placed in the water supply device, while also suppressing the noise level during air supply. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an external view of dental unit 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an external perspective view of the water supply device 10. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the water supply device 10 from another angle. [Figure 4]Figure 4 shows the air outlet section 15 as viewed from the cup holder section 12 side. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

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

[0013] 1. Structure of a dental unit Figure 1 shows an external perspective view of a dental unit 1 in one configuration. The dental unit 1 comprises a base 2, a patient chair 3, a lighting unit 4, a doctor's unit 5, an assistant unit 6, and a water supply and drainage unit 7.

[0014] 1.1. Base The base 2 is positioned beneath the patient chair 3 and serves as its base. The base 2 has an outer casing, and various control devices are enclosed inside the casing. These control devices include, for example, a hydraulic circuit for raising and lowering, tilting and standing the patient chair 3, and a hydraulic control means for controlling the hydraulic circuit. Accordingly, a foot switch 2a is provided on the back side of the base 2 where the patient chair 3 is located. The practitioner can operate this foot switch 2a or the control switches on the control panel of the doctor unit 5 to issue commands to the hydraulic control means, thereby controlling the hydraulic circuit to raise and lower, tilt and stand the patient chair 3.

[0015] 1.2. Patient chair In this embodiment, the patient chair 3 comprises a seat 3a, a backrest 3b, a headrest 3c, a leg rest 3d, and a footrest 3e. These parts of the patient chair are well known and are not particularly limited.

[0016] 1.3. Lighting Unit The lighting unit 4 is equipped with a lighting head 4a that is mounted via an arm 4b that can move and rotate with a high degree of freedom using a universal joint or the like, so that the inside of the patient's mouth can be accurately illuminated when performing treatment.

[0017] 1.4 Doctor Unit The doctor unit 5 is provided on the side of the patient chair 3 opposite to the assistant unit 6 among the sides, and has a workbench 5a equipped with various instruments, switches, etc. required by the operator. The workbench 5a has a working surface on its upper surface, and a group of handpieces 5b used by the operator during the treatment are stored in holders. Examples of the handpieces included in the group of handpieces are air turbines, micromotors, scalers, syringes, etc. An operation panel may be provided on the workbench 5a, and various operation switches are arranged here. For example, the tilting and standing up of the patient chair 3, the lifting and lowering operations, the switching of the lighting on and off of the lighting head 4a, the operation and stop of the handpiece, etc. are possible. And the workbench is supported by an arm so that it can be moved and rotated, and the workbench can be moved and rotated according to the movement of the operator, improving convenience.

[0018] 1.5 Assistant Unit The assistant unit 6 is arranged on the opposite side of the doctor unit 5 across the patient chair 3, and is a part equipped with instruments mainly used by the assistant. The assistant unit 6 has a hanger part 6a supported by an arm, and various instruments are suspended on the hanger part 6a. The instruments to be suspended are, for example, handpieces such as a vacuum, a saliva ejector tube, and a syringe.

[0019] 1.6 Water Supply and Drainage Unit The water supply and drainage unit 7 is provided on the same side as the assistant unit 6 among the sides of the patient chair 3, and includes a spittoon 7a and a water supply device 10.

[0020] The spittoon 7a is a part for draining the water spit out from the patient's mouth after gargling during or after the treatment, and is in a bowl shape. And the saliva and water discharged into the spittoon 7a are discharged through a drain trap in the water unit.

[0021] The water supply device 10 is a device that automatically supplies water to a cup C used by the patient for gargling and holds the cup C. In this embodiment, the water supply device 10 is also equipped with an air outlet 15 that forms an air curtain. The water supply device 10 will be described in detail below.

[0022] 2. Water supply device Figure 2 shows a perspective view focusing on the area around the water supply device 10, and Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the water supply device 10 from below, with the air outlet 16 visible. As can be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the water supply device 10 includes a water supply section, a cup holder section 12, an ultrasonic sensor 13, a photoelectric sensor 14, and an air discharge section 15.

