Dental Fluid Jet System for Root Canal Debridement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dental treatment methods, such as endodontic procedures and tooth decay removal, often fail to completely remove organic material from teeth, leading to post-procedure complications like infection, and can be uncomfortable for patients due to the use of drills and anesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A treatment instrument with a fluid platform and pressure wave generator that directs fluid streams and materials into the tooth to effectively remove unhealthy materials, fill treatment regions, and coat or remineralize teeth, using a system with a chamber, supply ports, and a suction port to manage fluid communication and pressure waves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional endodontic files are used to remove organic material from root canals, then some organic material can be removed, but not all organic material is removed completely leading to post-procedure infections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical endodontic files with a fluid jet system that uses high-velocity fluid streams to remove organic material from root canals. The fluid jet apparatus delivers pressurized fluid through a nozzle to erode and flush out organic debris, providing more complete removal compared to mechanical files while reducing the risk of trauma and infection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes hydraulic principles by employing high-velocity fluid jets to clean root canals. The system uses pressurized fluid delivery through controlled nozzles to achieve thorough removal of organic material, leveraging fluid dynamics to access and clean complex canal geometries that mechanical instruments cannot reach effectively.
2Measurement precision
If mechanical instruments such as excavators and explorers are used to determine the extent of tooth removal, then healthy dentin can be exposed, but these instruments cannot accurately determine when to stop resulting in overly-aggressive removal of healthy dentin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical excavation instruments with a fluid jet system that provides more precise control over tooth structure removal. The fluid jet can be carefully directed and controlled to remove decayed tissue while preserving healthy dentin, offering better precision than mechanical excavators that rely on operator skill and tactile feedback.
3Reliability
If conventional drilling and filling procedures are used to treat tooth decay, then decayed material can be removed and filling spaces can be filled, but the procedure may not remove all decayed material and can result in bacterial leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces conventional mechanical drilling with fluid jet technology to remove decayed material. The high-velocity fluid stream can more thoroughly clean decayed tissue from complex cavity geometries, including lateral canals and isthmi, reducing the risk of residual bacteria that could lead to leakage and recurrent caries.
4Reliability
If endodontic material placement uses gutta percha points to encourage penetration, then obturation material can be pushed into lateral canals, but this may not achieve adequate penetration and can cause trauma to soft tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical gutta percha point insertion with fluid jet delivery of obturation material. The fluid stream can gently propel obturation material into lateral canals and complex canal geometries without the trauma associated with mechanical file insertion, reducing the risk of soft tissue damage while achieving adequate penetration.
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 solution enables efficient removal of unhealthy materials, thorough filling of tooth structures, and remineralization, reducing the risk of infection and improving patient comfort by using fluid dynamics and pressure waves to treat dental tissues.
Implementation Method 1
direct a fluid stream of a first material into the chamber to generate rotational fluid motion in the chamber
Implementation Method 2
a second supply port distal the first fluid supply port, the second supply port disposed to direct a second material to be entrained with the fluid stream into the chamber
Implementation Method 3
A pressure wave generator can be configured to generate pressure waves having sufficient energy to treat the treatment region
Data Source
AI summary
A treatment instrument can include a fluid platform comprising a chamber and an access port to provide fluid communication between a treatment region of the tooth and the chamber, the chamber having a central axis. The treatment instrument can include a first fluid supply port disposed to direct a fluid stream of a first material into the chamber along a stream axis non-parallel to the central axis. The treatment instrument can include a second supply port distal the first fluid supply port, the second supply port disposed to direct a second material to be entrained with the fluid stream into the chamber.