Systems and methods for locating a tooth's apical foramen
US6845265B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 26, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jan 18, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 7, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61C19/042
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apical foramen locator that a dental or medical practitioner can use to quickly and accurately identify the location of a patient's apical foramen during a dental/medical procedure is provided. The apical foramen locator determines the location of the apical foramen relative to a tool inserted into the patient's tooth by sensing an impedance—typically the voltage across two electrodes—and a stimulus voltage, and retrieving from an impedance map apical foramen location data that corresponds to the sensed impedance. The apical foramen locator can include a power circuit operable to apply a stimulus voltage across two electrodes and a reference resistor, an impedance-sensing circuit operable to read the stimulus voltage, a first voltage across the electrodes and a second voltage across the reference resistor and a processing component operable to derive first and second voltage indices from the stimulus, first and second voltages. Impedance maps can be generated using the apical foramen locator on reference teeth and can be stored in a memory used by the processing component.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.