Ultrasonic Tip Assembly for Root Canal Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasonic tips for root canal therapy have limited insertion depth due to bulky designs and are unable to effectively agitate and aspirate irrigants in a 3-dimensional manner, leading to incomplete cleaning and potential infection risks.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic tip assembly with a geometry that includes an inner aspiration needle surrounded by outer irrigation needles, optimized for use with an L-T mode transducer system, allowing for deeper insertion and multi-planar vibrations to enhance cleaning and irrigation within the root canal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If prior ultrasonic tips use L-mode transducer system with single-plane vibrations, then the device structure is simpler, but the cleaning effectiveness is reduced due to limited 3-dimensional agitation capability
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrasonic tip is segmented into multiple functional needles (irrigation needles and aspiration needle) with distinct roles, allowing each component to contribute to different aspects of the cleaning process and enabling complex multi-planar vibrations through coordinated operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from single-plane (2D) vibrations in L-mode to multi-planar (3D) vibrations through the L-T mode transducer system, adding dimensional complexity to the vibration pattern to improve irrigant agitation and debris removal effectiveness
2Reliability
If ultrasonic tips use bulky apparatus design to achieve necessary resonance, then resonant frequency is optimized for cleaning, but insertion depth into root canal is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The aspiration needle is nested within the irrigation needles, creating a compact hierarchical structure that reduces overall apparatus bulk while maintaining the resonant properties needed for effective cleaning, thereby enabling deeper insertion into the root canal
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs thin-walled needle structures that maintain structural integrity and resonant characteristics while minimizing overall thickness and bulk, allowing deeper penetration into the root canal without sacrificing cleaning effectiveness
3Productivity
If single continuous flow path is used in aspiration needle, then debris removal efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases compared to multi-path designs
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple flow paths are merged into a single continuous flow path within the aspiration needle, consolidating debris removal through one unified channel that maintains high efficiency while simplifying the overall device structure compared to multiple separate paths
4Productivity
If L-T mode transducer system is used for multi-planar vibrations, then irrigant agitation and acoustic debridement are improved, but heat distribution safety concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The L-T mode transducer generates multi-planar (3D) vibrations that distribute mechanical energy and heat generation throughout the root canal space, preventing localized heat concentration and improving safety while maintaining effective irrigant agitation
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 tip assembly achieves deeper cleaning, reduces the risk of infection by effectively agitating and aspirating irrigants, and ensures sterility with a disposable design, providing improved resonant frequencies for efficient fluid delivery and debris removal.
Implementation Method 1
ultrasonic tip assembly... driven by an L-T mode transducer system... resulting vibrations are in a single plane... 3-dimensional vibrations being multi-planar
Implementation Method 2
achieve a first predetermined resonant frequency of the aspiration needle... vibrations around the long axis
Implementation Method 3
aspiration needle... passageway providing a single continuous path to aspirate the irrigant and/or debris from the root canal
Implementation Method 4
irrigation needle... passageway provides a continuous flow path for delivering fluid/irrigant from a reservoir... to the root canal
Data Source
AI summary
A tip assembly for use with a dental tool, the tip assembly comprising a housing for attaching to the dental tool, at least one aspiration needle having a passageway extending at least partially through the aspiration needle, a substantial length of the aspiration needle, or at least from one end to the other end of the aspiration needle, the passageway providing a single continuous path to aspirate the irrigant and/or debris from the root canal cavity of the tooth, and at least one irrigation needle having a passageway extending at least partially through the irrigation needle, a substantial length of the irrigation needle, or at least from one end to the other end of the irrigation needle, the passageway provides a continuous flow path for delivering fluid/irrigant from a reservoir in communication with a proximal end of the irrigation needle to the distal end of the irrigation needle and into a root canal/coronal opening of a tooth.