Articulated dental hand instrument

Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved dental hand instrument enabling dentists to have better maneuvering and articulation of the instrument while performing the dental procedure. The said instrument comprising instrument gripping adjusting handle (1), screw assembly (2), pushing / pulling rod (3), nut assembly (4), transition piece (5), external shank (6), ball and socket joint (7), working tip (8), and pin joint (9). The working tip of the improved dental hand instrument is configured to be flexibly moved in rotational and angular motions.

Description

ARTICULATED DENTAL HAND INSTRUMENTFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to dental hand instruments that are widely used by dentists for diversity of mouth operations such as examinations and fillings adaptations. Particularly, the present invention is directed to an improved dental hand instrument provided with an articulated working tip configured to be flexibly moved in rotational and angular motions.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Dental instruments are used by dentists all around the world as part of their job when treating teeth and other oral structures. A lot of these can be seen at normal examinations too since this helps with better visualization while performing treatments such as filling cavities or removing troublesome impacted teeth.

[0003] Performing a single dental procedure can require dentists to rely on a considerable number of dental instruments. Although many of these instruments may appear similar, they differ in size, angulation, and which tooth location they are intended for. Precision, speed, and timing are essential factors in any medical procedure, including dental procedures. However, the abundance of dental instruments on the operating table can create difficulties and potentially increase the likelihood of an accident. iAlso, it is worth noting that every dental instrument must undergo sterilization by autoclave after each use, regardless of how little it was used, which ultimately reduces their durability.

[0004] Accordingly, there is a need for dental instruments providing a tidy working space for dentists, reducing the burden of having multiple instruments and sterilizing them after each use, and increasing the longevity of these dental instruments.

[0005] During recent years, numerous innovations for dental instruments have been developed to address the above considerations. Actually, there are many patent publications describing various designs of dental hand instruments. For example, US Patent Publication No: US6257887 provides hand held instruments having an elongated handle fitted with a working tip at one end or with working tips at both ends. The handle consists of a multi-part assembly with replaceable working tip end sections.

[0006] As further example of prior arts in this field is WO Patent Publication No: W02016038407 which discloses a dental instrument and a dental kit comprising multiple dental instruments for use in dental examination, extraction and reconstruction procedures. Each dental instrument is composed of three detachable components: the handle, the arm and the head. Multiple versions of the arm and the head are provided to enable different angulations, different combinations of angulations, different configurations and sizes of a single type of dental instrument, different types of dental instruments to be assembled during the dental treatment procedure.

[0007] In view of the foregoing paragraphs, it can be appreciated that the conventional prior dental hand instruments have featured with either a fixed or changeable working end (tip). The former is utilized in specific cases where it does not require movement in all directions, while the latter permits the dentist to replace the working end to accommodate specific angular applications. Nonetheless, the changeable working end design still has limitations, as the angle of the new working end remains fixed and cannot be adjusted by the dentist to achieve the desired outcomes.

[0008] Consequently, the need for single dental hand instrument allowing the dentists to have better control over the range of motion still exists.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The primary objective of this invention is to improve the design of articulated dental hand instruments that facilitate adjustments in tip angle and orientation. With such tip articulation, dentists can perform their work with minimal hand instrument maneuvering and greater ease.

[0010] Thus, the present invention provides an improved dental hand instrument comprising instrument gripping adjusting handle, screw assembly, pushing / pulling rod, nut assembly, transition piece, external shank, ball and socket joint, working tip, and pin joint.

[0011] The working tip of the said instrument is allowed to be articulated with the aid of adjusting mechanism, contrary to the most conventional dental hand instruments which having a fixed end orchangeable ends.

[0012] Particularly, the working tip of the said instrument is configured to be flexibly moved in rotational and angular motions, enabling dentists to have better maneuvering and articulation of the instrument while performing the dental procedure.

[0013] The proper rotation of the instrument gripping adjusting handle while holding the nut assembly provides the required actuation force to properly orient the instrument working tip to a desired articulated angle. Secure internal rachet mechanisms are used to guarantee the instrument gripping adjusting handle and the nut assembly to be securely held together.