[0023] 2.1. Water supply section The water supply unit is the part that supplies water to cup C, and has a water supply pipe (not shown) and a water inlet 11 provided at its end. The water supply unit also has a solenoid valve (not shown) that switches between supplying and stopping water. That is, water flowing through the water supply pipe flows out from the water inlet 11 and is poured into cup C. The water supply and stopping are then switched by the solenoid valve. The operation of the solenoid valve for this switching is performed by a control means (not shown).

[0024] The control means are not particularly limited here, but for example, one could be a system in which a central operator performs calculations in RAM as a work area based on a program stored in a storage means such as ROM and data received from various sensors equipped in the dental unit 1, and outputs the calculation results to control each part of the dental unit 1.

[0025] 2.2. Cup holder The cup holder 12 is the part that holds the cup C, which is filled with water, until the patient picks it up. The shape of the cup holder 12 is not particularly limited and can be any known shape, as long as it can hold the cup C.

[0026] 2.3. Ultrasonic Sensors The ultrasonic sensor 13 has an oscillating unit that emits ultrasonic waves toward the cup receiving unit 12 and a detection unit that detects the ultrasonic waves that have been reflected back. In this configuration, the ultrasonic sensor 13 is positioned near the water inlet 11. The ultrasonic waves detected by the detection unit are processed as data by the control means, which detects the water level in the cup C and controls the supply and stop of water.

[0027] 2.4. Photoelectric Sensors The photoelectric sensor 14 has a light-emitting unit that emits infrared light so as to cross directly above the cup holder 12, and a light-receiving unit that detects the infrared light that has been reflected back. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the photoelectric sensor 14 is positioned opposite the side of the cup C when the cup C is placed. The presence or absence of the cup C is determined by processing the infrared light received by the light-receiving unit as data in the control means. That is, if the infrared light emitted from the light-emitting unit is reflected by the cup C and received by the light-receiving unit, it is determined that the cup C is present, and if the light-receiving unit does not receive the infrared light, it is determined that the cup C is not present.

[0028] 2.5. Air outlet [Form of the air outlet] The air outlet 15 is the part that emits air. As can be seen in Figures 1 to 3, the air outlet 15 in this embodiment is arranged to surround the water inlet 11 and is configured to emit air toward the cup holder 12, as shown by the straight dotted arrow in Figure 3. Therefore, in this embodiment, the air outlet 15 is annular, and the air curtain formed by the air emitted from it is cylindrical, with the cup C placed inside this cylindrical air curtain. This prevents aerosols, dust, and airborne debris from the outside of the air curtain from mixing with the cup C and the water stored inside it.

[0029] Figure 4 shows a view of the air outlet 15 from the cup holder 12 side. As described above, air is emitted from the air outlet 15 to form a cylindrical air curtain that encloses the cup C. To achieve this, the air outlet 15 in this embodiment has multiple hole-like outlets 16, which are spaced apart along a ring-shaped imaginary line (K in Figure 4), as can be seen in Figures 3 and 4. This allows the air to reach around the cup C while suppressing the amount of air used to form the air curtain and thus reducing noise. According to the inventor's findings, forming the air outlet with an annular slit resulted in increased noise during air discharge and insufficient air thrust to the cup holder 12, leading to inadequate function as an air curtain. In contrast, these problems were solved by arranging multiple hole-shaped outlets 16 as in the present embodiment. Particularly given the nature of a dental unit, it is essential to avoid causing any anxiety or stress to the patient, and loud noise is one of the causes, making it important to suppress the noise level. Here, the specific noise level varies depending on the situation, but it is preferably 55 dB or less, and more preferably 52 dB or less, at the headrest 3c of the patient chair 3.

