Selectively Dimmable Electroluminescent Display for Laser Surgical Handpieces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical devices, particularly those used in dental procedures, face challenges in providing clear and intuitive control over laser power and pulse settings, making it difficult for clinicians to select appropriate settings for various procedures without memorization, especially when performing multiple specialties.
Innovation Solution
A medical apparatus with a selectively dimmable electroluminescent display that allows users to control laser power and pulse settings through a touch-based interface, featuring a microprocessor-controlled pulse skipping scheme to adjust luminance and a transparent display for improved visibility, along with pre-programmed procedures for common dental operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a traditional display is used to show operational settings, then the display is always visible, but the display creates glare and reduces visibility during dental procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The display transitions from a static always-visible state to a dynamic state where brightness can be adjusted between fully on, fully off, and partially dimmed. The microprocessor controls the backlight intensity based on operational conditions, allowing the display to adapt its illumination level to reduce glare while maintaining visibility when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The backlight intensity parameter of the display is made variable rather than fixed. The microprocessor adjusts the backlight intensity parameter in response to different operational settings and user interactions, changing the physical state of the display from bright to dimmed or off, thereby eliminating glare while preserving information display capability.
2Loss of information
If multiple operational settings are displayed simultaneously, then all information is visible, but the complexity of selecting appropriate settings increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display information is segmented into different operational modes (e.g., soft tissue mode, hard tissue mode, cavity preparation mode), with each mode presenting only the relevant settings and parameters for that specific procedure type. This segmentation allows clinicians to view comprehensive information when needed while reducing complexity during routine operations by showing only mode-specific settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides pre-programmed operational modes with pre-configured settings for common dental procedures. When a clinician selects a mode, the appropriate settings are automatically displayed and ready, eliminating the need to manually configure multiple parameters and reducing the complexity of settings selection while maintaining full information availability when custom configurations are needed.
3Illumination intensity
If the display is always illuminated to show settings clearly, then visibility is maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The backlight operates periodically rather than continuously, being activated only when the user interacts with the device (e.g., during mode selection or setting adjustment) and deactivated during normal operation. The microprocessor controls periodic illumination cycles, providing display visibility on-demand while significantly reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous illumination.
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
Enhances user interaction by providing clear and adjustable display settings, reducing the complexity of selecting appropriate power levels and pulse widths for different procedures, improving procedural efficiency and visibility during dental surgeries.
Implementation Method 1
an electroluminescent display associated with the housing, the electroluminescent display being configured to display operational settings for the laser source
Implementation Method 2
selectively adjusting a luminance of the plurality of light emitting segments by applying positive and negative pulses at a specific voltage and at a frequency to selected traces
Data Source
AI summary
Medical apparatuses with selectively dimmable displays are disclosed herein. Some embodiments include a housing, a laser surgical handpiece device, a laser source that generates laser light that is emitted through the laser surgical handpiece device, an electroluminescent display associated with the housing, the electroluminescent display being configured to display operational settings for the laser source, the operational settings including at least power level and pulse width or duration, and a microprocessor for controlling the electroluminescent display to selectively illuminate or dim at least a portion of the operational settings displayed thereon based on the operational settings selected by a user.