[0014] Further, in the present disclosure, there are multiple mechanisms performing the articulation of the working tip, including the use of a ball and socket, worm gear (which provides self- securing), or any other mechanism transforming linear motion to rotational motion.

[0015] Accordingly, the articulated working tip of the dental hand instrument provides two unique motions consisting of rotational and angular movements, which enable the dentist to attain the desired angle while performing the required action.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

[0016] The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing in which:

[0017] Figure 1: presents a perspective view of conventional dentalhand instrument.

[0018] Figure 2: presents a perspective view of dental hand instrument of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3: presents an exploded view of dental hand instrument of the present invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

[0020] The following detailed description serves as an illustration and does not seek to constrain the scope of the subject matter provided or its uses. Additionally, there is no intention to adhere to any explicit or implicit theory mentioned in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary, or the following detailed description.

[0021] The various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Referring now to the drawings in detail. Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of conventional dental hand instrument comprising handle, shank and working end permitting certain angulation and rotation movements.

[0023] Figure 2 illustrates the dental hand instrument of the present invention having components as indicated by the reference numbers 1 to 9, which are exploded and illustrated in Figure 3 as follows: 1 represents the instrument gripping adjusting handle, 2 represents screw assembly, 3 represents pushing / pulling rod, 4 represents nut assembly, 5 representstransition piece, 6 represents external shank, 7 represents ball and socket joint, 8 represents working tip, 9 represents pin joint.

[0024] The instrument gripping adjusting handle (1) consists of two concentric cylindrical halves. Each half could be actuated by the dentist to properly select the needed set point for the rotation or angulation of the working tip to perform the required action.

[0025] Translational motion on the pushing / pulling rod (3) provides actuating displacement for the ball and socket joint (7) and the working tip (8). The screw assembly (2) and pushing / pulling rod (3) shall move in translation and rotation simultaneously, using the nut assembly (4). The nut assembly (4), transition piece (5), and external shank (6) are all connected together to encapsulate the pushing / pulling rod (3) to allow proper slide to actuate the working tip (8) using the ball and socket joint (7). In this respect, proper operation of the instrument requires fixing the nut assembly (4) then rotating the pushing / pulling rod (3) which has a built in place securing mechanism.

[0026] The improved dental hand instrument of the present invention characterized in having two modes of operation. The first mode is articulation of the instrument’s working tip by adjusting the tip angle and the second mode is rotating the working tip while its articulation angle being secured or locked.

[0027] Consequently, it is invented an adjustable dental hand instrument with two degrees of freedom motions, allowing the dentists tohave better control over the range of motion of the instrument.References1 https: / / en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Dental_instrument2 https: / / hayeshandpiece.com / dental-instruments-types-and-uses / 3 https: / / patentscope.wipo.int / search / en / detail.jsf?docId=W0201603840 7&_cid=P22-LAS JNG- 12842- 14 https: / / patentscope.wipo.int / search / en / detail.jsf?docId=US39358042& _cid=P20-LCV2DH-98491 - 15 https: / / patentscope.wipo.int / search / en / detail.jsf?docId=W0201603840 7&_cid=P22-LAS JNG- 12842- 1

Claims

CLAIMS1- An improved dental hand instrument comprising instrument gripping adjusting handle (1), screw assembly (2), pushing / pulling rod (3), nut assembly (4), transition piece (5), external shank (6), ball and socket joint (7), working tip (8), and pin joint (9).2- The improved dental hand instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the working tip (8) of the said instrument is configured to be flexibly moved in rotational and angular motions. 3- The improved dental hand instrument according to claim 1, wherein secure internal rachet mechanisms are used to guarantee the instrument gripping adjusting handle (1) and the nut assembly (4) to be securely held together. 4- The improved dental hand instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball and socket joint (7) is optionally replaced by a worm gear, or any other 2

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