Root canal debridement effectiveness device and method

US10321975B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Ormco Corporation · US

Inventors

• Steven Burns · Haverhill, US
• Emanuele Maretto · Guanzate, IT
• Abhigyan Som · Brea, US
• Carlos Munoz · Redlands, US
• Matteo Bosisio · Lugano, CH
• Gopikrishnan Soundararajan · Santa Clara, US
• Tuyen Nguyen · Cypress, US
• M. Reza Mehrabi · Burbank, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 25, 2017
• Grant date: Jun 18, 2019
• Expiry date: Jun 4, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2201/06113
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method for continuously evaluating the effectiveness of debridement of a root canal of a tooth, the tooth having an open access cavity and an apex end, includes delivering a fluid to the open access cavity of the tooth, evacuating the fluid near the apex end of the tooth such that the fluid flushes most of the root canal before being evacuated, and continuously evaluating the evacuated fluid for at least one of a presence of debris, a concentration level of the debris, or a type of the debris. An apparatus for use in debriding a root canal of a tooth includes a microcannula or a macrocannula configured to evacuate a fluid in the root canal, and a sensing mechanism fluidically coupled to the microcannula or the macrocannula, the sensing mechanism configured to continuously sense debris in the evacuated fluid in real time.