Apparatus and methods for treating root canals of teeth

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10617498-B2
Application number	US-201514628500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2015
Priority date	Apr 20, 2006
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for endodontic treatment of teeth provide effective cleaning of organic material (such as pulp and diseased tissue) from the root canal system. In an embodiment, a compressor system generates high pressure liquid (e.g., water) that flows through an orifice to produce a high-velocity collimated jet of liquid. The high-velocity jet is directed toward a surface of a tooth, for example, an exposed dentinal surface, and impingement of the jet onto the surface generates an acoustic wave that propagates throughout the tooth. The acoustic wave effectively detaches organic material from dentinal surfaces and tubules. The detached organic material is flushed from the root canal system by the liquid jet and/or by additional irrigation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for treating a tooth, the apparatus comprising:
an enclosure having a mounting surface configured to be positioned against a tooth surface over a treatment region of the tooth, the enclosure configured to define a chamber to be filled with a liquid when the enclosure is positioned against the tooth; and
a pressure wave generator coupled with the enclosure and exposed to at least a portion of the chamber of the enclosure, the pressure wave generator configured to direct a collimated energy beam into the liquid,
wherein, when the collimated energy beam passes into the liquid, the collimated energy beam generates pressure waves that propagate through the liquid, the apparatus configured such that the generated pressure waves create at least some cavitation in the liquid, the generated pressure waves having sufficient energy to clean the treatment region.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure wave generator comprises a liquid jet device and the collimated energy beam comprises a liquid jet.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the liquid jet device comprises a liquid pressurization portion which pressurizes the liquid and a liquid beam forming portion in fluid communication with the pressurization portion, said beam forming portion comprising an orifice that receives the pressurized liquid, said orifice sized and shaped to convert the pressurized liquid into the liquid jet, the liquid jet comprising a high velocity collimated beam that produces an acoustic wave upon impact with a surface, the energy of said wave causing organic material to be detached from dentin.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said orifice has a transverse width in a range from about 10 microns to about 200 microns.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said orifice has an axial length in a range from about 50 microns to about 1000 microns.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a diameter of the orifice is in a range from about 10 microns to about 100 microns.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the diameter of the orifice is in a range from about 45 microns to about 65 microns.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein sides of the orifice have a root-mean-square surface roughness less than about 10 microns.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a pressure of the liquid used to produce the liquid jet is in a range from about 2,000 psi to about 11,000 psi.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a pressure of the liquid used to produce the liquid jet is in a range from about 7,000 psi to 15,000 psi.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the liquid jet has an energy flux in a range from about 50 kW/cm 2 to about 1000 kW/cm 2 .

12. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the liquid jet has a velocity in a range from about 50 m/s to about 300 m/s.

13. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a pump configured to pressurize the liquid that forms the liquid jet.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure waves comprises frequencies comprising widespread acoustic noise.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the frequencies comprise frequencies in a range from about 1 Hz to about 10 MHz.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises a cap configured to be applied to the tooth to substantially retain the liquid in the chamber.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , the cap further including an outflow opening to permit organic material and liquid to be evacuated from the treatment region of the tooth.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the cap includes a suction port configured to remove fluid from the treatment region of the tooth at substantially the same rate that it is introduced.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the pressure wave generator comprises an orifice exposed to the chamber of the cap.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a suction port configured to remove liquid from the chamber of the enclosure.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the enclosure comprises a contact member on a distal end of a handpiece, said contact member configured to contact the tooth and stabilize the handpiece against unwanted movement relative to the tooth.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller in operable communication with the pressure wave generator.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid source for supplying the liquid to the pressure wave generator.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the fluid source is configured to be filled with and to deliver a substantially gas-free liquid to the tooth.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the substantially gas-free liquid includes less than 1% dissolved gases by volume.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure wave generator is configured to deliver greater than about 20 J of energy to the treatment region.

27. An apparatus for treating a tooth, the apparatus comprising:
an enclosure having a mounting surface configured to be positioned against a tooth surface over a treatment region of the tooth, the enclosure configured to define a chamber to be filled with a liquid when the enclosure is positioned against the tooth; and
a pressure wave generator coupled to the enclosure, the pressure wave generator configured to direct a collimated energy beam into or onto the enclosure into the liquid to generate pressure waves having energy sufficient to clean the treatment region.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the pressure wave generator and the enclosure cooperate to generate liquid motion in the treatment region of the tooth.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the pressure wave generator comprises a liquid jet device, and wherein the collimated energy beam comprises a collimated liquid jet.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the liquid jet device comprises a liquid pressurization portion which pressurizes the liquid and a liquid beam forming portion in fluid communication with the pressurization portion, said beam forming portion comprising an orifice that receives the pressurized liquid, said orifice sized and shaped to convert the pressurized liquid into the liquid jet, the liquid jet comprising a high velocity collimated beam that produces an acoustic wave upon impact with a surface, the energy of said wave causing organic material to be detached from dentin.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 , further comprising a pump configured to pressurize the liquid that forms the liquid jet.

32. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the pressure waves comprises frequencies comprising widespread acoustic noise.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the frequencies comprise frequencies in a range from about 1 Hz to about 10 MHz.

34. The apparatus of claim 27 , further comprising a suction port configured to remove fluid from the tooth.

35. The apparatus of claim 27 , further comprising a controller in operable communication with the pressure wave generator.

36. The apparatus of claim 27 , further comprising a fluid source configured to be filled with and to deliver a substantially gas-free liquid to the tooth.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 , wherein the substantially gas-free liquid includes less than 1% dissolved gases by volume.

Assignees

• Sonendo Inc

Inventors

• Gharib Morteza
• Adams Joshua
• Hars Erik
• Bergheim Bjarne
• Stocks Karl
• Doherty Lance

Classifications

• A61C5/50

  Implements for filling root canals; Methods or instruments for medication of tooth nerve channels · CPC title

• A61C17/16

  Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices · CPC title

• A61C17/0202

  Hand-pieces · CPC title

• A61C17/02 Primary

  Rinsing or air-blowing devices, e.g. using fluid jets {or comprising liquid medication} (combined with receptacles for spittle A61C17/14; combined with power-driven cleaning or polishing devices A61C17/16) · CPC title

• A61C5/40 Primary

  Implements for surgical treatment of the roots or nerves of the teeth; Nerve needles; Methods or instruments for medication of the roots · CPC title