Star-Shaped Root Canal Needle with Side Outlets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing root canal procedures using circular needles for irrigant injection often result in forceful and accidental release of irrigants beyond the desired area, causing tissue pain and necrosis due to the single outlet tip design.
Innovation Solution
A root canal irrigant needle with a four-point star-shaped shaft and multiple irrigant outlets along its side, featuring a closed distal end to prevent direct or forceful irrigant delivery to the apical region, reducing the risk of tissue damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a circular needle with a single outlet tip is used for irrigant injection, then the irrigant can be delivered to the root canal, but the irrigant may be forcefully injected beyond the periapical region causing tissue pain and necrosis
Solution Approach 1:
The needle shaft is segmented into multiple irrigant outlets distributed along its length rather than a single outlet at the tip. This segmentation allows the irrigant to be delivered through multiple points, reducing the force and preventing accidental release beyond the periapical region.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle shaft is changed from a circular cross-section to a four-point star-shaped cross-section. This dimensional change in the shaft geometry enables the distribution of irrigant outlets along the shaft and provides structural integrity while preventing the harmful forceful injection effect.
2Device complexity
If a single outlet at the needle tip is used, then the irrigant delivery is simple, but the irrigant may reach the apical region directly and cause harm
Solution Approach 1:
The single outlet at the tip is segmented into multiple outlets distributed along the shaft. This segmentation prevents direct reach to the apical region by distributing the irrigant delivery points, thereby eliminating the harmful effect while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet function is extracted from the needle tip and distributed along the shaft. By taking out the outlet function from the tip location and placing it at multiple locations along the shaft, the design prevents direct irrigant reach to the apical region.
3Ease of manufacture
If circular needle shape is used, then the manufacturing is conventional, but the irrigant distribution is uncontrolled and may cause tissue damage
Solution Approach 1:
The circular symmetric needle shape is changed to an asymmetric four-point star-shaped cross-section. This asymmetric shape provides controlled irrigant distribution through strategically positioned outlets along the shaft while remaining manufacturable using conventional processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-sectional geometry is changed from circular to four-point star-shaped, adding dimensional complexity to the shaft structure. This dimensional change enables controlled irrigant distribution along the shaft length while maintaining ease of manufacture through conventional forming processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A root canal irrigant needle for use with a dental syringe for use in a dental procedure such as a root canal is provided. The root canal irrigant needle has a non-circular shape and has multiple irrigant outlets located along the length of the root canal irrigant needle. The location and angular orientation of the multiple irrigant outlets allow for an efficient removal of debris from the root canal.