Liquid jet apparatus and methods for dental treatments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9492244-B2
Application number	US-94579110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2010
Priority date	Nov 13, 2009
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods for using a liquid jet apparatus for dental treatments are disclosed. In one implementation, the liquid jet apparatus may include a handpiece configured to deliver a high velocity liquid jet to a desired location in the mouth of a patient. The handpiece may include a positioning member having a channel through or along which the jet can propagate. The positioning member may have a distal end portion configured to be at least partially disposed in a pulp cavity, canal space, or opening in the tooth under treatment. During operation, the jet may impact an impingement surface of the distal end portion of the positioning member and be deflected as a spray through one or more openings in the distal end portion. The liquid jet apparatus may be used for root canal treatments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dental instrument comprising:
a nozzle configured to produce a high-velocity liquid jet;
a positioning member having a channel through which the high-velocity liquid jet travels, the positioning member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;
an impingement member disposed at the distal end portion of the positioning member and having an impingement surface; and
a plurality of openings through the distal end portion of the positioning member,
wherein the impingement member comprises one or more angled or curved portions that angle or curve back towards the proximal end portion of the positioning member, wherein the one or more angled or curved portions extend distally beyond distal ends of the openings, wherein the nozzle is arranged such that the high-velocity liquid jet impacts the impingement surface at a point distally beyond the distal ends of the openings, and wherein the openings are configured to allow outflow of liquid from the liquid jet after impact with the impingement surface.

2. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the positioning member comprises an elongated member having a longitudinal axis.

3. The dental instrument of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the elongated member has a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis that is substantially circular or substantially polygonal.

4. The dental instrument of claim 2 , wherein the elongated member is substantially straight between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion.

5. The dental instrument of claim 2 , wherein the channel has a channel axis, and the channel axis is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated member.

6. The dental instrument of claim 5 , wherein the elongated member is disposed such that the high-velocity liquid jet propagates along a jet axis that is substantially parallel to the channel axis or the longitudinal axis of the elongated member.

7. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle comprises a proximal surface and a distal surface, the nozzle further comprising an orifice extending from the proximal surface to the distal surface and comprising at least one side wall, the orifice having a width, wherein at least one of the proximal surface, the distal surface, or the side wall has a surface roughness less than about 0.01 times the width of the orifice.

8. The dental instrument of claim 7 , wherein the nozzle has a corner forming at least part of the orifice and being disposed between the side wall and the proximal surface, and a ratio of a curvature of the corner to the width of the orifice is less than about 0.1.

9. The dental instrument of claim 7 , wherein the orifice has a length between the proximal surface and the distal surface, and the ratio of the length to the width of the orifice is less than about 4.

10. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is disposed in the proximal end portion of the positioning member.

11. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the channel has a channel axis, and the nozzle is disposed in the positioning member so as to at least generally align with the channel axis.

12. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the channel has a channel axis, and the nozzle is configured to output the high-velocity liquid jet at an angle to the channel axis.

13. The dental instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a backflow restrictor configured to be applied to the tooth and to inhibit backflow of fluid out of an opening in the tooth during operation of the liquid jet, at least a portion of the backflow restrictor disposed between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion of the positioning member.

14. The dental instrument of claim 13 , wherein the backflow restrictor is disposed substantially around the positioning member.

15. The dental instrument of claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the backflow restrictor is disposed at or along the proximal end portion of the positioning member.

16. The dental instrument of claim 13 , wherein the backflow restrictor comprises a material that is at least partially porous or at least partially absorbent.

17. The dental instrument of claim 13 , wherein the backflow restrictor comprises a material that is capable of deforming to contours of the tooth.

18. The dental instrument of claim 13 , wherein the backflow restrictor is configured to be coupled to a handpiece.

19. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the impingement member is oriented at a non-zero angle to a channel axis of the channel or a longitudinal axis of the positioning member.

20. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the impingement surface comprises a concave surface.

21. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the impingement surface comprises a convex surface.

22. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the one or more angled or curved portions of the impingement member are configured to at least partially direct at least a portion of the liquid jet generally toward the proximal end portion of the positioning member.

23. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the one or more angled or curved portions of the impingement member are configured to impart vorticity or circulation to at least a portion of the liquid jet that impacts the impingement surface.

24. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the impingement member is configured to produce a spray of liquid upon impact of the liquid jet.

25. The dental instrument of claim 24 , wherein the spray of liquid comprises a first spray directed in a first direction and a second spray directed in a second direction, the second direction being substantially different from the first direction.

26. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the distal end portion of the positioning member comprises a pointed, rounded, or textured region.

27. The dental instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a flow tube configured to deliver a low-velocity stream of fluid to the cavity in a tooth.

28. The dental instrument of claim 27 , wherein the positioning member is at least partially disposed in the flow tube.

29. The dental instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a handpiece, the positioning member coupled to a distal portion of the handpiece.

30. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the distal end portion is configured to be at least partially positioned within a cavity in a tooth so as to direct the liquid jet into the cavity in the tooth.

31. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the instrument is configured such that the high-velocity liquid jet propagates along a jet axis and impacts the impingement surface at a portion of the impingement surface that is substantially perpendicular to the jet axis.

32. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the positioning member is sized and shaped to be positioned in a portion of a root canal.

33. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle comprises an orifice having a diameter at an outlet or an inlet of the orifice in a range from about 10 microns to about 100 microns, and wherein the positioning member has a width in a range from about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm.

34. The dental instrument of claim 1 , wherein each opening of the plurality of openings has a length in a

Assignees

• Bergheim Bjarne
• Gharib Morteza
• Khakpour Mehrzad
• Pham Michele
• Tebbs Richard S
• Sonendo Inc

Inventors

• Bergheim Bjarne
• Gharib Morteza
• Khakpour Mehrzad
• Pham Michele
• Tebbs Richard S

Classifications

• 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

• A61C17/028

  with intermittent liquid flow · CPC title

• A61C17/02

  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

• A61C5/02 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61C5/62

  Applicators, e.g. syringes or guns · CPC title