Dental Drill Surface Treatment for Low-Friction Visible Markings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dental drills used for drilling into the jawbone face challenges in minimizing friction and heat generation while maintaining visibility of depth markings, as existing surface treatments like acid etching increase friction and glare, and coatings like hard carbon can be costly and prone to delamination.
Innovation Solution
A surface treatment method involving acid etching followed by electro-polishing is applied to the drill's fluted section, reducing surface roughness and friction while enhancing light scattering for better visibility of markings, using a combination of acid etching and electro-polishing to create a distinctive surface pattern.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If acid etching is applied to the drill surface to reduce light reflection and improve visibility of depth markings, then visibility is improved, but friction increases leading to higher heat generation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface treatments to different sections of the drill. The proximal section (shank and proximal shaft) receives acid etching to reduce light reflection and improve visibility of depth markings. The distal section (fluted portion) is electropolished to create a smooth surface that reduces friction and heat generation during bone drilling. This local differentiation allows each section to optimize its function without compromising the other.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a hard carbon coating is applied to the drill to reduce friction and corrosion, then friction is reduced, but the coating increases production cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying an expensive hard carbon coating that requires complex deposition processes, the patent uses electropolishing—a relatively simple and cost-effective electrochemical process—to create a smooth surface on the distal section of the drill. This approach achieves the friction reduction benefit without the high costs and complexity associated with carbon coating applications.
3Illumination intensity
If a hard carbon coating is applied to the drill to reduce light reflectivity, then visibility is improved, but there is a risk of coating delamination and biocompatibility issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the use of hard carbon coating entirely in favor of acid etching on the proximal section, which creates a matte finish that reduces light reflection. This approach avoids all the risks associated with coating delamination and biocompatibility issues, while achieving the same visibility improvement through a more reliable, coating-free solution.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method improves visibility of depth markings by reducing glare and friction, while maintaining low heat generation, thus ensuring accurate drilling and preventing damage to surrounding tissues.
Implementation Method 1
Acid etching increases the surface roughness of the drills and thus increases the scattering of light, which in turn reduces glare and increases the visibility of the depth marking(s)
Implementation Method 2
subsequently electro-polishing at least said portion of the fluted section of the shaft in order to visibly reduce the matted effect
Data Source
AI summary
A dental drill and a method of surface treating a drill. The drill includes a shaft extending along a central longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end. The proximal end of the shaft includes a shank adapted for connection to a rotary driver. The shaft further includes, distal of the shank, a fluted section including at least one flute extending along the longitudinal length of the fluted section. The method includes: acid etching at least a portion of the fluted section of the shaft in order to create a visible matted effect, subsequently electro-polishing at least the portion of the fluted section of the shaft in order to visibly reduce the matted effect and subsequently creating one or more visual marking within the portion of the fluted section of the shaft.