Ultrasonic Dental Scaler Insert Monolithic Grip Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultrasonic dental scaler inserts have ergonomic issues, including slipping grips and water leakage due to two-part assembly welding, leading to discomfort and inefficiency during use.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece grip design with a nodal location grip ring and a three-component nozzle assembly that eliminates the need for ultrasonic welding, providing a hermetic seal and improved ergonomics with a bulbous grip sleeve made of silicone rubber for enhanced comfort and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a two-part assembly with ultrasonic welding is used to construct the grip, then manufacturing precision and assembly security are improved, but water leakage occurs and ergonomics deteriorate due to welding defects and grip design limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two separate grip components into a single monolithic grip structure that extends continuously along the insert body. This eliminates the ultrasonic welding joint between grip parts, removing the source of water leakage while maintaining secure attachment to the insert body through direct friction fit and geometric interlocking features.
2Manufacturing precision
If a two-part assembly with ultrasonic welding is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to slipping grip and hand fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous monolithic grip design provides an uninterrupted gripping surface that extends along the insert, allowing the operator to maintain a secure hold without slipping. This extended grip surface distributes hand pressure and reduces fatigue, while the single-piece construction eliminates welding-related dimensional variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The grip features a bulbous, curved contour that conforms to the natural shape of fingers, enhancing comfort and control. This ergonomic curvature allows better finger placement and reduces hand fatigue during prolonged use, while maintaining precise alignment with the insert body.
3Ease of operation
If a monolithic grip design is used, then ease of operation and ergonomics are improved, but manufacturing precision may worsen due to single-piece construction challenges
Solution Approach 1:
While the grip itself is monolithic, the overall insert assembly is segmented into distinct functional zones: the grip portion, the magnetostrictive stack, the tool tip, and the nozzle assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and assembled with precise tolerances, maintaining overall assembly precision while enabling the ergonomic monolithic grip design.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous grip structure creates a uniform potential distribution along the gripping surface, ensuring consistent contact and force distribution across the entire grip length. This equipotential design prevents stress concentration points that could compromise structural integrity, maintaining manufacturing precision throughout the monolithic structure.
4Device complexity
If ultrasonic welding is used to assemble grip components, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability worsens due to water leakage through weld joints
Solution Approach 1:
The monolithic grip eliminates the need for ultrasonic welding between grip components, simplifying the assembly process by removing the welding operation while simultaneously improving reliability by eliminating weld joints that could leak water. The single-piece construction achieves both simplified manufacturing and enhanced seal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The monolithic grip structure serves its own sealing function through its continuous geometry, eliminating the need for separate sealing components or welding procedures. The grip's own structural integrity provides the seal, making the system self-sufficient and more reliable.
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 enhances grip security, reduces hand fatigue, maintains tactile sensitivity, and prevents water leakage, improving patient comfort and instrument durability by providing a secure, ergonomic, and easy-to-clean design.
Implementation Method 1
an electro-mechanical part or section that can be induced to vibrate at high frequency... magnetostrictive
Implementation Method 2
the dental insert vibrates at an ultrasonic frequency to remove biofilm and calculus from the tooth and root surfaces
Implementation Method 3
having cooling water flush away the removed deposits... Water or some other fluid is usually supplied to the tooth surface in order to remove the heat
Implementation Method 4
The grip ring is positioned at a nodal location of the insert
Data Source
AI summary
A dental insert (10) has a nozzle (30) supporting a grip sleeve (80). Nozzle 30 may include several components (31, 32, 33) that are assembled without the need for a weld. A grip retaining ring 60 is positioned at a nodal location.