Instruments and coatings formed from a porous material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10182883-B2
Application number	US-201414549944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2014
Priority date	Nov 20, 2013
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

An endodontic instrument for cleaning/shaping a tooth root canal that includes an elongated shaft composed of a porous material, the shaft having a proximal end portion, a distal end and a tapered working portion having an external surface and a rotational axis, the working portion extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A porous endodontic instrument for cleaning/shaping a tooth root canal, comprising: an elongated shaft composed of a porous material, the shaft having a proximal end portion, a distal end; a tapered working portion and a rotational axis, the working portion extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end; wherein the working portion includes an intermediate portion and a distal end portion; wherein the intermediate portion includes plurality of apertures that define a generally lattice type structure; wherein the generally lattice type structure includes at least two cutting edges having an external surface and an internal surface defining an internal hollow space extending longitudinally; wherein the intermediate portion further includes at least one internal support extending between opposing portions of the internal surface and through the inner hollow space that is defined by the interior surface; wherein the porous endodontic instrument has a porosity ranging from about 25% and about 55% and wherein the at least one internal support has a thickness ranging from about 50 microns to about 600 microns.

2. The porous endodontic instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the porous material is a porous metal being selected from the group consisting of a Nitinol based material, a Copper based material, a titanium based material and a stainless steel based material.

3. The porous endodontic instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the instrument has an axis of rotation that is centered such that the cross section center of mass (centroid) is located at the axis of rotation.

4. The porous endodontic instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the instrument has an axis of rotation that is asymmetric such that the center of mass (centroid) is not located at the axis of rotation.

5. The porous endodontic instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the external surface of the working portion includes a plurality of flutes.

6. The porous endodontic instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the external surface of the working portion is free of flutes.

7. The porous endodontic instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the instrument is coated with a second porous material.

8. The porous endodontic instrument according to claim 7 , wherein the second porous material is selected from the group consisting of a Nitinol based material, a Copper based material, a titanium based material and a stainless steel based material.

9. An endodontic instrument for cleaning/shaping a tooth root canal comprising: an elongated shaft having a proximal end portion, a distal end, a tapered working portion and a rotational axis, the working portion extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end; wherein the working portion includes an intermediate portion and a distal end portion; wherein the intermediate portion includes plurality of apertures that define a generally lattice type structure; wherein the generally lattice type structure includes at least two cutting edges having an external surface and an internal surface defining an internal hollow space extending longitudinally; wherein the intermediate portion further includes at least one internal support extending radially from the rotational axis and in between opposing portions of the internal surface and through the inner hollow space that is defined by the interior surface; the external surface of the shaft working portion having a plurality of at least two flutes and a geometric cross section; and wherein the instrument is coated with a porous material to form a porous coating, the porous coating having a thickness ranging from about 1 micron to about 50 microns and a porosity ranging from about 25% to about 55%.

10. The endodontic instrument according to claim 9 wherein the porous material is a porous metal that is selected from the group consisting of a Nitinol based material, a Copper based material, a titanium based material and a stainless steel based material.

11. The endodontic instrument according to claim 9 , further comprising an axis of rotation that is centered such that at a cross-section, the center of mass is located at the axis of rotation.

12. The endodontic instrument according to claim 9 , further comprising an axis of rotation that is asymmetric such that the center of mass is not located about the axis of rotation.

13. The endodontic instrument of claim 1 , wherein the endodontic instrument is a rotatable endodontic instrument.

14. The endodontic instrument of claim 1 , wherein the endodontic instrument is a reciprocating endodontic instrument.

15. The endodontic instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the porous material is processed by high temperature, cold temperatures and/or strain.

16. A method for forming a porous endodontic instrument comprising the steps of:
providing a porous wire having a porosity ranging from about 25% to about 55%;
grinding the porous wire to form the porous endodontic instrument, the endodontic instrument having a proximal end portion, a distal end, a tapered working portion and a rotational axis, the working portion extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end, wherein the working portion includes an intermediate portion and a distal end portion; wherein the intermediate portion includes plurality of apertures that define a generally lattice type structure; wherein the generally lattice type structure includes at least two cutting edges having an external surface and an internal surface defining an internal hollow space extending longitudinally; wherein the intermediate portion further includes at least one internal support extending between opposing portions of the internal surface and through the inner hollow space that is defined by the interior surface; wherein the at least one internal support has a thickness ranging from about 50 microns to about 600 microns.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the porous material is a porous metal selected from the group consisting of a Nitinol based material, a Copper based material, a titanium based material and a stainless steel based material.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the shaping step is selected from the group consisting of a grinding step, an additive manufacturing step, a three-dimensional printing step, an etching step, and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the working portion includes a plurality of flutes.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of flutes are continual helical flutes.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the working portion is free of a flute.

22. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of coating at least a portion of the external surface with a porous coating.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the porous coating is a porous metal selected from the group consisting of a Nitinol based material, a Copper based material, a titanium based material and a stainless steel based material.

24. The method of claim 16 , wherein the shaping step includes working the porous material under a strain to form the endodontic instrument.

25. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of heat treating and/or quenching the shaped endodontic instrument.

26. The porous endodontic instrument according to claim 1 , wherein at least one internal support extends radially from the rotational axis and in between the opposing portions of the internal surface.

Assignees

• Dentsply Int Inc
• Dentsply Sirona Inc

Inventors

• Shotton Vincent
• Damien Christopher
• Ammon Dan

Classifications

• Y10T29/49568

  Orthodontic device making · CPC title

• A61C2201/007

  using shape memory effect · CPC title

• A61C5/42 Primary

  Files for root canals; Handgrips or guiding means therefor · CPC title

• Y10T29/49567

  Dental appliance making · CPC title