Polymeric Endodontic Instrument with Raised Projections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endodontic files are unable to thoroughly remove the smear layer from the walls of root canals due to their inflexibility and round shape, leading to residual microorganisms that can cause reinfection and require retreatment.
Innovation Solution
A polymeric instrument with a tapered shank and raised projections, designed for deep insertion and rotation within the canal, providing a scrubbing and scraping action to effectively remove the smear layer without bristles, utilizing a stiff polymeric material with a flexural modulus between 2500 and 3500 MPa for flexibility and mechanical action.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If endodontic files are used to clean the canal, then the canal can be debrided of larger materials, but the smear layer cannot be thoroughly removed due to the file's inflexibility and round shape
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible polymeric brush shaft that can bend and adapt to the canal's curvature, allowing the brush to reach deep into the canal system and conform to the canal walls for effective smear layer removal, overcoming the rigidity limitation of conventional files
Solution Approach 2:
The brush is divided into multiple segments including a shaft, handle, and bristle components that can independently function. The segmented design allows the bristle portion to flex and adapt to the canal geometry while the shaft provides structural support, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and cleaning effectiveness
2Ease of manufacture
If round endodontic files are used, then the files can be manufactured simply, but they cannot thoroughly clean the ovoid canal walls due to shape mismatch
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from symmetric round files to an asymmetric brush design with bristles arranged in specific patterns on the shaft surface. The bristle configuration is optimized to match the ovoid canal geometry, providing superior cleaning contact area compared to round files while remaining manufacturable through standard molding processes
3Reliability
If conventional brushes with bristles are used, then cleaning action can be provided, but the brush shaft lacks the necessary flexibility to reach deep canals
Solution Approach 1:
The brush shaft is constructed from flexible polymeric material that can bend and flex within the canal system, enabling deep canal access while maintaining the structural integrity needed to transmit rotational motion and provide effective cleaning action through the bristle portion
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 instrument significantly reduces microbial contamination, demonstrated by a study showing a 90.2% reduction in bacterial titers compared to controls, outperforming conventional brushes in effectively cleaning the root canal system.
Implementation Method 1
The instrument may be composed of a stiff polymeric material, having a flexural modulus between 2500 and 3500 MPa
Implementation Method 2
The raised projections include raised bumps on the surface of the shank, and fins that vary in orientation between parallel with an axis of the shank, and transverse to the axis of the shank
Data Source
AI summary
An instrument for cleaning canals during endodontic procedures is presented. The instrument is formed in one piece from a stiff polymeric material. The instrument features a handle, a measuring shaft, and a tapering shank with raised polymeric projections along its length. The present invention is designed without the use of bristles that conventional brushes contain. The raised polymeric projections include fins that may be oriented parallel to or transverse to the axis of the instrument to provide multidirectional cleaning capability. The instrument is stiff enough to penetrate a canal and mechanically scrub and scrape canal surfaces, but flexible enough to negotiate the curves of the canal.