[0030] To enhance the function as an air curtain while suppressing noise levels, it is effective to appropriately set the flow velocity of the air emitted from the air outlet 15. A specific flow velocity of 15 m / sec to 40 m / sec is preferable. Here, since the flow velocity itself is related to the airflow path and flow rate, it is preferable to satisfy the following conditions as a more specific configuration for achieving this.

[0031] The air discharge flow rate from the entire air discharge section 15 is preferably 3 L / min to 20 L / min, and more preferably 4 L / min to 15 L / min. The means for adjusting the flow rate are not particularly limited, but can be done, for example, by placing a graduated needle valve in the piping to the air discharge section. By obtaining the discharge flow rate for a given air pressure in advance and adjusting the scale of the needle valve in accordance with the air pressure, an appropriate discharge flow rate can be obtained. Alternatively, a flow meter can be installed in the piping to the air discharge section, and the flow rate adjustment valve can be operated by a control means based on the measured value.

[0032] Multiple nozzles 16 are arranged at intervals along a virtual line (K in Figure 4) that forms a ring, with their centroids (or centers if the nozzles are circular) being the center of the ring. When considering a circle with the same area as the area enclosed by the ring K, it is preferable that the diameter of this circle be 50 mm or more. There is no upper limit, but it is preferably 100 mm or less. If the ring K is a circle, the diameter shown as D in Figure 4 is preferably 50 mm or more, and there is no particular upper limit, but it is preferably 100 mm or less. Ring K is preferably a circle, but it does not need to be a perfect circle; it should be approximately a circle.

[0033] The size of each nozzle 16 is such that, from the viewpoint shown in Figure 4, if it is circular, the diameter is between 1 mm and 10 mm; if it is not circular from the viewpoint shown in Figure 4, the area is 0.78 mm². 2 78.5mm 2 The following is preferable: Furthermore, there may be multiple outlets 16. More preferably, there may be four or more. In this case, the outlets 16 may be spaced equally apart, but the arrangement of the outlets 16 may be made more densely packed so that more outlets 16 are placed on the side closer to the patient chair 3 where aerosols are more likely to be generated.

[0034] The supply of air to each outlet 16 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to connect them to the same air supply source that supplies air to the handpiece. This allows air to be supplied by an existing compressor used in the dental unit, eliminating the need to install a new air supply source and keeping costs down.

[0035] [Starting and stopping air discharge] Air is discharged from the air discharge unit 15 by supplying and stopping air to the air discharge unit 15. This can be done by, for example, installing a switch on any part of the dental unit 1 (e.g., the doctor's unit 5), which allows the practitioner to discharge and stop air as desired.

[0036] In addition to this, or instead, the supply and cessation of air to the air outlet 15 may be performed automatically depending on the presence or absence of the cup C. That is, when the cup C is placed on the cup holder 12, air is discharged from the air outlet 15, and when the cup C is not placed on the cup holder 12, the discharge of air from the air outlet 15 is stopped. While the specific configuration for this purpose is not particularly limited, the presence or absence of a cup C in the cup receiving section 12 is detected by the photoelectric sensor 14 as described above. The control means, upon receiving the signal from the photoelectric sensor 14, performs calculations to determine the presence or absence of cup C, and then instructs the solenoid valve, which is installed in the piping that supplies air to the air outlet section 15, to open or close according to the determination. This eliminates the need for the practitioner to perform individual tasks for forming the air curtain, thus reducing the practitioner's workload. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1 Dental Unit 2 bases 3 patient chair 4. Dental Lighting 5 Doctor Unit 6 Assistant Unit 7. Water supply and drainage unit 10 Water supply device 15 Air outlet

Claims

[Claim 1] A dental unit having a water supply system, The water supply device is It is equipped with an air outlet that emits air towards the area where the cup is placed, The aforementioned air outlet unit has a plurality of outlets for discharging air, It emits air from multiple nozzles, Each of the multiple injection ports is hole-shaped, and the lines connecting the centroids of the holes form a ring, and these ports are spaced apart along an imaginary line. Dental unit.

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